Vaisakhi Activities for Kids

This year, Vaisakhi falls on April 14th and we are getting excited about the festivities at the Pink Chai house! Since we are Sikh, many of our family activities and conversations centre around religious stories and practices, but we also try to recognize the festive heart of the season. {We are Punjabi’s after all – balle balle!}vaisakhi activities for kids

In today’s  post I’m sharing Vaisakhi activities for kids, that are really easy to do, and can help you get the conversation started about this festive and religious holiday.


vaisakhi activities for kidsmake vaisakhi cardsmake vaisakhi cards

Make Vaisakhi Cards
Why not right? We make and distribute cards for every other occasion, why not Vaisakhi? It’s an easy way to introduce the holiday through a concept your kids probably already understand. In a child’s mind the conversation will probably go like this: we are getting cards, today must be a special day!

This year we are doing something a little different and giving the kids cold hard cash in their Vaisakhi cards, but, the money isn’t for them. Since one of the 3 principals of Sikhi is ‘Vand Chakko’ which means share what you have and consume it as a community, we want them to choose a charity to donate that money to. I’m actually planning to start a family savings jar so we can all contribute to this effort again next year.  

Watch Char Sahibzaade
This is a recent film that follows the short life of Guru Gobind Singh’s 4 sons, and is 3D computer animated. While the themes are a little strong (showing the Mughal war, and also the death of all four Sahibzaade), it was not gory at all. I normally don’t watch fighting or action movies with the kids, but this movie is really a valuable lesson in Sikhi and the story behind the Khalsa. It is in Punjabi, but is available with subtitles on Netflix, and honestly, my kids don’t understand Punjabi fluently but they managed to follow along. 

Visit Your Local Nagar Kirtan
If you’ve never taken your kids to your local Nagar Kirtan (Vaisakhi Parade), I highly recommend it, but don’t just focus on the parade, show your kids the ceremonies to if possible. Explain to them how the Granth Sahib is transported from the Gurudwara to the floats, and why people walk with the procession. Use this annual holiday as a way to start a dialouge on the philosophies of Guru Nanak Devji and Guru Gobind Singhji. 

If you are feeling a little rusty on your knowledge of the history of Sikhism, and the purpose of the Nagar Kirtan maybe this weekend is the perfect time to plan a visit to the grandparent’s house – I’m sure they’d be happy to talk to the littles, and give you a refresher!

Share:

3 Comments

  1. April 9, 2015 / 4:34 pm

    I have never heard of Vaisakhi! It’s nice to learn something about your culture… I think making cards and teaching your kids the importance of contributing to the community is an excellent idea! Happy Thursday! 🙂

  2. April 15, 2015 / 8:57 am

    hi! where did you get that awesome card paper. its bright/colorful! i love it. let me know!

    • April 16, 2015 / 8:10 am

      Hi There – these papers are from Joann, and I created the graphics in word. Thanks for stopping by.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.