Festival time is the perfect opportunity to instill some cultural values in our children. The festive spirit created at home can arouse interest in kids for learning about Indian culture, values and ethos.

Here are a few ideas to help you celebrate Raksha Bandhan with your kids while they learn the true meaning of the festival :

1. Explain: Raksha Bandhan is an Indian celebration of sisterly and brotherly respect and love. ‘Raksha’ means protection and ‘Bandhan’, to tie. A sister will wrap a red and gold Rakhi (sacred thread of love) round her brother’s wrist and say a prayer for his well being, as she makes a mark on his forehead with red powder. She may also give him a gift of sweets. In return, her brother will promise to protect her always, and will also give her a gift, perhaps of sweets, clothing or money.  The festival is celebrated by both Hindus and Sikhs. It is thought that the celebration originated from the Hindu story about Indra, king of the lesser gods. The god Vishnu gave Indra’s wife a thread to tie on Indra’s right wrist in order to protect him from the demon king Bali. Read these books on sibling bond with your kids.
2. Read: Read these books on sibling bond with your kids.5 Books that will help kids to understand the “love-hate” sibling bond! 
3. Create:The best part, we can encourage them to celebrate sibling bond if  there are two brothers or two sisters. How about starting this new tradition with your kids?
4. Explore: Play these interactive games with your kids and their cousins or friends –

a) Guessing games

Kids can  bring in photographs of their siblings,. Display the pictures for other children to guess whose brother they are, talking about how they look similar to and different from their sisters.

b)Poetry, please

Kids can make up simple poems for their siblings and write in a card. To help them think and talk about what they feel about their siblings, lay a length of wallpaper, reverse side up, on the floor and ask kids to sit around it. At the top of the sheet draw some hair with felt-tipped pens and, underneath, a pair of eyes. Below this, mark a simple ‘face’ with two eyes and a smiley mouth, and underneath that, another face with a laughing, open mouth. In turn, each child can talk about the colour of their sibling’s hair and eyes, what makes him happy, and what makes him laugh. And then use these adjectives to make a poem!

5. Make: Rakhis can be personalised with pictures of a brother’s interests and hobbies.Here are a few DIY ideas for Rakhi gift ideas. Rakhi DIY Ideas from KidEngage for kids to make at home!