21 Ganesh Chaturthi Crafts and Activities to do with Kids

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Ganesh Chaturthi has always been such a joyful festival to celebrate with children. Between making a little Ganesha, decorating his mantap, drawing rangoli, preparing modaks and reading his funny stories, there are so many ways for kids to take part.

This collection brings together 21 Ganesh Chaturthi crafts and activities for kids, including eco-friendly clay projects, paper crafts, decorations, recipes, books and low-prep ideas for home, school and homeschool learning.

Ganesh Chaturthi Activities at a Glance

Best for	Preschool, kindergarten and elementary-age children
Use at	Home, school, homeschool, Indian culture units and festival celebrations
Activities include	Clay crafts, paper crafts, rangoli, decorations, recipes, cards, books and printables
Skills practised	Fine-motor control, creativity, sequencing, cultural awareness and sustainable thinking
Adult help	Recommended for cooking, detailed cutting and any use of hot glue

Quick Answer: What Are Some Easy Ganesh Chaturthi Activities for Kids?

Easy Ganesh Chaturthi activities for kids include making a natural-clay Ganesha, building a printable paper mantap, decorating a lotus throne, creating rangoli, making a recycled CD hanging, preparing modaks with an adult and reading child-friendly stories about Ganesha. Preschoolers can work with play dough and paper, while older children can try detailed clay art, festival decorations and cooking activities.

What Is Ganesh Chaturthi?

Ganesh Chaturthi, also called Vinayaka Chaturthi, is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, the beloved son of Lord Shiva and Devi Parvati. Ganesha is associated with wisdom, prosperity, new beginnings and the removal of obstacles.

Families and communities welcome Ganesha idols into decorated homes, temples and public pandals. The celebration may last for different lengths of time depending on family and regional traditions. It concludes with Ganesh Visarjan, a ceremonial farewell in which the idol is immersed.

When Is Ganesh Chaturthi in 2026?

Ganesh Chaturthi will be celebrated on Monday, September 14, 2026. Festival dates and puja timings can vary by location, so families should also check their local panchang or community calendar.

How Is Ganesh Chaturthi Celebrated in India?

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated across India, with especially large public celebrations in Maharashtra. It is also known as Vinayaka Chaturthi, Vinayaka Chavithi or Pillayar Chaturthi in different regions. Traditions vary, but celebrations often include installing a Ganesha idol, decorating a mantap, offering flowers and modaks, singing aarti, visiting community pandals and sharing festive food.

Visarjan may take place after one and a half, three, five, seven or ten days, depending on family and regional customs. Today, many families choose natural clay, water-based colors and a symbolic immersion at home to make the celebration more environmentally responsible.

How Can Kids Take Part in Ganesh Chaturthi?

Children can help shape a clay idol, arrange flowers, make paper decorations, draw rangoli, prepare a card, listen to Ganesha stories or assist an adult in the kitchen. If you are introducing the festival in a classroom, begin with its cultural and religious meaning before choosing a related art activity.

Useful Supplies to Keep Ready

• Natural clay or homemade play dough
• Construction paper and cardstock
• Child-safe scissors
• Glue sticks and liquid craft glue
• Washable paint and paintbrushes
• Paper plates and recycled cardboard
• Crayons, markers and colored pencils
• Flowers, lace, sequins or reusable embellishments

Safety note: Supervise young children around small embellishments. Adults should handle hot glue, sharp tools, steaming and stovetop cooking.

21 Ganesh Chaturthi Crafts and Activities for Kids

1. Make an Eco-Friendly Clay Ganesha

Making your own Ganesha may look difficult, but children can create a simple version from natural clay. Begin with one large ball for the body, a smaller ball for the head and four short clay rolls for the arms and legs. Add a curved trunk, two large ears and a tiny modak in one hand.

Let the idol dry naturally and decorate it with water-based colors. Avoid Plaster of Paris, plastic glitter and chemical paints if the idol will be immersed.

Best for: Ages 6 and up with adult guidance.

2. Make a Little Ganesha with Play Dough

For younger children, play dough is easier to handle than natural clay. Priyanka from MyColorfulStuff shared this very cute Ganesha made at home using Play-Doh. Let children roll, pinch and flatten the dough while you talk about Ganesha’s elephant head, large ears and curved trunk.

Best for: Preschool and kindergarten.

3. Build a Printable 3D Ganesha Mantap

This printable 3D Ganesha on a mantap craft is one of the easiest ways to combine festival learning with cutting, folding and construction. Print the pieces on cardstock, cut around them, fold the tabs and assemble the platform.

You can get the individual 3D Ganesha mantap template or find it in the August activity bundle.

Best for: Ages 6–10; pre-cut the smaller pieces for younger children.

4. Decorate a Ganesha Mantap

Once the idol or printable Ganesha is ready, children can help prepare a special place for him. Use a sturdy cardboard box as the base and decorate it with paper garlands, flowers, fabric, battery-operated lights and handmade torans.

Invite children to plan a symmetrical arrangement or make repeated patterns with paper flowers. This turns festival decoration into a simple art and design activity.

5. Make a Paper Lotus Singhasan or Throne

Ganesha is often shown holding a lotus, a symbol associated with purity and spiritual growth. Turn a small cardboard box into a lotus-shaped seat by covering it with colored paper and layering large pink paper petals around the outside.

1. Cover a sturdy box with pink or red paper.
2. Cut matching petal shapes from cardstock.
3. Fold the bottom of each petal to create a tab.
4. Glue the petals around the box in overlapping rows.
5. Add a smaller circle of petals behind the seat as a backrest.

6. Add a Paper Plate Umbrella or Parasol

A decorated paper plate turned upside down makes a lovely little parasol. Paint the plate, add a patterned border and attach paper tassels around the rim. An adult can secure a paper straw or wooden dowel to the back before placing it behind the seating.

7. Decorate a Ganesh Chaturthi Aarti Plate

The original version of this activity used thermocol, but sturdy cardboard or a reusable metal plate is a more durable and eco-friendly choice. Draw a simple design in the center, paint around it and add a border made from lace, paper shapes or reusable embellishments.

This is a good opportunity to explain what an aarti plate is and how it is used. An adult should always manage lamps, incense and flames.

8. Draw a Simple Rangoli

Nothing makes an entrance feel festive quite like rangoli! Follow our easy step-by-step rangoli tutorial, or let children arrange flower petals and colored rice inside a chalk outline.

For a classroom-friendly version, use paper circles, pom-poms or reusable loose parts instead of loose powder.

9. Make Coconut Laddoo

Bal Ganesha is known for his love of laddoos and sweets, and our little ones are often just as enthusiastic! This quick coconut laddoo recipe uses only a few ingredients.

Children can measure ingredients, roll cooled mixture into balls and arrange the laddoos on a serving plate. Adults should handle all stovetop work.

10. Make Modak for Ganesh Chaturthi

Modak is one of the foods most closely associated with Ganesha. Traditional ukadiche modak has a soft rice-flour covering and a sweet coconut-and-jaggery filling. Older children can help measure, mix and shape the dumplings while an adult handles steaming.

Use this detailed ukadiche modak recipe for ingredient quantities and cooking instructions.

11. Make a Recycled CD Ganesha Hanging

Turn an old CD into a colorful hanging for the car, doorway or festival display. Children can color a Ganesha picture, mount it on the CD and decorate the edge with lace and sequins.

See the complete recycled CD Ganesha craft tutorial.

12. Create a 2D Clay Ganesha Picture

If building a freestanding idol feels difficult, try a 2D clay picture instead. Print or draw a simple Ganesha outline and fill each section with flattened pieces of colored clay or play dough.

Our Festivals of India clay activity shows how this can work as a school art project.

13. Paint a Ganesha Artwork

Start with a simple Ganesha outline on thick paper or canvas. Paint the largest shapes first, let them dry and add the smaller facial and decorative details with a marker or fine brush.

We originally used acrylic paint and glitter glue, but washable poster paint and metallic markers are easier for a classroom and create less mess.

14. Make a Lentil Ganesha Collage or Gift Box

Lentil art is a wonderful sensory activity and creates beautiful natural texture. Draw or print a simple Ganesha outline, then fill the different sections with lentils, beans and grains.

1. Cover a gift box or piece of cardboard with colored paper.
2. Glue the Ganesha outline in the center.
3. Apply glue to one small area at a time.
4. Arrange different lentils inside the sections of the picture.
5. Leave the collage flat until it is completely dry.
6. Display it as festival art or attach it to a reusable gift box.

Safety note: Lentils and beans can be a choking hazard. This activity requires close supervision with preschoolers.

15. Learn How to Draw Ganesha

Teach children to build a Ganesha drawing one simple shape at a time:

1. Draw a large circle or oval for the head.
2. Add two wide curved ears.
3. Draw a long curved trunk in the center.
4. Add kind eyes, eyebrows and a small tilak.
5. Draw a rounded body beneath the head.
6. Add four arms using simple curved lines.
7. Finish with a crown, jewelry, a lotus or a modak.

Let children interpret the details in their own style rather than expecting every drawing to look identical.

16. Make a Paper Ganesha Craft

Create Ganesha from basic paper shapes: a large oval for the body, a smaller circle for the head, two fan-shaped ears and one curved strip for the trunk. Add four folded-paper arms, a crown and a tiny paper modak. Mount the finished figure on contrasting cardstock and decorate the border.

Best for: Ages 5–9. Pre-cut the shapes for younger children.

17. Assemble a Printable Ganapati Papercraft

Older children who enjoy detailed cutting can try this printable Ganapati papercraft from Instructables. Print it on sturdy paper, score the fold lines and assemble the pieces carefully.

Best for: Tweens, teens or younger children working with an adult.

18. Use a Ready-to-Make Ganesha Craft Kit

A prepared kit can be useful for a small group, classroom club or family gathering because the main materials are already collected. Check the recommended age, number of projects and included supplies before buying.

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Browse Ganesha craft kits on Amazon.com
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19. Make Ganesha-Themed Festival Snacks

Turn snack preparation into a simple family activity. Children can arrange fruit into a Ganesha-inspired plate, shape modaks from date-and-nut mixture, roll coconut laddoos or decorate a reusable snack label with a Ganesha drawing.

Keep the religious context respectful: if food is being prepared as prasad, follow the traditions observed by your family. Check for nut, dairy and other food allergies before doing this in a classroom.

20. Make Ganesh Chaturthi Cards for Family

Fold cardstock in half and add a paper Ganesha, a child-drawn picture or a simple trunk-and-ears design to the front. Children can write “Happy Ganesh Chaturthi” inside, along with a personal message for grandparents, relatives or friends.

The paper Ganesha shown here can also be attached to a folded card or mounted as a movable puppet. See the original Ganesha paper craft video.

21. Read and Explore the Ganesha Mini eBook

No one can say no to a good story! Our heritage is full of stories of wit, humor, bravery and magic. Tales of Bal Ganesha have a touch of naughtiness that children enjoy, along with lessons they can understand at their own pace.

Our Ganesha Mini eBook introduces children to who Ganesha is, his special powers, what he loves and some of his best-known stories. It also includes coloring pages, a crossword and a special mantra.

Books About Ganesha for Kids

After crafting, cozy up together and read a few stories about Ganesha. Choose a picture book for younger children or a longer mythology collection for independent readers.

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Ganesha’s Sweet Tooth — Sanjay Patel and Emily Haynes

Best for ages 4–8. We loved this playful contemporary reimagining of how Ganesha broke his tusk and helped write the Mahabharata.

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Amma, Tell Me About Ganesha! — Bhakti Mathur

Best for ages 4–8. Told in lively verse, this is an accessible introduction to the story of how Ganesha received his elephant head.

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The World of Ganesha — Amar Chitra Katha

Best for ages 7 and up. This mythology collection brings together stories about Ganesha, his family and other connected characters from Hindu tradition.

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Ganesha: The Wonder Years

Best for ages 7–11. Ganesha’s childhood adventures are presented in an energetic graphic-story format for growing readers.

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Vyasa’s Mahabharata

Best for ages 8 and up. This book introduces the story of how Vyasa asked Ganesha to write down the long and layered epic of the Mahabharata.

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A Head of a Tale: The Story of Ganesh

Best for ages 5–9. This rhyming retelling explains how Ganesh received his elephant head and explores the importance of keeping promises.

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Using These Activities in a Classroom or Homeschool

Start with a short, accurate explanation of Ganesh Chaturthi before beginning the craft. Show children where India is on a map and explain that celebrations vary across regions and families. Introduce words such as Ganesha, mantap, modak, rangoli and visarjan.

For a balanced lesson, choose one creative project, one story and one reflection question. Children might write about a new beginning, describe how their project uses recycled materials or compare festival decorations from different parts of India. Invite children from celebrating families to contribute only if they are comfortable doing so.

What Can Children Learn from Ganesh Chaturthi Activities?

• How Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated by different families and communities
• Why natural clay and reusable decorations are environmentally responsible choices
• How basic shapes can be combined to create a recognizable figure
• How patterns, symmetry and color are used in rangoli and festival decoration
• How following steps supports sequencing and reading comprehension
• How measuring and shaping ingredients connect cooking with maths and fine-motor practice

Frequently Asked Questions About Ganesh Chaturthi for Kids

What is Ganesh Chaturthi in simple words?

Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha, who is associated with wisdom, prosperity, new beginnings and removing obstacles.

When is Ganesh Chaturthi in 2026?

Ganesh Chaturthi is on Monday, September 14, 2026. Puja timings and some local observances can vary by location.

What are the easiest Ganesha crafts for preschoolers?

Play-dough Ganesha figures, pre-cut paper Ganesha collages, paper plate parasols, simple rangoli patterns and festival cards are manageable choices for preschoolers.

How can children make an eco-friendly Ganesha?

Use natural clay or homemade dough and decorate it with water-based colors. Avoid Plaster of Paris, plastic glitter and synthetic embellishments, especially if the idol will be immersed.

How can schools teach about Ganesh Chaturthi respectfully?

Explain that it is a living Hindu religious festival, acknowledge that traditions vary and connect crafts with accurate cultural learning. Avoid presenting Ganesha as simply an elephant character or asking Hindu children to represent an entire community.

What supplies are useful for Ganesh Chaturthi crafts?

Natural clay, cardstock, construction paper, child-safe scissors, glue, washable paint, paintbrushes, recycled cardboard and reusable decorations cover most of the activities in this collection.

Can a Ganesha idol be immersed at home?

Many families choose a symbolic immersion at home using a bucket or tub, particularly for a small natural-clay idol. Families should follow their own traditions and local environmental guidance.

More Indian Festival Crafts and Learning Ideas

Continue exploring with our Festivals of India collection, Around the World Crafts for Kids and Teacher Resources. You may also enjoy these related collections:

• 25 Elephant Crafts for Kids
• Navratri and Dussehra Crafts, Activities and Printables
• 100+ Diwali Crafts and Activities for Kids
• Clay Crafts Inspired by Indian Festivals

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