Celebrate the auspicious occasion of Shivratri with these gorgeous Maha Shivratri Crafts for Kids! Includes projects for kids of all ages to try!

If you like celebrating colorful festivals and bonding with people, you will love India – there’s always an interesting festival around the corner!

This month, we celebrate Maha Shivratri, a festival that honors the Hindu god Shiva. Shiva is also known as Mahadev and is the main deity of a branch of Hinduism called Shaivism.

Shiva is known as ‘The Destroyer‘, the third part of the Trinity that features the Creator (Brahma), and the Preserver (Vishnu). But that’s not all; he’s also a family man who lives with his wife Parvati and his children, Ganesha and Kartikeya. Yes, this is the same Ganesha – the Elephant God!

Contents show

How is Maha Shivratri celebrated?

While most Hindu festivals are celebrated during the day, Maha Shivratri is different – it’s celebrated during the night. Devotees observe fasts during the day and stay up praying all night.

Many temples organize fairs or special events on this night, and there are often song and dance performances to honor the deity. Some legends suggest that Shivratri is when Shiva married Parvati, so it’s considered a good time for unmarried people to pray for a suitable spouse!

If you’d like to join in the celebrations too, here is a way to do it – 10 magnificent Shivratri crafts for kids! We’ve also included bits of trivia along the way, so let’s get started!

10 Magnificent Maha Shivratri Crafts for Kids

1. Damru & Trishul Maha Shivratri Craft

If you’ve seen an image of Lord Shiva, you’ll notice that he’s often shown with two things by his side or in his hands – a trident (‘trishul’) and a two-sided drum (‘damru’). The three prongs of the trishul represent the trinity of creation, preservation and destruction, while the damru symbolizes the sounds that regulate the universe. Kids will enjoy learning about these as they make this damru and trishul craft!

2. Lord Shiva Cut and Paste Craft Printable

Here’s something else you’ll notice about Shiva – there’s often a snake coiled around his neck! This is Vasuki, the king of snakes, blessed by Shiva and worn as an ornament. Vasuki also features in Chinese and Japanese mythology, and here Little Ladoo makes him pop out of this fun paper craft!

3. Easy DIY Eco-friendly Clay Shivling

Shiva temples will often have a lingam – an emblem or representation of Shiva. Lingams can be of varying sizes and are often made of metal, wood, stone or even precious stones. However, Shree Craft Place shows us an easy way to make one for ourselves, out of clay!

4. Mahashivratri Special Rangoli Design

Shivratri is celebrated differently in various parts of India and across the world, but may homes will have a rangoli or kolam in front of their houses. Artopia Creatives shows us how to create a lingam-themed one that looks gorgeous!

5. Lord Shiva Papercraft for Shivratri

Shiva is often shown wearing animal skin or sitting on one. This represents the triumph of the divine or holy over animalistic instincts. It reminds us that we have something sacred within us, which can overcome our base desires. Happiness is Handmade has a cute craft featuring Shiva wearing animal skin, and it looks good!

6. Mahashivratri Special Watercolor Painting

The world’s tallest Shiva Ling is currently in the capital of India’s southern state, Kerala. It measures over 110 feet in height and has eight floors. That is huge, but you can make a smaller version with this watercolor tutorial from Kanchan Artworks!

7. Shivratri Special Smoke Fountain

During Shivratri, most temples in India have their unique celebrations and rituals, and the Annamalaiyar temple in Tamil Nadu is no different. This temple sits atop a hill, and at sunset, a huge lamp of oil and camphor is lit to signal the start of the celebration. If you’d like to make a smaller version, check out this project from Craft Gallery of Pragya – we love recycled Shivratri crafts for kids!

8. Maha Shivaratri Colouring Pages

If you’re looking for Shivratri crafts for kids of preschool age, check out this set of coloring pages from Twinkl. Simply download, print and get ready to fill in with colors!

9. DIY Paper Shivling Model

The lingam or Shiv Ling usually has two components – a cylindrical piece that’s vertical and a flat piece that’s horizontal. Sikha Art and Craft uses paper to create both elements, and the result is impressive!

10. Illustrated Lord Shiva Board Book

We’ve also added a book from Wonder House Books to this list of Shivratri crafts for kids because it’s so cute! The shaped book is a short introduction to Shiva for young readers and has simple text with lots of colorful illustrations.

We hope these Shivratri crafts for kids have given you a little insight into the significance of the Maha Shivratri festival and its various elements. Kids will enjoy familiarizing themselves with a different culture and its festivals, and what better way to bring us all closer to each other?

Want to learn more about Indian festivals? Check these out: