I can not take credit for these. Found them on various devotee web sites.
Be thoughtful of God and do not place any Krishna items in bathrooms or places people undress, etc. But do enjoy them anywhere else in the house! :)
Important: Supervision, get involved, and keep on eye on their safety in cases where scissors etc are involved!
* VRINDAVANA GAME:
AGE: Toddlers.
Material Needed:
-Large piece of cardboard or chart paper
-Printouts of photos various places in Vrindavan like Govardhan, Yamuna, different Kundas, Nandagram etc
-Krishna picture or figurine
Stick all the photos on the cardboard to create a Vrindavan picture map.
Place the Krishna picture or figurine on any one place and ask your child -
"Where is Krishna?" "Krishna is on Govardhan!"
Initially, you will have to say the answers. But once your child gets the hang of it, he/she will start answering your questions. Your child can also keep the picture on different places and ask you the question.
It's such a simple, fun and Vrindavan meditation game. It is also a great way to practice prepositions like on, under, in, around, beside etc.
E.g. if your child puts the Krishna image next to a place, you can say - "Krishna is beside Govardhan."
* Print the following game and play it with children or grandchildren:
* Shadow Puppet Theater -
Make your own! Video. Its short. Puppets are a great creative learning game for children.You can make your own Shadow Puppet theatre out of a cardboard box and help your kids put on their own puppet show, from Krishna Book, etc. Video here.
DECORATION:
This is a simple branch one can find outside or make out of papermache. Then dovetail. :) Use playdoh etc to make simple figures of Gopis, Krishna, Deer, Peacock, etc.
* PAPER JAGANNATHA, SUBHADRA, BALARAMA:
Using this as a guide, draw your own patterns:
[Apparently they removed their pic. I will try to find it online and come back to add.]
Update - Close enough:
Help kids / grandkids,
trace, cut out, and glue the face you both made patterns for. When done, can
lean against a clean cardboard box or shelf...or make an extra bottom piece to hold them up [cardboard with a slot at each end
& bend - or use clay]. Then offer paper flower, paper incense hehe. Let kids have fun with this project.
* Here is one of my pages that explains how to make cut out paper dolls of Jaganatha, Subhadra, Balarama.
* PLAY-DOH Jagannatha Deities. Then have your own RathaYatra at home. Invite other kids. How cute is that! :)
[UPDATE: They also removed this pic. I will try to find it online too, and come back to add. Use your imagination, It's easy-peasy play doh after all.]
Stick all the photos on the cardboard to create a Vrindavan picture map.
Place the Krishna picture or figurine on any one place and ask your child -
"Where is Krishna?" "Krishna is on Govardhan!"
Initially, you will have to say the answers. But once your child gets the hang of it, he/she will start answering your questions. Your child can also keep the picture on different places and ask you the question.
It's such a simple, fun and Vrindavan meditation game. It is also a great way to practice prepositions like on, under, in, around, beside etc.
E.g. if your child puts the Krishna image next to a place, you can say - "Krishna is beside Govardhan."
* Print the following game and play it with children or grandchildren:
* Shadow Puppet Theater -
Make your own! Video. Its short. Puppets are a great creative learning game for children.You can make your own Shadow Puppet theatre out of a cardboard box and help your kids put on their own puppet show, from Krishna Book, etc. Video here.
DECORATION:
* PAPER JAGANNATHA, SUBHADRA, BALARAMA:
Using this as a guide, draw your own patterns:
[Apparently they removed their pic. I will try to find it online and come back to add.]
Update - Close enough:
* Here is one of my pages that explains how to make cut out paper dolls of Jaganatha, Subhadra, Balarama.
* PLAY-DOH Jagannatha Deities. Then have your own RathaYatra at home. Invite other kids. How cute is that! :)
[UPDATE: They also removed this pic. I will try to find it online too, and come back to add. Use your imagination, It's easy-peasy play doh after all.]
Here is one that runs a close second in appearance, tho it is fantastic as it is for older children. However, if yours are younger, just watch the video to get the gist of it, then simplify for a younger child. Either way, good for many age groups.
Lord Jagannatha, Subhadra, Balarama, MAGNETS. Made from dough.
Lord Jagannatha, Subhadra, Balarama, MAGNETS. Made from dough.
How to DRAW Lords Jagannatha, Subhadra, Balarama. As much as many of these are for kids, some like this for older children, are also good for adults sadhana too. :) Have a little transcendental fun with Jagannatha etc.
* Combo SCRAPBOOK with a devotee reading or telling the story of the BHAGAVATAM. Very sweet, with a few songs too. I use to hold my kids in my lap and read it to them, but not a scrapbook - which I think is a great idea.Tho either way works, but hey, this lady can even read Bhagavatam to you via her videos. hehe Adorable.
* MANDALAS for children: Cut out a pic of Krishna, Lord Chaitanya, etc to place in the center. Then make this sweet mandala - instructions included. Can gently explain how Krishna/God is the center of all.
* I could not resist the following site. It offers some ANIMATION, STORIES about Lord Vishnu, Rama, etc. Choose from various online ACTIVITIES Festival Mini Movies (Krsna Janmastami), matching Games (# 4 best), Ramayana story, View moving arotika, etc! Of course, some things may not be so bonafide while others are, so supervision & guidance may be needed. Cute site. ...We are not Hindus. We do not practice Hinduism. Tho some Hindus practice Krishna Consciousness. For those who need to figure out how to tell the difference, go here.
* Learn How To Draw Baby Krishna:
Easy lessons, here.
* VIDEO'S, BOOKS, BHAJANAS, ACTIVITIES for Children, MUSIC - lots here! Check it out. Beautiful site!
* Cow MASK: Activities for children and grandchildren.
In addition, Scroll down to other projects, such as Cool Cows, Cow Puppets, Cows out to Pasture, One Very Cool Cow, etc. AND click on side link "Browse All Crafts," as they have a large selection.First: Cows mask, cow puppets, cows out to pasture, here.
* LITTLE VAISNAVA'S - Songs, coloring books and more. This is done by my dear Godsister who has been doing this decades! Did it for her own children [and of course godsiblings children], now for her grandchildren [and others grandchildren]. She knows her stuff. Check out her site.
* QUILLING for KIDS:
Once I read that long before the internet existed, or tv, or etc, nuns used quilling to bring a smile to the face of their school children. Often it was used to mark or decorate Bible verses. Also to decorate a paper the child worked hard on. Similarly, they can be used to decorate a younger child's paper after writing the Maha Mantra in cursive, or for an older child [teenager] to quill the Maha mantra themself! :)
I found two lovely places that give simple, SIMPLE lessons on how to quill. I could not decide between the two so am putting both here for the reader to pick from.
* TEMPLE IN A BOX - or any box:
This is so sweet I nearly wish my children were kids again just so I could do this. ha But you can! :) [It did not come with instructions but will do my best and you can be creative from there.] Make sure to cut windows, doors, etc in the box.
The children in the temple room were made out of play-dou. Remember to add little girl children too. :)
Cut out various pics to be used as the altar, combine with construction paper or color the backgrounds or leave - whatever you wish. And you along with the children can hang decorations from the ceiling or walls etc in the little temple room. Hang a small Christmas etc bell in its doorway, use ribbons, paper doilies, just anything you wish to help your children have fun with Krishna.
* RANGOLI for KIDS:
Patterns for all ages, from simple to complex. This art is often drawn outside the temple, thus outside the temple shoe-box. :) Or on paper, Or outside your house if you have steps or a patio and chalk. Many here, along with instructions.
* AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM:
Even a small little boy or little girl can lead a kirtana! Encourage your kids to sing their hearts out. So many videos to pick from that I have included more than one:
MahaMantra by girl, so sweet.
GaruaVanis's daughter, Revati, leads.
Its so much fun to chant "Jaya Rama!"
And this one just brought a smile to my face. He is singing Jaya Radha Madhava. Too cute!
Unique. Children chanting Hare Krishna.
* A little something FOR PARENTS, grandparents, adults in the life of kids. Especially if new to Krishna Consciousness and wonder about that VEGETARIAN thing. :) Read about intelligence and vegetarian kids.
* Combo SCRAPBOOK with a devotee reading or telling the story of the BHAGAVATAM. Very sweet, with a few songs too. I use to hold my kids in my lap and read it to them, but not a scrapbook - which I think is a great idea.Tho either way works, but hey, this lady can even read Bhagavatam to you via her videos. hehe Adorable.
* MANDALAS for children: Cut out a pic of Krishna, Lord Chaitanya, etc to place in the center. Then make this sweet mandala - instructions included. Can gently explain how Krishna/God is the center of all.
* I could not resist the following site. It offers some ANIMATION, STORIES about Lord Vishnu, Rama, etc. Choose from various online ACTIVITIES Festival Mini Movies (Krsna Janmastami), matching Games (# 4 best), Ramayana story, View moving arotika, etc! Of course, some things may not be so bonafide while others are, so supervision & guidance may be needed. Cute site. ...We are not Hindus. We do not practice Hinduism. Tho some Hindus practice Krishna Consciousness. For those who need to figure out how to tell the difference, go here.
* Learn How To Draw Baby Krishna:
* VIDEO'S, BOOKS, BHAJANAS, ACTIVITIES for Children, MUSIC - lots here! Check it out. Beautiful site!
* Cow MASK: Activities for children and grandchildren.
In addition, Scroll down to other projects, such as Cool Cows, Cow Puppets, Cows out to Pasture, One Very Cool Cow, etc. AND click on side link "Browse All Crafts," as they have a large selection.First: Cows mask, cow puppets, cows out to pasture, here.
* LITTLE VAISNAVA'S - Songs, coloring books and more. This is done by my dear Godsister who has been doing this decades! Did it for her own children [and of course godsiblings children], now for her grandchildren [and others grandchildren]. She knows her stuff. Check out her site.
* QUILLING for KIDS:
Once I read that long before the internet existed, or tv, or etc, nuns used quilling to bring a smile to the face of their school children. Often it was used to mark or decorate Bible verses. Also to decorate a paper the child worked hard on. Similarly, they can be used to decorate a younger child's paper after writing the Maha Mantra in cursive, or for an older child [teenager] to quill the Maha mantra themself! :)
* TEMPLE IN A BOX - or any box:
This is so sweet I nearly wish my children were kids again just so I could do this. ha But you can! :) [It did not come with instructions but will do my best and you can be creative from there.] Make sure to cut windows, doors, etc in the box.
* RANGOLI for KIDS:
* AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM:
Even a small little boy or little girl can lead a kirtana! Encourage your kids to sing their hearts out. So many videos to pick from that I have included more than one:
MahaMantra by girl, so sweet.
GaruaVanis's daughter, Revati, leads.
Its so much fun to chant "Jaya Rama!"
And this one just brought a smile to my face. He is singing Jaya Radha Madhava. Too cute!
Unique. Children chanting Hare Krishna.
* A little something FOR PARENTS, grandparents, adults in the life of kids. Especially if new to Krishna Consciousness and wonder about that VEGETARIAN thing. :) Read about intelligence and vegetarian kids.
RELATED POST:
For Kids - Krishna Conscious Fun! :) Jagannatha cut out paper dolls.
