10 ways to experience India without having to leave your living room
India is a fascinating, richly diverse country. It’s also out of bounds for many people right now. So, how to experience the joys and diversity of Indian culture, and better still, bring the kids along as well? We’ve compiled 10 ways you can experience India directly from your living room.
1. Watch a Bollywood film
Colour, music, dancing, romance, excitement, exotic locations - what's not to like? Try Kuch Kuch Hota Hai or Chak De! India for starters and if the kids enjoy this, make it a regular event. You could even serve up Kulfi for that authentic Indian cinema experience.
Bollywood films generally have English subtitles, but if you’re worried your child will struggle with subtitles, you can also just watch a Bollywood dance scene from a film. You could try some of the songs below….
2. Imagine a tiger safari
The Bengal tiger is native to India and currently threatened - in 2011 there were 2,500 individual tigers left in the wild. It is possible (and very exciting) to go on a tiger safari in India but why not get the kids to investigate the tiger from home?
You can even sponsor a tiger through the World Wildlife Fund and support the efforts to save this magnificent creature.
The tiger in The Jungle Book was Shere Khan, a feared figure but also one who had suffered at the hands of humans. The Rudyard Kipling story is an exciting read or there’s the Disney film if the kids prefer it. The depiction of the animals and people of India in the book and film raises lots of questions which you may choose to discuss.
3. Set up a tuk-tuk ride system
Anyone who has been to an Indian city or seen any film footage will know these little motorised 3 wheeled vehicles which nip in and out of the cars and buses. They are the cheapest and most convenient way to get around and great fun! Drivers often decorate them, hang up images of their deities or pictures of their families and provide additional comforts in the tiny passenger seats. They began life as rickshaws, driven by their driver’s pedal power, a much quieter way to travel.
Ask the kids to run a tuk tuk service on their bikes. Probably best done in open space (the park or your garden) unless you’re very tolerant of bike riding inside. They can tie a basket or cardboard box to the back and transport soft toys from one place to another, or delivering snacks to others in the group. The important thing is to get them to imitate the sound of that little engine by calling out ‘tuk tuk’ as they go.
4. Decorate an elephant (picture)
In India elephants are often kept in temples and used in various celebrations, decorated in elaborate and colourful ways. There are concerns about the welfare of these animals because of the way they are housed and treated. But the decorating itself is not harmful to the creatures and your kids may enjoy having a go. You can download and print off an elephant template or even find a craft shop with an elephant figure. The designs can be as colourful as they like and in addition to paints/felt tips, what about some sequins or beads to jazz things up?
5. Practice yoga with a game
Find some pictures of yoga poses (or use page 22 of our Full India workbook!) . Choose 6 and print them off. Give each a number from 1-6 and find a dice (the bigger the better). Then get the children to throw a dice and get into the pose corresponding to that number. Join in - you’ll be slower than the kids and it will make them smile!
6. Play the Spice game
Spices are used extensively throughout India and can be a bit of a mystery to those of us not brought up to appreciate them. Put a sample of the spices you have in your cupboard into individual little pots or saucers. Get the kids to identify each and then maybe set up a spice quiz to see if they’ve remembered it all. If they enjoy this, try with different spices and even try some simple recipes so they begin to understand how the spices work in different dishes……
Start with:
Garlic
Root ginger
Cumin seeds
Coriander seeds
Turmeric
Black mustard seeds
7. Play Pachisi
Pachisi is an ancient Indian board game for 2 or 4 players. The board looks like a Ludo board but is a bit more complex. You can buy a set but why not get the kids to make one? There are instructions here and also a set of rules for the game:
On a hot summers afternoon, get the kids to sit under a tree or beside an open window and sip lemonade while they battle to win!
8. Make Lassi
Lassi is a popular drink in India but it's so simple to make. All you need is a liquidiser, yogurt, ice and flavouring! Traditional lassi options include sweet lassi, salty lassi and mango lassi. Here is a recipe for mango lassi:
Once the kids are interested in trying some of these new flavours, consider taking on more recipes - naan, dahl, raita, a simple curry. There are recipes to follow on the BBC Good Food website and many others.
9. Make a shadow puppet
Shadow puppets have been used to amuse and entertain people in India for hundreds of years. It’s a simple technique - you make a puppet out of card and use it to cast a shadow on a white wall or sheet. The puppets are usually mounted on sticks so hands don't get in the way and can be articulated so the image can move. Have a look at this video - it uses pretty elaborate puppets but show how vivid the story telling can be:
Then, how about building your own puppets? This video explains the technique and the materials needed are cheap and easy to get hold of. Kids can make the puppets they need to tell their own story or can retell a story they have read. The story of Rama and Sita which is part of the tradition of Diwali, and is retold in the Deliberate Travel India workbook. This story is often retold using shadow puppets during the Diwali festival period.
How to make a Shadow Puppet
10. Find out more about life in India
The BBC has produced an amazing resource called World on your Street which explains aspects of everyday life in India and many other countries. Its worth spending some time exploring it.
The British Council have also produced an amazing educational resource but there are lots of ideas to follow up:
If you and your kids want to learn more about India, you can always try out Full India workbook. It’s 48-pages of educational puzzles and research activities designed for kids aged 7-12. The workbook covers Indian history, geography, nature and culture, including:
A story maze based on the Ramayana, a traditional Indian story told at Diwali
A cut-out-and-stick exercise on the Taj Mahal about symmetry
A puzzle picking up litter and observing life on the Ganges River
Different physical challenges to get kids moving, including a yoga exercise
Plenty more…
