13 Diwali Games for Kids and Families + Free Printable

These Diwali games for kids work for parties, puja day and family nights, and most need nothing more than paper and a few things from the kitchen.

⏱️ Parents’ quick plan (30-second read)

What: 13 Diwali games, sorted by where you’ll play them

Ages: 3 to 12, plus a few the grown-ups will fight over

Prep: zero to 15 minutes for most, plus a ready-made 60-minute game-night plan

Screen-free: every single one, and none need firecrackers

Free printable: games pack with bingo cards, hunt clues and charades slips

Contents

When the kids got restless

Every Diwali gathering hits the same moment: the grown-ups settle in with chai, and the kids start circling, bored or watching screen.

That’s when a game saves the evening.

Why games belong in Diwali

🎲 Play passes on stories. Kids remember Rama, Sita and Lakshmi better through a game than a lecture.
👪 Games mix the ages. Cousins, grandparents and neighbours all play together.
🪔 Games keep the festival screen-free. The evening is about people, not phones.

Diwali games for kids: pick by situation

Game	Setting	Ages	Players	Time	Prep
Diwali word bingo	Party	5+	4 to 20	20 min	Printable
Diya relay	Party	5+	2 teams	10 min	10 min
Pass the mithai parcel	Party	3+	6+	15 min	10 min
Rangoli Pictionary	Party	6+	2 teams	15 min	None
Ramayana charades	Learning	6+	4+	15 min	Printable
Who am I? Diwali edition	Learning	5+	3+	10 min	Printable
Diwali symbol memory match	Learning	3+	2 to 4	10 min	Printable
Diya treasure hunt	Puja day	4+	Any	20 min	15 min
I-spy, Diwali edition	Puja day	3+	Any	5 min	None
Story chain	Puja day	5+	3+	10 min	None
Diwali Antakshari	Family	7+	2 teams	30 min	None
Diwali Tambola	Family	6+	4+	30 min	Tickets
Teen patti, family edition	Family	10+	3 to 6	20 min	Cards

Diwali games by age

Age	Start with	Why it works
3 to 5	Memory match, I-spy, pass the mithai parcel, picture treasure hunt	Short turns, pictures not words, a treat at the end
6 to 8	Bingo, diya relay, Rangoli Pictionary, Who am I?	Fast, active, a little competitive
9 to 12	Ramayana charades, Antakshari, Tambola, story chain, teen patti (10+)	Strategy, teams, and playing with the grown-ups

🎉 Party games (6+ kids)

1 · Diwali word bingo

Ages 5+ · 4 to 20 players · 20 min

You need: bingo cards from the printable, a caller sheet, chocolate coins or rice grains as markers.
How to play: the caller reads a clue (“I light up the house”) → players find the word (Diya) and mark it → first full line shouts “Shubh Deepavali!”
Little ones: use the picture version of the cards.
Big kids: the caller gives only the clue, never the word.
They learn: Diwali words, symbols and stories.

2 · Diya relay

Ages 5+ · 2 teams · 10 min

You need: a pile of paper cut-outs, coins and matchsticks (unlit) per team, a 3-minute timer.
How to play: one player per team runs to the pile → builds one diya shape → runs back and tags the next player → the team with the most complete diyas when the timer ends wins.
Little ones: swap matchsticks for ice-cream sticks or buttons.
Big kids: every diya must have a flame, a bowl and a base, or it doesn’t count.
Bonus: photograph the winning team’s diyas for Instagram.

3 · Pass the mithai parcel

Ages 3+ · 6+ players · 15 min

You need: a box of mithai, newspaper (left over from Post 2’s gift wrap), music.
How to play: wrap the box in layers, with a dare or riddle under each → pass it while the music plays → music stops, unwrap one layer and do the dare.
Dare ideas: do a Bollywood step, name three things you see that glow, say “Happy Diwali” in another language.
The end: whoever opens the last layer shares the mithai with everyone.

4 · Rangoli Pictionary

Ages 6+ · 2 teams · 15 min

You need: paper or a whiteboard, word slips from the bingo list.
How to play: one player draws a Diwali word → their team has 60 seconds to guess → teams take turns.
Twist: the drawer can only use circles, dots and lines, like a real rangoli.
The end: turn the best drawing into a mini rangoli at the door.

📚 Learning games (stories through play)

5 · Ramayana charades

Ages 6+ · 4+ players · 15 min

You need: charades slips from the printable.
How to play: pick a slip → act it out with no words → your team guesses within a minute.
Slip ideas: Rama breaking the bow, Hanuman’s leap to Lanka, the golden deer, Ravana’s ten heads, building the bridge to Lanka, Ayodhya lighting diyas.
After each round: the actor tells the story in one sentence. That’s the learning, hidden in the fun.

6 · Who am I? Diwali edition

Ages 5+ · 3+ players · 10 min

You need: name cards and sticky tape.
How to play: stick a name on each player’s back → they ask yes-or-no questions (“Do I have a trunk?”) → first to guess wins.
Names: Lakshmi, Ganesha, Hanuman, Rama, Sita, Ravana, a diya, a lotus, a ladoo.
Little ones: use pictures and let them ask for one hint.

7 · Diwali symbol memory match

Ages 3+ · 2 to 4 players · 10 min

You need: the memory cards from the printable, cut out.
How to play: lay cards face down → flip two at a time → keep matching pairs → most pairs wins.
Symbols: diya, kalash, rangoli, lantern, mithai, toran, lotus, footprints.
Bonus: name what each symbol is for when you find its pair.

🪔 Quiet games for puja day

Perfect for the waiting time before the muhurat, when kids are dressed up and can’t run around.

8 · Diya treasure hunt

Ages 4+ · any number · 20 min

You need: 6 small paper diyas, clue cards from the printable, a small prize.
How to play: hide a paper diya with each clue → every clue leads to the next → the last clue ends at the puja corner.
Sample clues:
- “I keep the puja water, round and bright. Find me where Lakshmi sits tonight.” (kalash)
- “I’m full of colour and sit by the door. Look near my edge, on the floor.” (rangoli)
- “Sweet and round, I’m puja’s treat. Look in the box where we keep things to eat.” (mithai box)
Little ones: use picture clues instead of rhymes.

9 · I-spy, Diwali edition

Ages 3+ · any number · 5 min

How to play: “I spy with my little eye, something orange that glows…”
Make it Diwali: only spy festive things: flowers, diyas, the toran, someone’s new kurta.

10 · Story chain

Ages 5+ · 3+ players · 10 min

How to play: one person starts a Diwali story with one sentence → each player adds one line → the last player ends it.
Starter line: “On Diwali night, a tiny diya decided it wanted to see the whole world…”
Big kids: every line must include a word from the bingo list.

👪 Family games, all ages

The ones where grandparents, parents and kids all play together.

11 · Diwali Antakshari

Ages 7+ · 2 teams · 30 min

How to play: team A sings a song → team B must start a new song with the last letter of A’s song → a team that can’t answer in 30 seconds loses the round.
Diwali rule: festive or bhajan songs earn a bonus point.
Fair play: kids’ songs and rhymes count too, so little ones can join.

12 · Diwali Tambola

Ages 6+ · 4+ players · 30 min

You need: Tambola tickets and a number board, or a free Tambola app for calling.
Prizes: early five, top line, middle line, bottom line, full house.
Diwali calls: “Number 8, Diwali date!” · “Number 5, Diwali days alive!” · “Number 11, eleven diyas glowing in heaven!”
Kids’ job: let them be the caller. They love the power.

13 · Teen patti, family edition

Ages 10+ · 3 to 6 players · 20 min

The tradition: the three-card game many families play on Diwali night.
Family rule: play for chocolate coins or buttons, never money.
Hand ranking, highest first: three of a kind → pure sequence (same suit) → sequence → colour (same suit) → pair → high card.
Grown-up deals: and keeps the game light.

🎟️ Starter word list for Diwali bingo


Diya	Rangoli	Lakshmi	Ganesha
Rama	Sita	Hanuman	Ayodhya
Ravana	Mithai	Ladoo	Kaju katli
Kandeel	Toran	Puja	Aarti
Kalash	Marigold	Phuljhadi	Gifts
New clothes	Dhanteras	Bhai Dooj	Diwali card

🗓️ Plan your Diwali game night: a 60-minute run sheet

Hosting a Diwali party? Copy this plan and you won’t have to think on the night.

Time	Game	Why here
0 to 10 min	Who am I? (as guests arrive)	Breaks the ice, works with any number
10 to 25 min	Diwali word bingo	Everyone sits, everyone plays
25 to 35 min	Diya relay	Burns energy before food
35 to 50 min	Pass the mithai parcel	Laughter and a sweet ending to round one
50 to 60 min	Ramayana charades	Grown-ups join in
After dinner	Antakshari or Tambola	Winds the night down

🏆 Prize ideas kids actually love

Chocolate coins in a small potli
A diya they painted in Post 2’s craft session
Diwali stickers or a rangoli stencil
Bookmarks made from Post 1’s old book pages
The honour prize: choose the next game, or be the Tambola caller

⚠️ Keep games safe

Play running games in a room with no lit diyas or fresh rangoli.
Matchsticks in the diya relay stay unlit, always.
Skip firecracker games and dares. The fun is in the play.

Working parent? Guests in 10 minutes? ⚡

Three zero-prep games that need nothing at all:

I-spy, Diwali edition: start the moment the doorbell rings.
Rangoli Pictionary: paper and a pen, done.
Story chain: works in the car, at the table, or during the wait for puja.

Print the games pack once, keep it in a folder, and reuse it every Diwali.

📥 Free printable: Diwali games pack

Diwali bingo cards and a caller sheet
Treasure-hunt clue cards that end at the puja corner
Ramayana charades slips
Symbol memory match cards

This is printable 3 of 4 in the Damuru Diwali Kit. You can read part 2 here.