Make Dandiya Sticks at Home — Navratri Craft for Kids
Decorate plain wooden sticks with mirror work, ribbons, and paint to make your own dandiya sticks for Navratri — a joyful craft that connects to the Garba dance tradition.
What you need
- ✓2 plain wooden dowels or paper rolls (30cm each)
- ✓Poster paints in red, green, yellow, orange
- ✓Small adhesive mirrors or mirror stickers
- ✓Colourful ribbons (30cm strips)
- ✓PVA glue
- ✓Glitter (optional)
How to do it
- 1
Paint the dowels in bright base colours. Let dry completely (15 min).
- 2
Apply PVA glue in a zigzag pattern along the stick while the paint is dry.
- 3
Press mirror stickers at intervals — or press crumpled foil cut into circles.
- 4
Tie 3–4 ribbon strips at one end of each stick, securing with a tight double knot.
- 5
Add glitter dots or paint a simple pattern over the dried base coat.
- 6
Let everything set for 30 minutes.
- 7
Play Navratri music and try simple dandiya clinking movements together: click sticks overhead, click to the side, click with your partner's stick.
💡 Tips for parents
- →Paper towel rolls work as a free alternative to wooden dowels.
- →For younger children, skip the mirrors and just focus on painting and ribbons.
- →Teach one basic Garba step alongside the craft — it turns a making activity into a full cultural experience.
What your child learns
Cultural knowledge
the meaning of Garba and Dandiya Raas, the nine nights of Navratri, the nine forms of Durga
Fine motor skills
painting, pressing, tying knots
Rhythm and coordination
using the sticks in time with music
Design thinking
planning a symmetrical decoration pattern
Looking for the right school?
Schools that celebrate Indian classical arts — dance, music, visual arts — through festivals build children who are culturally confident and creatively engaged.
Find schools in your city that match your family's values — and read what other parents say.