Dussehra Learning Week

Welcome to the Dussehra Learning Week! This themed curriculum module explores the traditional autumn harvest and victory festivals. It focuses on the triumph of goodness, cooperation, community sharing, and creative nature art. Through leaf printing, cooperative role-play, garland-making, and emotional strength explorations, children will build active language and motor skills.

Designed as a five-day experience, each daily activity takes 15 to 30 minutes. You can easily insert these sessions into your morning meetings, circle times, or transition blocks.

MISSION BRIEF: WHAT IS THIS LEARNING WEEK?

The Dussehra Learning Week is an enrichment resource pack designed to explore positive values, nature’s cycles, and festive collaboration. We focus on safe, inclusive early-childhood practices: collecting and printing leaves (symbolizing traditional friendship nature gifts), crafting marigold garlands, participating in team role-plays, and recognizing positive character traits in ourselves.

TARGET AGE GROUP

This learning week is optimized for Ages 3–6 (Early Childhood). It contains simple adaptation guides to scale the challenge down for younger toddlers (Ages 2–3) or up for older pre-schoolers (Ages 5–7).

KEY LEARNING OUTCOMES

By completing this thematic unit, children will:

• Botanical & Nature Discovery: Observe leaf shapes, textures, and structures.
• Bilateral Coordination & Threading: Build fine motor endurance by threading paper flowers.
• Dramatic Expression: Use puppets and role-play to communicate positive emotions.
• Social-Emotional Development: Identify personal strengths (such as sharing, listening, and truthfulness).
• Rhythmic Movement: Practice sequence following and gross motor balance.

MATERIALS AND PREPARATION

Most of these activities use basic household recyclables and standard classroom supplies. Before starting, gather:

• Fresh leaves collected from outdoors
• Washable gold paint and dark construction paper
• Large plastic needles and thick yarn
• Pre-cut yellow and orange construction paper circles
• Paper cups or wooden spoons for making simple puppets
• Washable markers, crayons, and stickers

HOW TO RUN THE DAILY ACTIVITIES

Follow this simple, step-by-step sequence over five consecutive days:

Day 1: Leaves of Gold Nature Prints (Science & Art)

• Step 1: Take children on a short outdoor walk to collect fallen leaves.
• Step 2: Explain the Dussehra tradition of exchanging leaves as symbols of friendship (“leaves of gold”).
• Step 3: Paint the textured side of the leaves with non-toxic gold paint.
• Step 4: Press the painted leaves onto dark paper and lift to reveal the print.

Day 2: Teamwork Spoon Puppets (Language & Drama)

• Step 1: Give children wooden spoons. Help draw friendly faces to create character puppets.
• Step 2: Tell a simple, child-friendly story about animal friends working together to solve a challenge.
• Step 3: Encourage children to use their spoon puppets to act out the story.
• Step 4: Guide them to show how their characters helped each other.

Day 3: Threading Festive Garlands (Fine Motor & Math)

• Step 1: Prepare pre-cut yellow and orange paper circles.
• Step 2: Provide thick yarn with a blunt plastic needle or taped tip.
• Step 3: Show children how to thread the needle, alternating yellow and orange to create a garland.
• Step 4: Hang their completed garlands around the classroom or doorway.

Day 4: My Positive Superpower (Social-Emotional Learning)

• Step 1: Discuss how Dussehra celebrates the victory of goodness and truth. Ask: “What are some good things we can do?”
• Step 2: Give each child a paper badge or crown shape.
• Step 3: Assist children in choosing their “Superpower” (e.g., “I am a kind helper,” “I share my toys”).
• Step 4: Draw themselves using their superpower, and write the words on their badge.

Day 5: Folk Rhythm Clapping & Dance (Physical Play)

• Step 1: Have the children stand in a large circle.
• Step 2: Play a lively, traditional folk beat or instrumental autumn track.
• Step 3: Lead them in a simple stepping pattern: Step right, tap, clap. Step left, tap, clap.
• Step 4: Increase the speed slowly to improve balance and coordination.

ADAPTATIONS AND EXTENSION ACTIVITIES

• For Ages 2–3: Skip the needle-threading. Let toddlers paste orange and yellow paper squares directly onto a long paper chain to make their garlands.
• For Ages 5–7: Challenge children to invent their own cooperative story using their spoon characters. Introduce complex AABB or ABC patterns on Day 3.

DAILY REFLECTION AND DISCUSSION PROMPTS

End each day with a 5-minute reflection circle:

1. Day 1: Look closely at your gold leaf prints. Can you see the tiny lines?
2. Day 2: How did the characters in our story help each other?
3. Day 3: How did you get the thread to go through the hole?
4. Day 4: Why is being kind a real superpower?
5. Day 5: Was it easy or hard to keep up with the folk music beat?

DOWNLOADABLE LESSON PLAN

You can view the full five-day sequence, photo guides, and download the high-resolution printable curriculum worksheets in PDF format by clicking below:

• Download Dussehra Learning Week PDF Pack (Free)

RELATED RESOURCES

Explore more resources by age group, topic, or learning domain:

• Age Groups: Find activities for Ages 3–4, Ages 4–5, and Ages 5–6.
• Themed Weeks: Return to the Five-Day Learning Weeks Hub to browse other themes.
• Learning Domains: Explore Social-Emotional Learning and Science and Discovery.
• Resources: Browse our full library of Early Learning Stories and Early Learning Activities.

Note: All our digital materials are free to download. For custom school curriculum integration or professional training, contact us at team@superbuddy.in.