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Learning About India- Activities and Resources

The most recent country we studied as part of our world geography unit was India. We had so much fun learning about the amazing wildlife there, making rangoli style sand art, making Indian doughnuts, and much more. Keep reading for lots of fun activity ideas and resources for learning about India with your kids or students.


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Basic Information:

India is a country in southern Asia. It is boarderd by China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan to the north, and the Indian Ocean to the south. 

India is a geographically diverse country. The far northern region is mountainous. There are deserts in the western region, forested areas in the north and along the coast, and rolling hills and plains in the south. Climate varies depending on region, from tropical in the south and temperate in the north.

Capital- New Delhi

Population- 1.37 billion

Size- 1269345.6 square miles 

Currency- rupee 

Type of Government- federal republic

National Anthem- Jana Gana Mana

National Animal- Bengal Tiger

National Bird- Peacock

Flag-


Famous Monuments and Places:

Taj Mahal

Photo by Sudipta Mondal from Pexels

The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum that was commissioned by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in 1632 to house the body of his wife. It sits on the bank of the river Yamuna in the city Agra. 

To learn about the Taj Mahal, check out this video from FreeSchool: The Story of the Taj Mahal for Kids.

Amber Palace

Photo by Parv Choudhary from Pexels

The Amber Palace, also known as Amber Fort or Amer Fort, is a 16th century palace known for it's unique mixture of Muslim and Hindu style architecture. It is one of India's most popular tourist attractions. 

You can take a quick virtual tour with this video from The Indian Travel Diaries: Things to See Inside Amber Fort.

Ranthambore National Park

Photo by Robert Stokoe from Pexels


Ranthambore National Park is a national park in northern India. It is mainly deciduous forest and is home to many animals including Bengal tigers, leopards, sloth bears, crocodiles, and striped hyenas.

You can check out the park and some of it's amazing wildlife with this video: Splendors of Ranthombore National Park, India.


Animals of India:

India is home to wide variety of animals including Bengal Tigers, Asiatic Lions, Asian Elephants, Indian Rhinos, peacocks, river dolphins, leopards and much more. Check out these resources to learn more about the animals of India:

-Wildlife of India- National Parks in India Video

-Wildlife in India from Thrillopedia


Recipes:

I couldn't talk my kids into trying anything with curry, so we made a variation on an Indian dessert called Gulab Jamon. They're similar to donuts and they're delicious. We used this recipe from The Spruce Eats: Gulab Jamon. We tweaked the recipe a little though because I couldn't get my hands on any rose water for the glaze, so we just rolled ours in sugar and a little cardamom powder after frying them. 

 

Here are a few other recipes to try:

-Sesame Naan Bread

-Beef Curry

-Butter Chicken


Crafts:

Handprint Peacocks

The Indian Peacock is the National bird of India. It is a common symbol in Indian art. 

For this craft you will need:

-blue washable paint

-blue, green, yellow, and black markers

-a piece of white paper

Paint one hand with the blue paint and make a hand print with fingers spread in the center of the white piece of paper. Then set it aside until the paint is completely dry.

Use the markers to make the thumb into the peacocks head by making an eye, a beak, and crown feathers. Draw a wing on the palm. Make the fingers into feathers. Add legs and feet at the bottom.



Rangoli Style Sand Art

Rangoli is an art form that originated and is still popular in India. Patterns are created on the floor or other surfaces using materials like colored rice, colored sand, and flower petals. Rangoli are often made for special occasions such as weddings and religious holidays, and are believed to bring good luck. 

You can learn more about rangoli here:

-Importance of Rangoli

Or watch a rangoli being made here:

-2 Easy Rangoli

Supplies you will need for this craft:

-a white sheet of paper

-glue

-salt or sand

-food coloring

-ziplock bags

You can either design your own pattern on your sheet of paper, trace something out of a coloring book, or print a design. For our rangoli craft we traced some mandala like coloring sheets out of a coloring book. You can find printable rangoli pages here.

Pour about a half a cup of salt or sand into a ziplock bag and add a few drops of food coloring. Shake the bag until the color is evenly dispersed. Do this for each color you want to use on your rangoli. 

Fill in your design one color at a time using the glue and the sand. Then set it aside to dry.


Additional Resources:

-India Country Profile from National Geographic Kids has lots of general information about India written specifically for kids. It also has some great photos to check out.

-India for Kids from Kids World Travel Guide has lots of interesting facts and cool photos.

-India- Taj Mahal learn more about the Taj Mahal with this video from the National Geographic Kids video series Are We There Yet?

-India Facts for Kids this short video from Junior Jetsetters has some fun facts about India for kids.


If you enjoyed this post, check out some of the other countries we've learned about this year:

-Russia

-Greece

-Norway

-The U.K.

-Germany

-France


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