Gurpreet Singh, 鈥楽ikh Dad鈥 on social media, is a family coach and father of four. He shares some of his favourite family activities to help his young children celebrate their faith and have fun during Vaisakhi.
Vaisakhi, sometimes called Baisakhi, is a harvest festival where Sikhs celebrate the moment in 1699 when Guru Gobind Singh established the Khalsa - the collective name given to Sikhs who've been baptised. You can learn more about Vaisakhi here.
Gurpreet explains, 鈥淎s a family within the Sikh Faith, it鈥檚 one of the most important days in the year. It comes just after the Sikh New Year, a chance for us all to reflect on and celebrate our history and what it means for us in the present moment.
鈥淎s parents, we鈥檝e always tried to make it creative and fun as we want our children to make memories that will last a lifetime.鈥
Here are some activity ideas from Gurpreet鈥檚 family that you can try out this weekend鈥
Create a Vaisakhi display
Setting up a display around the home is the perfect way to get children excited for Vaisakhi. Gurpreet suggests choosing a place you can see every day, like a fireplace or coffee table, and covering it with lights, home-made decorations and cards (more of that later on), as well as a few objects your child has chosen 鈥 perhaps a special teddy or favourite book.
Gurpreet鈥檚 family have included cut out Khandas and pictures of Guru Gobind Singh.
Set up a treasure hunt
Children love a treasure hunt! You can set up one at home, in the garden, or the local park, all you need is a little pre-planning, some paper and string.
Choose your secret spots, then write clues on small pieces of decorated paper that lead your child from one spot to the next. On the other side of the paper write down questions on the history of Vaisakhi or Sikh knowledge for your child to answer, before they get the clue. Here are some examples鈥
What year did Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji establish the Khalsa?
How many Sikhs were in the Panj Pyare?
What shape is the Nishan Sahib?
Read out the clues and questions for your child and help them along if they鈥檙e getting stuck. To simplify the game a little, you could play 鈥榳armer or colder鈥 to help your child find the treasure, instead of using clues.
The final treasure is up to you 鈥 perhaps a sweet treat or snack!
Design a Vaisakhi card
Time to have an arts and crafts session with your family and make greetings cards that you can share with friends and each other.
On the outside of the card your child might draw a Vaisakhi or Sikhi design 鈥 perhaps a picture of Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji 鈥 then you can help them write a special message inside the card.
Make a mini Nishan Sahib
The Nishan Sahib is a triangular Sikh flag usually found at a Gurdwara (place of worship), but you can make a smaller version at home.
Gurpreet made a Nishan Sahib with his family using cardboard, with a box as the base, a wrapping paper roll as the pole and painted cardboard, cut into a triangle, for the flag itself. Young children can help with the colouring and gluing, but remember to look after the cutting and trickier parts yourself.
The Nishan Sahib is either blue or yellow/orange in colour, with a Khanda symbol in the middle 鈥 let your child choose how they鈥檇 like it to look. Making choices is great for their confidence and language development!
Pray and meditiate with your family
Taking the time to come together as a family and reconnect with your faith is the most important part of Vaisakhi. You can use this time to create memories and celebrate Sikh values and identity.
As well as prayer, Gurpreet鈥檚 family spends time reading the history of Vaiskahi and doing kirtan (devotional singing) using the harmonium, tabla and shakers.
Since becoming a parent, Gurpreet has recognised a new way of celebrating Vaisakhi 鈥 one that introduces the meanings and morals to his children鈥
鈥淥ur goal has been to share the story of Vaisakhi through fun and interactive play.
鈥淲rapped up in all the fun of Vaisakhi is a message of love for all humanity.鈥
鈥淥ur children will grow up never watching another be bullied and will stand up for their peers in times of need. Using Vaisakhi to teach my children values and virtues that others in society can benefit from is very important to us.鈥
