Why Do We Celebrate Diwali? A Diwali Story for Kids (Video + Song)
Do you know why we light so many lamps on Diwali? Come and watch our story, then sing with us!
- 10-minute film + 1-minute song
- Watch together, indoors
- Story, counting, shapes, safety
- Play along with Diwali Fun Time
Why do we celebrate Diwali? Many families celebrate Diwali to remember the night Rama, Sita and Lakshmana came home to Ayodhya after fourteen years away. It was the darkest night of the year, so everyone lit little clay lamps to welcome them, and today families light diyas to chase the dark away and say "welcome home".
That is the story our new cartoon tells, in words a three- to seven-year-old can follow. In Ready by Dark, Tia and Yogi have until nightfall to get the courtyard glowing for their friends, and halfway through, Tia tells the story of Ayodhya. Watch it below, then sing the Diwali song together. Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November 2026.
Watch the Diwali story for kids
The film is free on our YouTube channel. It has chapters: the story of Ayodhya begins in the first minute and ends at about 4 minutes in, and the song starts at about 9 and a half minutes.
What is the Diwali story of Rama and Sita, told simply?
Here is the story the way Tia tells it in the film. Read it aloud before bedtime, or pause the video and tell it in your own words.
Swipe through the story of Ayodhya
1. Long ago, there was a night so dark you couldn't see your own hand. 
2. Far away, Rama, Sita and Lakshmana were walking home after fourteen whole years. 
3. There was no moon at all, so everyone had the same idea: they lit little clay lamps. 
4. On the walls, on the doorsteps, in every window. Soon the whole town glowed brighter than the moon. 
5. Everyone cheered, "Welcome home!" And every Diwali, people still light lamps to say the same.
In the full Ramayana, Rama's long time away ends after he defeats the demon king Ravana, which is why many families also say Diwali celebrates light winning over darkness and good winning over evil. For little ones, the homecoming is enough: a dark night, a family coming home, and a whole town lighting lamps to show the way.
Why do different families celebrate Diwali?
Ayodhya is not the only Diwali story, and the film's ending shows that on purpose: each friend shares what their family or neighbours do. It is a good way to show children that one festival can hold many meanings.
- Many Hindu families light diyas to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune, and in much of north India the lamps recall Rama's return to Ayodhya.
- For Jains, Diwali marks the anniversary of Lord Mahavira's nirvana, and the lamps stand for the light of knowledge.
- Sikhs celebrate Bandi Chhor Divas, remembering Guru Hargobind Ji's release from Gwalior Fort, and gurdwaras glow with lights.
- In Nepal, families keep Tihar over five days, with one day for honouring dogs with flower garlands and another for cows.
- Families everywhere share sweets with neighbours, make rangoli at the door and wear new clothes.
What are the five days of Diwali?
In the film, Sona the cow tells Yogi that Diwali is not just one night. Tap each card to see what the day is about.
The five days of Diwali: tap to flip
0 of 5 flipped
Sing the Diwali song for kids: Light Up the Night
The film ends with our own call-and-response Diwali song. Children echo every line, so even a four-year-old can join in after one listen. Here it is on its own, with the words on screen.
The chorus is the easy bit to learn first. Say it together, with your child shouting back the echo:
- Light it up! (Light it up!)
- Diya, diya, shining bright! (Shining bright!)
- Shubh Deepavali! (Shubh Deepavali!) That means "happy Diwali" in Hindi.
- Light up the night! (Light up the night!)
How can kids play along with the Diwali story at home?
Every job on Tia and Yogi's list is a page from our Diwali Fun Time pack, and the film pauses with a countdown so children can answer out loud. With the pages printed, they can do each one as it comes up. Without them, they still count and shout along.
Ready by dark: your play-along list
Tick each job off as Tia and Yogi do it in the film.
0 of 6 done
Join the dots from one to twenty to draw a diya, then add a flame and colour it in.
Say each day's name with Sona, then colour a flame yellow for every day.
Colour every circle red, triangle green, square blue, diamond purple and star yellow.
Number the four story pictures: a dark night, the homecoming, lighting lamps, the glowing town.
Spot the cat, the rangoli and all five of Yogi's lanterns on the night street, then tick off the eight things on the sheet.
Decide with Jumpee which pictures are safe around diyas and sparklers, and circle what you need near fireworks.
You earned a sticker!
Ready by dark! Happy Diwali from Tia, Yogi and friends.
- A grown-up lights the diyas and sparklers, and children stand well back.
- Lamps are for looking at, not touching. For little hands, battery tea lights give the same glow.
- Keep a bucket of water close by, and every finished sparkler goes straight into it.
- Near fireworks: a grown-up, cotton clothes, safety glasses and a line to stand behind.
A story, a song and some real learning
The film retells a festival story in order, which builds listening and sequencing. Along the way children count lit diyas, name shapes and colours, learn the five days and talk through simple fire-safety rules, and the song's echo lines give shy children an easy way to join in.
After the film: make it fit your child
Little ones
- Retell the story with three toys and a torch: switch the torch on when the town lights its lamps.
- Count the lamps in your home or street together.
- Sing just the chorus, with big claps on "Light it up!"
- Draw one diya and colour its flame.
Older kids
- Retell the Ayodhya story in four sentences, one for each picture.
- Ask a grandparent or neighbour what their Diwali story is, and compare it with the film.
- Write a third verse for the song about your own family's Diwali.
- Make a five-days-of-Diwali calendar and add one thing your family does each day.
For more Diwali pages, the Diwali worksheets hub has single sheets for every age and both activity packs. If you want hands-on ideas next, try our calm Diwali activities for kids, the 8-game printable Diwali play plan or an easy chalk rangoli.
Questions about the Diwali story for kids
Why do we celebrate Diwali, in simple words for kids?
Why do we light diyas on Diwali?
When is Diwali in 2026?
What age is the Diwali story video for?
Do we need the worksheets to watch the video?
Is Diwali only a Hindu festival?
Written by
Hemsweta Jain · Teacher Cheena
MBA and Early Childhood Educator, teaching since 2014 · Founder of RaisoActive, Mumbai
Published · Last reviewed
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