India! Rakhi Friendship Bracelets—Easy Classroom Craft & Activity, Grades K-5

Learn about the holiday Raksha Bandhan—great for Back to School, Friendship Day, or Valentine’s Day!

Explore kindness, friendship, and community with a holiday from around the world! Celebrate India’s festival of Raksha Bandhan that occurs in early August each year. This is the festival of brothers and sisters that you can adapt to your classroom. Great for back to school for kids to present bracelets to loved ones at home or to friends in school - new ones they have just made or ones they have missed over the summer.

Traditionally, sisters tie a rakhi bracelet onto the wrists of their brothers while brothers give sisters gifts in return and they both share sweets to eat. The thread of the rakhi signifies the bond between brothers and sisters. Today, friends and strangers also exchange rakhi bracelets.

There are 2 ways you may present the lesson:

1. A lesson is provided that you can print out. You can present this from the hard copy as you show students a corresponding slideshow from an images file; OR

2. A slideshow file is provided with embedded lessons on each slide. You may present this directly to students. There is no need to print this out.

Then conclude with an easy but meaningful craft by having each student make a rakhi friendship bracelet. Craft includes printables in traditional Indian designs. Each design measures between 1" and 1.5" across - they are small to capture the designs of ones sold in India - multiple ones can be made by each student. Craft is very easy and can be sent home with instructions to make as an independent work packet. You may also include candy for each student as a substitute for an Indian sweet.

Materials needed to make one craft are white card stock (there are 9 designs per sheet), 12" pieces of string (1 to 3 per bracelet), fine-tip markers, scissors, white glue, and 6 jumbo pony beads. One to four jumbo sequins may be added.

Would you like to present more lessons on India? Check out our other offerings!

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From My Cool World