Culture and Fun for Kids
Festivals, myths, games, puzzles and traditions show how people around the world celebrate, tell stories and have fun. These lessons introduce cultural celebrations, legends, crafts and playful challenges, with respect for the traditions behind them and ideas to try at home.
All 113 Culture and Fun topics
Diwali
Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights celebrating good over evil.
Eid
Eid al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, a month of fasting for Muslims.
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on 25 December by Christians to mark the birth of Jesus.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar and each year is named after one of twelve animals.
Holi
Holi is the Hindu spring festival of colours.
Halloween
Halloween is on 31 October.
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving in the USA is on the fourth Thursday of November.
Carnival
Carnival is a festive season of parades, music, dancing and costumes before Lent.
Hanukkah
Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights lasting eight nights.
Traditional Clothing
Many cultures have traditional clothing: saris and kurtas in India, kimonos in Japan, kilts in Scotland and ponchos in the Andes.
Greek Myths
Greek myths are old stories about gods and heroes.
Norse Myths
Norse myths come from the Vikings.
The Ramayana
The Ramayana is an ancient Indian epic about Prince Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana.
Folk Tales
Folk tales are traditional stories passed down by word of mouth across generations.
Origami
Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper into shapes without cutting or glue.
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is beautiful handwriting.
Japanese Tea Ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony is a calm ritual of preparing and sharing matcha green tea.
World Currencies
Countries use different money: dollars, euros, rupees, yen and pounds.
National Anthems
A national anthem is a country's official song, played at ceremonies and sports events.
Museums
Museums collect and display objects like art, fossils and historical items so people can learn from them.
Board Games
Board games like chess, ludo, snakes and ladders and checkers have been enjoyed for centuries.
Riddles and Brain Teasers
Riddles are puzzling questions that make you think in new ways.
Optical Illusions
Optical illusions trick your brain into seeing things that aren't quite true, like lines that look different lengths.
Sudoku and Number Puzzles
Sudoku is a number puzzle where each row, column and 3ร3 box must contain the digits 1 to 9 without repeats.
Time Capsules
A time capsule is a container filled with items from today and sealed to be opened in the future.
Kites
Kites fly using wind lift.
Mythical Creatures
Dragons, unicorns, phoenixes and mermaids appear in legends worldwide.
Languages and Scripts
Over 7,000 languages are spoken in the world, written in scripts like Latin, Devanagari, Arabic and Chinese characters.
Circus Arts
Circus arts include acrobatics, juggling, clowning and trapeze.
Vesak
Vesak is a festival that Buddhists celebrate to mark the birth, enlightenment and death of the Buddha.
Pongal
Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated in Tamil Nadu, India.
Onam
Onam is a harvest festival celebrated mainly in the Indian state of Kerala.
Nowruz
Nowruz is the Persian New Year, celebrated at the spring equinox.
Day of the Dead
Day of the Dead, or Dรญa de Muertos, is a Mexican celebration held on 1 and 2 November to honour loved ones who have died.
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras, or Carnival, is a celebration held before Lent, known for parades, music and colourful costumes.
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest is a festival held in Munich, Germany, that celebrates Bavarian culture with music, food, traditional clothing and fairgroundโฆ
Songkran
Songkran is the Thai New Year festival, celebrated in April with water fights and parades.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a week-long festival celebrated from 26 December to 1 January.
Ramadan
Ramadan is the holy month of fasting for Muslims, when people fast from sunrise to sunset.
Passover
Passover is a Jewish festival that remembers the Israelites' freedom from slavery in Egypt.
Easter
Easter is a Christian festival celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.
Bonfire Night
Bonfire Night is celebrated in the United Kingdom on 5 November with bonfires and fireworks.
Burns Night
Burns Night is a Scottish celebration held on 25 January to honour the poet Robert Burns.
St Patrick's Day
St Patrick's Day is celebrated on 17 March to honour the patron saint of Ireland.
Cinco de Mayo
Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday on 5 May that marks the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
Juneteenth
Juneteenth is an American holiday celebrated on 19 June.
Mid-Autumn Festival
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a Chinese celebration held on the night of the full moon in autumn.
Dragon Boat Festival
The Dragon Boat Festival is a Chinese celebration with boat races and the eating of zongzi, sticky rice wrapped in leaves.
Obon
Obon is a Japanese festival when families welcome back the spirits of their ancestors.
Hogmanay
Hogmanay is the Scottish name for New Year's Eve celebrations.
Ganesh Chaturthi
Ganesh Chaturthi is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed god of wisdom.
Janmashtami
Janmashtami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.
Samba
Samba is a lively style of Brazilian music and dance with strong rhythms.
Flamenco
Flamenco is an art form from southern Spain that combines singing, guitar playing, hand clapping and dance.
Haka
The haka is a traditional Mฤori war dance from New Zealand.
Bagpipes
Bagpipes are a wind instrument with a bag that is filled with air and then squeezed to play drones and a melody.
Kabuki Theatre
Kabuki is a traditional form of Japanese theatre that combines dance, music and dramatic acting.
Sand Sculptures
Sand sculptures are artworks made from sand and water that are shaped by hand.
Lantern Festivals
Lantern festivals are celebrations where people light and float paper lanterns.
Hanami Flower Viewing
Hanami is the Japanese tradition of enjoying the blossoms of cherry trees in spring.
Diya Lamps
Diya are small clay oil lamps lit during festivals like Diwali.
Wedding Traditions Around the World
Weddings look very different around the world.
Piรฑata Parties
A piรฑata is a decorated container filled with sweets or small gifts.
Snow Festivals
Snow festivals celebrate winter with snow sculptures, ice carvings and winter games.
Loy Krathong
Loy Krathong is a Thai festival where people float small decorated baskets called krathong on rivers and ponds.
Lunar New Year Lion Dances
During Lunar New Year, performers in lion costumes dance to drums and cymbals.
Fiesta Parades
A fiesta is a festival with music, dancing, food and parades, often held to celebrate a local saint or special event.
Gamelan Music
Gamelan is a traditional music ensemble from Indonesia made of metal instruments like gongs, xylophones and drums.
Totem Poles
Totem poles are tall carved wooden poles created by Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
Street Parades
Street parades bring music, costumes and floats through the streets to celebrate a special day.
Kolam Patterns
Kolam is a traditional South Indian art of drawing patterns on the ground using rice flour or coloured powder.
Maypole Dancing
Maypole dancing is a traditional dance around a tall pole decorated with ribbons.
Storytelling Circles
Storytelling circles bring people together to share tales, myths and personal stories.
Mehndi Art
Mehndi is the art of decorating skin with patterns made from henna paste.
Bunraku Puppets
Bunraku is a traditional Japanese puppet theatre where large puppets are operated by three puppeteers in full view of the audience.
Ceilidh Dancing
A ceilidh is a Scottish and Irish social gathering with live music, singing and lively group dances.
Heritage Crafts
Heritage crafts are traditional skills passed down through families and communities, like weaving, pottery and woodworking.
Tibetan Prayer Flags
Prayer flags are coloured cloth squares printed with prayers and hung outdoors in Tibet and the Himalayas.
Mongolian Yurts
A yurt is a round, portable tent used by nomadic people of Mongolia.
Sand Mandalas
Sand mandalas are detailed patterns made by pouring coloured sand through thin tubes.
Festival Masks
Festival masks are decorated faces worn during celebrations and dances around the world.
Gion Matsuri
Gion Matsuri is a famous festival in Kyoto, Japan, held every July.
Hmong New Year
The Hmong New Year is a festival celebrated by Hmong communities, often with music, dancing, food and sports.
Dรญa de los Reyes
Dรญa de los Reyes, or Three Kings Day, is celebrated in January in many Spanish-speaking countries.
Harvest Festivals
Harvest festivals celebrate the gathering of crops at the end of the growing season.
Bon Odori Dancing
Bon Odori is a traditional Japanese dance performed during the Obon festival to welcome spirits of ancestors.
Balloon Festivals
Balloon festivals bring together hot air balloons that rise into the sky together.
Drum Festivals
Drum festivals celebrate music and rhythm with performers playing drums of many kinds.
Pancake Races
Pancake races are fun contests where runners carry a pan with a pancake and flip it as they go.
Fire Festivals
Fire festivals include bonfires, torch processions and fire dances.
Music Festivals
Music festivals bring together bands, singers and fans for days of performances.
Tea Festivals
A tea festival celebrates tea culture by showing different types of tea, tea ceremonies and tea-making skills.
Gnawa Music
Gnawa is a spiritual music tradition from Morocco that uses instruments like the guembri, a three-stringed lute, and metal castanets.
Bharatanatyam
Bharatanatyam is a classical Indian dance style that tells stories through expressive hand gestures, footwork and facial expressions.
Reggae
Reggae is a music style from Jamaica that features a steady offbeat rhythm and often carries messages about life and society.
Capoeira
Capoeira is a Brazilian art form that combines martial arts, dance and music.
Tango
Tango is a passionate dance that began in the working-class neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Kathakali
Kathakali is a classical dance-drama from Kerala, India.
Eisteddfod
An Eisteddfod is a Welsh festival of music, poetry and performance.
Chinese Opera
Chinese opera is a traditional theatre art that combines singing, acting, acrobatics and colourful costumes.
Mariachi Music
Mariachi is a traditional Mexican music style played by groups of musicians with guitars, violins and trumpets.
Balinese Dance
Balinese dance is a traditional dance from the island of Bali in Indonesia.
Taiko Drumming
Taiko is a Japanese drumming tradition in which performers play large drums with powerful movements.
Fado Music
Fado is a Portuguese music style that expresses feelings of longing and sadness through singing and guitars.
Highland Games
Highland Games are traditional Scottish festivals that feature athletic contests like tossing the caber and throwing the hammer.
Hula Dancing
Hula is a traditional dance from Hawaii that tells stories through graceful hand movements and rhythmic footwork.
Tap Dancing
Tap dancing uses shoes with metal plates on the toes and heels to make rhythmic sounds on the floor.
Sauna Traditions
Saunas are heated rooms where people sit to relax and sweat.
Tabla
The tabla is a pair of small hand drums from India that are used in classical music.
Kimono Traditions
The kimono is a traditional Japanese garment with long sleeves and a wide sash called an obi.
Bollywood Films
Bollywood is the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai, India.
Cajun Music
Cajun music comes from the Cajun people of Louisiana in the United States.
Gospel Music
Gospel music is a style of music with roots in African American religious traditions.
Frequently asked questions about Culture and Fun
Why is it important to learn about other cultures?
It builds respect and understanding, shows how people live differently and similarly, and helps us appreciate the traditions that shape our world.
How can I learn about a festival respectfully?
Ask family, friends or community members, read about its meaning and take part only when you have been invited or when it is open to everyone.
What are good ways to have fun with culture at home?
Try a recipe from another country, learn a simple craft, read a folk tale aloud or play a traditional game with family.