Children at Tops Day Nurseries Havant have recently celebrated the Hindu festival of Navaratri. Navaratri is a vibrant festival originating in India which spans nine colourful nights to celebrate The Great Divine Mother.
The holiday revolves around family, the victory of goodness, and is a celebration of all things motherhood, love and life. Traditional festivities are colourful and floral, full of dancing, food, and flowers, so Tops Havant decided to bring a part of India to Portsmouth.
During the nine day festivities, activities were filled with colour and entertainment for all ages, from babies to pre-schoolers. Children danced to traditional Indian music during Boogie Mites sessions; an educational music and movement activity.
One of the main ways to celebrate Navaratri is through colour. Each of the nine days corresponds to a colour with a special meaning and is dedicated to an avatar of the Goddess Durga. On the first day of the festival, children at Tops Havant enjoyed activities centered on the vibrant colour yellow, which symbolises joy and happiness. Using naturally sourced materials, the children enjoyed messy activities and heuristic play in nine bright colours.
Tops Cooking School was revamped to include recipes such as aloo-ki-kadhi and kebab-e-kela, which the children loved making… and loved eating even more! As always at Tops, as many ingredients as possible were harvested from the nursery garden, lovingly grown by the children themselves.
The last day of Navaratri is known as the Day of Victory and celebrates the triumph of goodness. Children at Tops Havant thoroughly enjoyed the two weeks of festivities and look forward to embracing more multicultural experiences as they learn about the world around them.
