Ganesh Chaturthi is fast approaching, and the preparations are in full swing. A festival is a time of great enjoyment for a young child, as they get to enjoy a plethora of sweets, new dishes and meeting their favourite relatives. But how to ensure that the festival season also allows for great learning for the child?  A fun idea would be making the Kitsters DIY Shadu Mati Ganpati Kit with your child!

As Shadu Mati making is similar to clay sculpting, it provide similar benefits such as  enhanced motor skills and encouraging teamwork, which help develop skills in long-term. Here are some benefits of sculpting your own Shadu Mati Ganpati with your child : 

1. Improves focus

In this era of digitally driven spaces, your child is constantly exposed to a screen. This can not only affect their eyesight and posture but also have an effect on their attention span. Taking some time in their vacation to be screen-free and be dedicated to crafting your Shadu Mati Ganpati idol gives them a chance to do a focused activity that requires all their attention. This sculpting time, away from digital distractions, can help your child focus

2. Develops Creativity 

Let your child's creative energies, as they figures out shapes, colours and textures as they go along sculpting their Shadu Mati Ganpati. Give them the chance to be creative, and think of different styles, accesories et al, to sculpt and paint their version of Ganpati Bappa. Let their imaginations fly, as they create their own modern avatar of Ganpati and his abode, Mooshak.

3. Roots them in Indian culture 

Ganesh Chaturthi is one of our richest Indian festivals, and has a history deep-rooted to our culture, and even our independence. As you and your child gear up to make the finest Shadu Ganpati of the land, it is a good way to give them a live history lesson on the origins of publicly celebrated Ganesh Pandals,  as well as the love and care that artisans put for months, even years to sculpt massive Ganesh idols for famous Pandals. 

4. Encourages family time 

Ganesh Chaturthi is the time for family. Let the Shadu Mati Ganpati making be a family-wide activity, with all ages - big and small, working to create the family idol. It is a perfect activity to share some laughs, and some clay as you build and sculpt as a team. This lets your family spend some quality time with each other with screens, and also encourages coordination and communication skills. 

5. Sense of accomplishment

Small achievements can build up your child's self esteem. Give your child a sense of accomplishment as they help create a beautiful Ganpati out of Shadu mati. Watch as they beam with pride, adding their own details and proudly showing off their process to all the relatives who drop by for a visit. Not only does this give your child a small success to celebrate, it gives you and your family a delightful memory to cherish. 

6. Problem-solving 

Sculpting is a task that requires mental energy as much as it requires physical exertion. This is because it is an activity using limited resources in a limited time frame, which means issues are bound to happen. This helps your child find problems with solutions, and adapt their ideas using the resources they already have, such as applying more Shadu Mati to fix a broken edge, or creating jewellery with sculpting tools.

7. Environmental consciousness 

Lastly, but never the least, sculpting a 100% Shadu Mati Ganpati can be your way to instill eco-friendly festive traditions in the house. As you make your own 100% biodegradable idol out of Shadu Mati, you can also create some eco-friendly decorations for the idols with your kid. It is a good way to start conversations on taking personal responsibility to reduce waste, stop using non-biodegradable plastics to help contribute to save the environment. 

Ganesh Chaturthi is a celebration, and it cant be complete without decorations or sweets. Catch our latest blogs on the topic NOW!