How I Think and Design: Crafting Unique Experiences for Kids
People often ask me how I come up with my design ideas. With my Festive Fusion Design Workshop for kids around the corner, I thought I’d share a bit about how the concept for a Halloween-themed Hindi door plate came to life.
Making Learning Hindi Fun for Kids
A few years ago, I created a Hindi Riddle and Puzzle Book to make learning Hindi more engaging for kids. Back then, I struggled to get my five-year-old son interested in the language, and I knew other parents were going through similar battles. So, as part of LitJoys, I wanted to design something that would make learning Hindi more fun and rewarding for kids.
Then, during a morning walk, a senior member of our community made an interesting point. She said, “You know, in places like France or Germany, people are proud of their languages. Here, it seems like we’re moving away from Hindi.” She added, “Ekta, maybe you could help change that.” Her words stayed with me. I wanted to create something that not only made learning Hindi interesting, but also helped kids feel proud of their official language.
Designing a Hindi Door Plate: A Creative Fusion of Festivals
I realized that while the puzzle book helped get kids excited about learning Hindi, it didn’t necessarily spark pride in the language. I thought about it and asked myself, “What do kids love doing?” They love drawing and writing their names—so why not use that as a way to help them connect with Hindi?
I also wanted to make it fun, so I decided to incorporate Halloween theme since it’s something kids enjoy. And since Diwali is around the same time, a “Festive Fusion” theme just felt right. That’s how the idea of a Halloween-themed Hindi door plate took shape: something kids would enjoy making and feel proud to display.
Co-Creating Creative Activities for Kids: Designing with My Son
When I shared the idea with my son, he raised an eyebrow at first. He’d never thought about combining Hindi and Halloween! But after a moment, he smiled and said, “Mumma, not a bad idea.” That was the green light I needed.
This time, instead of creating everything myself, I decided to involve him from the start. At ten, he has his own creative ideas and is great at thinking things through. He helped decide on the size of the MDF door plates, chose Halloween elements, and even suggested using sawdust for adding texture to the letters—a fun alternative for kids who find painting tricky. I had planned to stick with just pumpkins, but he convinced me to add bats to make it extra spooky!
Designing together was a shift from how I usually work. Instead of finalizing a prototype and then testing it out, we built it as a team. It made the process more fun, and the final design felt like something we truly created together.
Bringing the Festive Fusion Workshop to Life for Kids
With our door plate ready, I decided to bring the project to the kids in our community through a workshop at our library. Kids from ages 5-15 will get an opportunity to make their own Halloween-themed Hindi door plate and try out the concept. I am excited to see how different kids respond to the idea, and how their creativity unfolds. I am also making the kit available as a DIY activity to do at home for those who are traveling to their hometown this Diwali.
While this project can work with any theme—Halloween, Diwali, Christmas, or others—I hope that it inspires families to take pride in Hindi and enjoy learning it together. Hindi is a language that connects us across regions and communities, and I’d love to see more people celebrating it.
Join Us for Creative Festive Fusion Fun!
I’m excited to see these young creators bring Halloween and Hindi together in a way that’s fun and meaningful. And I hope this is just the start of more ways for kids to experience the joy of learning Hindi.
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