We have curated some fun inspiration for your journey to the colorful land of India!

Who else is ready for picturesque vistas, incredible food & more!?

Decoration Ideas

Table Decorations

Indian festivals are an occasion to dress up, and November is the month of Diwali – the festival of lights. Add some simple accents like colorful pillows or throws, some tea lights, bright and golden sarees, and hang dupattas or fabric to act as curtains. Use vibrant colors – orange and vibrant fuscia and yellow are the colors of choice for this party setting. This provides a rich, layered tabletop that’s inviting and luxurious. Flowers, layered fabrics or saris, and lots of gold will do the trick!

You can also use our Indian Mandala Coloring Pages and cut them out, tape them together into a banner, and hang them around.

And then, there’s food!

Indian food isn’t just food, it is also an experience! Indian cuisine has so much to choose from! Many regions have their own cuisine. There are many categories of food, too. The food you serve can be small plates and nibbles, like chaat snacks, or an elaborate dinner menu with North Indian or restaurant-style curries, or a casual backyard barbecue.

A chaat bar can use papdis (Indian crackers), tikkis (cutlets or potato/veggie patties), or samosas as the base for toppings. These can include cooked potatoes, cooked chickpeas, chickpea curry, pomegranate, sweet chutneys, hot chutneys, mint chutneys, and more. Garnishes can be chopped onions, cucumber, cilantro, sev (chickpea noodles), and other farsan (savory snacks).

Backyard Barbecue: For the outdoor type of menu think barbecue-able veggie kebabs, tikkas (marinated veggie or tofu tikka), and chutneys. There are many different marinades recipes in the many cuisines in India. Make some at home or buy them premade. Add pre-baked samosas, kachoris (savory pastries), and batata vadas (mashed potato fritters) to round up the spread.

Restaurant-style or North Indian menu: Indian restaurants favor North Indian foods that are heavy with luscious curries. The sauces have complex flavor profiles and are rich and creamy. Add veggies, tofu, veggie “meat” balls, beans, or meat substitutes to the sauces. Make a spread with popular dishes like tikka masala, malai kofta, butter tofu, naan, palak paneer, pulao, or biryani.

South Indian Spread: South Indian cuisine is diverse and very allergy-friendly with many gluten-free options. Make a spread with pre-made idlis (steamed rice and lentil cakes), vadas (fried or baked lentil cakes), dosa crepes, chutneys, sambhar (lentil soup), and veggie sides. Dosa crepes have many filling options, which, like chaat, can be served as you would a taco bar.

Round out any of these spreads with drinks like masala chai, mango juice, and lassi (yogurt smoothie).

Desserts like laddoos (ball-shaped sweets), Gajar Halwa (pudding), Gulab Jamun (doughnuts), and assorted burfis (milk-based sweets) work well with any of the themes as well.

Passport and Stamp

Keep up with all the fun destinations by printing this passport booklet. Each destination will have a stamp the resident can color to cut and glue to the passport.

Crafts to Do

Virtual Tours & YouTube Links

Movies Set in India that will Make You Want to Be There

  • The Darjeeling Limited (2007) | R | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
  • The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) | PG-13 | Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • Million Dollar Arm (2014) | PG | Biography, Drama, Sport
  • Lion (2016) | PG-13 | Biography, Drama
  • Viceroy’s House (2017) | NR | Biography, Drama, History
  • Monsoon (20180 | TV-14 | Drama, Romance
  • The Lunchbox (2013) | PG | Drama, Romance
  • Monsoon Wedding (2001) | R | Comedy, Drama, Romance
  • Slumdog Millionaire (2008) | R | Award Winner, Drama, Romance
  • Life of Pi (2012) | PG | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
  • Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996) | R | Crime, Drama, Romance, History

Explore India in a Novel or Memoir

  • Small Days & Nights – Tishani Dosh | A story of Grace, a young woman coming back to Madras after her mother’s death, to find she has inherited a pink beach house down the coast – and a sister with Down’s syndrome. Small Days and Nights is a compelling story about family, which follows Grace as she slips between Madras, Kodaikanal and Paramankeni, her needs, wants and urges changing with her surroundings as she tries to reconcile desire with duty. 
  • The God of Small Things – Arundhati Roy | The first Indian woman to win the Booker, Roy caused a storm in the literary world when her lyrical debut was published in 1997, spurring a number of authors who tried to emulate her style, while others decried her success – the sure sign of a good book.
  • Life of Pi – Yann Martel | Piscine Molitor, Pi, is from Pondicherry and has always explored issues of spirituality and practicality from a young age.  After being on a ship that wrecks in the Pacific Ocean, he survives for 227 days with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker.  This seems to be one of those “classic” books set in India you just have to read eventually.
  • Slowly Down the Ganges – Eric Newby | Eric Newby, a self-confessed river lover, sets out on a 1200-mile journey down the Ganges from Hardware to the Bay of Bengal on his 44th birthday with his wife Wanda.  Things start off rough, with them running aground 63 times in the first six days, but soon things start to look up on India’s Holiest River and it begins to live up to its reputation. 

Music Playlists

Here are our Printable Activities and Offerings to help round out your “trip”!

Check out printable products!

DESTINATION: India Printable Coloring Pages

DESTINATION: India Community Signs & Banner

DESTINATION: India Passport Stamps

DESTINATION: India Printable Activity Booklet