Diwali
Play Date

Part Diwali, part play.

An immersive Diwali celebration for kids:
rice rangoli, clay diyas, mehndi, storytime and a Bollywood dance workshop.

Early October 2027 ·
New Jersey ·
Details coming soon

Join the 2027 waitlist Partner with us

Sold out last year. Join the waitlist to grab early-bird tickets.

Five years of masti, music, mehndi and the mess

5years
1,300+guests
3cities
20+brand partners
4.3/5★★★★☆

What to expect

Three hours of Diwali,
in the palm of your kids' hands.

Rangoli they make from rice and lentils.
Clay diyas they shape and take home.
Letters they write to Laxmi Devi.
And a dance floor they never want to leave.

Rice rangoli

Rice rangoli

A giant rangoli made with lentils, legumes and colorful grains. Messy, sensory, unforgettable.

Mehndi

Mehndi

Real cones, real mehndi.

Mithai molding

Mithai molding

Little hands, sweet results.

Letters to Laxmi Devi

Letters to Laxmi Devi

Kids write their wishes to Laxmi Devi and mail them on the spot.

Clay diyas

Clay diyas

Shape your own diya and take it home.

Coloring wall

Coloring wall

A wall-sized Diwali scene, waiting for every color.

Dance workshop

Dance workshop

Learn the steps, then dance them.

Storytime

Storytime

Diwali stories, read aloud.

Everything included in the ticket·Best for ages 2 to 7·Kids under 1 free·Three hours·Warm food and kid-friendly drinks

How it grew

It started as a phone call.

Tap a year.

The Diwali Play Date photo wall, 2026

New Jersey · 500+ guests · sold out

Back home for year five

Sold out, with families still asking for tickets.

4.3 out of 5 stars

Here's what parents told us.

"It was the first cultural event that was kid centered, and it met its purpose. My kids had the best time while learning about our culture."

"Just feels so recharging to connect to our roots, and attend an event where all we have to do is just dress up and show up."

"My kids were able to dress up and experience Diwali in a non-stressful way."

Sponsored by

Supported by

Partner with us

Your brand, in the middle of the celebration

Hundreds of South Asian families with young kids spend an afternoon with us every year, and more find us each time.

We weave your product or service into the activities the kids actually do, so it feels like a natural part of the day.

Past brand activations

The Laxmi gift bag
Gift bags with Laxmi
A boy in his decorated superhero cape
Superhero capes with Sevaro
A charm bracelet being fastened
Charm bracelets with Bali Collective

Interested in partnering with us?

Let's talk about fit

Get involved

Join the 2027 waitlist

Be the first to hear the date, the venue and when tickets go on sale. Brands and vendors, this is your door too.

I'm interested in

Avani at the Diwali Play Date wall

Who's behind it

Hi, I'm Avani.

Mom of three, co-founder of Modi Toys, and the one who keeps saying "we can't let Halloween and Christmas hog all the spotlight." I co-founded Diwali Play Date because I kept asking the same question: where can our kids actually celebrate Diwali? I couldn't find the answer, so Diwali Play Date was born. Five years and three cities later, Diwali has a spotlight of its own.

Follow along @moditoys · Say hi to me @avanimsarkar