7 Exciting Holi Powder Games For Kids

The bursts of color of the Holi Festival are an iconic part of the rich culture and traditions of India that have captivated people worldwide. Introduce the joy and celebration of Holi to your family through these fun activities and games.

What is Holi?

Holi, also called The Holi Festival of Colors is an ancient and highly revered Hindu festival originating in India. This festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil, the arrival of spring, and the love of the Hindu gods Radha and Krishna. 

The Festival of Holi is a dazzling spectacle of vibrant colors, with Holi powder, flower petals, Rangoli art, dancing, and playful festivities as integral parts of the traditions. Holi is a time for celebration, new beginnings, and spreading joy and camaraderie.

While stunning, the vibrant colors of Holi are not just decorative; they have meaning.

Why are Holi Games Important?

The strong symbolism behind the multicolored hues of Holi represents coming together, breaking boundaries, and enjoying the companionship of shared moments.

Holi games are a fun and interactive way to introduce kids to the celebration of the Holi Festival and everything it represents. Our Holi powder is made from non-toxic, food-grade ingredients, meaning they’re totally safe to use in Holi games for everyone to enjoy.

1. Holi Lucky Balloon Game

This is a sure way to start off your games with a burst of color and excitement! Kids of all ages happily join in the fun.

Materials needed: 

Holi powder, colored water balloons, and 3-5 coins.

Prep: 

Blow up as many water balloons as expected guests so each guest has a balloon. 

Fill each balloon with a packet full of color powder. Try to match up the balloon’s color with your powder color if possible so it is less likely to be spotted. 

Depending on your guest count add a coin to 3-5 of the balloons as prizes for the winners.

Place the balloons in a place where guests can easily choose one for themselves when the game begins.

Play: 

Ask guests to choose one balloon for themselves, then give a signal or countdown. 

All players break the balloon against their heads, and the lucky ones get a coin in addition to a shower of vibrant color. 

Variation:

If your guests are extra adventurous, fill balloons with water instead of air!

2. Holi Balloon Pop Game

If you’d prefer to keep your games a bit less wet, go for a balloon pop game! This game is best for older kids who can safely handle darts. 

Materials needed: 

Holi powder, balloons, and standard darts. 

Prep: 

Blow up a few dozen balloons with air and fill them with Holi color powder. 

Play: 

Older kids and adults can get competitive with a darts balloon pop. Fill the balloons with air and tape them to a board or fence outside. 

Players take turns tossing 3 darts to pop balloons, similar to the street fair-style game. Players win a small prize for popping a balloon and a big prize if they pop 3 balloons with their 3 darts.

Variations:

If you’d like the game to end with a piece of Holi decor, hang a white cotton sheet or a blank canvas before connecting the balloons. When the balloons pop, the burst of color is preserved on the sheet or canvas.

3. Holi Handprints Game

A creative (and quiet!) game for kids of all ages that creates fun decor for the holiday. This game is less messy and can be played by kids and adults alike. 

Materials needed: 

Holi powder, a large canvas, or a large roll of paper.

Prep: 

Set out color powder in bowls so kids can easily access their chosen colors.

Hang the canvas at an appropriate height so all players can reach it. 

Play: 

Ask each player to press their hand into the Holi powder of their choice. Then players take turns jumping as high as possible to high-five the canvas to leave their handprints behind. The player with the highest handprint wins!

4. Holi Piñata Game

As a nod to the tradition of Matki Phod (where players work together to steal a suspended pot filled with cream or butter). A Holi piñata is a fun way for both kids and adults to celebrate.

Materials needed:

Holi powder, a piñata, a bat or broom handle, and a blindfold.

Prep: 

Purchase a pinata from a local party store or DIY one together as a fun craft. Then fill it with bulk color powder in different colors and add wrapped candy or small (nonporous) toys. 

Play:

Hang the pinata in an open area outside. Take turns being blindfolded, spun around at least three times, and swing! As players try to hit and break open the piñata, another person pulls the string it’s hanging from to raise and lower it. 

Once the piñata breaks open, everyone rushes to grab the prizes as they are covered in color powder in the process. 

5. Holi Freeze Dance

Dancing is an intrinsic part of the Holi Festival and a fun way to get active with big and little kids alike! 

Materials needed: 

Holi powder, a speaker, and music you can pause/play easily.

Prep:

Have everyone gather together outside in an open area. Give each child a packet or squeeze bottle of color powder. Set up a speaker nearby.

Play: 

Tell everyone to dance as the music plays. Then when the music stops, all players must freeze in place immediately and hold their position until the music starts again. Players can throw Holi powder on any players who do not freeze immediately. 

6. Holi Color Tag

Holi color powder tag is a fun way to get everyone involved in Holi festivities, with a colorful twist on a classic kids’ game.

Materials needed: 

Bulk Holi powder, squeeze bottles, boundary markers for tag zone.

Prep:

Gather players together in an open space outside. Mark off the designated zone for the game of tag. Give each child a squeeze bottle filled with bulk color powder. A player can volunteer to be the first player to be ‘it’, or go with the classic 1-2-3-not-it style of choosing who’s first. 

Play: 

Players can tag each other using their squeeze bottles to spray Holi powder on their targets. If any powder sticks, the player is now ‘it’ as the chaser. Players must stay within the established tag zone at all times. If any player steps out of the game zone, they are now the chaser.

7. Holi Powder Relay Race

Capture the playful spirit and camaraderie of Holi in a color powder relay race. Challenges can be adapted to be age appropriate for all kids, and organizers can infuse Holi traditions into challenges. 

Materials needed: 

Holi powder, various household items based on chosen challenges.

Prep:

Set up a relay course with pairs of various stations. You can have as many or as few stations/challenges as you’d like. Each station is set up with a quick age-appropriate challenge to complete.

DIY color powder batons with a paper towel tube filled with Holi powder and seal the ends with tissue paper and rubber bands or glue.

Play: 

Divide players into two teams. Tell one player from each team to stand at a station. A player from each team completes a challenge at each station before passing the baton to the next team member. 

The final team member makes the grand reveal by popping the color powder baton, announcing the team’s win with a burst of color.

Challenge Ideas:

1. Pichkari: Infuse the tradition of water guns and Pichkari into your Holi celebration. Fill water guns with colored water (simply mix Holi powder with water) and challenge players to squirt a target (or person!) with their Pichkari.

1. Coin Search: Fill a bucket with water and mix in colored powder until the water is opaque. Drop small toys or coins into the bucket. Players must find an object in the water to move on. Older kids can be blindfolded to make the task more challenging. 

1.  Face Paint: Have a brave volunteer match up with each kid at a station. The child uses color powder and water to face paint the adult volunteer’s face. The child must use at least three colors to complete the challenge.
2. Players write the traditional Holi greeting ‘Holi Hai’ in color powder with their non-dominant hand.
3. Incorporate one of the other games, like the balloon pop at a station.

Our Holi Powder Clean-Up Is Easy

You don’t have to stress about cleaning up! All color powder is not the same. One thing that sets us apart is our all-natural dyes do not stain skin and clean up from most surfaces easily by simply brushing or blowing off any lingering color powder. Then a bit of regular dish soap and water will clean up any lingering powder. 

Guests can save the color of their shirts, or wash it out. To clean color powder-covered clothes, wash clothes separately in cold water with standard laundry soap. Worked-in powder may need a second wash before drying.

Holi Festival Games for Children

The Holi Festival of Colors is a celebration that embodies new beginnings and the spirit of togetherness. By organizing these Holi activities and games, your kids are immersed in the joyous celebration and rich culture of Holi. Order your Holi powder to be ready to unleash the vibrant colors and create lasting memories with your loved ones