I have a fun Asian activity today. The Taj Mahal is one of the most beautiful and recognizable buildings in the world, it is known for its graceful white domes, perfect symmetry, and romantic history. Also, look at my post Free Lapbook India for Kids Who Love Hands-on History for more ideas.
The Taj Mahal is located in Agra, India and was built between 1631 and 1648 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
It was constructed from gleaming white marble, and decorated with semi-precious gemstones, floral carvings, and elegant calligraphy.
The amazing complex features gardens, reflecting pools, and a mosque, all meticulously arranged to represent paradise in accordance with Islamic design principles.
Every detail of the Taj Mahal was created with symbolism and spiritual meaning.
Its perfect symmetry represents the balance and harmony found in both nature and faith.
BOOKS ABOUT INDIA FOR KIDS
Next, look at these books about the Taj Mahal and about India.
We love living books when we can find them.
12 Books About or Set in India for Kids
Grab some of these books about India for your unit study or learning day.
From the quiet grandeur of the Himalaya Mountains to the urban city of Calcutta, T is for Taj Mahal: An India Alphabet showcases India's exotic treasures. Visit the haunting Taj Mahal, a tribute from an emperor to his dead wife. Traverse the bustling streets of Mumbai, the second most populated city in the world. Sample a traditional meal fragrant with garam masala spices, or attend a cricket match where some games have lasted up to five days! Varsha Bajaj was born in Mumbai, India. Her book, How Many Kisses Do You Want Tonight?, was named to the 2005 Texas Library Association 2X2 Reading List. Varsha lives in Houston, Texas. Robert Crawford's paintings have appeared on the cover of major magazines such as The Atlantic and U.S. News and World Report, as well as books. He also illustrated Sleeping Bear Press's The Legend of the Old Man of the Mountain. Robert lives in Woodbury, Connecticut.
Thirteen-year-old Rodmika is well acquainted with the crystal-clear rivers and tangled vines of the Green Jungle. So when his family moves to the other side of the jungle, leaving behind his chance for an education, Rodmika is perfectly suited to find a way to return. As Rodmika searches for a way back to the place of his schooling, he uncovers much more than a path.Set against the backdrop of a lush, untamed Indian rainforest, The Lost Kingdom weaves adventure and mystery into a thrilling tale that will resonate with readers who have a love for exploration and excitement.
A vibrant collection of Indian myths and legends illustrated in beautiful watercolors and told by one of India's sparkling personalities, Madhur Jaffrey.Seasons of Splendour is a richly illustrated treasury of stories about Indian gods and goddesses, kings and queens, princes and demons. Here are engaging and beautifully told tales of Krishna, Ram, and Sita, along with stories based on the Hindu epics the Ramayana and Mahabharata, as well as others of ancient origin with no known source. When Madhur Jaffrey was a young girl growing up in her grandfather’s house in Delhi, storytelling was an integral part of life. After dinner, she would huddle with her cousins and siblings around a seated aunt, grandmother, or mother and listen.
In Latika’s village in rural India, there are no toilets. No toilets mean that the women have to wait until night to do their business in a field. There are scorpions and snakes in the field, and germs that make people sick. For the girls in the village, no toilets mean leaving school when they reach puberty.
No one in the village wants to talk about this shameful problem. But Latika has had enough. When a government representative visits their village, she sees her chance to make one of her dreams come true: the construction of public toilets, which would be safer for everybody in her village.
Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is the tale of a courageous young mongoose who saves a boy and his family from the evil snakes lurking in the garden.
Twelve-year-old Aru Shah has a tendency to stretch the truth in order to fit in at school. Whilst her classmates are jetting off to exotic locales, she'll be at home, in the Museum of Ancient Indian Art and Culture where her mother works. Is it any wonder that Aru makes up stories about being royalty.
Introducing this collection of stories, R. K. Narayan describes how in India "the writer has only to look out of the window to pick up a character and thereby a story." Composed of powerful, magical portraits of all kinds of people, and comprising stories written over almost forty years, Malgudi Days presents Narayan's imaginary city in full color, revealing the essence of India and of human experience.
"One of the new tiger cubs has escaped from the reserve!"When a tiger cub escapes from a nature reserve near Neel's island village, the rangers and villagers hurry to find her before the cub's anxious mother follows suit and endangers them all. Mr. Gupta, a rich newcomer to the island, is also searching--he wants to sell the cub's body parts on the black market. Neel and his sister, Rupa, resolve to find the cub first and bring her back to the reserve where she belongs.The hunt for the cub interrupts Neel's preparations for an exam to win a prestigious scholarship at a boarding school far from home. Neel doesn't mind--he dreads the exam and would rather stay on his beloved island in the Sunderbans of West Bengal with his family and friends.
For eleven-year-old Gopal and his family, life in their rural Indian village is over: We stay, we starve, his baba has warned. They flee to the big city of Mumbai in hopes of finding work and a brighter future. Gopal is eager to help support his struggling family, so when a stranger approaches him with the promise of a factory job, he jumps at the offer.
?But there is no factory, just a stuffy sweatshop where he and five other boys are forced to work for no money and little food. The boys are forbidden to talk or even to call one another by their real names. Locked away in a rundown building, Gopal despairs of ever seeing his family again.
Like many girls her age in India, thirteen-year-old Koly faces her arranged marriage with hope and courage. But Koly's story takes a terrible turn when in the wake of the ceremony, she discovers she's been horribly misled—her life has been sold for a dowry. Can she forge her own future, even in the face of time-worn tradition?
Perfect for schools and classrooms, this universally acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning novel by master of historical fiction Gloria Whelan is a gripping tale of hope that will transport readers of all ages.
Kids love learning about food, they need to learn their ABC's, and this mouth-watering alphabet book covers both in the most delicious way! From spicy achaar to sweet zafrani pulao, flip through food from every corner of India, for all kinds of occasions.
The Taj Mahal may look like a palace, but it's actually a tomb and a lasting testament to one of the world's great love stories. In 1612, Mogul emperor Shah Jahan married Mumtaz Mahal. It had been love at first sight and for nineteen years they were so inseparable that Mumtaz even accompanied Shah Jahan to battlefields. When she died suddenly giving birth to their fourteenth child, the emperor set about building a magnificent memorial to his wife. Everything about the Taj was perfectly planned, from the white marble walls that shimmer in the sunlight and sparkle by moonlight, to the countless decorative flowers made from precious gems that still astound visitors today.
Then, look at more facts about the Taj Mahal.
MORE FACTS ABOUT THE TAJ MAHAL ASIAN ACTIVITY
Its perfect symmetry represents the balance and harmony found in both nature and faith.
The central dome, rising up toward the sky, symbolizes the heavens, while the surrounding gardens are arranged in four parts to represent the four rivers of paradise described in the Quran.
Even the Taj Mahal’s white marble is also symbolic. In Mughal culture, white represented purity, peace, and eternity, which is fitting for a monument dedicated to eternal love.
The light shining across the marble surface changes color throughout the day, glowing pink in the morning, brilliant white at noon, and golden at sunset.
This shifting light mirrors the passage of time and the idea that true beauty shines in every season of life.
Even the reflecting pool has special meaning. It doubles the beauty of the monument and reminds visitors of reflection, peace, and stillness.
When studying Asia, history, or world architecture, creating your own Taj Mahal model from cardboard is a fun and hands-on way to learn about this magnificent landmark and its connection to the Seven Wonders of the World.
Also, look at more Asian activity.
MORE ASIAN ACTIVITIES
- Learn About Indigenous Animal Geography Fun Activity for Preschool to Elementary
- Mythical Stories For Kids From Asia | Amazing Yeti Cupcakes
- 5 Asia Activities For Kids & Free Color by Number Camel
- Quick and Easy Ancient Chinese Paper making for Kids
- Free Ancient China Lapbook for Kids Who Love Hands-on History
- Marco Polo Unit Study and Lapbook
- Medieval Japan Unit Study and Lapbook
- How to Make an Easy Bird Craft Fun Paper Plate Peacock
HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN TAJ MAHAL ASIAN ACTIVITY
You will need:
- Cardboard recycled boxes/cereal boxes
- Scissors or a utility knife
- White paint or white paper
- Styrofoam
- Glue or tape
- Markers or metallic pens
Choose a large enough piece of cardboard to act as the base to hold your structure, minarets, reflecting pool, and some of the garden, you will cut the rest of your pieces to fit this.
Paint this base green for grass and set it aside.
Draw the following pieces out onto cardboard- a long slim rectangle of cardboard for the base , a large square for the main structure of the building, two smaller squares-these will need to fit within the width of your base, and 4 minarets (domed towers) with two being a bit smaller to add perspective to our layers.
Use a utility knife to cut out all your pieces.
Paint everything white and set aside to dry.
Draw in any windows and arches you would like to cut out.
While you are waiting on the structure to dry, move on to the landscaping, drawing and cutting out the tall cypress trees that line either side of the reflecting pool, we did the same here, cutting each set slightly smaller to force some perspective.
Paint them green and set aside to dry.
If your base is dry, paint a strip down the middle to represent the reflecting pond. We went with a teal color to go along with our inspiration photo up above.
TAJ MAHAL ASIAN ACTIVITY
Once your base is dry glue strips of red cardstock or paint on either side for the walkway. I found this red piece in my stash that was perfect for bricks.
Hot glue all the pieces of your structure into place, layering everything to give it dimension. bend pieces of cardboard behind it to make supports and hot glue into place.
Cut tall strips of cardboard and paint gold, these will be spires to finish off the onion domes on top of your Taj Mahal.
Once these dry hot glue to the tops.
The final step is to add bits of gold to your structure using a gold paint and paint brush or a gold paint pen.
