Thai Pongal is the main day; Bhogi is the day before and Mattu Pongal the day after.
Pongal Worksheets for Kids
Printable Pongal worksheets for children aged 3 to 8. The Pongal activity pack uses kolam dot patterns, Pongal word tracing and counting pages, all sized for plain A4 printing at home or in a Tamil Nadu classroom during the harvest festival.
- 16 printable pages
- Ages 3–8
- A4 and US Letter
- Black and white — no colour printer
Kolam patterns, drawn the way they are at the door
Kolam is a dot grid joined by lines, which is exactly what makes it teachable on paper. Half the pattern is printed and the child completes the mirror image. Six kolam pages come in the pack, each different, plus a blank grid for the child to design their own. For many children in Tamil Nadu this is the first time they draw a kolam themselves rather than watch one being made.
Pongal word tracing
Six word tracing pages cover PONGAL, POT, RICE, SUN, COW and KOLAM — words tied to the harvest festival the child is already hearing at home. Each word is traced twice, then written unaided on ruled lines.
Pongal counting worksheets
Three Pongal counting worksheets keep numbers within ten: count the shapes, circle the right answer, then write the number. Short enough to finish before attention drifts.
Printing and using the pack
Sixteen Pongal printable worksheets, black and white, A4 and US Letter. No colour printer needed, and the licence covers classroom printing for a whole class.
Pongal word tracing pages in this pack
About Pongal
Children ask while they are working. Short answers you can give at the table, alongside the pongal worksheets.
What is Pongal?
Pongal is the Tamil harvest festival, celebrated over four days in mid-January. It takes its name from the dish cooked on the main day: rice boiled with fresh milk and jaggery in a clay pot until it bubbles over the rim, which is taken as a sign of abundance for the year ahead. Kolam patterns are drawn at the door, sugarcane is stacked by the entrance, and the pot is often tied with turmeric.
Why do we celebrate Pongal?
It is a thanksgiving: to the sun for the harvest, to the rains, and to the cattle that work the fields. The four days each have their own meaning. Bhogi, when old things are cleared out. Thai Pongal, the main day of cooking and offering. Mattu Pongal, when cattle are washed, painted and garlanded. And Kaanum Pongal, for visiting family.
How to explain Pongal to a young child
The pot boiling over is the whole idea in one image, and children remember it. Food grew, there was enough, and we say thank you. Drawing a kolam together is the easiest way in, because it is the part of the festival a small child can actually take part in.
When is Pongal?
In 2026, Thai Pongal falls on Wednesday 14 January, with Bhogi the day before and Mattu Pongal the day after. Unlike most Indian festivals Pongal follows the solar calendar, marking the turn of the sun northward, so the date barely shifts from year to year.
Pongal worksheets — common questions
When is Pongal in 2026?
Thai Pongal is on Wednesday 14 January 2026, with Bhogi on the 13th and Mattu Pongal on the 15th.
What age are these Pongal worksheets for?
Ages 3 to 8, with three kolam grid sizes so the same pack suits nursery through UKG.
Are the worksheets in Tamil?
The current Pongal activity pack is in English. Tamil letter tracing is a separate pack.
Can a school use these for Pongal celebrations?
Yes — print a set per child. The kolam pages work well as a quiet activity during festival week.