A Simple and Fun Ramadan With Kids
I think we moms can make things complicated at times. When Ramadan comes, we feel the need to make it so memorable for our children that it becomes stressful and time-consuming. The aim of Ramadan is not to cause undue hardship, but for our children to enjoy a few special activities, learn more about their deen, remember Allah more often, and it's about performing good deeds and giving!
So lose the complicated arts and crafts ideas and the "I have to do this or make that" attitude, and actually enjoy Ramadan with your kids while teaching them to give more than they receive! Here are a few ideas:
1. Find Easy Ramadan Printables
Try to print activities for your kids that do not take too much time, and they can do most of them on their own. Also, do not worry about perfection; let them just enjoy the printable.
After they are done, they can mail it to family members or print a new one and give it to a friend or any Muslim child they meet. Some readers mentioned that they print a few downloads out and hand them to kids at the masjid; alhumdulillah, what a fantastic idea!
Find my Ramadan printables for free during Ramadan on my education website.
2. Make Crafts That are Useful
Making Ramadan crafts just for your kids to do something is okay, but make it even more special by letting them make crafts that they can actually use and keep. Besides not being wasteful, they can also make crafts that have a purpose, which they can give others gifts to make them smile or have something beneficial or spiritual to hold. Some ideas could include making prayer beads, no-sew Quran covers made with fabric glue, friendship bracelets with letters spelling a pillar of Islam, etc. to name a few.
3. Read and Listen to Stories
You can play audiobooks from Maryam Sinclair, such as:
Or the Miraj Audio Collection and others that can be found on Youtube. Your kids can see poems and songs from:
They can learn about Islam, learn something about their deen, or remind them of Allah. I usually also focus on memorizing the duas they don't know, learning the 99 Names of Allah, memorizing new short suras of the Quran, some Hadith, and adding new dhikr.
4. Watch Islamic Videos
My children love to learn about the stories of the Prophets (may peace be upon them all) and about seerah. Many videos have now been illustrated from these lectures as well. A few of our favorite YouTube playlists are:
For humor, they love the videos of The Chronicles of Faith, Ummah Films, and Smile to Jannah (some have stopped making them unfortunately).
5. Form a Quran Club
Try to get together as a family every day, or form a small group with friends a few times, to make a khatam of Quranic recitation for an hour or so. Kids who can't read can be taught by kids or parents who know how to read Arabic. Make it a habit and a special time. Offer a treat for motivation when the kids complete their recitation if it helps.
6. Write Letters of Thank You
I made a printable to prompt children to write thank you letters to those who help them in their lives. You will find the download in our Ramadan section, or take some paper and pens and write or draw your own letters. Then mail it, or give it out to the ones who make our lives a little easier each day.
7. Do Copywork of Quran and Hadith
Let your kids copy verses of the Quran, or short Hadith, on paper or cardboard, and even make it into a scrapbook. Draw designs around the page with colorful gel pens (one of my kid's favorite activities). Children pick up so much from this, and they can frame it for their room or give it as gifts to others. You can also let them do this as a form of practice for handwriting, learning letter formation, or writing in cursive.
8. Help out at the Masjid
The masjid should be our second home. Take your kids there in Ramadan; even if you do not stay for iftar, you can go an hour early and keep other mothers' kids busy with your own kids, with simple, noiseless toys, by printing out coloring books and handing them out to them, bringing them treat bags, or reading them a Ramadan story. You could do simple little crafts as well, but be careful not to make this too burdensome. It is best not to promise to do it every day, but do it on weekends or whenever you can.
9. Send Email and Text Messages
Send emails or text messages with cute icons, images or designs to family and friends, not only to wish them for Ramadan but to inspire them throughout Ramadan. You can send messages with a short Quran verse, a Hadith, or even an inspiring quote. This will brighten their day and make them feel good that someone was thinking of them that day.
10. Keep a Ramadan Journal to Track Progress
My kids love to track their Ramadan progress using a Ramadan journal. They also enjoy answering the prompts on what they enjoyed about their Ramadan day and what they can do better. You can buy them a paperback journal like the one I designed for my kids or simply use a notebook to keep track.
You can use a paperback journals like the ones below for teens and kids!
As you can see, some of these tips are much easier than what I have seen out there. Do what you can, with the means you have, and you will have a much simpler Ramadan with your kids, and maybe, inshAllah, more time for some personal ibadah too!
Salam, I’m Zakeeya!
I believe that making our homes a safe haven for our families, as well as being a wife and mother, brings us great blessings, contentment, and benefits to society as a whole. Since 2011, I've been dedicated to assisting Muslimas in finding tranquility in their roles, taking better care of themselves, and achieving inner peace. Our journey in this world is not an easy one, but I pray the tools and guidance I offer will help you face life's challenges with more gratitude and mindfulness. Join me as I share wifehood, motherhood, homemaking, and lifestyle solutions that make life more fulfilling for you as a woman! Read more about me here.
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