Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar and is a time when adults fast during the day and celebrate the end of the month with a holiday called Eid.
Kids aren’t required to fast but they might be tasked to do a good deed each day of the month, or they may collect money or clothing donations to go to a good cause. They can help set up the iftar (evening meal that breaks the fast), help prepare traditional foods, make crafts and take time to be good to other people. Modest Munchies has a great list of ways to include kids in your Ramadan observance.
Hana’s Happy Home has an adorable printable Ramadan “advent” calendar you can add activities or little treats to for your kids.
NutureStore has a collection of printable Ramadan matching cards that can be used to educate kids of any background about the month. They can also serve as a visual reminder to Muslim kids of what activities are going on such as reading, praying or visiting the mosque. (These are free when you sign up for emails.)
Paper Trail Design has a Ramadan I-spy that can be used in the classroom or at home if kids need something to do while waiting for iftar.
Check out this post from Red Ted Art for lots of ideas of how to craft and decorate for Ramadan and Eid. You can also buy a unit study on Ramadan from Teach Me Islam if you want to dig deeper with STEM, arts and crafts and creative play activities around the month.
If you want to learn more about Ramadan with your kids, the picture book Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr by Sara Khan is a good place to start. It follows a girl talking about the preparations her family does for Ramadan and how they celebrate Eid with their community. It also includes information about the lunar calendar used in Islam, which is why Ramadan happens at different times of year. There’s also a tutorial for making a Ramadan pop up card, information about why Muslims do good deeds during the month, and a recipe for Ramadan cookies (butter sugar cookies).
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