Ramadan activities for children

Activities and games can be a helpful way to teach children about the holy month of Ramadan celebrated by Muslims. You can try some different ideas to help them learn.

Spend some time talking to your child about Ramadan.

During Ramadan, Muslim adults and children who have reached puberty will fast from dawn to sunset each day. This means they don’t eat or drink for these hours. People who are ill, elderly or pregnant don’t fast.

You might want to talk about how:

• Ramadan remembers when the Qur’an was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad. The Qur’an is the religion text of Islam.
• The timing of Ramadan is based on the cycles of the moon, so it falls on different dates each year.
• Muslims pray and do good deeds for others, and spending time with family and friends is important.
• Some Muslims read the Qur’an during Ramadan or attend services in mosques to hear the Qur’an being read.
• Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan with a festival called Eid ul-Fitr (the Festival of the Breaking of the Fast). Many Muslims attend the mosque in the morning to pray, then celebrate with family and friends by exchanging gifts and eating Eid meals together.

You can then use Ramadan activities for children to help bring some of these ideas to life.

Try reading some books about Ramadan with your child. This could include:

• Wake Up! It’s the Ramadan Drummer – a picture book where a man reminds people of the early morning activities of Ramadan.
• It’s Ramadan, Curious George – George celebrates Ramadan with Kareem and his family (baby to three years).
• Under the Ramadan Moon – a lyrical story introducing children to Ramadan (two to three).
• Ilyas and Duck: Fantastic Festival of Eid-Al-Fitr – Ilyas and his friend Duck explore the fun and excitement of Eid (three to six).
• Tell Me More about Ramadan – a curious young Muslim girl wants to learn about Ramadan (three to eight).
• My First Ramadan– a young boy takes part in the traditions and celebrations of the holy month (ages five to six years).
• Eid Breakfast at Abuela’s – Sofia and her parents spend Eid with her Mexican grandmother, who throws them a festive breakfast that includes Mexican food, decorations and activities (five to eight).
• Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story –  a seven-year-old Pakistani-American girl celebrates Ramadan, The Night of the Moon (Chaand Raat), and Eid.
• Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story – Lailah is in a new school and new country, but learns she can make new friends who respect her beliefs (six to eight).
• The White Nights of Ramadan – a picture book shows how a young girl in Kuwait prepares for the Muslim festival Girgian, celebrated during Ramadan (seven to eight).

Help your child reflect on helping others by teaching them kindness. Try making a kindness chart to notice and record acts of kindness by the whole family. Every time someone is kind, mark it on the chart. Ask your child to point out when they notice others being kind. You can make this chart at home.

Or try some activities looking at how to be kind. This could include:

• Talking about kindness through stories.
• Finding ways to help others in your community – a litter pick or give some toys to charity.
• Donating tins or packs of food to foodbanks or charities for the homeless.

Get some ideas for kindness activities.

Craft activities can help teach children about ideas and help them feel involved. Use crafts to start conversations and help your child reflect on what happens during Ramadan. This could include:

Learning about the cycle of the moon by drawing the different phases.
Making bunting or cards for Ramadan and Eid.
Creating crafts representing feelings of impatience, to help discuss the importance of patience.

Multicultural Motherhood has a list of activity guides for exploring different reasons for fasting.

A journal can be helpful for older children who are fasting, but also for others who want to make a note of their activities during Ramadan. Suggest they keep a record of what they’re doing and why.

This could include:

• Noting down acts of kindness, like sharing food with people who are not fasting.
• What they’ve learned about Ramadan during the month – for example, how it works in different countries.
• Any commitments they’ve made during the month, such as healthy eating.