2021 Ramadan Doodle Challenge – Free Printable

Ramadan activity for the muslim drawing prompts free printable family

Asslamu ‘alaykum and welcome.

This is going to be a very short post because tomorrow might be the first day of Ramadan 1442 and I still have a lot to do… so here it is:

The RAMADAN 2021 DOODLE CHALLENGE (free printable)

What is a doodle challenge?

A Doodle Challenge is a list of drawing prompts: One thing to draw every day of the month. You can use any technique you want and you don’t have to be artistically gifted to take part. It is aimed equally at children and adults.

Why a doodle challenge for Ramadan?

Because Ramadan days can be long and tiring, especially for children who are old enough to fast; and they can be intense for mothers. Both can use a super simple, fun activity like this to share a relaxing moment together and brush up their artistic skills (pun totally intended!!!!).

Screenshot the list of prompts or, alternatively you can download the free printable by clicking on the image below. If you participate and share your pictures on Instagram, please tag @salamhomeschooling !

May Allah allow us to reach Ramadan, strive sincerely for His sake during it and beyond, and receive His abundant forgiveness and mercy, ameen.

Ramadan doodle challenge free kids activity

Ramadan bullet journal – FREE printable

Ramadan activity free printable journal planner family kids

NOW UPDATED WITH 5 NEW PAGES! (links below or click on images)

Over the last few years, millions of people have used and benefitted from – or, at the very least, heard about – the bullet journal method (a useful introduction to what the method is here). It is so popular because it can be really helpful: A hybrid between a planner and a journal that is completely customisable. It is a simple, inexpensive tool to track your to-dos, organise your thoughts, set your goals and work towards them, track your habits and, in general, keep every thought that is worth keeping, so that you can find it again.

Muslim journal Islamic bujo Ramadan kids printable

Why a Ramadan Bujo?

The thing about Ramadan is that it is one month of the year. A month that, for the believer, bears rewards like no other. A month that must be used well; a source of mercy that we must squeeze to the last drop. Sometimes, and for some people, the feeling of anticipation that accompanies it can be tinged with anxiety: Will I live up to the standards I hold?

Some of the concepts and techniques of the Bullet Journal Method can be easily applied to the goals of a Muslim in this blessed month, for spiritual productivity, reflection and self care: Know what you want from this time, be conscious of how you spend it and be grateful for every act of worship that you carry out, however small.

A Ramadan Bullet Journal can definitely help with that, in sha’ Allah.

Islamic resources Ramadan Muslimsh journal planner

Who is this for?

Anyone who can write can benefit from this simple resource at his or her level. I will be using it and I will make copies for my children. My older two (aged 13 and 10) will probably write or doodle in it and use the trackers, especially as a distraction if they get tired or hungry during the day. My 5 year old will want her own copy, not to feel left out, and I expect she will just doodle in it or try write a few words.

Different people will find some of the pages I offer more useful or more appealing than others. Print or copy what applies to you.

Several of the pages can be used in different ways: An 8 year old might not have lots of appointment and deadlines to keep track of in the calendar, but she can use it to write a memory or highlight for each day (more on this below).

How to use it

If you already are a lover of bullet journaling and you enjoy spending some time with your stationery (*rubs hands*), you might prefer to use these pages as inspiration and copy them out onto your notebook.

If that is not your cup of tea or, like me, you need multiple copies and don’t have the time (or patience!) to create them all by hand, print them out and either stick them on the pages of a notebook, bind them into their own booklet or punch them and add them to a binder or to your existing planner.

Please note that, if you plan to use the daily planner/journaling page (the very last of the file) you will need to print out 30 copies of it, one for each day. The same applies to the Qur’an Mind Map: they are note taking pages and you might need to print out more as you go.

What pages are included?

The 1442 Ramadan Bullet Journal comes in two different accent colours (both easy on your printer!): Gold and Blue. Each of them has two cover designs to choose from (I simply couldn’t settle on one). Each of the two colour versions includes the same pages:

  • Monthly grid (a hijri/gregorian calendar): Appointments/deadlines, or daily highlights, or daily memory, or lesson tracking, or daily doodles, or shorthand journaling, or meal planning… side column could be used for a running to-do list or notes. Note: Hijri dates are left blank for you to fill in once the moon is sighted!
  • Monthly log: the horizontal version of a calendar, you can use it for any of the uses of the monthly grid.
  • Gratitude log
  • Fast tracker and Qur’an Tracker: colour in or mark the fasting hours for each day. (PLEASE NOTE THESE PAGES HAVE BEEN REMOVED, AS THE SCHOLARS STATED IT IS NOT LEGISLATED TO TRACK ACTS OF WORSHIP. See below for new additions!)
  • NEW! “Fast Aid” Kit: A spread to help you pinpoint your struggles during the fast and reflect on what could help, with encouragement to find evidence from the authentic sources of Islam.
  • Sleep tracker: colour in or mark your sleeping hours for each day.
  • Mood tracker: colour code your mood and choose a prevalent one for the day.
  • Iftaar gallery: doodle (or record) your iftaar every day.
  • Small victories: Record something that you are happy to have accomplished each day.
  • NEW! Qur’an Words: Increase your Arabic vocabulary and linguistic knowledge – one word at a time! Choose a word from the Qur’an each day. You may add a note on the meaning or usage in the space provided.
  • NEW! Qur’an Quotes: Have you ever read an ayah that really touched your heart and thought “I must remember this one” but then you carried on reading and forgot to make a note of it? This is the page for you!
  • Qur’an Mind Map: Use these pages to write down tafseer or linguistic benefits. You can chose between 4 designs depending on how many section you want the page to be divided in (4 section in one page, down to 1 taking the whole page) and how much you want to write for each surah/ayah.
  • Ramadan goals: think about what is important that you achieve this Ramadan, reflect on the steps that will take you there in sha’Allah and record your progress.
  • NEW! Iftaar Notes: Make a note of your favourite iftaars, or those you would like to try, or the most memorable ones that your family will always associate with Ramadan 1442/2021! You could also use it as a collection to come up with your own recipes, to build healthy meals and even count calories or track macros.
  • NEW! Super Suhoor: This collection was inspired by a comment suggesting I create something with a healthy eating theme. Nutrition is more important than ever when we are fasting, so you can use this page to create ideas for your ideal suhoor, to note down new ideas and recipes or to make note on the beneficial properties of the various foods you want to include. It can be used to teach children the importance of heathy eating.
  • Ramadan daily page: inspired by the layout of popular bound planners such as Hobonichi and Stalogy, this page has a timed column on the left and space for notes, journaling or anything you want to write. Beside the date, you can also record the weather and the phase of the moon.

A reflection of your Ramadan efforts

You don’t need a bullet journal to be successful and make the best of Ramadan: Sincerity to Allah and hard work are all a believer needs. But, if used throughout (even if you skip a few days and have to play catch up a little!), a bullet journal can become a reflection of your efforts in Ramadan; it can collect your best moments and your struggles on the journey to become a better worshipper, in sha’ Allah; it can also act as a memory keeping tool, recording the development of our growing children as Muslims.

I ask Allah to let us reach Ramadan, to let us strive in it, sincerely seeking His pleasure and to shower us with His Mercy and Forgiveness!

FREE DOWNLOAD Ramadan Bullet Journal – GOLD (UPDATED)

FREE DOWNLOAD Ramadan Bullet Journal – BLUE (UPDATED)

If you download and use this printable, or if it inspires you to create your own Ramadan bujo, please share on instagram and tag @salamhomeschooling in sha’Allah!

Muslim planner ramadhan free printable islam

Ramadan Doodle Challenge

Ramadan doodle challenge free activity for kids

Assalamu ‘alaykum and welcome.

Download your RAMADAN DOODLE CHALLENGE list HERE.

I am getting the usual last minute rush of pre-Ramadan ideas. New concepts emerge thick and fast from the brain fog, between teaching to tell the time and washing a big pile of dishes.

As we know, the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), would encorage their children to fast, even if they had not yet reached puberty. If the children struggled, they would distracted them with a simple toy.

Al-Rubay’ bint Mu’awwidh (may Allah be pleased with her) said while describing how the Prophet (salla Allahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) told them to fast ‘Āshūrā:

We used to make toys out of dyed wool for the children and keep them with us so if the children asked us for food we would give them the toys to distract them until they completed their fast.

(Sahih Muslim)

Ramadan doodle challanges free printable

Engage the brain to distract the stomach

DISCLAIMER: Islam instructs us to follow the middle way and the just and balanced approach in all things. Training our children to fast is no different: It must be tackled with wisdom, without being too lax or too strict. The age and ability of each child must be taken into consideration and their health and safety must always come first (as is the case for us adults too).

Having said so, many children can fast without any problems, Allahumma baarik, and they should be encouraged and supported in it.

A major part of the upbringing of our children is to train them to perform the legislated acts of worship, even before the age they become obligatory for them. It is useful to have something ready to divert the focus of our kids from food when they start to feel hungry (but can safely be encouraged to power through).

The Ramadan Doodle Challenge is only one of of the many possibilities, some others are:

  • A small gift every day (collectible cards, marbles, small toys, puzzles, magazines or books…). This is usually very well received but it can get expensive and can produce an amount of cheap toy clutter in the house.
  • Art and crafts materials: try a different activity every day (different techniques, media, styles, subjects…)
  • Line up 30 STEM activities and try one each day (find some tween friendly STEM and Lego activities here).
  • Compile a family scrapbook.
  • Prepare a list of board games and play a different one each day (list everything you have, look online for free printable ones, ask your friends to swap with you to have the whole month covered!)
  • Have your child take one photo each day – which should not include people or animals – that represents his or her day and then assemble the Ramadan picture album after Eid.
  • Use journaling prompts (This is a list of Ramadan Journaling Prompts that you can print for free).

Why doodles?

  • It is inexpensive.
  • You already have everything you need (paper and a pencil and you are good to go!)
  • It is suitable for any age, from toddler to adult.
  • It is fun, especially if you all attempt the daily doodle together.
  • It is relaxing and it will provide a welcome distraction from rumbling tummies!

Download your RAMADAN DOODLE CHALLENGE list HERE.

The PDF includes a list as well as individual cards to cut out, in case you (like me) want to only reveal one each day and keep the rest a surprise.

Doodle challenge cards for Ramadan

Have a blessed Ramadan!

If your children (or yourslef!) take part in this challenge, please share your doodles on instagram and tag @salamhomeschooling !

I ask Allah to allow us to witness this Ramadan and gain His rewards and forgiveness. I also ask Him to guide us establish ourselves and our families upon what pleases Him.

Ramadan Journaling Prompts

Ramadan activities for children kids activity free islamic printable

Assalamo alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu.

Are you looking for something not too demanding yet engaging to occupy your children in Ramadan?

Something that is new and for them to discover each day of the month?

That’s exactly what we like to do in our family. On the one hand, we feel the need to put aside the planned activities and the schedules; on the other, we don’t want bored children, languishing around and just waiting for iftaar time!

We need entertainment with benefit and some sense of purpose, in sha’ Allah.

As part of my efforts to bring to this blog any resource I created that might benefit your family and homeschool (and that were originally posted on Islamic Bedtimestories, my old blog), I revisited 30 Days of Prompts. I call them “journaling” prompts because they are quite varied in their nature and a lot of them are about personal expression.

What is it?

It is a list of Ramadan themed writing prompts. They are quite general and can be tackled as simply or in as much depth as desired, so they are suitable – or can be easily adapted – for children of all ages.

What materials will I need?

  • Your copy of the FREE Ramadan journaling prompts list;
  • Something to write on: any notebook or paper with a binder;
  • Something to write with;
  • Anything to decorate and illustrate: pencils, markers, stickers, scrapbooking paper and anything crafty you have at hand and your children enjoy working with.

Alhamdulillah, good times…

That Ramadan, my boys and I had the best time with these prompts and the box of craft paper and stickers (MY box of craft paper and stickers!) that I made available to them. Even my reluctant writer looked forward to the daily prompt! Alhamdulillah.

Meaningful engagement

A word of caution: Don’t force it. This goes for any activity you (the parent) are all excited about. If, after the first few days, the excitement fizzles out, don’t bring up the prompts unless the child asks to do it. Some prompts might fall flat with some kid and completely fire up another. If a child wants to keep working on yesterday’s prompt, that’s great, Allahumma Baarik. She shouldn’t be rushed because there are still x number of prompts “to go through”. Meaningful engagement is what we are looking for. If it is nowhere to be found on a given day, move on: don’t take it personally and don’t be disappointed, in sha’Allah.

DOWNLOAD your FREE Ramadan Journaling Prompts list here

May Allah allow us to witness the coming Ramadan and guide us to what will benefit us in the Akhirah.

Beneficial Ramadan activity for children, free kids printable for your Muslim homeschool

Autumn Poems Collection – DIY

Homeschool poetry teatime autumn poems free printable

Assalamo alaykum and welcome.

It is definitely not Summer anymore (I can’t help but smile – now that my kids can’t see me).

What better way to let the fresh Autumn breeze into our homeschool than with a collection of poems about this beautiful season? This is why I like to make my own collections:

I love poetry, but not all poetry.

I love books, but not all books.

I like to save a few pennies if I can.

I like to save space by not keeping on my shelf a 200 page book when we only love 5 pages of it.

When it comes to the literature my kids “drink in”, I like to be aware of it.

As a homeschooling mom, I am also accustomed to taking matters into my own hands!

For these reasons, rather than recommending poetry books to buy or borrow from the library, I compiled a list of links to poems I liked. You can click on them and see what you think.

I am not saying poetry books are not worth having; when I come across a poetry book I mostly like, I still want to have it to keep. But here and now, this little collection does save me money, space and the headache of sifting through hundreds of pages. Alhamdulillah.

DIY Autumn Poems Collection – BLANK (fill it as you like)

DIY Autumn Poems Collection – WITH TITLES (tells you what poem to put in each page) 

A bunch of links and a blank notebook?

Is this really it???

Yes. Alhamdulillah.

I do not believe that “classics” (i.e. old books) are necessarily best and, for this reason, you will find in my list some poems that, being less than a few centuries old, are subject to copyright. I would never want to include something I don’t have the right to offer in my printables. 

This is why you have to do some of the assembly work yourself; although I have done the research for you, which is the most time consuming part: I sifted through what I found to exclude themes that, as Muslims, we don’t care for.

DISCLAIMER: by including poems by a certain author in my list I do not mean to endorse his/her work in its entirety, nor his/her morals and world view. 
Critical filters on. Always, insha’Allah. 

I tried to include a variety of poetic styles, some classic poets and some contemporary ones, some very famous names and some less so and even a few translations of poems that were originally written in languages other than English. Some poets absolutely love Autumn, others totally dread it. 

How does this work then?

Muslim Homeschool literacy poetry brave writer style free printable poem collection

If you have used my DIY Summer Poems Collection you will be familiar with the concept.

  • Choose your printable: BLANK or WITH TITLES
  • Print
  • Fill with poems (your own, or the ones I suggest below)

I am offering 2 version of the printable: a BLANK version (you are free to fill the pages as you wish) and another with the TITLES of the poems I chose, to show you how you can fit them into the pages (plus, the title font looks really good – in my opinion). 

Download your DIY Autumn Poems collection BLANK (free PDF) HERE.

Download your DIY Autumn Poems collection WITH TITLES (free PDF) HERE.

Once you have printed out the booklet, you can:

  • Print out the text of the listed poems and stick them on
  • Use the listed poems as copywork to fill it it
  • Fill it in with whatever you like!
  • You can also skip the booklet and read the poems straight from the websites, if you are not a paper lover…

Insha’Allah this printable will be something that you and your children can make yours, by adding some colour to the pictures, writing or sticking your favourite poems (and whatever else you like) and keep it in your book basket or take it out for your family’s Poetry Teatimes. 

(Click and watch these videos if you would like more information about the book basket (also called “morning basket” or “morning time”) and poetry teatime). 

Autumn Fall themed poetry collection for children free pdf printable homeschool

How to talk about poetry

So, do you just sit there and read poems?

Yes! It is very acceptable and, in fact, desirable to just sit together, have a snack and enjoy each other’s company with some good poetry, alhamdulillah. 

Don’t feel compelled to turn this into a lesson.

Poetry appreciation will occur even without worksheets and whiteboards; dare I say, it will probably happen more easily without them!

Having said so, you may want to challenge your children to spot some poetic elements, themes or devices in the poems that are read. Some people prefer a little guidance as opposed to complete freedom in an activity.

That’s why, as I read a poem, you might hear my lot shout out stuff like “rhyming!” or “personification!” or “haiku, 5-7-5!” with a mouth full of crisps. 

Some very simple things to look for are:

  • What type of poem is it? (free verse, haiku, rhyming, shape poem, diamond, limerick… be as specific or as general as you like)
  • Older kids can work out the pattern of the rhyme, if applicable. 
  • Themes: what is it about?
  • With seasonal themed poems such as these, you will find A LOT of colours, animals, plants and natural elements being mentioned. Younger children might like to spot those!
  • What feelings are being expressed by the poet?
  • What mental image does it conjur? 
  • Do they like it?
  • Manipulate the text (and/or form) of the poem: If something has a striking pattern or topic, do they want to recreate their own by changing the topic or some other detail? Scramble the lines? Create an extra stanza? (often they will want to recreate it in a humorous way)

It is a good idea to add a few blank pages at the back of your booklet, and be ready to jot down any spontaneous poetry your kids might come up with (they might not want to write it themselves, this is supposed to be a relaxing, linguistic and literary treat, remember?).

Remember, forcing an educational task (formal or informal, written or otherwise), contradicts the ethos of Poetry Teatime and will affect the feel and the effectiveness of it. 

The Poems

This are the poems I chose, insha’Allah there is something to suit everybody’s taste.

In no special order:

My Autumn Leaves – by Bruce Weigl

For the Chipmunk in my Yard – by Robert Gibb

Sonnet 73 -by William Shakespeare (also translated into contemporary English)

Fall Acrostic Poem – by Leanne Guenther 

Gathering Leaves – by Robert Frost

My November Guest – by Robert Frost 

Nothing Gold Can Stay – by Robert Frost 

Leaves – by Elsie N. Brady

Nature XXVII, Autumn – by Emily Dickinson

The Name – of It – is ‘Autumn’ – by Emily Dickinson 

Haiku (The baby cow) – by Kobayashi Issa

Haiku (In September) – by Kobayashi Issa 

Haiku (The Autumn evening) – Nakamura Teijo 

Haiku (Holding the umbrella) – Nakamura Teijo

Haiku 2078 – by Calvin Olsen

Haiku 2575 – by Calvin Olsen

Fall, Leaves, Fall – by Emily Bronte

Autumn – by John Clare

Pleasant Sounds – by John Clare

Autumn Birds – by John Claire  

Plums – by Gillian Clarke

Autumn Fires – by Robert Louis Stevenson  

October’s Gold – by Paul Holmes 

Autumn Love – by Savannah M. Jones 

Living Season – by Adele Maritz

Fall Time – by Anna M. Jordan (This contains a reference to what, according to Google, is a rock band, however I really liked the rest. Personally, I will omit that one line and enjoy the rest)

On a Day Like Today – by David Webb

Under the harvest Moon – by Carl Sandburg 

Once Upon an Autumn Day – by Joseph T. Renaldi 

Autumn Song – by Sarojini Naidu

Autumn Moonlight – by Matsuo Basho

Autumn Within – by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Autumn – by Charles Baudelaire  

Winds of Autumn – by Saigyo

You Gave Me Autumn – by Sandra Fowler 

I hope this will be a useful and enjoyable tool for your homeschool and family, in sha’Allah.

If you use the booklets please tag me on Instagram, I would love to see them in action!

Understanding Hajj – FREE printable

Hajj activity workbook for Muslim kids Dhul Hijjah islamic studies FREE PDF printable

Assalamo alaykum and welcome.

It is the time of year when those who haven’t been blessed with the opportunity to perform this great act of worship, feel like brushing up on their knowledge of Hajj.

I chose the Understanding Hajj Series by Abu Muadh Taqweem Aslam. I find the teaching style of this student of knowledge particularly accessible, Allahumma baarik. Also, the whole series consists only of 6 lessons.

I felt I could manage that. Then I though my children would probably manage that too, if I broke it down a little bit first.

Alhamdulillah, the end result is this little booklet where I organized my notes from Abu Muadh’s lessons. I also added a few questions to consolidate the knowledge gained, insha’Allah.

FREE Hajj printable for islamic homeschool madrasah muslim kids family activities for Dhul Hijjah

What age is it for? I would say anyone who can read could use it. I introduced research questions to offer a challenge to the older children. Consider it a starting point: you can simplify it or ask your students to go to greater depth if you want.

I have a couple of disclaimers. First, this is not intended to be a comprehensive Hajj guide. Secondly, the maps in there are purely for representation, they are not super geographically accurate.

Download your FREE Understanding Hajj Booklet HERE.

I ask Allah to benefit my family and yours through this humble effort. Ameen.

Summer Poems Collection DIY (free printable)

Summer poems for children poetry teatime kids read aloud homeschool

Assalamo alaykum and welcome.

We have missed poetry teatime, alhamdulillah. 

If you are not sure what poetry teatime is, it involves reading poetry aloud in your homeschool as part of a lifestyle in which children – and their adults! – are immersed in a rich linguistic and literary environment. To make it even better, it is typically accompanied by some sort of refreshments. A good place to start is this site or this video.

I don’t know about yours, but my kids seem to enjoy the eating part most of all; having said that, home baked goods are not a rarity around here, so there must be more to it…

What to read?

Because I didn’t have the time to research books, I opted for a “pick & mix” approach. Instead of going on amazon and splurge on books I know nothing about (at the risk of them finding much of the contents inappropriate according to our values), I decided to do a little online search instead and hand pick poems. 

I tried to include a variety of styles; some classical (by which I loosely mean “old”) and some contemporary poems; some poet’s names you will recognise instantly, while a few were posted on a site by “regular” people (excuse my lack of a better term). 

DISCLAIMER: I didn’t go into any depth about hidden meanings or the poets’ biographies, philosophies or outlooks on life. I just found poems I liked and collected them. 

Is this a printable collection of poems?

No. The original idea was to share the complete collection as a ready to print booklet, but, to avoid breaching the copyright of some of the poems which do not belong to the public domain, I set it out as a little literary DIY task.

The booklet “A COLLECTION OF SUMMER POEMS TO READ ALOUD” is empty for you to fill.

What I am offering you is the chance to fill it using the exact list of poems I picked out for our Summer themed poetry teatime, insha’Allah. All the poems are freely accessible online so this will save you money and – if you also prefer to pick & mix your poems – a lot of time too!

I decorated the pages with little summery pictures one might want to colour in. 

Below you will find the exact list on what I put in each page of our book, in case you want to reproduce the exact collection I put together for our homeschool. I linked the poems to websites where they are shared (to my knowledge) in a completely legal way, insha’Allah

FREE printable summer themed poetry notebooking pages. Create a collection of poems for your homeschool poetry teatime

Assemble your collection

First of all, DOWNLOAD your FREE Summer Poem collection DIY pages here.

Here is the breakdown of what you can put in each page:

PAGE 1: Cover

PAGE 2 :

Bed in Summer – by Robert Louis Stevenson 

Summer Dawn – by Spike Milligan

PAGE 3:

At the Seaside – by Robert Louis Stevenson 

Beaches – by Kaitlyn Guenther 

To See the Summer Sky – by Emily Dickinson 

PAGE 4:

Midsummer, Tobago – by Derek Walcott 

Early Summer Rain – by Yosa Buson

PAGE 5:

Daisies – by Evaleen Stein 

The Summer Sun Shone Round Me – by Robert Louis Stevenson 

PAGE 6-7:

Birds in Summer – by Mary Howitt

PAGE 8:

June – by Elaine Goodale 

Summer Stars – by Carl Sandburg 

PAGE 9:

My Kingdom – by Robert Louis Stevenson 

PAGE 10

In July – by Evaleen Stein 

Swaying in my Hammock – by Leanne Guenther 

PAGE 11:

The Violet and the Bee – by John Bannister Tabb

Midsummer Joys – by Winifred Sackville Stoner Jr. 

PAGE 12:

Summer Morning – by Rachel Field 

We Have a Little Garden – by Beatrix Potter 

PAGE 13:

The Schoolboy – by William Blake 

PAGE 14

Summertime – by Brandon Tyler Martin 

PAGE 15:

The Bird’s Bath – by Evaleen Stein 

Baby’s Baking – by Evaleen Stein 

PAGE 16:

The Summer of Stitches -by Raymond A. Foss

Summer – by David Mohn

PAGE 17:

Barefoot Days – by Rachel Field 

Patience – by Pandita Sanchez 

PAGE 18:

Summer – by C J Hurd

PAGE 19:

Summer Haiku – by K P Nunez 

The Gardener – by Robert Louis Stevenson 

PAGE 20:

Rain in Summer – by Henry W. Longfellow

PAGE 21:

The Brook Song  – by James Whitcomb Riley

PAGE 22:

Summer Delight –  by Paul Callus 

Summer Sun – by Robert Louis Stevenson 

How to use this list

With the list of poems above you and your children could:

  • Use them for copywork in the printable booklet;
  • Use them for dictation;
  • Print them out and stick them on the pages;

You can also disregard my list, and choose your own poems to fill the printable pages, or have your children write their own!

Put the kettle on (by which I of course mean “switch on the espresso machine”), make some lemonade, sandwiches, muffins, fruit salad… or whatever you want; put your to-do list in a drawer and – whether it is a physical or metaphorical one – make sure it is shut!

Enjoy.

Homeschool tomorrow, insha’Allah. 

7 steps to restart your homeschool

7 Tips to start homeschooling after the holidays

Assalamo alaykum and welcome.

Download your FREE TA-DAH list HERE

We all have some really good homeschooling streaks: we are all nicely settled into the routine, learning takes place, the parent feels reasonably in control and everybody is pretty happy. And then… BOOM! Staying guests. A family trip. Eid. A stomach bug. The routine is broken. Maybe it is already a week after that important celebration or milestone for which you took time off and you were expecting to definitely have resumed by now… but you haven’t.

Whatever the cause of the disruption, the problem is one and the same: you cannot restart.

The kids don’t want to touch the curriculum with a barge pole and – making things even harder – neither do you!

Naturally, I have been in this predicament a number of times, so I came up with a little action plan for when your homeschool is struggling to get going again.

If you think – as I probably would have thought too, at least initially – that this might take a whole week, and that’s a long time not to be doing “actual school work”, then try to force everybody back into it and see what fun it is! (Just kidding! Don’t do that. Bear with me and read on, insha’Allah).

Task 1: Seek help where help is to be found

Nowadays, ranting seems to have acquired human right status; when things don’t go their way, many take to social media and indiscriminately “let it out” to a bunch of strangers or people that – for the most part – are not very relevant in their life. The believer, on the other hand, remembers that she has a Lord who is Merciful and Who manages all affairs with the utmost wisdom.

Don’t vent. Instead, seek help where you can find it. Seek help from Allah, as in the heartfelt advice that the Prophet Muhammad (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) gave to Abdullah ibn Abbas (rady Allahu anhuma):

“…Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah alone; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah alone. […]”

You have a Lord that loves you to ask Him.

Anas (rady Allahu anhu) narrated that the Prophet (salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said:

اللَّهُمَّ لَا سَهْلَ إِلَّا مَا جَعَلْتَهُ سَهْلًا ، وَأَنْتَ تَجْعَلُ الْحَزْنَ إِذَا شِئْتَ سَهْلًا

“Oh Allah, there is no ease except in that which You have made easy; and, if You wish, you can make the difficulty easy.”

Collected by Ibn Hibban, graded saheeh by al-Albani

You don’t have to necessarily be hit by a major calamity in order to make these amazing words yours; they are perfectly suitable for anytime you feel deflated and at a loss when it comes to homeschooling and parenting (or life) in general.

Task 2: Reconnect

Often, when there is a break in our homeschool, parent and children each become absorbed in doing their own thing, typically those things they feel they don’t have enough time to delve into when homeschooling is on.

It can be hard to go back to structured learning while the interest for this activities we have thrown ourselves into is still so alive.

It is a good idea to do something to reconnect with our children first; in other words: do “nothing” together. I am talking about premeditated, intentional “nothing”: play games, bake a cake and invite friends, read aloud, go for walks… ask them if there is something they would like to do together and indulge in it without the pressure of having to “get work done”.

Task 3: Accept reality

Take a step back and accept that our life is made of days and each of them may come with change.

This is true of every aspect of our lives and we can certainly observe it in the patterns of our family life. Things did not change because you were unable to maintain them: they changed because such is the nature of our existence on this earth. And our nature, as human beings, is to pick ourselves up, reassess things and carry on, insha’Allah.  

Your homeschool is not a regimented institution. Your children are not in the army, nor are they in a conventional school where “they have to [fill blank]”. It is certainly not your job to make it like that!

Your homeschool does not need to be flawless in order to be an absolutely brilliant place of knowledge and growth.  Break away from that mentality if you find it is affecting you and let go of the guilt.

There was a time when change in our homeschooling setup, caused me severe insecurity and even upset me. Part of the solution to that is to put our trust in Allah and know that when He closes a door, something better for us must be on the horizon.

Task 4: Make a TA-DAH! List

We are all familiar with the concept of a “to-do” list; well, a “ta-dah” list is the opposite: instead of writing down the things you are yet to do, list what you have already achieved!

You can compile one for each child and also one for yourself as a parent and educator.

Alhamdulillah, sometimes you have to write it down to truly see how far you have come. Having this list in front of you will consolidate the notion that you have been an effective teacher and you did facilitate learning for your children.

This activity is guaranteed to encourage you and make you feel more positive about this whole homeschooling business!

Involve your children and physically write down all the amazing things that they have learned about and all the skills they have mastered.

Celebrate all the lightbulb moments, all the things – big and small – that they remember feeling happy or proud about. Include every little growth experience you can think of. From learning to tie shoelaces to showing ability to forgive; from learning how to say “hello” in a foreign language, to mastering the rules of checkers; from starting to offer the fajr prayer at its time, to learning to do a load of laundry; from perfecting the ability to shower without completely flooding the bathroom, to memorizing that hadeeth that will stay with them forever.  

You, mom, do it too. Have a list to record your own learning and growth. You are in as much need of it as your children are!

Download your FREE TA-DAH list HERE

Free printable learning log ta-dah list to celebrate learning. Use as a bullet journal spread or for your homeschool planner

Task 5: Face the curricula

At this point you enjoyed a good dose of bonding with your children and the much needed “pat on the back” that is your TA-DAH! list. You must now take stock of the materials you were using before things ground to a halt.

Don’t worry: you are ready.

Armed with a big cup of coffee – quietly creep up to the bookshelf/drawer/basket, so not to spook the books, especially after they have been abandoned in their environment for so long and are no longer used to human contact. You might find it useful to have a cookie at hand too.

Seriously, it won’t be that hard. The books won’t bite you.

Get them all out.

All you need to do it separate what has worked well for you from what did not; what you want to work with now and what might be more suitable for a later time. Decide what to carry on with and what to abandon. Streamline the whole system by reducing the materials to a minimum (what is needed as opposed to what would be lovely to also incorporate, if you see what I mean).

Homeschoolers tend to be great book lovers, educational philosophy hoppers and sometimes curriculum hoarders, but if a certain method/book/style (even – temporarily – a subject!) is putting you off resuming your homeschool, ditch it!

How to reconnect with kids in your homeschool after the holidays. Tips for homeschooling moms

Task 6: Freshen things up

Introduce a new, fresh, desirable subject to replace something you are taking a break from (gardening? Spanish? design?…). Try out a new approach to homeschooling (unschooling? Workboxes? Charlotte Mason? …). If it is feasible in terms of family routine (and budget), sign your kids up for a new activity. Include videos or documentaries to supplement your textbooks. Start (or restart) having regular poetry tea-times! (those really reinvigorate our homeschool, alhamdulillah!). Make life skills and/or handiwork part of your homeschool.

You know your children well, so you may want to surprise them with the above or you might brainstorm with them and involve them in the decision process.

Ask your kids what they are curious about, which subjects they would like greater focus on and what activities they would like to try out or allocate more time to.

Jot down everything. If your kids are anything like mine, there is bound to be some ideas that are very, very much out there. Do not dismiss those either: just because you are unable to take your children to space or coach them to kung fu mastery, that doesn’t mean you can’t learn about it. In any case, a few years down the line, it will be delightful to read that jetpack building and mining for gold in your backyard were part of someone’s plans.

Task 7: Plan for relief, not torture

You have tightened the bond between you and your students; you celebrated successes and accepted limits; you narrowed your focus by selecting the materials that you intend to use; you ignited interest and fuelled the will to learn; you breathed new life into your homeschool, kept yourself adequately caffeinated… and sprinkled the whole thing with du’a to Allah for ease and guidance.

It is now time to put it to paper. Planner paper, scrap paper, digital “paper”… whatever works best or appeals more to you. Make sure that planning your homeschool is not a task that overburdens you. It is worth spending a few moments figuring out how you want to plan to make your life easier, and not to follow what you perceive to be a winning planning methodology.

For example, not everybody finds it useful to lesson plan, and, even if you do, how detailed do you want your plans to be? Make it yours. Making it yours meaning that you might decide not to write it down at all.

If you wish to write your plan, start small: distribute little chunks of work to each of your homeschooling days for the coming week, to test your way of planning is suitable to your needs and easily manageable before committing any further to it.

Once you are happy, you may proceed to plan months ahead or even the whole year. Personally, I never dare to go that far.

Actually, it is not a matter of “daring”: it is just knowing that, when we are all settled and the whole system is running smoothly… BOOM! A 3 days conference to attend. My Arabic exams. Grandma coming to visit for a week. A spell of awesome weather and you just can’t stay indoors… aaand we will be back to TASK 1!

Does your homeschool ever suffer disruptions or runs out of steam?

What do you do to get started again? Share your tips in the comments below!

tips to resume study in your homeschool. Muslim homeschooling after holiday

6 tips for a stress-free Ramadan

Assalamo alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh and welcome.

Is it just me or it all seemed a lot easier when the children were smaller? Or at least all in the same sort of age group…

Now in one household of 5 there are 4 different schedules for meals and sleeping; and hardly any time when kids are not around in 24 hours. Alhamdulillah.

Needless to say, Ramadan is NOT meant to be stressful. Maybe a little tiring, but certainly with tiring yourself out in the worship of Allah should come a very deep feeling of hope and contentment.

Then how can this blessed month – this amazing gift from Allah to the believers – let some of us feel anxious, overwhelmed and even disappointed?

1. Your Iman will not raise itself

The Messenger of Allah, salla Allahu alayhi wa sallam, said:

When the month of Ramadan begins, the gates of Heaven are opened and the gates of Hellfire are closed and the devils are chained.”

[Bukhari and Muslim]

Ramadan is a time in which Allah makes the path to good easier for us to follow, and the path of evil easier to avoid, alhamdulillah. Having said that, Ramadan is not “fairy dust”. It will not, by itself, fix your heart.

A person will not go to bed on the 30th of Sha’ban with some sickness in her heart to wake up on 1st Ramadan completely purified. If you are lazy, neglectful or “in a bad place” in Sha’ban – and you do nothing to rectify that – the mere coming of Ramadan will not “magically” solve your problem and turn you into a brilliant Muslim, just like that.

A few years back, a month or so before the beginning of Ramadan, my family was afflicted by a test, and Allah is to be praised in every situation. In those dark and difficult days, I found myself desperately yearning for Ramadan to come, and, when it did, I felt even worse: I had to come to terms with the fact that Ramadan was not the “magic pill” that – in my particularly fragile state – I wished it to be.

Ramadan will not automatically mend your heart from sorrow, sin or heedlessness. Do not expect it do that. Instead, take yourself to account. Pinpoint your weeknesses and commit to seek Allah’s help and strive to improve. It is an amazingly good time to do that!

As the scholars of the salaf explained, Iman increases and decreases. It increases by obedience to Allah and it decreases by disobedience to Him. (read the full article on the definition of Iman HERE). There is a cause-effect link between our conduct and the state of our heart. Our level of Iman will also determine our level of contentment in this life.

Wishful thinking is not the way to succeed in Ramadan or outside of it. Because Allah’s mercy is vast, particularly so in Ramadan, we are likely to get much more than what we put into it… but still, we cannot expect to emerge from this Ramadan as better Muslims without working for it. And we ask Allah’s help in this.

2. Manage your expectations

Come to think of it, Ramadan seemed so much easier 10 years ago because I only had myself to think about; only my acts of worship to perfect, my body to keep sufficiently hydrated and rested and I was trying to make the most of Ramadan for myself only.

Much of the Ramadan related mom-stress originates from this: we want our children to have a great Ramadan; and, by “great Ramadan”, we mean a month of special, intense worship, well spent according to our (adult) standards.

We want them to “feel it”, like we feel it; or better, like we used to feel it 10 years ago, before we started stressing out about them “feeling it”!

Typically, the kids can’t quite do it, or can’t quite have full understanding of it. Then we feel the stress of “not having done enough.”

But I am going to share with you something very important I learned from one of my teachers (a female student of knowledge). A true game changer Allahumma baarik: children (and here I refer specifically to children below the age of puberty) lack ihtisaab. Ihtisaab is the ability to do good deeds while actively seeking and anticipating the reward of Allah. They are very capable of doing good deeds, but their association between that and striving for Jannah is still at the developing stages.

They are much more absorbed in the here and now than adults. So you might explain the importance of praying, or fasting, or wearing hijab and give daleel to them until you are blue in the face, and they might be convinced to do it, but at times they will still find it a struggle, rather than the seamless consequence of love for their Creator that mom would like to see.

This might lead you to think: “Doesn’t this child love Allah???” She does, but she is not you. Children do not understand the reality of this life and the Hereafter like we do; they are only in the process of learning that.

I transcribed and condensed the lessons that dealt with this topic in the post If they Don’t love you, you will lose them, on my old blog. I wholeheartedly recomend it. I go back periodically to it myself.

Do not expect your children to be as selfless as an adult can, to strive as hard for an Afterlife they don’t comprehend as well as you do. Some might, but the reality is that most won’t (yet).

If your child (who is perfectly able to fast) moans that he wishes he didn’t have to because he is hungry for a doughnut, do not get angry at him and brand him “evil” or “sinful”; don’t react as if you had heard it from another sister.

Excuse his lack of understanding of what it means to do something hard seeking and anticipating the reward of Allah (ihtisaab). Model a better behaviour and move on.

Don’t accuse him of loving a doughnut more than he loves Allah (it simply doesn’t work like that in his head!); instead, encourage him to hang on, tell him that Allah is pleased with his effort – and so are you – and talk to him about the rewards of Paradise.

Think of us adults: we have full understanding of these matters, yet how many times do we become complacent? How many times do we fall short?

We all need mercy. So, even more so in the case of your children, let’s encourage and tolerate.

How to have a beneficial family Ramadan without stress feed the heart this Ramadhan

3. Low and slow

Tolerance has many levels.

There is making excuses for your child acting like a child when it comes to fasting and other difficult things to do (as mentioned above).

There is also the tolerance you need not to bark at your most chatty kid, who is uber-excitedly following you around to tell you – in a huge amount of detail – all about something you can’t even fully comprehend because it is 6am, the baby is crying, you slept 2 hours and you can’t even have coffee.

Lower your voice.

Even lower than normal, just to be on the safe side. Don’t spoil your fast because you stepped on a Lego. Even if it is the 15th you have stepped on today!

I am not say you have to turn a blind eye to behaviour that needs to be rectified, but as for anything that is less important than that, let it be less important. Do not let the noise and mess that usually come in the package with kids get to you. Anger will not help the situation.

This is something to bear in mind at all times, but even more so in Ramadan, when anger can burn through our hard earned rewards like wildfire.

Let’s make it an absolute priority for the month of Ramadan to display real patience, and let’s ask Allah’s help plentifully for it, among all other things.

If you find you become irritable under pressure, do what needs to be done to lessen that pressure.  

If you find it hard to maintain your usual routine, simplify it.

If you find the need to – and are able to – do less. You have children or family members that cannot fast, so they need meals at different times? Instead of cooking from scratch each time, make sure the fasting and the non fasting can all eat the same one meal that day.

Try to do those big twice a year type household chores before Ramadan (or live with it until after it!) and suffice yourself with doing what is needed around the house.

Giving yourself permission to slow down is very important if you run your homeschool as usual during Ramadan.

One of the greatest perks of homeschooling is its flexibility: don’t feel that you must “crack the whip” through Ramadan because kids who go to school would have to go even if they are fasting. That is true, but our kids are not in school; we have the freedom to choose a more relaxed schedule (or no schedule at all) if that makes their fasting easier.

In general, the body tends to get used to fasting and many people find no difficulty in carrying on their usual work or study. If that is how you and your kids roll, then great alhamdulillah! But if not, then say alhamdulillah and let your child sleep through until dhuhur time if she was up late praying taraweeh, and let the books gather some dust for 30 days, if they must.

As homeschoolers, we are free from the constraints of the academic year. We determine our academic year.

We have the choice to put worship before schoolwork. And if that is not the top reason why we homeschool then I don’t know what should be!

4. Feed the heart

“Remember when we were little in Ramadan and Ummi was so busy making *insert name of dish* that you would get your head bitten off just for walking into the kitchen???”

I don’t want my children to say this in 20 years!

This kind of behaviour should not be associated to Ramadan. As always, what they see us do counts way more than what we tell them. In Ramadan, the heart must be fed more than the body.

We need to work on perfecting our acts of worship, controlling our character, increasing our knowledge and understanding and, in general, having greater awareness of Allah.

All the family must be on board: Ramadan is the month of fasting, not feasting. We should all be content with modest meals. Do not make food your main occupation, this month of all months! Cut out excessive food shopping, preparation and consumption. As a result, you will be less stressed and more focused on what really matters.

Yes, feed the fasting. Yes, make nice meals for your family. Don’t turn Ramadan into a food festival though. It should not be about what’s for iftaar.

5. Let family traditions create themselves

Mark Ramadan as special in your household in a way that doesn’t feel like a chore. The aim is to increase the anticipation and joy we connect to Ramadan. All of us: Mom included!

As for family traditions, if you are a relatively new family, know that true family traditions are not something forced on by a family member (because you saw it online, because that’s how things are done “back home”, etc…); they are what you all enjoy and would like to repeat; what you naturally feel inclined to do on special occasions because it makes you all happy. Again, all of you.

Maybe Ramadan can be the month your children are allowed to help in the kitchen to make treats to share with the neighbours; or it can be the month you go through your clothes, books and toys and decide what to donate or sell to raise money for a cause picked by them. It can be the month in which Maths and English are replaced by stories of the Prophets, curled up together on the sofa, or spread out on a blanket in the garden. Ramadan can be the time when the children are allowed to stay up late and experience going out as a family in the middle of the night for taraweeh. It can be the time when, after saving up and anticipating it all year, we travel to a Muslim land to experience this precious month with extended family, and, if we cannot do that, we can keep in touch more closely with them, practice our Arabic from home and try out their traditional iftaar recipes.

You are the mom and the homemaker. You “make the home”, every single day. You can “make” your children’s Ramadan too! It doesn’t have to be expensive, or fancy, or creative… it only requires a little thought and a smile on your face. a positive atmosphere to be maintained.

Think back to your family’s ways to mark special occasions when you were a child. You will probably find that it was very simple things that created that positive association for you.

Read here about what we will do (insha’Allah) in our home (and homeschool) this Ramadan.

Have a look inside and download our FREE “Sittings in the Month of Ramadaan workbooks HERE.

My children still love the (falling apart but) must-have Ramadan mailbox, where they will be surprised with a simple activity to do together each day (I planned those based on what I already had available in the house, you can read about it HERE). They like to deliver food to the neighbours when we can. They love it when we can all go to buy and give the food for the zakat-ul-fitr and when we put up the Eid decorations and bake a small mountain of shortbread cookies. Simple things like these, alhamdulillah.

6. This is what Allah wants from you right now

The worship of the month of Ramadan is intense. Having children is hard work. Homeschooling can be taxing. Combining all three factors can be positively draining.

Smile and remember: this is what Allah has given you to deal with at this point in your life. Embracing it is part of your worship.

Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

If the woman prays the five daily prayers, fasts in Ramadan, safeguards her chastity and obeys her husband, she will enter into Jannah from any door she wishes.

[Ibn Hibban, a saheeh hadeeth]

You might have a lot less time available to dispose of as you please and your worship might be less energetic and full on then when you were an unmarried, younger woman, but this does not make your Ramadan deficient!

When you sit to read Qur’an and your young children interrupt you every 2 minutes, you tend to them. You cannot attend the taraweeh prayer in the masjid because you have babies, so you pray at home, without the imam’s precise, emotional recitation. You used to cook iftar for your whole street, volunteer, teach, raise money… now it’s all nappies and workbooks. Maybe you are pregnant or breastfeeding (maybe you have been for years, Allahumma baarik!) so fasting itself may be out of the window…

Sounds familiar?

Everybody is being tested, every single day. We are tested with different things at different times, but our whole life is a test.

Embrace what Allah has given you. Fulfil your responsibilities to those you are in charge of and do so intentionally. At times you may wish you could choose a different way to please Allah, a way that you perceive to be better and more satisfying, but He is the One who knows best. It is all part of your worship in this season of your life, alhamdulillah.

May Allah guide us all, allow us and our families to reach this blessed month and to take full advantage of its bounties.

Do you have any tips for a stress-free Ramadan?

What are your favorite Ramadan family traditions?

Share in the comments below!

How the Muslim family can start Ramadan happy traditions and feed the heart have a relaxed ramadhan whether homeschooling or not

Our Ramadan 1440 Homeschool (with tween friendly activities)

Ramadan activities for tweens

Assalamo alaykum and welcome.

In case anyone is still on the fence on what to do this Ramadan homeschooling wise, or needs a little inspiration or simply would like a peep into our homeschool, this is what I have planned out for this Ramadan, insha’Allah.

Formal homeschooling

None. (Hear my boys whoop!)

Ramadan is our only yearly “school” holiday. We don’t do Summer or Winter holidays, but homeschool throughout the year and take a week off every few months either when we travel to see family or when family travels to us from abroad.

It is a great perk of home education to have complete control over your holidays and arrange your “terms” to suit your family’s schedule.

I considered carrying on with maybe a “lighter” version of our usual homeschooling, due to the fact that sometimes the boys can get bored and turn a bit grumpy if they have too much freedom… but I decided to have some more crafty and recreational activities ready to surprise them with instead (see below).

Islamic studies

Islamic Studies will be pretty much our only subject of study until after Eid. We will insha’Allah read “Sittings in the Month of Ramadan” by shaykh Salih al-Fawzan (hafeedhahullah) and complete the workbook I created to make it easier for my children.

Find out more about our FREE Sittings in the Month of Ramadan workbook and download it HERE.

what to do to engage older children in Ramadan Muslim homeschooling

Ramadan basket

I always wanted to try out a morning basket but out morning are always too full, alhamdulillah.

Morning baskets are essentially a collection of books that are enjoyed together. It doesn’t have to be a basket (ours is an old, battered magazine rack that I revamped a few years ago); it doesn’t have to be in the morning either, which is why it is something high on my list after Eid, insha’Allah.

Much has been written and shared online about “morning baskets”, in a nutshell: someone reads out loud, everybody enjoys it. Some children may like to occupy their hands with colouring or some other similar activity while the reading carries on.

In the past I tried to include only books related to Ramadan, but I ended up disliking most of them and getting rid of them. So we will use the old Ramadan ones that we like, plus some new titles I bought super cheaply off ebay or second hand from my local buy&sell community.

The “basket” will include:

  • “Sittings in the Month of Ramadan” by shaykh al-Fawzaan (hafeedhahullah)
  • Picture books that Miss3 will enjoy
  • colouring/lettering books (I am thinking neon chalk pens or metallic!)
  • Pens or colouring equipment and paper
  • Our existing Ramadan related picture books
  • Some new non fiction titles (we will swap these around over the month, otherwise my poor magazine rack will explode…)

The non fiction books don’t have a specific theme, they are just books I thought it would be nice and educational to read. I bought most a while ago and just hid them to save them for Ramadan. They are: Timelines of Everything , What’s Where in the World , History year by Year, Birds (Eye Wonder), Guide to the Oceans, City (Eye Witness), Castle at War, Illustrated Book of Great Adventures.

PLEASE NOTE: I do not unreservedly agree with, nor do I deem appropriate, every single thing that is inside these books. Insha’Allah, before I present them to my children I will go through them and edit them as I see fit and I recommend you do the same.

Arabic seeds

(Disclaimer: I have just bought my own membership, full price. Arabic seeds doesn’t even know I am writing this.)

As a linguist and a lover of languages, I never had to be told twice that, being a Muslim, I should learn Arabic. In fact I started teaching myself my “alif, baa, taa” even before I embraced Islam. Alhamdulillah.

So this would make teaching Arabic to my children a piece of cake, right? erm… not so much. I have been told by my son that I “like grammar too much.” I have since been looking for ways to make the language more of a fun, “living language” and delve more into its usage than its in depth study.

Arabic Seeds does just that. I was told about it a few months ago, but there was so much going on already in our life and in our homeschool, that I postponed my subscription. But in Ramadan there will be space for it, insha’Allah. I subscribed with Miss3 in mind… but I am sure her older brothers will want to have a good nose about it and will benefit too.

Entertain tween kids in Ramadan with lego challenges games and crafts

Surprise activities

PLEASE NOTE: These are not Ramadan themed activities. My boys are 11 and 8, and past the age of the DIY moon and stars mobiles and the “good deed trees”… Their connection to Ramadan can – and insha’Allah will – happen through study. I still wanted to give them activities for two reasons:

  • To give them a constructive way to entertain themselves during the day of fasting
  • To make time to do something fun together (which is not always a given when you homeschool, even if you are around each other practically 24/7…)

In a previous post I explained how I went about choosing 30 fun activities for my children, one for each day of Ramadan. The categories I chose, based on my children’s interests, are: Lego, STEM activities, easy recipes, general crafts (of the slightly laborious kind), origami and board games.

I thought it would not be sustainable to have a completely different set of activities for Miss3, so I picked activities that her brothers would enjoy and I will adapt most of them to allow her to participate, insha’Allah. It is easier than getting an 11 year old boy to get excited about decorating a paper tiara.

Here is our activity list, insha’Allah. We will do most of these and some of the days, we will use a couple of board games/paper and pen games we never played with before. You will find more on my Ramadan 1440 Pinterest board.

  1. Lego rubber band powered car
  2. Lego secret codes
  3. Lego mosaic world map
  4. Lego guess who? (We don’t to Harry Potter or Star Wars or any of those magic/fantasy books, I just thought asking questions about such weird looking characters would be fun)
  5. Lego paper crimping and circle drawing machines
  6. Lego catapult
  7. Lego endless cube
  8. Lego disaster island challenge
  9. Tensile bubbles
  10. Family fingerprint investigation
  11. Paper circuit cards
  12. Stick raft building
  13. Craft sticks launchers
  14. Paper tetris
  15. Simple homemade lemonade
  16. Watermelon ice
  17. Ice cream in a bag
  18. Mesfouf (sweet couscous)
  19. M&Ms cookies (one for the day before Eid!)
  20. Dara (3 in a row game with a twist)
  21. Spider bowl game
  22. Pictionary words for kids (some won’t apply to our kids)
  23. Yarn bowls
  24. Paper plate weaving
  25. Shaving foam marbled paper
  26. Geometric Islamic art
  27. Fibonacci art
  28. Geode garland (free geode template HERE)
  29. 3D paper stars
  30. DIY hairclips

I ask Allah to give us all a blessed Ramadan and shower us with His mercy.
This is Allah from us. What have you got lined up for this Ramadan insha’Allah?