How to make Ramadan exciting for kids

It’s not always easy to get children excited about a religious obligation that adults undertake, and Ramadan with its late nights and long fasts, can be a tricky time to make exciting for children. 

Every year, Muslims around the world fast from sunrise to sunset during their holy month of Ramadan. Following a lunar calendar, the Islamic month is the ninth month and is a time when Muslims distance themselves from worldly pleasures and reflect on those less fortunate than them. 

We’ve compiled some ideas for you to help you prepare your little ones for the holy month and make it more exciting and relatable to them. 

1 - Decorate!

There’s something captivating about twinkling lights and Ramadan decorations, and it’s a crowd pleaser for all ages. Involve your children in decorating the house with Ramadan motifs to get them excited. You can buy crescent and star-shaped lights to hang around the house, or you could involve your children in cutting streamers of coloured paper and shapes and hang them up themselves. Better yet, alternate with some bought decorations and handmade ones for a fun vibe that will remind everyone who enters the house that Ramadan is a month of joy and a guest eagerly awaited year-round. 

Image credit: Papier and Blue

Fanoos, traditional hanging lanterns, are also associated with the month, and when lit up around sunset give a beautiful soft glow. Another exciting idea is to create paper lanterns in various colours and prop them around the house. 

If you're looking for places to get Ramadan decorations, check out our article on top five spots to source your home decor and other essentials. 

2 - Create a Ramadan advent calendar 

Counting down the days of the month makes children appreciate both how short the guest of Ramadan is, and also puts them in the right mindset to welcome the celebration of Eid. One easy idea to create the advent calendar is by getting 30 small pouches, numbering them and leaving little treats inside them. You could also add small reminders in the pouch to ensure that children not only enjoy the treats, but learn something new every day. 

Image credit: Susan Carland

3 - Make Ramadan cookies

One great way to get children excited is to get them in the kitchen to help you bake cookies. Mixing batter as a family is a great way for members to bond and creates memories the children will cherish for years to come. Using simple cookie cutters, children can customise their bakes and make them in a Ramadan theme, decorating mosques, crescent moons, stars and lanterns. They could also pipe messages such as ‘Ramadan Kareem’ or ‘Happy Ramadan’ in different coloured icing and give them out to their friends.

4 - Set small goals

As adults we know the importance of setting a plan for Ramadan - or for any month really. Otherwise days will simply whiz by without us achieving anything we set out to do. Similarly, children should be encouraged to have goals too. It’s important for parents to explain to their children why these goals matter, and to impress the rewards of extra acts of worship. 

Image credit: Susan Carland

For very young children, set three goals with them for the entire month. They can be things like, “learn a new dua”, “memorise a surah” or “fast two hours with mummy”. Slightly older children could have a table drawn up with suggestions like, “I prayed Fajr today”, “I gave to charity” or “I helped someone” and they’ll gain the satisfaction of ticking things of their list, as well as providing them with the opportunity to 

5 - Get messy and crafty

Crafts are a perfect way for your children to learn about Ramadan and prepare for the month, allowing them to express themselves creatively and learn at the same time. 

You can get children to decorate their favourite duas, or create an ‘Alhamdulilah jar’, putting a note for something they’re grateful for every day. Other ideas include creating a cardboard mosque or Ramadan suncatchers. Handmade jewellery gifts and cards are also a great way to instil the beautiful Islamic tradition of gift-giving in children. 

Image credit: Sweet Fajr

Are there any other suggestions you have that have worked with your kids? Let us know in the comments below.

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Cover Image Credits:  Qatar Foundation

Other Inline Image Credits: Unsplash