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Fun Stuff

Activities & crafts to do with your children!

Ramadan Activities (adapt these ideas to any Islamic season!)

Make your own prayer rugs. Take pillow cases decorate them with fabric paint.
We made dhiker beads using string and plastic beads. The we sat in a little circle and remembered some of the names of Allah (s) and talked about how we could keep track of how many times we said them. This was a big hit! And even if the kids didn't put 33/33/33 beads, they had fun and were proud of their work.
Do a hajj presentation. Make a Kaaba model (we've even made all the sites using PVC pipes & connectors). Each class got to make or present different things. Then student volunteers of all ages wore white sheets and "did" hajj.
We are trying to raise money for a new Masjid in our county so I had the kids make small mosques out of boxes. They decorated them (we used toilet paper rolls for the minerets) and then we cut a small slot in the top so the boxes could be used as banks to hold loose change.They were really excited about being able to help build the Masjid!
We also play a game I call "Allah Says." I tell the kids something like, "Allah says do your prayers." And immediately the kids have to go through all the positions. Or I say, "Allah says make wudhu." They start pretending to wash hands, faces, feet... You get the idea.
Make Ka'aba pop-up cards for Eid cards to give to friends & family
Make your own tin can luminary to light during the nights of Lailat Al Qadr
Make a moon phase calendar (picture or cutout of the moon for each day of Ramadan) and have an easy activity for the kids to do every day (like kissing mom or day, cleaning one's room, eating a goodie, recite one's favorite surah, tell something about Rasul Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salam)).
Make stained glass cookies using moon cutouts for center stained glass part
Make collage of things we do in Ramadan
Go to library, get a holiday crafts book and adapt activities to Ramadan theme
Make a list of good things that each child wants to do during Ramadan and do them
Make Ramadan Countdown Calendar (either using paper chain in which one is cut or added for each day of Ramadan or make an Advent-like calendar on which you have a goodie to eat every day or give one to a poor Muslim family)
Learn an Islamic song or make up your own
Learn a rhythmic dhikr or make up a song about Ramadan, forgiveness, etc.
Make a drum and/or tambourine to use in your songs and especially for Eid celebration
Learn how to calculate Zakat and have kids help you determine where the Zakat should go...let them give it also
Make a map of Mekka
Make girl and boy corn husk dolls, give them Islamic names and have your children write letters to them daily
Get a book about Islamic art and/or calligraphy and pick your favorite and try to reproduce it (at least on paper using crayons, colored sand, pieces of cut up construction paper for mosaic tiles, glitter glue, etc.)
String up lights either inside the house or outside to be plugged in at maghrib
Send Ramadan cards to friends either snail mail or e-cards
Write Ramadan poems (to learn more about poetry forms go to http://tooter4kids.com/forms_of_poetry.htm or http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/what.html or http://okemos.k12.mi.us/users/pdunn/projects/samples.htm or http://www.kids-places.com/Teaching_10_Fabulous_Forms_of_Poetry_Grades_48_0439073464.html)
Make Fanoos (search online for +fanoos +make +paper to find how-to ideas)
Discuss fasting related hadith and quran as topics come up (subscribe to A Hadith A Day by just sending a message to ahad-request@ahad.org. In the subject put the word subscribe)
Read Ramadan by Ghazi or Zaki's First Fast
Learn about the human body, digestion, food groups, nutrition
Make homemade gifts for Muslim friends, schoolmates and teachers
Eid Costume Party (my kids love to dress up and this is a fun time for them to do it)
Make cookies to take to neighbors and friends
Let kids partake in menu planning, particularly choosing special meals for suhur
Collect donations for the poor (food stamps don't apply to personal items, like shampoo or detergent, and so we buy these items to give to local relief organizations...our weekend Islamic school does this, but this year is doing a canned food drive instead)
Bake date cookies (this is only a Ramadan recipe for us so we can establish some of our own family traditions)
Kids get to cook (soup is a fun thing to make)
We take it easy and listen to lots of Quran
Watch the moon in the evenings to see how it changes
Easy lanterns at http://www.earlychildhood.com/Crafts/index.cfm?FuseAction=Craft&C=19
Suncatcher frames at http://www.earlychildhood.com/Crafts/index.cfm?FuseAction=Craft&C=60
Clay beads (can also be used as gifts or misbah) at http://www.earlychildhood.com/Crafts/index.cfm?FuseAction=Craft&C=24
Funky chunky bracelets - paper mache bracelets
Dioramas are easy and fun to make (see instructions below)

**Ramadan Activities (adapt these ideas to any Islamic season!)**
	Make your own prayer rugs. Take pillow cases decorate them with fabric paint. We made dhiker beads using string and plastic beads. The we sat in a little circle and remembered some of the names of Allah (s) and talked about how we could keep track of how many times we said them. This was a big hit! And even if the kids didn't put 33/33/33 beads, they had fun and were proud of their work. Do a hajj presentation. Make a Kaaba model (we've even made all the sites using PVC pipes & connectors). Each class got to make or present different things. Then student volunteers of all ages wore white sheets and "did" hajj. We are trying to raise money for a new Masjid in our county so I had the kids make small mosques out of boxes. They decorated them (we used toilet paper rolls for the minerets) and then we cut a small slot in the top so the boxes could be used as banks to hold loose change.They were really excited about being able to help build the Masjid! We also play a game I call "Allah Says." I tell the kids something like, "Allah says do your prayers." And immediately the kids have to go through all the positions. Or I say, "Allah says make wudhu." They start pretending to wash hands, faces, feet... You get the idea. Make Ka'aba pop-up cards for Eid cards to give to friends & family Make your own tin can luminary to light during the nights of Lailat Al Qadr Make a moon phase calendar (picture or cutout of the moon for each day of Ramadan) and have an easy activity for the kids to do every day (like kissing mom or day, cleaning one's room, eating a goodie, recite one's favorite surah, tell something about Rasul Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salam)). Make stained glass cookies using moon cutouts for center stained glass part Make collage of things we do in Ramadan Go to library, get a holiday crafts book and adapt activities to Ramadan theme Make a list of good things that each child wants to do during Ramadan and do them Make Ramadan Countdown Calendar (either using paper chain in which one is cut or added for each day of Ramadan or make an Advent-like calendar on which you have a goodie to eat every day or give one to a poor Muslim family) Learn an Islamic song or make up your own Learn a rhythmic dhikr or make up a song about Ramadan, forgiveness, etc. Make a drum and/or tambourine to use in your songs and especially for Eid celebration Learn how to calculate Zakat and have kids help you determine where the Zakat should go...let them give it also Make a map of Mekka Make girl and boy corn husk dolls, give them Islamic names and have your children write letters to them daily Get a book about Islamic art and/or calligraphy and pick your favorite and try to reproduce it (at least on paper using crayons, colored sand, pieces of cut up construction paper for mosaic tiles, glitter glue, etc.) String up lights either inside the house or outside to be plugged in at maghrib Send Ramadan cards to friends either snail mail or e-cards Write Ramadan poems (to learn more about poetry forms go to http://tooter4kids.com/forms_of_poetry.htm or http://pbskids.org/arthur/games/poetry/what.html or http://okemos.k12.mi.us/users/pdunn/projects/samples.htm or http://www.kids-places.com/Teaching_10_Fabulous_Forms_of_Poetry_Grades_48_0439073464.html) Make Fanoos (search online for +fanoos +make +paper to find how-to ideas) Discuss fasting related hadith and quran as topics come up (subscribe to A Hadith A Day by just sending a message to ahad-request@ahad.org. In the subject put the word subscribe) Read Ramadan by Ghazi or Zaki's First Fast Learn about the human body, digestion, food groups, nutrition Make homemade gifts for Muslim friends, schoolmates and teachers Eid Costume Party (my kids love to dress up and this is a fun time for them to do it) Make cookies to take to neighbors and friends Let kids partake in menu planning, particularly choosing special meals for suhur Collect donations for the poor (food stamps don't apply to personal items, like shampoo or detergent, and so we buy these items to give to local relief organizations...our weekend Islamic school does this, but this year is doing a canned food drive instead) Bake date cookies (this is only a Ramadan recipe for us so we can establish some of our own family traditions) Kids get to cook (soup is a fun thing to make) We take it easy and listen to lots of Quran Watch the moon in the evenings to see how it changes Easy lanterns at http://www.earlychildhood.com/Crafts/index.cfm?FuseAction=Craft&C=19 Suncatcher frames at http://www.earlychildhood.com/Crafts/index.cfm?FuseAction=Craft&C=60 Clay beads (can also be used as gifts or misbah) at http://www.earlychildhood.com/Crafts/index.cfm?FuseAction=Craft&C=24 Funky chunky bracelets - paper mache bracelets Dioramas are easy and fun to make (see instructions below)

Go to the Library!
Your local library also has many, wonderful books on crafts and games for children. Just ask the Children's Librarian! Hands On Crafts is a great book for starters. Some other great craft books are Vroom! Vroom! by Judy Press, Kids' Crazy Concoctions by Jill Frankel Hauser and Recipes for Art and Craft Materials by Helen Roney Sattler.

**Go to the Library!**
	Your local library also has many, wonderful books on crafts and games for children. Just ask the Children's Librarian! Hands On Crafts is a great book for starters. Some other great craft books are Vroom! Vroom! by Judy Press, Kids' Crazy Concoctions by Jill Frankel Hauser and Recipes for Art and Craft Materials by Helen Roney Sattler.

Look in your local free parenting publication!
Many metropolitan areas have a free parenting magazine, such as Bay Area Parenting or Arizona Parenting. Http://www.parenthoodweb.com lists some of them. You can often find them at the library or at popular children's places, like resale shops. These magazines often have a calendar of events and activities for your family. AND free is a great price!

**Look in your local free parenting publication!**
	Many metropolitan areas have a free parenting magazine, such as Bay Area Parenting or Arizona Parenting. Http://www.parenthoodweb.com lists some of them. You can often find them at the library or at popular children's places, like resale shops. These magazines often have a calendar of events and activities for your family. AND free is a great price!

Make Your Own Book!

If your children find a great book, let them make their own copy. Give them the materials (paper and colors) and when they are finished you can staple the pages together. My 4.5 year old loved By The Sea, a book about opposites. On white pieces of paper she colored one of the opposites and I did the other (it was just too much for her to do both). She even copied the words. We glued the paper to sheets of construction paper, stapled it together and she did the cover (including the library call numbers).
It was a wonderful project for both of us!

**Make Your Own Book!**
	If your children find a great book, let them make their own copy. Give them the materials (paper and colors) and when they are finished you can staple the pages together. My 4.5 year old loved By The Sea, a book about opposites. On white pieces of paper she colored one of the opposites and I did the other (it was just too much for her to do both). She even copied the words. We glued the paper to sheets of construction paper, stapled it together and she did the cover (including the library call numbers). It was a wonderful project for both of us!

Have a Quran Party!

Have a Quran Party to celebrate your children's memorization of Quran! It's easy and fun and gives your children something to look forward to after all their hard work. This is how you do it:

Talk with friends and/or other parent's in your child's school to see who else would like to join in on the celebration.
Decide a date.
Sign up each family for a potluck dinner or picnic. Also sign up for decorations, location (house or park or outside facility, like Bamboola's or Great America), cake (1/2 sheet cake from Costco is only $13.99), games (if desired), etc. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like (simplicity will make it easier to plan and more likely that you'll do it more often rather than just once...remember small but constant endeavors have great reward and insha Allah that will be the Quran in our children's hearts), but certainly make it fun. Presents can be given to the children either at the party or privately at home.
Join together...eat, video each child or group reciting the Surah of their choice, and enjoy cake and presents! You can even play games like Yahtzee or Pictionary or Charades or Tag or whatever games your group will enjoy. You can even have entertainment (clown or magician).
Email me with more ideas.

**Have a Quran Party!**
	Have a Quran Party to celebrate your children's memorization of Quran! It's easy and fun and gives your children something to look forward to after all their hard work. This is how you do it: Talk with friends and/or other parent's in your child's school to see who else would like to join in on the celebration. Decide a date. Sign up each family for a potluck dinner or picnic. Also sign up for decorations, location (house or park or outside facility, like Bamboola's or Great America), cake (1/2 sheet cake from Costco is only $13.99), games (if desired), etc. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like (simplicity will make it easier to plan and more likely that you'll do it more often rather than just once...remember small but constant endeavors have great reward and insha Allah that will be the Quran in our children's hearts), but certainly make it fun. Presents can be given to the children either at the party or privately at home. Join together...eat, video each child or group reciting the Surah of their choice, and enjoy cake and presents! You can even play games like Yahtzee or Pictionary or Charades or Tag or whatever games your group will enjoy. You can even have entertainment (clown or magician). Email me with more ideas.

Miscellaneous

Make Playdough (the best recipe...not too firm, not too soft, doesn’t dry out):

2 c. boiling water
coloring (food coloring for light colors or frosting coloring for vibrant colors)
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tablespoons salad oil
1 tablespoon alum

Add coloring to water. Mix in flour and salt until well blended. Then mix in oil and alum until well blended. Cool on wax paper for 5 minutes. Knead and add any necessary flour to desired consistency. Store in air tight container or ziplock bag in refrigerator. Will keep for up to 2 years.

Make Slime (email me for a recipe until I get it on the web)
Go for a walk & collect Allah's creations along the way or find as many animals/bugs as you can
Go to a museum or science center (preferrably one with lots of hands-on stuff)
Go ice skating, bowling, miniature golfing, Grand Prix car racing, amusement park, etc.
check out Family Crafts for lots of reproducible projects...easy!
For more dough & craft recipes go to http://www.icomm.ca/daycare/cardsi06.html
Make Sand Castle Clay

1 cup sand
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup liquid starch
1 T. dry tempera paint (optional)

Combine sand and cornstarch in an old pot. Add liquid starch and mix. Cook the mixture over medium heat while constantly stirring. Eventually, the mixture will thicken and turn into dough. Remove pot from stove and let clay cool. Remove clay fromt he pot and knead it 20-30 seconds before using. Let clay sculptures dry until hard.

**Miscellaneous**
	Make Playdough (the best recipe...not too firm, not too soft, doesn’t dry out): 2 c. boiling water coloring (food coloring for light colors or frosting coloring for vibrant colors) 2 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. salt 2 tablespoons salad oil 1 tablespoon alum Add coloring to water. Mix in flour and salt until well blended. Then mix in oil and alum until well blended. Cool on wax paper for 5 minutes. Knead and add any necessary flour to desired consistency. Store in air tight container or ziplock bag in refrigerator. Will keep for up to 2 years. Make Slime (email me for a recipe until I get it on the web) Go for a walk & collect Allah's creations along the way or find as many animals/bugs as you can Go to a museum or science center (preferrably one with lots of hands-on stuff) Go ice skating, bowling, miniature golfing, Grand Prix car racing, amusement park, etc. check out Family Crafts for lots of reproducible projects...easy! For more dough & craft recipes go to http://www.icomm.ca/daycare/cardsi06.html Make Sand Castle Clay 1 cup sand 1/2 cup cornstarch 3/4 cup liquid starch 1 T. dry tempera paint (optional) Combine sand and cornstarch in an old pot. Add liquid starch and mix. Cook the mixture over medium heat while constantly stirring. Eventually, the mixture will thicken and turn into dough. Remove pot from stove and let clay cool. Remove clay fromt he pot and knead it 20-30 seconds before using. Let clay sculptures dry until hard.

Make Your Own Diorama!

You will need:

A shoe box or similar sized box (keep lid if you have one); paper, pencils, crayons, or markers; glue; yarn, scraps of material or anything for extra effects.

Step 1. Decide on a theme. (for example; rainforest, oceans, dinosaurs, football...etc.)

Step 2. Cut a piece a paper to fit the back (inside) of the box and two pieces for the sides.

Draw the setting on these pieces of paper. (For example; the rainforest theme would have trees and vines) Color.

Paste the setting pieces in the box.

Step 3. Draw and color individual pieces: (for example; the rainforest would have monkeys, snakes, butterflies, parrots, etc.).

Decide where you want these to be in the diorama. Some should be back and some forward, some could be hanging from the top or attached to the side. You can use yarn to hang things.

HINT: To make your objects stand up...fold the bottom 1/4 inch back. Glue the bottom to the floor of the diorama. If the object falls backward make a small strip and attach it to the back of the object on one side and the other side can be attached to the back or
bottom.

Step 4. Use the extra materials to add the finishing touches. You can use small plastic animals, people, etc.

Have fun. Store for future use by putting the lid on the box.

For those who are creative: Write a story or a play to go with your
diorama.

**Make Your Own Diorama!**
	You will need: A shoe box or similar sized box (keep lid if you have one); paper, pencils, crayons, or markers; glue; yarn, scraps of material or anything for extra effects. Step 1. Decide on a theme. (for example; rainforest, oceans, dinosaurs, football...etc.) Step 2. Cut a piece a paper to fit the back (inside) of the box and two pieces for the sides. Draw the setting on these pieces of paper. (For example; the rainforest theme would have trees and vines) Color. Paste the setting pieces in the box. Step 3. Draw and color individual pieces: (for example; the rainforest would have monkeys, snakes, butterflies, parrots, etc.). Decide where you want these to be in the diorama. Some should be back and some forward, some could be hanging from the top or attached to the side. You can use yarn to hang things. HINT: To make your objects stand up...fold the bottom 1/4 inch back. Glue the bottom to the floor of the diorama. If the object falls backward make a small strip and attach it to the back of the object on one side and the other side can be attached to the back or bottom. Step 4. Use the extra materials to add the finishing touches. You can use small plastic animals, people, etc. Have fun. Store for future use by putting the lid on the box. For those who are creative: Write a story or a play to go with your diorama.

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