Muslims around the world, including in Indonesia, may celebrate Ramadan differently this year due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. There won’t be mass prayers at mosques or a big iftar dinner together with family and extended relatives.
But, rest assured, during this holy month of Ramadan, you can do many fun activities at home with your little ones. The Ramadan will last for 30 days from April 23 to May 23. Hope your Ramadan be filled with joy and health, t-mates!
5 Top Activities to Do with Kids during Ramadan
We’ll give you some ideas on how you can make your Ramadan at home more memorable. Here are some daily activities you can do with your children:
1. Teach Children How to Fast
Although children of Muslims are not required to fast for Ramadan before they reach puberty, you can slowly introduce them to the concept of fasting. You can instill Islamic values by explaining to them the importance of fasting — which is to become closer to Allah.
Start off by encouraging them to wake up for sahur, then fasting for a few hours. Later, when they grow up, they will get used to abstaining from eating and drinking anything from dawn to sunset 😉 Well, the most important thing is that your children need to understand that fasting teaches self-control and brings a Muslim closer to the God.
2. Accompany Children to Read Books about Ramadan
The month of Ramadan is a good time for children to learn about Islam. There are many available children’s books about Ramadan and Eid. For instance, for toddlers, a book titled “My First Ramadan” by Karen Katz is a great book that tells about a little Muslim boy who is excited about his first Ramadan.
Moreover, for older kids, there are other interesting books such as “Once Upon a Ramadan” by D.N. Hockey, Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story by Hena Khan, Lailah’s Lunchbox: A Ramadan Story by Reem Faruqi and so on. Reading books are helpful for kids to learn the basic beliefs of Islam.
3. Teach Children Common Ramadan Greetings
Even though you are staying at home during this Ramadan, you can teach your children Ramadan greetings. Simple greetings include “Ramadan Kareem” which means “Noble Ramadan” and “Ramadan Mubarak” which means “Blessed Ramadan”. Thus, when you’re trying to greet your relatives on a video call, your children can say a word or two about the holy month 🙂
4. Prepare Iftar Meals with Little Ones
When you involve your kids in meal preparation, you can talk to them about anything. Teach them how to prepare for iftar dishes. They will always remember the memories they have with family when they grow up!
Currently, in Jakarta, there are many restaurants that sell ready-to-heat or ready-to-cook menu. If you want to cook meals without any hassle, you can buy these frozen foods from popular restaurants in the capital city.
5. Decorate Your Home Together
Make your Ramadan becomes more memorable this year by decorating your house. Of course, with your kids 🙂 Buy cute decorations online (ordering online is better than purchasing it yourself at the store at this time) such as paper lanterns, scented candles, banners, crayons, and other stuff.
Find some inspiration about DYI decoration ideas online. You can decorate your walls with a cute Ramadan banner or buy light decorations and decorate it around your house.
Get Your Kids Involved! Have a Joyful Ramadan
Hopefully, some ideas that we’ve listed above will make your Ramadan special this year. Although our condition now is different compared to years before since we have to stay at home, you can still do interesting activities with your little ones.
In this sacred month, always remember other people as well. Perhaps, you can give charity to the poor. The most important thing is that you and your children can become closer to God and unite with your family.