5 Ways to Make Ramadan Special for Your Kids
Kids are not obligated to observe the Ramadan fast, but it’s important to keep them busy and involve them in the celebratory mode of the month. Here are a few suggestions to keep them interested and integrated all month long.
1. Take your kids on errands for Ramadan.
Take the kids out with you during the day to do errands — especially those related to Ramadan activities. Things like grocery shopping or a visit to a local farmers market are excellent ideas because you can show your kids a deeper connection to where our food comes from. Conscious living and conscious eating is all a part of the Ramadan experience, and this is a very active way to involve them in this concept.
2. Involve your kids in meal planning.
Let them help you plan out the Ramadan menu for Suhoor and Iftar. Once they’ve been shopping with you, this part is so much easier. Talk about what you can make with any seasonal or locally grown products and discuss traditional family recipes. Once you’ve decided on a menu, assign them some tasks that will initiate even more participation in those family meals, like setting the table or setting the alarm clocks so everyone in the house wakes up to have a healthy, substantial suhoor meal.
3. Enlist your kids to tell your neighbors about Ramadan.
This is a great way to teach the kids about the details of Ramadan and how to explain it to others in the simplest, most meaningful way. Make decorative, cute tags for goodie bags filled with homemade goodies and hand-deliver them to your neighbors and friends.
4. Find a new volunteer opportunity with your kids.
With your kids, discuss a cause that is most important to them or to your family as a whole. Find a local organization that supports this cause and schedule as many volunteer opportunities with them as you can during Ramadan. It’s a great way to unearth hidden passions for great causes and to align the concept of giving one’s self and one’s talents to help those less fortunate.
5. Plan one special activity on the weekend.
Weekends can be hard to maintain order and a sense of purpose in the home when there are a lot of things to prepare for Iftar meals and family gatherings in the evenings. Keep things simple and plan one morning or early afternoon activity (while you still have enough energy) on either Saturday or Sunday that will become a memorable experience for everyone. It could be visiting a local museum, botanical garden, or arboretum, or a walk on a beautiful trail where you can all observe the natural wonders together in the fresh air. Whatever it is, plan it out together.
What are the ways make Ramadan special for your kids? Let us know in the comments!