10 activities to do with kids during Ramadan

The concept of Ramadan can be difficult for younger children to understand, but with the help of some creative crafts and games, little ones can learn the meaning of this special month -- and have fun doing so! Here are 10 games that you can do with your kids during Ramadan.

Every day, young Ramadan observers should strive to complete at least one good deed. This might mean hugging a sibling, shovelling a neighbour's driveway or donating spare change to a good cause. A good deeds calendar keeps children accountable, and is fun to design.

Use empty toilet paper rolls and markers to create a visual representation of the five pillars of Islam.

Encourage family members to give thanks during mealtime. Write prayers on popsicle sticks or blank bookmarks, and draw one or more out of a jar or pail placed in the centre of the dinner table. Recite the prayer alone, or together as a family.

Make the act of giving to those less fortunate more engaging with the help of a Sadaqah jar.

• Place a few dollars in pennies in the centre of the table, and let each player roll a die to determine how many pennies he can take during any given turn.
• The person who accumulates the most by the time the centre pile is gone is declared the winner.
• All others must donate the pennies they have collected to the Sadaqah jar.

Use a paper chain with 30 sections to keep track of the 30 days of Ramadan. Every day, tear off one chain from the colourful calendar.

To increase awareness of lunar patterns during the month of Ramadan, use construction paper and crayons to create images of the moon in its different phases.

The Ramadan experience is slightly different for every child. Why not document this event with the help of a collage? Encourage kids to cut out images that hold significant meaning and paste them onto card stock.

For a tasty evening Ramadan treat, bake sugar cookies and use cookie cutters shaped like mosques, lanterns and moons to cut them out.

Decorate blank cards with pictures and written prayers. The finished cards can be handed out to parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and other loved ones.

Prayer is essential, but sometimes distractions can make it very difficult to focus. A specially-designed door hanger will solve this problem.

• Cut out a long strip of card stock with a hole near the top.
• Use crayons, markers, glitter and other tools to decorate the hanger. Be sure to include a message imploring outsiders to be quiet during prayer time.