Crack the Ramadan Code: Junior Edition!

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu sisters,

I hope you are all well.  I had several sisters message me to say that they will be doing the ‘Crack the Ramadan code-challenge’ with their families, which is super Allahuma barik.  However, there were some sisters who told me that their children were a little too young to participate, so I made a toddler-friendly version!
Ramadan Code Challenge printables -Junior-page-002

The setup is exactly the same as the original challenge, even the code itself is the same.  However, for the junior edition, the questions are much easier, with clues and pictures to help the child further.  Of course, a grown-up helper can help spell out the word too. Read More

Family Challenge: Crack the Ramadan Code!

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu

I hope everyone is doing well and getting excited for Ramadan which is less than a week away!  

Today, I’d like to share another Ramadan activity that can be done by the whole family.  Like our Gratitude board, this ones not just for the kids.  Kids, parents, grandparents and guests can all join in.  But there’s a big difference….. this is a CHALLENGE!

Let me introduce our ‘CRACK THE RAMADAN CODE’ challenge.

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The concept is simple.  Every day, for the next 30 days (or 29) you will be handed an envelope.  In this envelope, there will be a question related to Ramadan.  There are some simple questions, and some fairly challenging.  I kept them varied so everyone has a chance to help crack the code! Read More

Family Ramadan Craft: Have an Attitude of Gratitude

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu

Ramadan is mere days away, and as it draws closer our excitement increases.  Most Ramadan crafts and activities tend to be for children but this one is for everyone.  We have done our gratitude board before, and now everyone is looking forward to using it again, Allahuma barik.

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The concept is simple.  After you break your fast and have completed another day of the blessed month, everyone lists down one thing that they were grateful for that day. Kids, parents, extended family and guests you have that night join in and take a turn to write onto a post-it note. 

By the time Ramadan has finished, you will be left with a board brimming full of things that Allah has blessed you with, a drop in the ocean compared to the number of the favours Allah has blessed us with, Alhamdulillah.

See, there is always something to write about….but not enough space to write down everything.

It will take you less than 10 minutes to put this together, but it will be memorable for your whole family, inshaAllah.  It’s also inexpensive, and easy for someone who is not an avid crafter!  Read More

Parenting is the popping of my personal bubble.

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu ladies, what comes to your mind if I was to say…

“Parenting is the popping of my personal bubble”.

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Let me elaborate.
Do you ever miss…
Praying salah without someone tugging at your khimar, perhaps in a quiet room, with lit candles and bukhoor burning in the background?
Eating a chocolate bar, without having to share a piece?
Being able to focus on your needs, without having to pause to cook, clean or tend to kids?
Having a decent nights sleep, without that having to mean you wake up to twice the amount of chores?
Attending classes at the masjid without worrying about finding a creche?
Having time with your spouse, when you could take impromptu holidays and have alone time that didn’t need to be scheduled?
Being your pre-baby weight, since you’ve had children your body has not been the same?

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My Bad Homeschool Day Survival Guide

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu ladies

No matter how much we plan, schedule, and prepare, it’s safe to say that sometimes those wonderfully planned school days just don’t work out. 

But don’t panic!  Heres a quick guide to help you recover your day and not let one bad homeschool day turn into one bad homeschool week!  Be it the night before, during the day, or dealing with the aftermath, we’ve got you covered.

My Bad Homeschool Day Survival Guide-page-001 Read More

Lesson plan: My hijab and me

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu ladies

When I think about my own journey with hijab, I vividly remember being told when I needed to wear hijab, but not so much why I should wear it.  I wanted to cement a memory for my girls, a deep heart to heart discussion that they would remember inshaAllah. So, since my daughters love having a girls night in, I thought I would make it extra special and have an evening themed ‘My Hijab and Me’.

I prepared some questions that I wanted to cover the night before.

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Then while the girls were outside, I set up the table with cupcakes, icing, henna and candles to make it extra cosy. 

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And that was it…

Allahuma barik, we had the most wonderful evening discussing hijab while decorating cupcakes and putting on some henna.  The girls tried on jilbab, and niqab, we went through the mushaf reading out ayaat where Allah mentions hijaab, and the girls had an opportunity to ask me anything they wanted relating to hijab.

Im sure we will revisit hijab again in a more structured way, but I’m hoping this evening was something my girls would remember and is the beginning of a lifelong love and understanding of our beautiful hijab. 

You can download the questions we used here.

I would love to know how you introduced and explained hijab to your girls, share your experiences in the comments below! 

 

 

Ramadan Lapbook

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu ladies

The beautiful month of mercy is around the corner, and we need to enter the month feeling prepared. So, over the next couple of weeks, I will be covering the fiqh of Ramadan with my older kids, using ‘Fasting in Ramadan as observed by the Prophet (peace be upon him)’ as our main resource.  We won’t be covering the whole book, but rather taking the basics and covering them in more detail.

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For the younger kiddos, I made a lapbook covering some very basic aspects of fiqh.  We haven’t started the books yet, hence everything is blank, but all the information can be found in the same book.

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Lesson Idea: Revealing the revelation..

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu mama’s

Last week me and the kids read Surah Al Qadr and discussed its tafseer in preparation for the arrival of Ramadan. We are currently doing crafts as part of our Ramadan Guest House and alhamdulillah, the excitement and anticipation for Ramadan is definitely building. 

My kids were in awe when we discussing the profoundness of Laylatul Qadr, and how the Qu’ran was revealed. So I thought of a simple activity that I felt would further build their connection and awareness of such a breathtaking moment. 

What you will need:
Paper
Watercolour paints/any type of paint that has been watered down (we used Tempera)
Paintbrushes
White oil pastel/white crayon  Read More

Lesson plan: Our Ramadan guest house

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Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatu ladies, 

Ramadan is just days away from us and I wanted my kiddos to be excited!  Our beautiful guest only comes once a year, so it’s important we prepare for its arrival. The Salaf us Salih used to prepare way in advance and we are guilty of not having the same yearning. So I wanted to get us going, but not the usual couple of weeks before Ramadan which tends to be more the physical preparation. I want our minds, hearts and physical limbs to start preparing for this beautiful month right now.
This activity is aimed at younger children, but even my older kids like to join in. The main objective of feeling excited, and waiting in anticipation for Ramadan is felt by everybody though because our ‘house’ provides a great discussion point that everyone can get involved in.

So, let me introduce our Ramadan guest house where Ramadan will be staying. He has been gone a whole year, so now the grass has overgrown, the dust has settled all over the windows, and there is no furniture inside -what can we do??  Read More