Ramadan Plates

This is an idea I used with my children a couple of Ramadans ago.

It is an activity which can be enjoyed by all ages throughout the month, inshAllah. As the plates were made we stuck them on the walls, so that by the time Eid arrived we had a brightly decorated room!

We used paper plates and  reference books containing hadith and ayat about Ramadan, fasting, Lailat al-Qadr etc. Every day we would choose a hadith or ayat to study, then the children would copy it out onto the paper plate, and decorate it with craft materials, paints etc. One of the children was too young to write out the hadith, so she decorated words like “Ramadan”, “fasting” etc instead.

We used plates to symbolise the idea that when we fast we are filling  plates with worship rather than food.

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Good Deeds Notebook

This very simple notebook is a collection of Islamic stories illustrating the key concept “Good deeds help you get to Jannah”. Another sister first worked on this project a few years ago, and I have recently reworked it with my 6 year old daughter.

For my daughter’s project we used six stories, studying one at a time. We would read the story through, then she would write a little about it, and draw or colour a picture. This project could be done with any age group.

The idea is to collect stories which can reinforce the concept of reward for good deeds. There are many of these, which can be found in Islamic children’s books and websites.We also included the story of the woman who was promised punishment because she was cruel to her cat, for the sake of contrast, and as a reminder of why it is so important to try to perform good deeds, inshAllah.

The pages above show the work done on the story of the woman and the three dates, and the story of when Hasan (ra) and Hussain (ra) showed an old bedouin how to perform wudu.

More stories can be found here and here.

After covering the stories we had chosen we made a front cover,

The cover shows a pathway leading towards the word “Jannah”. I asked my daughter to think of lots of good deeds and to mark them along the pathway. Making the cover at the end of the project helps to check how the concepts of good deeds have been absorbed by the child.

 She also wrote “Good deeds help us get to Jannah” on the cover.

 

 

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Prophet Musa (as) Notebook Project

The history of the Prophet Musa (as) is very long and detailed, so I chose a notebook format. I felt that there would be too much writing for a lapbook on this occasion. This project was written up by my sons, aged 10.

We studied the story, section by section, over many weeks, producing a page of work each week. In preparation for the project the boys read “Tell Me About the Prophet Musa (as)”, by Saniyasnain Khan, published by Goodwordkidz. This was to give them an overview so that the sections, when studied individually, would make sense from the start. Week by week I would select the next section then read it to them from Ibn Kathir’s tafsir, and Stories of  The Prophets (Ibn Kathir), together we would make notes on the outline of the events, then they would write the section up. (www.tafsir.com)

The section headings:

1. Early Years, 2. Musa (as) leaves Egypt, 3. Musa (as) in Midian, 4. The first Revelation to Musa (as), 5. “Go to Firawn. Verily he has transgressed!”, 6. Musa (as) and Firawn, 7. Contest with the Magicians, 8. Allah punishes the people of Firawn, 9. Firawn is Drowned, 10. After the destruction of Firawn, 11. Allah talks to Musa (as), 12. Worship of the Calf, 13. The Case of the Cow, 14. Musa (as) and Khider (as), a)The Meeting, b)The boat, c) The boy, d) The wall, e) The Explanation

Each of the numbered sections above was studied during one session. The sessions were held once a week.

I presented the work inside a book of plastic pockets.

For most of the project the boys wrote on pages from www.notebookingpages.com. Sometimes they did illustrations to go with the work.

The map was copied from “Atlas of the Quran”

Each boy wrote his own page, and we put them in the folder side by side. So, two pages on each heading.

Towards the end of the project I decided to introduce some variety and have them type the work up.

For the last section on Musa (as) and Al-Khider (as), the boys made illustrated pages on plain paper, writing inside the outline shapes chosen to reflect the theme (boat, wall, question mark, headless boy).

This project took months to complete, as we worked on it slowly and , I hope, inshAllah, thoroughly!

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Surah Fatihah Poster

Just something short and simple this week! A simple poster to decorate your wall with. This was the idea of a friend of mine. The poster uses a visual reminder of “opening” to remind young children of the meaning of the name of the first Surah of the Quran. These posters were made by my sons several years ago when they were learning about the Five Pillars of Islam, and more particularly, about salaah.

The writing at the top says “Suratul Fatihah means the Opening. It is the first surah in the Quran.”

Because of the stage of writing the children were at  the inside was kept very simple. If your children are able to they can write out the surah in Arabic, or the English meaning, or both, behind the doors.

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Life’s Journey project

Ibn Umar (ra) reported that the Messenger (saw) said, “Be in this world as though you were a stranger or a traveller/wayfarer.” Al-Bukhari.

It is an important lesson that we teach to our children that this life is only a preparation for the final destination of the Hereafter. This life is a journey towards the Hereafter, and it is most important to us that we end up arriving in the right place, Jannah!

“The life of this world is nothing but a game and a diversion. The abode of the akhira- that is truly Life if only they knew.” (Surah al-Ankabut:64)

This project, devised several years ago by a friend, aims to emphasise the concept that life is a journey towards the Hereafter, and that the paths we choose on this jouney direct us towards our place in Jannah, or Hellfire. Jannah is the destination which we all aspire to reach, by the Mercy of Allah (swt). The project also seeks to teach the children about what is required of a person for them to achieve Jannah.

The project begins with a suitcase. Our life is a journey, and we should try to travel light, carrying only the essentials. The suitcase is made from pieces of A4 card, stapled together, with a cut out handled stapled on too.

What is the most important thing needed to qualify for Jannah? (Apart from the Mercy of Allah). The Shahadah, it is written on the suitcase.

What is inside?

First we need to explain what Jannah is. This was done by making a little booklet about the descriptions of Jannah given in the Quran and sunnah. It is important to explain to the children that we cannot imagine, or draw what Jannah is like, nothing anyone could draw could come anywhere near the reality of Jannah. Inside the booklet is writing about descriptions of Jannah.

Some useful references: al-Insan:21; al-Hajj:23; Sad:54; al-Waqi’a:33; al-Waqi’a:15;Fatir:33 al-Ankabut:58; az-Zumar:20;al-Insan:13.

Imaan is also needed to qualify for Jannah, and this is explained by defining imaan as belief, sayings and actions, with examples of what that means.

This section is about what we believe, as in the Six Pillars of Imaan. The shape of the paper is based on the shape of the heart, (the real human heart, rather than the love heart shape) and on it is written a summary of the Pillars. Due to the age of the children working on this project (around eight) Qadar is given a simple explanation. The point is to explain that we must believe in these six pillars to qualify for Jannah.

We also need to testify to our belief, so here we have a tongue cut out with a list of “sayings”. First is the shahdah, then other good verbal actions, such as dhikr, dua, dawah, recitation of Quran.

Finally there was a cut out of a body shape, which can be cut in a clothing shape, listing amal (actions)which a good Muslim should do, such as prayer, zakat, sadaqah, Hajj, Umrah,helping the needy and so on. 

Next the children made a little passport booklet, including their names and dates of birth. Of course it is important to explain that passports are nothing to do with the Hereafter, but that a record of all our deeds will be collected, and the more good deeds we have the easier will be our experience in the Hereafter, inshAllah. Inside the booklet examples of good deeds were written, and it was explained that Muslims need as many of these as possible. The passport idea is merely illustrative and a way of explaining complex concepts about the Hereafter in a way that can be readily grasped by young children.

This completes the project, which can all be stored inside the suitcase.

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Names Of Allah colourwheel display

This week I thought I should take a break from the lapbook projects and share something different.

I hope that you can see past the rather old and faded look of the piece of work above and see the great idea underneath!

A friend of mine originally did this project a few years ago with her daughters, the piece of work above was made by one of my sons a couple of years later. The idea is based on the artists colour wheel (scroll down a little to see the graphic). More information on the colour wheel can  be found here and here.

The colour wheel displays cool and warm colours as opposites of each other. Using paints or other art materials you begin by making a colour wheel, then on each pair of opposite colours names of Allah with opposite meanings are written. In the example above the segments were cut out individually and stuck back into a circle. This was because the children were young. With older children, who can paint neatly within the lines, a neater result could be obtained from not cutting out the segments. Here the names were written in Arabic, with English meanings. Finally the wheel was framed with thick card, and decorated.

The pairs of names used in this project were:

Al-Awwal, The First;   Al-Akhir, The Last

Al-Mu’izz, The Giver of Honour;  Al-Mudhill, The Giver of Disgrace

Al-Muhiyy, The Giver of Life;   Al-Mumit, The Giver of Death

Ar-Rafi’, The Exalter;   Al-Khafiz, The Abaser

Al-Mubdi, The Originator;  Al-Mu’id, The Restorer

Al-Basit, The Expander; Al-Qabiz, the Seizer.

There are other pairs you could use if you prefer, for example, Al-Mu’ti, The Giver;  Al-Mani’, The Withholder

Edited to add:

Umm K had this idea for a Names of Allah wheel:

Here the wheel is made from a disc of card placed inside a “holder” made of two other discs of card. The inner disc has a selection of Allah’s names witten on coloured paper around its outer edge. The outer holder has an opening which allows different names to come into view as the wheel is turned, inshAllah. To allow it to turn the inner disc has a plastic drinking straw threaded through its centre. The idea behind this was to make something that a child would like to handle, so that she would turn the wheel and thereby keep rereading and being reminded of the Names, inshAllah.

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Table Manners Poster

What a good reminder! This poster hangs in a family kitchen.

Manners listed include

eat with the right hand, don’t spill food, don’t waste food, say duas before and after food, wash hands, don’t eat too much.

 

 A simple but clever idea.

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