Our Seeds...Homeschooling the Muslim Family

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Fun Stuff

Activities & crafts to do with your children!

Ramadan Activities (adapt these ideas to any Islamic season!)

Make Ka'aba pop-up cards for Eid cards to give to friends & family
Make your own tin can luminary for Lailat Al Qadr
Make a moon phase calendar (picture or cutout of the moon for each day of Ramadan) and have an easy activity for the kids to do every day (like kissing mom or day, cleaning one's room, eating a goodie, recite one's favorite surah, tell something about Rasul Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salam)).
Make stained glass cookies using moon cutouts for center stained glass part
Make collage of things we do in Ramadan
Go to library, get a holiday crafts book and adapt activities to Ramadan theme
Make a list of good things that each child wants to do during Ramadan and do them
Make Ramadan Countdown Calendar (either using paper chain in which one is cut or added for each day of Ramadan or make an Advent-like calendar on which you have a goodie to eat every day or give one to a poor Muslim family)
Learn an Islamic song or make up your own
Learn a rhythmic dhikr or make up a song about Ramadan, forgiveness, etc.
Make a drum and/or tambourine to use in your songs and especially for Eid celebration
Learn how to calculate Zakat and have kids help you determine where the Zakat should go...let them give it also
Make a map of Mekka
Make girl and boy corn husk dolls, give them Islamic names and have your children write letters to them daily
Get a book about Islamic art and/or calligraphy and pick your favorite and try to reproduce it (at least on paper using crayons, colored sand, pieces of cut up construction paper for mosaic tiles, glitter glue, etc.

**Ramadan Activities (adapt these ideas to any Islamic season!)**
	Make Ka'aba pop-up cards for Eid cards to give to friends & family Make your own tin can luminary for Lailat Al Qadr Make a moon phase calendar (picture or cutout of the moon for each day of Ramadan) and have an easy activity for the kids to do every day (like kissing mom or day, cleaning one's room, eating a goodie, recite one's favorite surah, tell something about Rasul Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salam)). Make stained glass cookies using moon cutouts for center stained glass part Make collage of things we do in Ramadan Go to library, get a holiday crafts book and adapt activities to Ramadan theme Make a list of good things that each child wants to do during Ramadan and do them Make Ramadan Countdown Calendar (either using paper chain in which one is cut or added for each day of Ramadan or make an Advent-like calendar on which you have a goodie to eat every day or give one to a poor Muslim family) Learn an Islamic song or make up your own Learn a rhythmic dhikr or make up a song about Ramadan, forgiveness, etc. Make a drum and/or tambourine to use in your songs and especially for Eid celebration Learn how to calculate Zakat and have kids help you determine where the Zakat should go...let them give it also Make a map of Mekka Make girl and boy corn husk dolls, give them Islamic names and have your children write letters to them daily Get a book about Islamic art and/or calligraphy and pick your favorite and try to reproduce it (at least on paper using crayons, colored sand, pieces of cut up construction paper for mosaic tiles, glitter glue, etc.

Go to the Library!
Your local library also has many, wonderful books on crafts and games for children. Just ask the Children's Librarian! Hands On Crafts is a great book for starters.

**Go to the Library!**
	Your local library also has many, wonderful books on crafts and games for children. Just ask the Children's Librarian! Hands On Crafts is a great book for starters.

Look in your local free parenting publication!
Many metropolitan areas have a free parenting magazine, such as Bay Area Parenting or Arizona Parenting. Http://www.parenthoodweb.com lists some of them. You can often find them at the library or at popular children's places, like resale shops. These magazines often have a calendar of events and activities for your family. AND free is a great price!

**Look in your local free parenting publication!**
	Many metropolitan areas have a free parenting magazine, such as Bay Area Parenting or Arizona Parenting. Http://www.parenthoodweb.com lists some of them. You can often find them at the library or at popular children's places, like resale shops. These magazines often have a calendar of events and activities for your family. AND free is a great price!

Make Your Own Book!

If your children find a great book, let them make their own copy. Give them the materials (paper and colors) and when they are finished you can staple the pages together. My 4.5 year old loved By The Sea, a book about opposites. On white pieces of paper she colored one of the opposites and I did the other (it was just too much for her to do both). She even copied the words. We glued the paper to sheets of construction paper, stapled it together and she did the cover (including the library call numbers).
It was a wonderful project for both of us!

**Make Your Own Book!**
	If your children find a great book, let them make their own copy. Give them the materials (paper and colors) and when they are finished you can staple the pages together. My 4.5 year old loved By The Sea, a book about opposites. On white pieces of paper she colored one of the opposites and I did the other (it was just too much for her to do both). She even copied the words. We glued the paper to sheets of construction paper, stapled it together and she did the cover (including the library call numbers). It was a wonderful project for both of us!

Have a Quran Party!

Have a Quran Party to celebrate your children's memorization of Quran! It's easy and fun and gives your children something to look forward to after all their hard work. This is how you do it:

Talk with friends and/or other parent's in your child's school to see who else would like to join in on the celebration.
Decide a date.
Sign up each family for a potluck dinner or picnic. Also sign up for decorations, location (house or park or outside facility, like Bamboola's or Great America), cake (1/2 sheet cake from Costco is only $13.99), games (if desired), etc. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like (simplicity will make it easier to plan and more likely that you'll do it more often rather than just once...remember small but constant endeavors have great reward and insha Allah that will be the Quran in our children's hearts), but certainly make it fun. Presents can be given to the children either at the party or privately at home.
Join together...eat, video each child or group reciting the Surah of their choice, and enjoy cake and presents! You can even play games like Yahtzee or Pictionary or Charades or Tag or whatever games your group will enjoy. You can even have entertainment (clown or magician).
Email me with more ideas.

**Have a Quran Party!**
	Have a Quran Party to celebrate your children's memorization of Quran! It's easy and fun and gives your children something to look forward to after all their hard work. This is how you do it: Talk with friends and/or other parent's in your child's school to see who else would like to join in on the celebration. Decide a date. Sign up each family for a potluck dinner or picnic. Also sign up for decorations, location (house or park or outside facility, like Bamboola's or Great America), cake (1/2 sheet cake from Costco is only $13.99), games (if desired), etc. It can be as elaborate or as simple as you like (simplicity will make it easier to plan and more likely that you'll do it more often rather than just once...remember small but constant endeavors have great reward and insha Allah that will be the Quran in our children's hearts), but certainly make it fun. Presents can be given to the children either at the party or privately at home. Join together...eat, video each child or group reciting the Surah of their choice, and enjoy cake and presents! You can even play games like Yahtzee or Pictionary or Charades or Tag or whatever games your group will enjoy. You can even have entertainment (clown or magician). Email me with more ideas.

Miscellaneous

Make Playdough (the best recipe...not too firm, not too soft, doesn’t dry out):

2 c. boiling water
coloring (food coloring for light colors or frosting coloring for vibrant colors)
2 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. salt
2 tablespoons salad oil
1 tablespoon alum

Add coloring to water. Mix in flour and salt until well blended. Then mix in oil and alum until well blended. Cool on wax paper for 5 minutes. Knead and add any necessary flour to desired consistency. Store in air tight container or ziplock bag in refrigerator. Will keep for up to 2 years.

Make Slime (email me for a recipe until I get it on the web)
Go for a walk & collect Allah's creations along the way or find as many animals/bugs as you can
Go to a museum or science center (preferrably one with lots of hands-on stuff)
Go ice skating, bowling, miniature golfing, Grand Prix car racing, amusement park, etc.
check out Family Crafts for lots of reproducible projects...easy!

**Miscellaneous**
	Make Playdough (the best recipe...not too firm, not too soft, doesn’t dry out): 2 c. boiling water coloring (food coloring for light colors or frosting coloring for vibrant colors) 2 1/2 c. flour 1/2 c. salt 2 tablespoons salad oil 1 tablespoon alum Add coloring to water. Mix in flour and salt until well blended. Then mix in oil and alum until well blended. Cool on wax paper for 5 minutes. Knead and add any necessary flour to desired consistency. Store in air tight container or ziplock bag in refrigerator. Will keep for up to 2 years. Make Slime (email me for a recipe until I get it on the web) Go for a walk & collect Allah's creations along the way or find as many animals/bugs as you can Go to a museum or science center (preferrably one with lots of hands-on stuff) Go ice skating, bowling, miniature golfing, Grand Prix car racing, amusement park, etc. check out Family Crafts for lots of reproducible projects...easy!

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