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The month of Ramadan is upon us once again and so, because the Quran was revealed during this holy month, many Muslims commemorate this time by fasting from sunrise to sunset (no, not even water), perform more acts of charity and try to complete reading the entire Quran. But if, like me, your preschooler is too young to fast, you may be unsure of how to introduce them to the holy month.
Because my son is only 3 years old, he's obviously not fasting. But we wanted him to realise the significance of this month. So we made him a good deeds jar.
Every morning he pulls out a good deed and he has to complete it for the day. It then gets stuck up on the wall and he is reminded that these are things that we need to strive to do everyday.
They're age-appropriate and easy things to do like "Pick up any dirt you see and throw it in the bin" or "Greet everyone with a smile".
And also, because he is only 3, we've included some small treats in the good deeds. Again, small simple things like a lollipop or matchbox cars. So that's 20 good deeds and 10 treats.
The thing I like about this good deed jar is that it can be done whenever and you don't even have to be Muslim to partake because you can make up your own good deeds, tailored to your religion, or encourage your little ones to simply be a good human, with not religious obligation.
How to make your own good deed jar
- Download and fill out this sheet.
- In the blue blocks write down good deeds you want your kids to do.
- In the green blocks write down any treats.
- Cut them all out, fold them in half and place them in a jar or container with a lid.
- Also read: Is it safe to fast while I'm pregnant?
Ideas for good deeds can include:
- Choose toys to donate
- Make treat parcels for orphans
- Make a card for someone you love
- Think of five things to be grateful for
- Help sort laundry
- Greet everyone with a smile
- Play with someone you don't usually play with at school
- Don't waste water
- Help set the table for supper
- Bring your teacher some flowers
Ideas for treats:
You can include edible treats like chocolates or lollipops, as well as non-edible treats like puzzles or matchbox cars. My son loves vehicles and dinosaurs so those were included in his jar. So it's really up to you.
How have you gotten your kids into the spirit of Ramadan. Send us your comments and ideas to chatback@parent24.com and we could publish them.
Read more:
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding during the month of Ramadan
- Creating Eid traditions for your family
- Yummy recipes for Eid
