Ramadan Mubarak! I just taught a room full of preschoolers (from different backgrounds) what that means…I hope. Last month, I asked my sons’ preschool teachers if I could share Ramadan with their classmates. I held my breath as many Muslim Americans do when putting themselves out there, but was received warmly and enthusiastically. Alhamdulillah.

Lucky for me, preschoolers are living symbols of hope: curious, honest, and open-minded. Their squirmy little bodies greeted me with warm smiles and anticipation because anything outside of the routine of morning circle time was an adventure. I decided to use the following lesson plan:

Introduction:  Who I am and why I’m here.

Question: Start with a question to engage the kids. What are some holidays special to your family?

High-Level Ramadan: Share a general definition of Ramadan and Eid to give kids enough information to understand the books and materials you plan to share.

Book: In the past, I read read “It’s Ramadan, Curious George.” It has a familiar character to keep their attention. It also takes readers over the basic elements of Ramadan, fasting, charity, and Eid. But this year, I will be reading my picture book, Moon’s Ramadan, Alhamdullilah. Here is a list of other books I’ve reviewed.

Activities: I created 3 activity sheets to emphasize different parts of Ramadan (my inspo was RamadanREADy’s great resources). You can save the .jpgs below or Right-Click-Save-As the links for the PDFs.

Fasting “Share A Meal “: To emphasize the intention of fasting to increase empathy toward the less fortunate, this worksheet invites little people to draw the meal they would like to share with someone. It was also a fun moment to hear what their favorite foods were. Cupcakes, donuts, and candy were high on the list.

Share A Meal Worksheet (Right Click Save To Download)


Celebrating Eid “Henna Hands”: The book highlights the “new clothes” aspect of Eid. I talked about that and added that women often put henna on their hands and invited them to draw their own designs. The inspiration for this activity came from RamadanREADY, an amazing group that creates educational boxes for librarians.

Henna Hands Worksheet (Right Click Save To Download)

Sighting the Ramadan Moon “Moon Phases”: The kids really enjoyed the final activity. Using the worksheet, I explained that Ramadan starts when the moon is at its first phase (waxing crescent moon). We briefly talked about how the moon looks different throughout the month. Then the grand finale, each child was given an Oreo (these are Trader Joe’s Oreos which are kosher). At the same time, we opened our Oreos and discovered a full moon. The kids were invited to bite or lick away the cream to create a crescent moon. (Always ask about allergies before bringing goods into the classroom! These cookies are dairy-free. There are gluten-free chocolate crème sandwiches on the market.)

Ramadan Moon Phases Worksheet (Right Click Save To Download)

Side Notes: I opted not to bring in dates because small children don’t have the palate. I also stayed away from too many culture-specific elements, such as clothing, because Islam doesn’t belong to one culture. I didn’t want to confuse little minds.

I’ve done a lot of things to share Islam in my lifetime, but I will say this experience ranked in the top 3. Probably because it brought so much joy to my two sons. Muslims will never find acceptance and peace if we choose to segregate ourselves and hide who we are. We need to extend a hand to anyone who will take it. Changing minds is done one heart at a time. So I invite you to talk to your librarians and teachers. They are your biggest advocates.

If you are not able to present to the classroom in person. I created this YouTube video that reviews Ramadan, from a cultural perspective, for my public school. 

Here is the Moon Phases With Cookies Worksheet (Right Click Link And Save) that I used in the YouTube video!

For more information on RamadanREADy visit their website, and don’t forget to donate!

Peace & Salam,

Natasha

Articles in my “Teach Ramadan” series:

• Lesson Plan for Teaching Ramadan to 3-7-year-olds
• Lesson Plan for Teaching Ramadan to 8-12-year-olds
• The Best Ramadan Resources on Youtube for ages 4-7-years-old
• Virtual Ramadan Lesson and Moon Phases Activity

UPDATE: I’ve created a new printable perfect for the 4-7 audience. This worksheet asks kids, “What are some special treats that you and your family make to celebrate special occasions?” it can be used to discuss Ramadan and Eid. Click on the image to download!