Ramadan is 30 days – that’s a long time to keep a toddler or child excited about anything. Advent calendars successfully keep children excited about Christmas for 25 days, so it’s not surprising that advent calendars are a great way to keep children excited about Ramadan. As a parent, I want my daughter to understand the meaning of Ramadan, not just celebrate it.

The way I use an advent calendar in Ramadan is by putting a card with a good deed in the pocket for each day. In the morning we visit the calendar and read the good deed. This is her sehri, setting an intention. Around her dinner time, we revisit the calendar and talk about what we did that day. During the day, I add a surprise for her in the pocket. Most days it’s just chocolates, but I do put some Target and dollar store goodies in random pockets throughout the month to keep things interesting!

I can get a little possessive about my time in Ramadan. It’s my time to reflect, spiritually reset and refresh my faith. But here is the tricky part – my daughter is only three. Though she thinks she can do EVERYTHING independently, most activities involve supervision and set up. As a stay-at-home mom, I’m already stretched thin and wasn’t exactly thrilled about having to find time for a long activity each day. I came up with a list of good deeds that

• can be completed at home and don’t need an outing planned
• can be completed in 15 minutes at most
• is age appropriate for preschoolers – kindergarten aged children
• MESS free!
• involves little-to-no setup

Of course, with the list you need a stunning calendar to hang up! Whether  you want to purchase a calendar, or DIY it, I have my top picks for you.

Ramadan Advent Calendars to Purchase

Handmade Beginnings’ Kufic Ramadan Calendar

• Each pocket is 3” x 3”
• There is a dowel included to keep the calendar nice and sturdy when you hang it up
• The little moon is adorable and perfect to move each day.
• It’s high quality which means it’s something you can use year after year. Great for building a tradition.
• It costs $95.60 USD (+$9.94 shipping to USD)

Zasima Razack Design’s Ramadan Countdown Calendar

• Each of the pockets are 4.5” 4.5”
• It’s made of felt so it’s nice and soft and easy to store away throughout the year
• It has Arabic numbers which is a great way to introduce them to your house
• The calendar is BIG. The moon measures : 60”x 42” and the star is 36”x 38”

• It’s relatively affordable at $29 USD (+$10 shipping to the US)

Paisley Drop’s Ramadan Mosque Advent CalendaR

• Each drawer is 1.4”X 1.4” X 1.4”
• This is a nice alternative to having to hang a calendar on your wall.
• It is absolutely gorgeous to look at and incredibly sturdy. This is something you can keep for year after year.
• Each piece is hand painted and therefore made with love
• The artist is in Bulgaria, therefore shipping does take 8 weeks
• It is on the expensive side at $172.91 USD (+$31.70 shipping to the US)

However if you are like me, and haven’t ordered one in time, there is still hope.

Ramadan Advent Calendars to DIY

 

SOURCE

When in doubt, BuzzFeed to the rescue! This is a simple and cute way to do an advent calendar.

HOW TO:

You need:

• 30 paper bags

Instructions:

• Label and decorate 30 paper bags
• Fill each bag with the good deed card.
• You can hang them on the wall like the picture. As an alternative, place them in a basket or a tray.

 

 

 

SOURCE

 This cute and simple idea is from Veronika from A Few things from My Life.

HOW TO:

You need:

• A pack of envelopes (I personally would get bright colors, but it depends on your style)
• Poster board
• Label stickers

Instructions:

• Place your good deed in each envelope and seal it shut with the label stickers
• Glue each envelope to the poster board

SOURCE:

 Jen at the Ruffled Sunshine has this beautiful yet minimalist DIY advent calendar. For detailed instructions, check out her post.

HOW TO:

You need:

•  A pack of envelopes An empty frame 30 clothes pins Strin Thumbtacks

Instructions  

• Decorate your envelopes
• Place your good deed cards in each.
• Attach string to the frame using thumb pins
• Hang up your envelopes and you are good to go!

 

Ramadan advent calendar are a great way to build new family traditions around Ramadan with. It also is a great way to let young children experience Ramadan without fasting. Thats why the list of good deeds I made for toddlers, is a mix of religious activities and simple kind acts. I want my daughter to know different parts of Ramadan.

What do you put in your advent calendar?