On Eid day, children will have expectations, and these are usually coloured by what they see of celebrations in the cultures they are surrounded by.
Speak gently to the children and remind them that Eid is not a time for indulgence, but in fact expression of gratitude, and that the source of most pleasure for a Muslim is the declaration of the shahadah because without Imaan, a person is as lost as a tiny boat in the midst of a vast and turbulent ocean.
Here are a few ideas for enjoyable activities which strike a balance between play and purpose.
Sit the children round in a circle and ask them to identify things for which they are grateful:
- Alhamdulillah for giving us ...
- Subhanallah who created ... (so amazing)
- AllahuAkbar who made ... (so magnificent)
Or for the competitive element, organise them into 2 groups and award points for the most well elaborated descriptions.
Another nice activity would be to play a nasheed which features a quranic aayat or islamic phrase, and get the kids to find its translation. For example, 'Life Returns' by Dawud Wharnsby Ali features a beautiful aayat from Surah Fussilaat (41) After listening to the nasheed, ask the children to try to find the ayat in the Quran, after guiding them to the Surah.
Kamal Uddin's '99 Names of Allah' would also make a nice activity. After listening to the nasheed, ask the children to recollect as many names of Allah as they can. Teach them a few more and discuss the meaning of the Arabic word, perhaps even using the opportunity to introduce the children to words which are derived from the same root letters.
Please add to these ideas, and insha Allah, let's strive to instil within our youth, a respect for Eid as a festival of gratitude, not extravagance and sin.
