Introducing children to different cultures and various festivals is a great way for children to understand more about the world around us. Ramadan is one such festival that is rapidly approaching and what better way to introduce this topic in your setting than with these beautiful Ramadan crafts and decorations.
Here are 6 of our favourite Ramadan crafts for children, from kindness jars that support helping those in our communities to decorative lanterns that you can print out and share with the class, there’s lots to try!
1. Glitter Lantern Ramadan Decorations
Create Ramadan decorations and practice scissor skills with this DIY Ramadan lantern activity that you can hang up at home or in the classroom.
You will need:
How to make your lantern:
- Cut a 2cm strip of glitter card and set it aside to use as the lantern handle.
- Fold the glitter cardstock lengthways and mark cutting guides to create verticle slits- make sure to leave an inch at the top.
- To decorate the lantern we used a hole puncher before unfolding the card. You can also use stickers and decorative gems to add texture and patterns.
- Assemble the lantern by overlapping the long edges and glueing them together.
- Roll the yellow paper and glue it inside the lantern to create a warm glow inside.
- Take the strip set aside in step one and glue it to the top of the Ramadan lantern to finish!
2. Paper Lantern Crescent Moon and Star Decorations
The crescent moon and star is a widely recognised symbol of Islam and has many meanings. In ancient times, navigation along trade routes often occurred during the night and depended on the position of the moon and stars. As the Islamic calendar follows the lunar calendar, it is tied to the phases of the moon and so the crescent moon also marks the beginning of a new month.
We attached our decorations to a paper lantern for an easy crescent moon and star craft to teach kids about Ramadan and inject festive spirit into your setting.
You will need:
- Crescent moon and star template (FREE download) or our Star Cut Outs
- Glitter card
- Glue
- Pencil
- Scissors
- String or thread
- Paper lanterns
How to make your lantern:
- Start by printing and cutting out each crescent moon and star shape from the template.
- Colour in the shapes and then carefully cut around the edges.
- Connect the pieces together by punching a hole at the top and bottom of each shape using a pencil or scissors.
- Finally, thread a piece of string thread through the holes and you’re ready to attach it to your paper lantern.
3. Kindness Jar
One of the core principles of Ramadan is
giving to those in need. Creating a kindness jar can be a meaningful craft for early years children to celebrate Ramadan by promoting acts of kindness and generosity towards others.
Write down acts of kindness and add them to your jar or pick our new ones to get inspired to help others.
You will need:
- An empty jar
- Colouring pens
- Paper
- Stick on gems
How to make your Sadaqah Jar:
- Decorate an empty jar with gems, ribbon, tape and paint to personalise it. There’s no limit to the designs you can create. We added purple cellophane inside ours to add colour!
- Write a label for the outside of your jar and stick it in place.
- Set up the jar somewhere visible along with blank paper for children to add the good deeds they have done.
4. Phases of the Moon Craft
This cardboard moon phases puzzle craft is a budget-friendly way to explore each shape of the moon as it moves through its cycle.
For this craft you will need:
- Cardboard
- Paint
- Black and white card
How to make your moon phases craft:
- Paint a piece of cardboard and cut out a circle which will be the moon.
- Add a piece of black card as a backing. Take care to leave the sides accessible for the white card to slot in next.
- Trim both sides of a rectangular piece of white card so that there are two curved edges and the card can slide from left to right.
- Add illustrations at the top as a guide for the different moon phases. Additionally, for older children, write down the names of the eight phases such as ‘Waxing Crescent’ and ‘Waning Gibbous’ and to help them learn how the beginning and end of the Ramadan calendar depend on the sightings of the new moon.
5. Hanging Ramadan Lanterns
‘Fanous’, also known as Fanous Ramadan or Ramadan Lanterns are traditional lanterns that are used to decorate streets and homes during the holy month of Ramadan. Typically made of glass and metal, the decorative lanterns trace back over a thousand years ago. Fast forward to current times, they are a common symbol associated with this special holy month and symbolise hope and light.
For this craft you will need:
How to make your lantern:
- Start by printing out our free lantern downloadable template. Cut around the template and place it onto the black card.
- Next, trace around the lantern shapes and cut around the edges and windows. Then, glue strips of cellophane to cover the windows.
- Finally, carefully punch a small hole at the top of the lantern using a pencil or scissors.
- To finish your Ramadan craft, simply hang from a length of string or thread or thread multiple pieces to create your own lantern banner.
6. Eid Celebration Mehndi Drawings
The end of Ramadan is celebrated by a festival known as Eid al-Fitr and is also marked by the sighting of the new moon.
One of our favourite Eid crafts for children is creating Mehndi patterns. Mehndi or Henna is a body art tradition that involves drawing intricate patterns onto hands, arms and legs.
Try making your own beautiful patterns with our free Mehndi Drawing Download.
Simply print out and decorate with felt-tip markers then hang up. You could also create a Ramadan card by cutting out the design and sticking it onto paper.
Fun Facts about Ramadan
- Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar and the holy month of fasting.
- It is also a time for introspection, prayer, and the reading of the Qur’an.
- The dates for Ramadan change every year as this is dependent on the Islamic calendar and therefore the moon cycle.
- It is followed by Eid (Eid-al-Fitr), a magnificent holy celebration that marks the end of the month-long fast.
We would love to see which of these Ramadan craft ideas you get up to! For a chance to be featured on our feed, don’t forget to upload your wonderful creations to Instagram and tag us in your post. Make sure to use the hashtag #ExploreWithEYR when tagging us in your Ramadan crafts!
