The five pillars of Islam by Z, S and K and some new crafts for letters alif-daad

	Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh. We`ve spend the first weeks of Ramadan by studying about the five pillars of Islam and re-studied the Arabic letters. Our Ramadan study plan can find from here. We`ve read quite a lot about the pillars of islam from our planned resources and discussed about these themes with the kids. For example about the pillar "salah", we`ve studied the call to pray, the names of the five daily prayers, qibla, how to pray, how to make wudu etc. Z liked especially the book Ramadan moon, even if it´s in English and I had to explain it to him in Finnish. I think that he liked the beautiful and colorful pictures. We started with the Hadith about the five pillars or Islam from book 40 Hadith (translated in Finnish) : HADITH 3 Abu `Abd ar-Rahman `Abdullah, `Umar ibn al-Khattabin poika (ra) kertoi kuulleensa Allahin Lähettilään (saas) sanovan: Islam on rakennettu viidelle peruspylväälle: todistus, ettei ole muuta jumalaa kuin Allah (swt) ja Muhammad (saas) on Allahin Lähettiläs; rukousten suoritus: zakatin maksu; pyhiinvaellusmatka Huoneeseen ja paasto Ramadan-kuussa. Tämän kertoivat Al-Bukhari ja Muslim We made a simply lapbook about the five pillars of Islam with Z, S and K, mostly with Z and S: K concentrated more to study Quraan, but he did also some parts of the book. At first we decorated the covers. I also used plastic book cover to make the book stronger. To the back cover we prepared "pillars" from Z`s hand :). Inside the book kids made pages about the theme. The worksheet for the pillars can find from here. I think that it would be a nice idea to have pillars which can open, put since the themes are so big ones, I thought that it would be difficult to write all back the pillars. That`s why we made the book this way. From here can find a lapbook about five pillars with open pillars for a small boy. I like a lot this idea too! We added also thema "tawhid" already here, because I think it`s related to shahadah. We tried to find information together from our resources and I helped to write some of them down. For sawm Z used the book Welcome Ramadan. He liked it a lot! It`s in English, but easy to explain in Finnish and good crafts for kids. The book can find and print from here. There are this kind of exercises and many others. Z made them all. We added the book as a part of our lap book. Z got a really nice post from A! He was so supriced and so happy! Thank You my dear sister and thank You A! This kind of things are nice teaching about friendship Masha Allah!  With the post card there were these nice puzzles too! I wanted to add this kind of small puzzles to our lap book too, but since I haven`t been able to print at home for a while I left the idea and then we got these from sister Ummu Abdillaah and A. SubhaanAllaah! I added them too to our lap book in small plastic bag. Now Z can open it and play with them. The pictures are so nice for our thema! We added also some information about Kaaba... ... and some verses from Finnish translation of the Quraan meaning... ... and one beautiful Duaa. Making the book was a really nice process! I add here some another nice lap books, I`ve found to give more ideas: From here can find Ummisubhana`s lovely lapbook about Ramadan  and from here Umm Abdul Basir`s one.  A nice lap book about Ramadan can find from here. From here can find sister Umm Abdul Basir`s lovely Hajj Lapbook!  Here is a nice lap book about Hajj too! We made also a craft about this thema. I got this idea from here. It`s made from wc-paper rolls. It could be painted, but we used colorful papers instead. At first I organized the pillars like in our work sheet before: shahadah in the middle etc., but then my husband told me that it would be easier, if shahadah would be first in the line and I think he`s correct. We didn`t glue the pillars to each other and that`s why we were able to play with them. I putted the pillars to a bag and then Z took them from there one by one. I read the pillar`s name for Z in Arabic and he tried to explain in Finnish what it means. He liked a lot this game and wanted to play it again and again! We found nice pictures about the pillars from Salam - islamin polku 1-2! We tried how can write "Allah" by a hand. There are Z`s fingers. For demonstration of qibla and hajj we prepared a simply Kaba from milk bottles. Thank You sister Ummu Abdillaah for a good idea again ;)! Our is really simple, but a really nice miniature Kaba can find from the blog Coolness of Eyes, from here.  Kids still remember how we saw the old cloth of Kaba (Kiswaa) on the museum in Istanbul. It was so interesting and educational place! SubhaanAllaah! I putted our Kaba on the right direction and showed for Z, how we pray on this direction. I showed for him also a qibla compass from my tablet. We demonstrated the Kaba also by a picture from Salam - islamin polku 1-2 and a small miniature Kaba, which is brought for my husband from Mekka. Kids love our Ramadan calendar alhamdulillaah! Even it`s so simply. From first bottle Z found a tiny craft book and water balloons to keep him busy :). The questions which game from bottles have made them interested in our thema.    Water balloons are nice especially in warm days. Kids can throw them for each other and when catch negligently the balloon gives a small shower. This kind of board game would be great, but I don`t have materials for it. It`s meant for bean bags, but would work also for water balloons. By the way bag beans are also nice for kids - I know many games for them :). Kids also putted them to scoop and tried to clarify from different kinds of know-how tracks without broken a balloon. S got for example earrings and lip balm (small, but needed) from the calendar. Kids liked also our good deeds mosque and have got a lots of stickers already! This picture is from the beginning of Ramadan. Z was quite cute when he thought which kind of deeds are good ones. He knows that I love cats and he said that he would like to bring for me one :). We read a good stories about good deeds from Salam - islamin polku series. Z learnt that even a smile is a good deed. I found some other Ramadan crafts too, but we didn`t try them yet, mostly because I`m not able to print at home. I add them here - maybe we can use them after or maybe some of our readers can benefit from them inshaaAllaah: Mosque lantern Fasting cycle 3D mosque model-template Star&moon mobile For this thema I like a lot these educational nasheeds: 5 Pillars Of Islam by Zain Bhikha and by Rahmah Muslim Homeschool. For nasheeds I have one game, which kids like. Take chairs, one chair less than kids. Put the chairs on the line and then but nasheed on. Kids walk around the chairs. Then suddenly stop the nasheed. Kids should sit down on the chair as soon as possible. One child who is left without a chair should go out from the game. Then take one chair away and continue etc. until only one child is left. He/she is the winner. For letters alif-daad we have re-studied the letters and words by memorygames etc. We also studied some new words from the book First Thousand Words in Arabic. It`s a really nice book, because for example the farm animals and zoo animals are in their own pages! I prepared a simply game from baby bottle covers with an apple picture. At first for numbers 10-19 and then for Arabic letters. We used a cupcake casserole for this. Ours is already quite old and little burnt since kids prepare cupcakes too ;) - so sorry for not-beautiful pictures! In this time the idea was to order the numbers/letters. Letters were difficult, so we used the picture to help. There could but numbers and letters inside the casserole to make it easier! Here Z also saw that in Arabic and Finnish writing starts from another side. Letter haa theme "animals" I wanted to learn more about bees with Z and choosed a Honey theme pack  From A Muslim Child is Born. We didn`t print it, just saw the pictures and discussed about the life of bees. I love also this craft! From this kids learn which products we get from animals. But this time we didn`t try it - I only add it here - maybe we can use it later or maybe our readers can benefit the idea inshaaAllaah! I saved this toy for Z for this thema to keep him busy ;). For letter Siin thema "A car" I made for Z an A road. In Finnish a car is auto, so that`s why I choosed A. This time I used a present paper which I taped on the floor. This idea is from First Palette. Ours is little different: it`s like an earth. I made this is in co-operation with Z :). The car moves by a stick. Kids build some Lego cars. These are technical and them moves by air pump or remote controll (and keep kids busy ;) ). For letter Saad and theme "a friend" I got some another ideas. This heart is made from felt (but it could be done also from paper)... ... in that way. There can put inside a small present or a note for a friend :). S`s sewing work. This one is made with pearls. These ideas are from S`s friends. At school all her friends in the class wrote some positive things about S. There are for example that "You are lovely" etc. At home I did a board from them, because S was so happy from them! This kind of things encourages the child`s self-esteem! This idea is also from First Palette, we only changed it a little bit. We made them little muslimahs :). Again made in co-operation with Z :). I also wrote there "ystävä" - a friend in Finnish. I added baby I`s small earth between to demonstrate how people from all the world can be friends together. I remember one nice song for this thema: "Matkalaulu Matkustan ympäri maailmaa, laukussa leipää ja piimää vaan Jos mua hiukkasen onnistaa niin uuden ystävän saan. Saavunpa keskelle Ranskan maan, laukussa leipää ja piimää vaan. Yksin ei tarvitse ollakaan nyt uuden ystävän saan. "Kun sanon PÄIVÄÄ, hän sanoo BON JOUR" Matkustan ympäri maailmaa, ...Saavunpa keskelle Japanin maan, ... "Kun sanon PÄIVÄÄ, hän sanoo KONNICHI WA" Matkustan ympäri maailmaa, ...Saavunpa keskelle Venäjän maan, ... "Kun sanon PÄIVÄÄ, hän sanoo TRASTUI" Matkustan ympäri maailmaa, ...Saavunpa keskelle Englannin maan, ... "Kun sanon päivää, hän sanoo HOW DO YOU DO" Matkustan ympäri maailmaa, ...Saavunpa keskelle Suomen maan, ... "Kun sanon päivää, hän sanoo P Ä I V Ä Ä !" " It means that I travel around the world and if I`m lucky I can find a new friend. It also introduces how to say "How do you do" in another languages. I like to add some muslim countries, like Algeria, and Assalamualaikum. Kids like this a lot! Lastly our simply outlining exercise I prepared for Z. After a while he proudly said: "Mum, I can do it!" :). The idea is from here.