Autumn Walk Checklist

Hadith for Children

 Asalam alaykum 

Please find attached a free downloadable with some short hadith of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that children can learn and memorise. 

I compiled these from a talk by Sheikh Abdulilah Lahmani (Markaz Muaadh):

https://m.soundcloud.com/markazmuaadh/20-hadeeth-for-children-by-shaykh-abdulilah-lahmami?ref=whatsapp-text&p=a&c=0&utm_campaign=social_sharing&utm_medium=story&utm_source=whatsapp

The New School Year plan - 2021-2022

I like to use this sheet to get the children involved in their learning and planning for the next school year. 

Give them a voice, opinions and choices.

How fast! Maths workbook on speed, time and distance.

A  free to download little booklet on working out speed, distance and time. 

Just a revision to encourage practice and understanding. 

There is so many ideas that you can use from your everyday life to practice working out speed calculations:

Some ideas:

1. Running a certain distance - time yourself and work out you speed
2. Time a car journey and clock the distance traveled and you can work out your average speed.
3. Time yourself swimming, running and cycling 100m and compare your speeds. 
4. Find a big slide, measure its length and time how long you take to go down it.

Home-made lunch 'sub' bread rolls

My children are always asking for rolls for lunch and so I told them we will try to make it at home. 

Like the idea of homemade and fresh!

Not only did they say they were good, they also learnt baking skills and costings. 

I adapted a bread recipe I had for the rolls.

Ingredients:

6-7 cups flour (white or wholemeal)

2 1/2 cups warm water

3 tsp dry active yeast

4 tsp sugar

4 tsp salt

1 egg (to egg wash)

Method

1. Put the warm water in a bowl and mix in the sugar until it dissolves

2. Add the yeast and wait for it to bubble (approx 5-10 mins)

3. Add the flour and salt and mix (I use the end of a wooden spoon initially until it comes together)

4. Knead for 10 minutes 

          

5. Put the kneaded dough in a bowl (rub the bowl with oil before so dough does not stick)

6. Cover and leave for 30 mins (It should double in size)

7. Turn out the dough and roll it out

8. Cut it into 6 roughly equal pieces (I find a pizza cutter is great for this)

9. Roll up the pieces, tucking in the ends of the dough

10. Place on a pre-oiled tray

         

11. Cut a couple diagonal slits on the top of each roll

12. Leave another 30 minutes

13. Brush with egg wash

14. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 190.

Pick the fillings of your choice and enjoy!!

 

Ramadan Calendar Daily Quiz

Ramadan Maths Workbooks (with answers)

Ramadan is a time where I choose not to introduce new academic content to my children but I have found that some structure is good. 

I have put together a couple Ramadan Maths workbooks (with answers) that the children can go though to practice Maths skills

This first booklet is aimed at upper KS2 (ages 9-11 years old).  

(Always remember that children work at their own speed, the age is just guidance. The level used was taken from the English National Curriculum.)

This booklet is aimed at KS3 (aged 11-14 years)

(Always remember that children work at their own speed, the age is just guidance. The level used was taken from the English National Curriculum.)

The 10 companions who were promised paradise - worksheet

THE MESSENGER OF ALLAAH ﷺ SINGLED OUT THE TEN TO BE THE MOST VIRTUOUS OF THE COMPANIONS (MAY ALLAAH BE PLEASED WITH THEM): “ABU BAKR IS IN JANNAH, AND UMAR IS IN JANNAH, AND ‘UTHMAN IS IN JANNAH, AND ALI IS IN JANNAH, AND TALHAH IS IN JANNAH, AND AZ-ZUBAYR IS N JANNAH, AND ABDUR-RAHMAAN IBN ‘AWF IS IN JANNAH, AND SA’D IBN ABEE WAQQAAS IS IN JANNAH, AND SA’EED IBN ZAYD IBN ‘UMAYR IBN NUFAYL IS IN JANNAH AND ABU UBAIDAH IBN AL-JARRAH IS IN JANNAH.

(JAMI' AT-TIRMIDHI 4112)

 

We have been going through the 10 companions promised paradise – may Allah be pleased with them.

Here are some of the resources that we used:

Biography of Abu Bakr | Lesson 1 - Abu Muadh Taqweem Aslam in Biographies of the 4 Caliphs (soundcloud.com)

https://www.salafisounds.com/the-companion-umar-ibn-al-khattaab-by-abu-khadeejah/

 

Find below a downloadable poster and writing templates:

Ramadan Booklets, writing prompts and acrostic poem template

Asalam Alaykum wa Rahmatulahi Wa Baraku.

Alhamdulilah we are nearing Ramadan. May Allah allow us to reach it and benefit from it. 

Please find below two Ramadan Booklet. The first is aimed at age 7+ and the second for age 10+.

I created these booklets a few years ago with the intention to help my children seek knowledge about Ramadan and to revise the important basics of Islam. I learnt lots while creating them!

The booklets content has been checked by a student of Knowledge Alhamdulilah. 

All benefit in the book is from Allah, any mistakes are from myself. 

The booklet are free to download, print and share. 

The booklets include:

Basic of Ramadan

History of Ramadan 

Moon phases 

Some information on Suhoor and Iftar

Information on Taraweeh

The best 10 nights of the years

Surah al Qadr and Tafsir (in 10+)

Information on the Eid Salah

Sunnah actions on Eid Day

Tawheed and the 3 categories 

Pillars of Islam 

Pillars of Eman

I made a little booklet for pre-school age (2 years +). 

Here are some little writing prompts to get the children writing and thinking about Ramadan:

How to live more simply - minimalism and freeing yourself

  'Minimalism is a tool to rid yourself of life's excess in favour of focusing on what's important - so you can find happiness, fulfillment and freedom' 'The Minimalists 

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus 

We live in a society that has got us always wanting more; the latest gadgets, trends, clothes and shoes. All around us is advertising and social media shows us what others have. This in itself can be stressful and children growing up can always feel like they are playing catch up to the latest trends. This in turn has lead us to lived cluttered lives, full of stress. The more we have, the more we want. 

You might think of minimalism as living in an nearly empty house but this is not the case. It is about being mindful of what you have and what you buy. I am sure I could spend just 20 minutes in my house and find many items that are not used or have not been thought about for years! Freeing yourself of excess and being mindful can be liberating in so many ways. 

Now I am not saying go and throw everything away as we don't want to be wasteful. There are many options when sorting through your things. 

Re-purpose items- get creative and find ways to re-purpose unwanted items.

Donate - There are many charities and organisations that take items (clothes and homeware). You unwanted items can be used and needed by others. 

Give it away for free- give your things away. There are many sites that do this and local pages where you can advertise. Giving your items a new home where they will be used!

Sell it - There are many selling sites where you can make money from selling your unwanted items.

Create a group for sharing - create a swap group with friends/ family to swap items no longer needed. I have been thinking of doing this for home educating items (books/resources). Not all books, curricula work for everyone; so by lending/ sharing we can create less waste and stop pointless buying. 

Recycle - Try to find recycling for your items rather than sending them to landfill.

With children and especially home educating, it is easy to accumulate items - toys, books, clothes and gadgets. Often we see posts by others recommending something and jump to get it (I am guilty of this). There then becomes a time when you feel like you are drowning in 'stuff' and have the feeling that your house is getting smaller. 

I defiantly want to live a more de-cluttered life and want to teach my children good habits so they won't be sucked into consumerism and wastage. I want them to be mindful about things they need and have, grateful and aware of sustainability. 

Ideas to create a more simple life:

• Clear out your things - room by room, cupboard by cupboard. Things that you don't use/ need/ have attachment to - get rid of using the methods above.
• Be mindful when buying things - ask yourself some questions before you purchase:

1. Do I really need the item?
2. Can I borrow it off of a friend, relative or from a library?
3. Can I get it second hand?

Small changes can have a big impact on your life and well-being. By teaching your children these values you will be creating happier, more content individuals that are not always chasing something. 

Moon Phases Activity

We see the moon growing from a thin crescent to a half moon, then slowly increasing until we see the beautiful full moon, then it starts to get gradually smaller again and finally disappears. This cycle is called the moon phases and is usually 28-29 days long.

It is beneficial to learn the phases as it can help us understand the lunar month. Muslims follow a lunar calendar. The months start when a new crescent moon is spotted.  

The moon tells us when the blessed month of Ramadan begins when we fast for a month. Muslims around the world wait eagerly for the news it has been spotted.

I have made a basic template to make a moon phases tracker - free downloadable below:

Steps:

1. Colour the moons in white to represent the phases.
2. Draw a small arrow, paint or colour it white and cut it out.
3. Use a split pin to attach the arrow to the page (on the centre white dot)
4. Hang it on the wall to follow the moon phases. 

(I glued the paper to some cardboard before starting to make it more sturdy).

Signs of Spring checklist

It is only the beginning of February, but I have started to spot some early hints of spring.

While in the current pandemic and restrictions, the little signs of spring seem all that more special. A real blessing. 

Use the printable checklist below to see what you can spot over the next few weeks.

We used the checklist on 22/02/21 and managed tick off 5 out the 9 on the list:

A'ishah bint Abi Bakr As-Siddiq (Radia Allahu Anha): Worksheet and talk link

A'ishah bint Abi Bakr As-Sidddiq

She is the mother of the believers and the most knowledgeable woman of this ummah without exception. 

'Urwah bin Az-Zubayr, A'ishah's nephew, said to A'ishah,:

"Oh my aunt, I am not surprised by your knowledge of Islamic jurisprudence, because you are the wife of the Messenger of Allah and the daughter of Abu Bakr. I am not surprised by your knowledge of poetry, becasue you are the daughter of Abu Bakr and he was from the most knowlegdeable people in this field. But I am surprised that you know medicine" [Urwah said]: "she tapped me on the shoulder and said, 'The messenger of Allah ﷺ became sick during the end of his life and the delegation of Arabs would visit from every direction, and I would hear the doctors treating the sick and I memorised it'"

(Siyar A'lam an Nubala' by Imam adh-Dhahabi (182) )

(Extract taken from the book: The Illustrious women of Islam from the first generation.)

 A great example for woman and girls today of someone who sought knowledge, was generous a great teacher and mother of the believers.  

This talk below ↓ is a great lesson. The worksheet attached can be used to make notes on. 

Ten Characteristics of Aishah to Emulate in These Times – RadiAllahu’anha – By Abdulilah Lahmami – Cardiff Conference 2020 – Salafi Sounds

Khadijah (Radia Allahu Anha): Worksheet and book review

A book I would recommend to anyone - we read it aloud and the children aged 8 years+ all enjoyed. The passages that talked about Surah revelations engrossed them and they would recite what they knew. 

The book is beautifully written, very descriptive and can take you back to the markets of Makkah. A very emotional read. A truly inspirational woman that every Muslim girl should look up too. Not only the 1st wife of the prophet ﷺ, the first to embrace Islam but a business women, mother and community pillar.  

The prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:

"She had faith in me when the people rejected me. She believed in me when the people disbelieved in me. She supported me with her wealth when people prevented me, and Allah blessed me with children through her and not through any other wife".

This worksheet below is to record information about Khadijah رضي الله عنه

Book Review - Refugee by Alan Gratz

 

This book is about 3 young people and their journeys for refuge. They are from 3 different countries and eras but all shared similar struggles trying to find safety. They were all looking for a brighter tomorrow.

Josef, a young Jewish boy that has to leave Nazi Germany in 1938 with his family. He board a ship to Cuba to find a refuge there but all doesn't go to plan.

Isabel, a young Cuban girl that leaves Havana in 1994 on a home made boat to escape Fidel Castro and hunger riots. She is headed to Florida to find a safer, brighter future. 

Mahmoud, a Syrian boy who leave Aleppo in 2015 with his family after his house is destroyed in an airstrike. Syria no longer safe, they head for Turkey with the dream of seeking refuge in Germany. 

I read this book aloud to my older 3 children aged 10+ who were gripped from the beginning, rooting for the characters and hoping they find a new home safely with their families. The fact that the characters were around the same age as them, allowed them to connect with them and put themselves in their shoes. 

The story brought history and statistics into reality.  The book creates an empathy for refugees and the struggles they face. There were so many harrowing and heartbreaking moments in the book. At times I struggled to read on, not knowing if i could without breaking down, my heart ached.

So many discussions came from this book: 

* My children thought about if they had to leave their home - with only a few personal belongings, just to be safe. The thought of having to find a new place to call home, a new language, culture - a new beginning. 

* Discussion about the people in the book who helped the refugees on their journeys and those who didn't. 

*What we can do to help refugees and current situations of those around the world. 

*How the childhood of the characters were affected by their journeys.

I would highly recommend this book for children 10+. It is very emotional and extremely sad in parts but the stories are gripping. Not only does it allow you to put yourself in their shoes, it highlights that people are still suffering today and that we have a duty to help.