Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

Welcome to Fascinating Facts and Tantalizing Trivia

A Hartson Dowd Column

Sept 25, 2006

Crafts for Ramadan: Ramadan is the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. It is during this month that Muslims observe the Fast of Ramadan. Lasting for the entire month, Muslims fast during the daylight hours and in the evening eat small meals and visit with friends and family. It is a time of worship and contemplation. A time to strengthen family and community ties, and let the children have fun too with crafts.

Ramadan Calendar Chain

Cut colored strips of construction paper into approx. 8" lengths.
(30 strips for each child) ˇ Glue or staple strips of construction paper
into a chain.
-You will need 30 links (rings) in your chain.                                                                                  One for each day until the end of
Ramadan.
-Make a pretty pattern; alternate the colors of the rings.
-You may attach the completed chain to the bottom of your designed mosque
in project one or to other designs, e.g. a large crescent, or a star..
-Hang it on a wall or in a doorway.
-Everyday neatly tear off one of the rings all the way to the end of Ramadan.
Remind the children that Ramadan can be either 29 or 30 days

Charity Decorated Jar

Ramadan is that time of the year to remember most the poor and the needy.
Charity is a big part of the celebration of the month of Ramadan. Ask the
children to bring a jar. Explain to them that in the jar they will collect coins
for the whole month of Ramadan. Help the children decorate the jar, using
colorful stickers of their choice. Let them collect coins in it, either from
their allowance or make an arrangement with their parents to give them
some of the change they have in their pockets, every day for the remainder
of the month. At the end of the month, let the children count the change
and give it to the mosque or any other charity organization that helps those
in need.

Night sky, the moon, the stars and the children

For older children,

Since Ramadan gets the attention of the children to the night sky, the moon and the stars
it can be used for a good educational experience.

Encourage the children to make a "night sky" using three-dimensional material such as
pipe cleaners, cotton balls, ping pong balls, clay, and pasted paper.
See if these three-dimensional materials cause the children to talk about the location and
distance of objects in the sky and space.
You might have to help them with some of the technical problems so that they can hang clouds, stars, and moon. You might give them a big paste board box painted black on the inside.
Make it easy for them to hang items at different places from the "ceiling" of the "night sky."
And remember, the objective is not to make a good looking night sky out of art material.
The objective is to get the children talking about their theories of what things are in the
earth's sky and what things are in outer space, and where does the change happen from sky
to space and so on. The product does not have to look like a sky, it only needs to stimulate
a high quality conversation among the children. Take the chance and teach them about the
sky, the space, the stars and the moon.

Islamic Events 2006:

• Eid-al-Adha (10th Zul-Hijjah) January 11
• Isra/Me'raj (Night after 26th Rajab) August 21
• Nisfu Sha'ban (15th Sha'ban) September 08
• 1st Ramadan (Fasting Begins) September 24
• Lailatul-Qadr (Night after 26th Ramadan) October 19
• Eid-al-Fitr (1st Shawwal) October 24

Hartson Sager Dowd                                                                                                                                     hsdowd@telus.net