Ramadan with young children: how to explain it and make it special

Explain Ramadan to young children simply: it is the month the Qur’an was first revealed, when grown-ups fast from dawn to sunset to grow closer to Allah, and when everyone tries harder to pray, read and give. Children don’t have to fast before puberty, so let them join in through iftar jobs, a good-deed chart, charity and a nightly story.

How do you explain Ramadan to a young child?

Use short sentences and things they can see: the moon, the dates on the table, the money in the charity box. Add a little more each year.

A picture book helps. For toddlers, try Sara Khan’s My First Book About Ramadan (Kube) or Karen Katz’s My First Ramadan; for slightly older children, Natasha Khan Kazi’s Moon’s Ramadan or Reem Faruqi’s Lailah’s Lunchbox. See our list of Ramadan and Eid books for kids.

At what age should children start fasting?

Fasting becomes obligatory at puberty. The Prophet said the pen is lifted from “a boy till he reaches puberty” (Sunan Abi Dawud 4403, graded sahih by al-Albani). Before that, practice is encouraged but optional. The Companion al-Rubayyi’ bint Mu’awwidh described how they had their children fast on ‘Ashura and made them toys of wool to distract them until it was time to eat (Sahih al-Bukhari 1960).

Many families use a gentle ladder like the one below. It is a common approach, not a religious rule: follow your child’s health and energy, never push a child who feels unwell, and ask your GP if your child has a medical condition.

When is Ramadan 2027 in the UK?

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, or Tuesday 9 February in mosques that follow a local moon sighting, with Eid al-Fitr on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March. Because the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter than the solar year, Ramadan moves earlier each year. In 2027 it falls in late winter, when UK days are short, so fasts are much shorter than in summer years. It also falls during the spring term, so plan ahead with school.

A week-by-week plan

What jobs can young children do in Ramadan?

• Put the dates and water on the table for iftar.
• Watch the clock and announce “It’s Maghrib!”
• Fill the sadaqah box with a coin each day. The Prophet was the most generous of people, and most generous of all in Ramadan (Sahih al-Bukhari 6).
• Choose the family dua for the night.
• Lay out prayer mats for Taraweeh at home.
• Draw the moon each night on the moon chart.

Children can also learn the words the Prophet said when he broke his fast:

What Ramadan activities work for young children?

• Good-deed calendar: 30 pockets with a kind task each day. Our Ramadan calendar ideas have templates.
• Crafts: jam-jar lanterns and moon mobiles; see Ramadan crafts for kids.
• Gratitude jar: write one thing you’re thankful for each evening.
• Story nights: one Prophet story at bedtime through the month. Hudhud, a UK personalised Islamic storybook, puts the child’s name and likeness into the stories of five Prophets, which makes a natural Ramadan read.

How do I handle Ramadan and school?

Tell your child’s teacher if they are practising a fast, so staff can take care at PE and lunchtime, and agree that your child can stop if they feel unwell. Some children like to bring a Ramadan book to share with the class. Eid itself often falls on a school day; in England, absence on a day set apart for religious observance by your religious body must be authorised, as explained in our guide to making Eid special.

How do I explain Laylat al-Qadr to a child?

Tell them one night in the last ten is “better than a thousand months” (97:3), and nobody knows exactly which. Children can stay up a little later on one of the odd nights, make wudu, pray two rak’ahs with you and make their own dua list. The Prophet taught ‘A’ishah to say on that night:

Suhoor and iftar with little ones

Many children beg to join suhoor. On a weekend or holiday, wake them for a few minutes to eat a date with you, then send them back to bed. At iftar, let them break their “fast”, even if it was only until lunch, with a date like the grown-ups, and say the dua together. Small inclusions like these make them feel part of the family’s Ramadan. For gifts through the month, see Ramadan gifts for kids.