Getting little ones ready for Ramadan

Ramadan is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, depending on the moon. For young children, a few weeks of gentle preparation helps the month feel exciting rather than confusing, and none of it needs much time. A few minutes a day is plenty.

Start talking about it early

Three or four weeks before, start mentioning it. Keep it simple: Ramadan is a special month when grown-ups fast during the day, everyone tries extra hard to be kind, we pray and read more Qur'an, and at the end there's Eid. Little ones won't take it all in the first time, and that's fine. You'll say it again many times.

A countdown on the fridge helps, with one square to colour in each day. So does giving children a job of their own, like setting out the dates for iftar or putting a coin in the charity jar each evening. Children who have a part to play feel the month belongs to them too.

Begin the listening routine before the month

Routines are much easier to start before Ramadan than in the middle of it, when everyone is tired and evenings are busy. Pick a regular time now, perhaps one short story and a du'a after Maghrib or at bedtime, or a short surah in the car on the way to school. Keep it the same each day. By the time Ramadan arrives your child will already expect it, and you can swap in Ramadan stories and du'as without any fuss.

It's also a good time to choose one du'a to learn as a family before the month starts. The du'a for breaking the fast is a lovely one to begin with. Children pick these up by hearing them over and over, so put it on a card or a recording they can play, and say it together at iftar once Ramadan begins.

For the listening itself, Mufti Menk's Children Series has a short talk called "How can little kids fast". It's made for young children, so it's an easy one to play together in the weeks before.

Everything we list is checked against our standard, and we're adding more to Ramadan & Eid as we find it. Get something onto a card before the month begins.