Prayer stations for children are little spaces or corners in the house set aside for the remembrance of Allah.
They can be arranged anywhere that a child can comfortably fit, preferable where the light streams in a little - but does not overwhelm the feeling of being hidden and apart from the general hustle and bustle.
One good place for a prayer station is at the least traversed part of the house. One might set up a small table with a chair and a few books on the holy companions which might appeal to children.
Or, one might use a landing near the steps, or a stairwell, shielded by a curtain. Even a place in the kitchen might be feasible - depending on its size, etc.
The foot of the bed is another possibility - -the child can sit on the floor and, leaning against a pillow, listen to the repeated recitation of a Surah (chapter of the Quran) or verse in order to memorize it. You get the idea.
Instead of a "time out" an overactive child can put some time into the remembrance of God. A need for privacy, for solitude, for a little peace might also beckon the child to the prayer station. It need not be a disciplinary measure that does it.
These little prayer stations, fitted up with beads, books and Quran, are an invitation to a weary little heart to turn aside, and feel the presence of the Creator - of Him Alone Who understands every need, and heals every hurt.
A prayer station requires little equipment besides the Quran, etc: a soft sit-upon such as a folded blanket; some bit of light - but not too much; maybe a plant, like a leafy pothouse or a bowl of silk violets (or maybe just a flowery pillow). That - and a child wanting a quiet interlude - is all you need.
For the fortunate children who are trained to take advantage of prayer stations, the blessings are reinforcement in reliance on Allah, self-renewal, and attracting to the entire household a little bit of heaven on earth.
Photo Attribution: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Prayer_room_Heathrow_20080202.jpg
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