Sample summer plan for children ages 4 to 7

JULY 2020

WEEK 1

• Begin Seerah Storytelling. Before bedtime, read or tell one story about some aspect of the life of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. There are some great books to choose from at Goodword Books.
• Plan to make four snacks and four desserts, one for each week of the summer. These are recipes you will make with your children that do not require a stove. For ideas, you can consult the internet and books like Kids Cooking Without a Stove: A Cookbook for Young Children by Aileen Paul and Carol Inouye. You can also choose recipes from a different culture each week to make things more interesting and fun. 
• Build a Masjid and have children take turns setting up prayer mats, calling Adhan and Iqamah, as well as making announcements after prayer (e.g. we have now collected $10 in our Masjid's charity box!).
• Make every Friday night Adam's World Night. Choose one Adam's World episode to watch together and discuss. Don't forget to serve popcorn and drinks!
• Choose four to eight Surahs to memorize during the summer. Daily, help your child memorize, using whichever method works. This can be by sitting together and repeating one verse a day until it has been committed to memory, or having them listen to an audio of the Surah by your favorite reciter. 
• Embrace daily walks and hikes. While it may be safer to stay home this summer, that doesn’t mean restricting ourselves to the indoors. Seek out new local parks and nature preserves and plan to take long walks and hikes. 
• Attend Friday prayers this week and every week after that for the rest of the summer.
• Teach Masjid manners. If your Masjid is open and respecting social distancing rules, take your child to the local Masjid and teach them by example and word how to behave in the house of God. Some areas to focus on include dressing properly, making a Dua when entering and leaving, offering an extra two units of prayer when they arrive, lowering the voice, and praying in a straight line.

WEEK 2

• Teach and practice a fire drill in your home.
• Make your recipe for the week.
• Finish memorizing the first few verses of the Surah of the week and move on to the next one. 
• Take a trip to the beach in the early morning. Talk about why Allah created water and the water cycle in Islam. One helpful book in this regard is A Drop Of Mercy: The Water Cycle In Islam by Abu Bakar Shahbatun, Endut Nordin, and Azhari Zulkifli. Also discuss the story of Prophet Nuh, peace be upon him.
• Have the kids make and design a charity box for the Masjid in your home (see week one). After it's completed, encourage each of them to donate part of their allowance every week (preferably on Friday).

WEEK 3

• Teach your child how to ride a bike if they already don’t know.
• Research and put together a project about extreme summer weather, like tornadoes and lightning storms. Don't just rely on books though. Record a summer storm for the audio element. Cut out pictures from the newspaper or magazines. And don't forget to offer safety tips. Find out what the Quran has to say about lightning and rain. Share the project online. 
• Check that Quran memorization is progressing.
• Make your recipe for the week.

WEEK 4

• Have a Zoom meeting with grandparents.  Ask Grandma and Grandpa to share five stories of interesting things they did during their childhood in the summertime.
• Visit zoos and museums online. Talk about how Allah created so many different kinds of animals and how cool and wonderful that is. Also, how Allah has blessed human beings with so much intelligence and ingenuity to make amazing inventions and works of art. 
• Establish Dua Day. After one of the daily prayers, share the importance of Dua with your kids. Teach them how to make Dua properly, and explain that they can pray to God for anything, since He can do everything. Consult a Dua book for more ideas.
• Check that Quran memorization is progressing.

AUGUST 2020

WEEK  1

• Make the Saturday or Sunday of this week Dad's Day. Children with involved, loving fathers are significantly more likely to do well in school, have healthy self-esteem, exhibit empathy and prosocial behavior, and avoid high-risk behaviors such as drug use, truancy, and criminal activity compared to children who have uninvolved fathers, according to Father Facts, published by the National Fatherhood Initiative. Have kids spend the whole day bonding with Daddy, while mom gets a much-needed break.
• Hold a puppet show in your cool basement. Choose an Islamic theme to teach, like the value of charity, the importance of turning to God in difficult times, etc.
• Check that Quran memorization is progressing.
• Make your recipe for the week.

WEEK 2

• Film your own variety show. Help your kids put together a show incorporating recitation of the Quran, songs, short skits, and presentations. Keep it for posterity and don't forget to share it with family and friends.
• Check that Quran memorization is progressing.
• Make your recipe for the week.
• Organize an online Islamic quiz competition with other Muslim families. Your enthusiasm for this kind of activity can be contagious! Make sure winners get some nice prizes.

WEEK 3

• Plan a long drive with the kids. Teach them how to read a map, pack for a short trip, and amuse themselves in the car. Once you reach your destination, picnic, pray, hang out, play softball and just enjoy your time together.
• Check that Quran memorization is progressing.
• Make your recipe for the week.

WEEK 4

• Calculate how much money has been collected in the Masjid charity box (see week two of July) and decide where the money should go. One of the kids should write a letter to the charity explaining how they collected donations throughout the summer for the cause.
• Make your recipe for the week.
• Have an end of summer, back-to-school BBQ with family. Each child should get a back-to-school package with some colorful pencils, a nice note pad, fun erasers, and stickers. Talk briefly about the importance of seeking knowledge for Muslims, and ask them to share three things they want to achieve in the coming school year. End with a Dua for the coming school year.
• Host a Quran competition. Whoever recited the most and the best from the Surahs they learned over the summer gets a special prize. Consolation prizes should be awarded to other children.