Archive for July, 2010
Ahlan Ya Ramadan!
As we welcome Ramadan, here’s a great website to some useful and practical ways of preparing and boosting our spirit before the blessed month commences.
http://soundvision.com/info/ramadan/spirit.asp
For the complete collection of Ramadan articles:
Islamic Summer Camp in NY!
The blessed Messenger, peace be upon him, has always emphasized the importance of exercise for children and adults. He encouraged parents to teach their children sports, especially archery, swimming, and horseback riding. The Prophet himself was engaged in sporting events such as racing and wrestling.
The summer is a perfect time to have our children get involved in physical activities and still “score” some blessings. One of the most wonderful summer camp opportunities for Muslim boys and girls is in Monticello, New York. The director, Jasmina Zekic, has spearheaded this project to give the youth in New York an opportunity to experience Allah’s infinite beauty of nature, enjoy the sport activities freely, and foster Muslim brotherhood and sisterhood.
Although the camp is located in the reserve country side of Monticello, New York near Catskill Mountain, the parents have access to hassle free transportation where in they drop the children off at the Brooklyn site, and then the friendly staff will take care of the rest.
The camp opened in the first weekend of June. And if you are interested, you can sign up for either the weekend camp or the 5 Days Camp. The programs have dates that are designated for boys and for girls. The Program is a great opportunity for parents that are concerned to place their children in a safe Islamic environment. This camp will give Muslim children everything a parent wishes for their child to have during the summer. The schedule is packed with a lot of learning activities, science experiments, arts and crafts and best of all they spend time learning the Quran and studying Islam too. Fun activities at the camp swimming lessons, rafting on the famous Delaware River Rapids, sleeping in the tents, taking boat rides on the lake, and hiking in the beautiful Catskill Mountains. Sports activities will include basketball, soccer, volley archery, tennis, biking, and horseback riding.
At the camp, kids will be active from the early morning starting with Fajr prayer all the way till Ishaa prayer. In between prayers they will have hands-on activities as well as sports activities that the kids will not become weary of the Islamic obligation. Quran and Islamic Studies will be conducted by Shaikh Mohamed who was born and raised in Egypt. He is a graduate of Al-Ahzar University in Tafsir of the Quran and is also a hafidh of the Quran. He currently serves the Muslim community of Monticello, in the newly made beautiful Bosnian Masjid that is within walking distance of the camp site. During their time at the camp, the kids will perform their five daily prayers together and they will learn to inculcate Islamic behavior.
This program of learning and fun can absolutely change the way Muslim children see the world and their place in it. Kids will learn the importance of personal responsibility, the value of goal-setting, the spirit of teamwork, and the thrill of accomplishment. Go here for more information.
Allah’s Learning Center: Picnic at the Park
Sr Alif blogs
Sometimes we get so caught up in the consumer world that we forget the simplest things in life can make children love learning. As educators, we are bombarded by different educational companies to buy ready made games and puzzles for our classroom learning centers. I sometimes wish that the walls of the classroom could come off, and the children are able to play in the natural world of Allah’ Creation. The teachable moments are priceless yet the cost is FREE.
One beautiful, sunny morning, I decided to take my daughter to the park. We packed our basket with little goodies to snack on (and for the birds too), and we walked to the park. As we strolled down the park, we stopped and collected leaves and flowers, and put them in a plastic bag. We fed the geese, and sat down for a rest in front of a tree that almost looked as if it was prostrating. we watched and marveled how Allah(SWT) created all this living things so perfectly. We collected pebbles and threw them in the pond, and to my child’s delight, it would make rings in the water. Our next stop was my girl’s favorite place- Play ground with sand. She played with the sand with her bucket and shovel, as well as used her sifter to find any pebble treasures. She flew on the swing like an airplane, and slid on the slide like she was in an amusement park. Finally, we spread the maidah on the grass, washed our hands, and feasted on our peanut butter and jelly sandwich and some juicy grapes.
What did this child learn from her day at the park? Built new vocabulary, made AB patterns with pebbles, and wrote her name on the sand.
Allah’s Learning Center: sand, pebbles, plants, and birds are the important tools of learning just as much as classroom centers filled with blocks and puzzles.
Share with us what you do with your child outside the traditional classroom!














