7 Ways to Teach Your Children About Eid Ul Adha

As we have just entered the last and final month of the Islamic calendar, Dhul Hijjah, it means many will be on their Hajj pilgrimage (perhaps not as many due to Covid) and Eid-Ul-Adha will soon follow. 

To both children and adults, this Eid may feel exclusive to just those who have done hajj but given that this pilgrimage is one of the fundamental five pillars of Islam, it really is an imporant Eid in all of our lives. As parents, we should try our utmost best to teach our kids about this festival of sacrifice and the importance behind it. 

Here are 7 fun ways you can teach your children about Hajj and Eid Ul Adha from hajj simulators to creating your child’s first Hajj diorama. 

7 Ways To Teach Your Child About Eid Ul Adha

1. Baking

Get stuck in the kitchen this Eid and bake up a real storm with the kids. Not only can you teach them whilst baking but it also boosts their confidence in the kitchen and can even help out a fussy eater. Plus you’ll have a delicious treat awaiting you afterwards!

Here is a collection of a Eid-related bakes that we like:

• Crescent Garlic Bread Bites – Hello Holy Days
• Spiced Eid Cookies – With A Spin
• Star and Crescent Shaped Rice Crispy Treats – Little Life of Mine
• Sheep cupcakes – Honey and Dates
• Sheep Cookies – A Chef in Disguise

2. YouTube Videos 

Watching Hajj-related videos with your children allows you to both engage in an educational conversation about the sacrificial ritual, the pilgrimage itself and can prompt them to ask questions about why we do hajj and it’s significance in Islam.

You can tune into a live Hajj feed or watch an educational video. Here are some that we like: 

• Hajj LIVE
• The Greatest Story of Hajj
• What is Hajj, Easy Mini Lessons
• Intro to Hajj and Story of Ibrahim (r.a.), Zill Noorain

3. Eid Crafts

Making creative projects with your children is a fantastic way to develop their fine motor skills and doesn’t rewuire any fancy or expensive items as you can find almost everything around your house. It also makes for a good conversation starter as to why the Kaaba plays a important role in hajj or why sheep are sacrificed.

Here are a selection of easy crafts that you can both work on together:

• Paper Mache Kaaba – Karima’s Crafts
• Paper Tube Rams – Hello Holy Days 
• Eid Ul Adha Sheep Centrepieces – Hello Holy Days
• Hajj Diorama – Mulism Mummy Hood
• Eid Origami Star Necklace – A Crafty Arab

4. Eid Printables 

Printables are a great way to keep the kids occupied, especially now that it is the summer holidays! It is also an easy way for the parent to engage with the child when it comes to teaching them about the principles of Hajj, plus it may even double up as a learning lesson for us adults too. 

Here are a few fantastic Hajj Printables that we like:

• Eid ul Adha and Hajj Printable book – Zair Zabr Play
• Hajj Activity Book for Little Kids – Ilma Education 
• Make Hajj Count – My Deen (suitable for all ages)
• Hajj Worksheets – The British Library (suitable for older children)
• Understanding Hajj – Salam Home Schooling

5. Books

Books have always been a great learning tool for children and help to develop a bond between the parent and child. They allow the children to think about the story via their easy language and vibrant images.

Here is a list of just a few of our favourite children’s books about Eid Ul Adha: 

• Peg + Cat: The Eid-Al-Adha Adventure, Billy Arronson
• Going to Mecca, Na’ima B Roberts 
• Little Batul’s Eid Celebration: The Most Pleasant Festival of Sacrifice, Munise Ulker 
• Yann’s Hajj Trip: The Journey of a Lifetime, Fawzia Gilani Williams

6. Hajj Sensory Bin

A sensory bin is an excellent way for younger children to explore and feel different things. The Muslimah Guide has created a whole post about different Hajj themed sensory bins, from safa and marwah to Muzdalifah, you can recreate all of them using items easily found at home.  

You can find the tutorials here

7. Hajj Simulator

And it wouldn’t be the 21st century without an online Hajj simulator! A couple have popped up online which allow the viewer or player to really envision themselves partaking in the pilgrimage. These would be best for older children or teenagers. 

Here are a few simulators that you can find online:

• Hajj 360 – Al Jazeera
• Virtual Hajj – Labbaik VR