Ramadan in Dubai: 10 special ways to celebrate Ramadan with children in the UAE

TEACH THANKFULNESS WITH A GRATITUDE WORKSHOP AT WOO-HOO: Engage children with the concept of gratitude at this workshop for kids aged 4 and above, based at immersive children’s play area and museum Woo-hoo in Al Quoz. Themed around Ramadan and making use of lots of tactile arts and crafts, children will be encouraged to create their own Gratitude Tree, and to talk about the things they are thankful for. DETAILS: Dh100, 24 April, 12-1pm, at Woo-Hoo in Al Quoz. There is also an Arabesque Art Workshop the following week on 28 April, 2-3pm, for Dh110. Woo-hoo.ae.

REFLECT ON RAMADAN IN A PANDEMIC WITH ‘AFTER IFTAR TALES’: Fun Islamic educational brand Bismillah Buddies has published the book ‘After Iftar Tales’, a collection of Ramadan-related stories written in the context of a post-COVID world that are perfect to read to both muslim children and non-muslim children to teach them about the values of the Holy Month. “There is a sweet pause between the Maghrib and Isha Prayers in Ramadan,” explain the authors. “Families sit together in gratitude for having completed a day of fasting and for the food that they have just eaten. It is a time for quiet reflection and the perfect time to relax. What better way to do that than open up ‘After Iftar Tales’ for a look at some unique Ramadan experiences?” With stories that range from a little girl’s lockdown Ramadan, to an astronaut having iftar in space, they teach children not only familial and cultural values but also fundamental concepts of the month of Ramadan. DETAILS: Dh120, Bismallahbuddies.com.

GAIN CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING WITH RIDE & IFTAR: The Heritage Express unique ‘trolley’ experience has been tailored for Ramadan with the ‘Ride & Iftar’ package, which involves a trolley tour around Dubai’s key historical attractions, followed by an immersive Ramadan-themed cultural understanding program. Led by an Emirati tour guide, you can enjoy a desert Bedouin experience, the Jumeirah Mosque Garden experience, Emirati snacks and meal, plus the signature Q&A session with the Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Centre for Cultural Understanding Heritage House. DETAILS: Dh230 pp, 50% off for kids age 4-12, under 4s free, Heritageexpress.com.

ENCOURAGE THOUGHTFULNESS WITH A KINDNESS CALENDAR: Positive Discipline Educator and founder of The Family Hub, Hanan Ezzeldin, has launched a Kindness Calendar full of thoughtful, kid-friendly activity ideas for Ramadan. Featuring 30 pockets for 30 days, it comes with a deck of cards that have different acts of kindness on each one, so that children can get into the habit of fulfilling a small act of kindness every day. DETAILS: The Kindness Calendar is priced at Dh100 and is available to purchase at @thefamilyhub_hanan on Instagram.

CHANNEL CREATIVITY WITH A RAMADAN-THEMED HAPPY BOX: The Happy Box is offering a wonderful Ramadan-themed crafts and activity box for kids for the Holy Month. Containing everything from a Kindness Tracker, to a prayer mat craft, a Crescents Bloom craft, sparkly slime and much more, every activity is tailored to be both fun and educational about a key element of the essence of Ramadan. DETAILS: Dh260 per box, Thehappybox.ae.

PRACTICE GENEROSITY WITH STOP & HELP TOY DONATION: Kindness Exchange Stop & Help was launched in the UAE last year after the onset of the pandemic, designed to help families in need. Those who are able to help are matched with a pre-checked and vetted family who requires the kind of help they can give, to whom they can send groceries or other helpful essentials, either regularly or as a one-off. Part of the offering is the Baby Registry, through which you can donate good quality, pre-loved baby and children’s clothes, toys and other items. This is an ideal way for children to put a tangible name or even face to people they are helping, and they can practice generosity by donating some of their quality pre-loved toys and books to a child in need. DETAILS: Find out more at stopandhelp.ae.

EXPAND YOUNG MINDS WITH WISDOM WAREHOUSE’S CAMP: The Ramadan Camp at Wisdom Warehouse in Al Serkal is a special afternoon enrichment program dedicated to art and science. Running exclusively throughout Ramadan, the sessions are designed to fulfil the Wisdom Warehouse approach of providing hands-on activities and innovative methods that cater to children’s individual needs and learning types. DETAILS: Held at Wisdom Warehouse, Al Serkal, from 2-3.30pm every weekday throughout Ramadan until 11 May, Dh230 per day, Dh1,050 per week. Wisdomwarehousedubai.com.

SOAK UP DESERT TRANQUILITY WITH SONARA CAMP: Gather family and friends for a one of a kind escape from the city to enjoy the peace and tranquillity of nature at Sonara Camp, nestled in the beautiful Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. This unique experience will gives kids the chance to have an adventure in the desert, while enjoying traditional Arabic pursuits including stargazing with an astronomer, a falcon show, a fire show, a live Oud player, camel riding and also beautiful Tanoura dancing. After the sun has set, guests will be invited to break fast together with dates, water, juices, laban, fruits and lentil soup. This is followed by a lavish dinner featuring a host of Mediterranean and Arabic inspired fusion dishes. DETAILS: For detail on packages and make a reservation please contact info@sonara.ae or +971 503367909. The packages for the Arabian Nights experience starts at Dh860 per adult and Dh380 per child.

SAVOUR THE SPIRIT OF RAMADAN WITH A KID FRIENDLY IFTAR: Whether you are fasting over Ramadan or not, a family-friendly iftar is a wonderful way to introduce children to the concept of Ramadan in a tangible, not to mention delicious, way. There are dozens of excellent options to choose from, but the 1920’s-inspired surrounds of Café Society is offering a family-style Iftar set menu that’s priced at a wallet-friendly Dh199, designed for two adults and two children under six years (daily, sunset to 9pm, www.cafesociety.ae). Meanwhile Liwan at Swissotel Al Ghurair is offering a family-friendly iftar with dedicated kids’ activities to keep little explorers entertained while parents enjoy a tempting choice of traditional flavours (Dh109 person, daily, sunset to 9pm, call 04 293 3000).

GIVE BACK TO THE PLANET WITH A BEACH CLEAN UP: While COVID restrictions mean it is harder to donate food or other things directly to other people, you can still teach children the importance of taking care of others, including the planet, with your own informal beach clean-up. Aim for early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat of the day, and go to your local public beach with rubber gloves and waste bags to remove all of the bits of litter and plastic that can harm the environment and end up killing sea creatures and marine life, and show children how satisfying it can be to leave the world a better place than when you found it.