There are many benefits to fasting 12 to 14 hours a day, such as increasing your metabolic rate, repairing your cells, lowering your blood sugar level, and many others. If the benefits seem familiar to you, this might mean that you are familiar with the practice of intermittent fasting.
The only difference between intermittent fasting and fasting during the holy month of Ramadan is that Muslims fast for the sake of empathising with the poor, who can’t afford to eat as luxuriously as those who are more privileged on a daily basis.
This means that we are supposed to strive to live moderately during the month of Ramadan, paired with a couple of light activities to keep us productive.
In spite of the benefits, we’re sure that it’s not easy to get through the day without any food and drinks. This should not stop you from living a healthy life with your family, especially the kids who are in training to complete their Ramadan fast.
Here are some healthy activities you can do with your kids or loved ones, during the holy month of Ramadan to avoid focusing on the ticking clock in anticipation of the Adhan, the call to prayer signifying the breaking of the fast.
#1 Playing Board Games
Playing board games ought to strengthen the bond between you and your children and at the same time, it can also conserve your energy and your kids’, ensuring they won’t get bored throughout the day or spend all the hours on their devices throughout the day while waiting for Iftar.
There are tons of games we played, be it indoors or outdoors. Kids these days, however, do not seem to see the appeal in spending hours with their parents or friends bonding over these games. Instead, they would rather spend hours playing online games or watching YouTube.
In the midst of this unfortunate pandemic, it is understandable that you would want to stay at home more to protect yourself and your kids.
Buy some board games for you and your family while waiting for Iftar and you’ll see your kids wanting to explore other board games, to challenge their minds and of course, to make sure they can beat you at these games.
You could even call up your friends or relatives to join your family – just to make this activity more interesting!
On days when you feel like resting and letting your kids have fun on their own, pull out some arts and crafts supplies or kits so that the kids can show off the finished products to relatives whenever you video call them!
You will start seeing your family members grow closer throughout this blessed month, after spending hours on end interacting and bonding with one another.
#2 Light Exercises
We understand that it is awfully tough for you to get on your feet and complete your usual exercise routine, without the comfort of having water to sip on every now and then. This, however, should not stop you from getting those muscles to work.
You should also try to maintain your momentum despite the fasting month by performing light exercises as part of your Ramadan activities with your kids.
Try not to exclude your kids while you’re building some muscles – remember that your kids will follow what you do, especially if it’s fun for them too.
You could spend some time outside with your kids by taking a stroll in the park on breezy evenings, especially close to Iftar time. This is so that when you are done with your walk, you’ll be just in time for Iftar and a glass full of water to quench your thirst.
On rainy days or on days when you feel like staying at home, you can do some light yoga routines with your family to work on your balance, re-energise your brain, or simply get your muscles working.
Make it interesting by popping in some gifts as a reward for those who successfully complete their daily exercise or stretching for a month straight (with rest days in between, of course; all in moderation!).
Your kids will be eager to do this Ramadan activity with you during the fasting month especially if you are there to do it with them. Once Ramadan is over, take them out on hiking trips or to the waterfalls to keep them motivated and active.
You will see your kids wanting to continue living a healthy lifestyle (even without the incentive of gifts) and this is really good for them as they will start taking care of their health at an early age.
#3 Planning And Prepping Meals Together
Cooking can be tiring for us especially with the tasks of prepping and cleaning up after. An extra helping hand always comes in handy. So why not ask your kids to help you out?
A quick online search and you’ll have plenty of awesome new recipes to try out with your family, and you could ask your kids to be your sous-chef(s).
Not only will they get to eat new meals every time you do this, but they’ll also remember the time shared with you in the kitchen, making it a memorable Ramadan for them in spite of the current global pandemic.
You could either ask them to help you with the main meals or with our traditional kuih to keep their minds off food or drink. Plus, they’ll get super excited to eat the food they made with their parents!
Towards the end of the Ramadan month, your kids would enjoy making their own kuih Raya, but heads up – the kuih you make with them might end up finishing before Raya even begins. We didn’t make the rules, it’s just how it works!
Another plus point to this activity is that your kids will have to learn to clean up after themselves once they’re done cooking. It will encourage them to be disciplined and to appreciate all that you’ve done for them around the house.
If your kids are not at the right age to handle food preparation, you can always ask them to aid with making the drinks for your iftar time. They will have absolutely so much fun mixing the drinks while knowing that they’ll get to drink it soon.
Channel your inner Martha Stewart or Chef Wan when doing this activity with your kids and we’re sure everyone will enjoy the meals and kuih-muih made by the whole family.
#4 Preparing Hari Raya Cards
The feeling you get when you receive a card from the people you love is indescribable – especially the ones that are handmade! Similar to how you shower your kids with love, you would want your kids to spread love and kindness to people around them.
It is undeniable that sometimes, even the smallest gifts are the most valuable because, in the end, it’s the thought that counts – and the effort!
Just imagine the smile on your kids’ faces when they see their cards being distributed to the people they love or hung in the living room… splendid, perfectly splendid.
When making Hari Raya cards with your kids, they can explore their creativity and they might end up surprising you with the colours, sketches, or doodles they choose to put in the cards.
Time will fly by fast, as your kids indulge in the creative process of making the cards for their friends or family. You never know, they might even forget they were ever fasting.
You could also Gogh extra this year by turning your house into an art gallery filled with hanging Raya cards made by your kids together with the ketupat and light decorations since Eid Al Fitr is approaching.
Similar to prepping your meals together, this will help your kids practice cleaning after the mess they make when making the cards as part of their activities in Ramadan. To encourage the value in helping one another, you could help your kids clean up too and perhaps let out a laugh or two together (or loads of it we hope!) while doing so.
#5 Read Books Together!
Seeing a child carry a book these days is rather an unusual event, instead, you would see the palms of kids these days glued to their tablets or any digital devices, dazzling their eyes all day long.
Limiting the time spent on digital screens will not only protect your child’s eyes, but it will also prevent your child from developing other issues, such as throwing tantrums, limited creative thinking skills, and being socially inept.
On days you and your kids feel like resting and ordering take-out in this holy month of Ramadan, increase your kids’ knowledge and ignite the creative side of your kids by introducing reading time (instead of screen time) while waiting for the Adhan.
This rather exclusive book club would be refreshing should there be a book and a dictionary for your kids to jot down new words they find in the books they’re reading and find the meanings in the dictionary.
The book club would also be rather interesting if discussions are made together as a family after each reading session to promote your kids’ and your own social skills.
By encouraging discussions between family members, you are also promoting a safe space for your kids to speak up based on their point-of-view on certain issues as they grow older.
One of the ways to keep them interested would be to reward them with new books every time one is finished – they’ll definitely want to read faster and more efficiently!
In the spirit of Ramadan, you might also want to encourage your kids to donate the books they have read to others who might need it more, planting moralistic behaviour in your kids.
Appreciate The Time Spent!
Now that you know how to keep your kids engaged in fun and healthy Ramadan activities even when you’re going through the day without food or drinks, enjoy the time you’re going to spend with them!
The fun times you share will be cherished by all of you and making use of your time together during this holy month will surely bring all of you closer together.
Don’t forget to eat some food for Suhoor with your kids and drink loads of water between Iftar and Suhoor to make sure all of you get the nutrients you need.