In this lesson you’ll learn what Ramadan is and how Muslim families celebrate Ramadan. You’ll learn about the five pillars of Islam and how children can join in with the special month. You’ll find videos about Ramadan and Eid, and links to Ramadan crafts you can make.

Ramadan lesson plans
Ramadan’s timing in relation to the Gregorian calendar changes from year to year and in 2025 it covers the whole of March.

Save time with our ready-made Ramadan teaching unit
For the best Ramadan lesson ideas, save time and get our ready-made Ramadan teaching unit from our Play Academy. Our ramadan Unit is part of the Play Academy’s Festivals curriculum pathway and in it your children can:
- learn about Ramadan: what it is and how it is observed
- make Arabic-inspired paper lanterns
- play card games using Ramadan-themed playing cards
- create geometric Islamic art
- make a crescent moon and stars craft
- bonus printables include Islamic art grid for the math and art project, a lantern template, a mobile template, Ramadan word bank cards for vocabulary building and a Ramadan placemat for an iftar meal
- plus over 300 more individual lesson plans in 50 ready-made teaching units so you can easily teach an engaging and successful program that includes math, literacy, science, art, and more, all year round, year after year. Everything is planned for you and easy to find, saving you so much time.
Download your Ramadan Unit here
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What is Ramadan?
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic year and it’s a very special month for Muslims. It’s a holy month, with lots of traditions and celebration.
Ramadan lasts for around thirty days, and follows the lunar (moon) calendar.
In 2018 is will begin on 15th May and end when the next crescent moon is spotting in the sky, most likely on 14th June.
The Five Pillars of Islam
Muslims have five special beliefs that they follow, called the five pillars of Islam. These are:
:: Shahada – which means living a Muslim life of faith and belief in Allah (God)
:: Salah – which means prayer
:: Zakat – which means looking after people in need and doing good work for charity
:: Sawm – which means being pure, including taking part in fasting during the month of Ramadan
:: Hajj – which means taking part in a pilgrimage, a special journey to Mecca, a holy city in Saudi Arabia
Do you belong to a particular religion? What are your important beliefs?

What do families do during Ramadan?
Muslim families around the world have many special traditions and activities during the holy month of Ramadan.
All adults (unless they are elderly, unwell, or pregnant) and some teenagers will spend the month fasting. They won’t eat any food from sunrise until sunset. Many children will join in for some of the fasting too.
The fast begins after a meal called suhoor, and the fast is broken at night once the sun sets with a meal called iftar.
Dates are usually the first food eaten after sunset as tradition says that Muhammed, the founder of Islam, broke his fast by eating three dates.
Have you eaten dates? If not, you could try some. Do you like how they taste?
The meals eaten in the evening are a time for families, friends, and communities to come together.
Many families have traditional recipes that they cook year after year, and which they might bring along to buffet-style community meals. These might include lamb kebabs, roast chicken, and rice pilaf.
People look forward to the traditional Ramadan desserts too, including luqaimat (crunchy sweet dumplings), baklava (filo pastry filled with nuts and syrup or honey), and kunafa (cheese pastry soaked in honey).
What are your favourite festival foods?
Muslim families will spend time reading the Quran, and saying prayers during Ramadan. They will also do lots of good deeds, helping friends and family and doing charity work in their community.
Ramadan is also a time to put up decorations to celebrate the festival and you will see lots of lanterns hanging up in city streets.
Listen to these children talking about why Ramadan is special to them.
Celebrating Eid-al-Fitr
At the end of the month of Ramadan the festival of Eid-al-Fitr is celebrated.
This happens on the first day of the next month, Shawwal. When the crescent moon is spotted in the night sky Muslims know the month of Ramadan has ended and the festival of Eid can begin.
It’s time for parties, gathering together with family and friends, giving presents, and celebrating.
Watch Sara as she tells you how her family celebrates.
What is the most important festival that your family celebrates? Do you do things that are similar to Sara’s family?
Give a Ramadan blessing
To wish someone a happy Ramadan you can say “Ramadan Mubarak!”
Do you know people celebrating Ramadan this year? Wish them Ramadan Mubarak!
Save time and get your ready-made Ramadan unit!
Yes, you can do all the planning yourself if you want to, or you can head straight to our Play Academy and download our ready-made Ramadan unit. That sounds like a better idea!
You’ll get a set of lesson plans to teach your children about Ramadan: a lesson plan to learn about the festival and how it is observed, a math-meets-art geometric Islamic art lesson, an arts and craft activity to make Arabic-inspired paper lanterns, play card games using printable Ramadan-themed playing cards, and a art and craft activity to make a crescent moon and stars mobile. Plus you’ll get a great set of useful printables to make your teaching even easier.
Come and join the Play Academy to get this and over 50 more ready-made teaching units, so you can easily teach an engaging and successful program that includes math, literacy, science, art, and more, all year round, year after year.
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