It’s no secret that the world of Ramadan and Eid decor has drastically evolved in the past few years. With the rise of entrepreneurship - through sites like Etsy and social media outlets like Instagram and Pinterest - there are more options (and interest) than ever before! This steady growth in creativity has brought much-needed attention to our Muslim holidays and has paved the way to normalizing them in our society and mainstream stores.

Ramadan and Eid decor have even made it into mainstream retail stores like Party City and Hello Holy Days line for Crate and Kids!

Growing up, I am thankful that my parents put a great deal of emphasis on making sure my siblings and I were well aware of our holidays and made an effort to decorate our home and get us excited about Ramadan. Now a mother myself, I make a conscious effort to instill these same values in my daughter. I believe it’s important, now more than ever, that we as Muslims show our children the importance of honoring and celebrating Ramadan and Eid. They constantly face year round attention on holidays of other faiths. Why not make a big deal of our own?

Some may argue that we are putting too much emphasis on decorating and not enough on the spiritual and fasting aspects of Ramadan. I believe there can be room for both, and some beautiful decorations can help set a festive and special mood that sets Ramadan apart from other months.

Here are a few ideas for some fun and interactive ways to get your children, family and home ready and in the Ramadan and Eid spirit! Be sure to let us know your favorite Ramadan and Eid decorating tips and traditions in the comments below!

PC: Saleme Fayad Photography for Ramadan Around the World

Adding Ramadan and Eid decor in the house is the most obvious and effective way of getting everyone at home involved and in the holiday spirit. Everywhere you look you will be constantly reminded of the festivities. It’s never too early or too late to start. Make it a family affair by brainstorming ideas with your kids. Have them take control of decorating their playroom or own rooms. Pinterest, Instagram and Etsy are great sources for inspiration and products.

Putting up lights, banners, making an “Itikaf tent” (where one devotes themselves solely to ibadat, or worship, for a period of time) and a Ramadan and Eid countdown calendar are just some ways you can incorporate the holidays around your home. One other countdown idea is to tie 30 balloons numbered 1-30 on your stair bannister or somewhere in the house and have the kids pop one each night after iftar time - only if they don’t mind the popping sound!

Here are some more decorating ideas and special celebrations you can do at home to amp up the Ramadan excitement!

Last year one of my friends hosted a “Ramadan Crescent Moon Hunt” a few weeks prior to Ramadan, and it was such a brilliant idea! It was a potluck-type event where all the mothers brought a dish to share at a local park. Prior to the guests arriving, the host had crescents hidden all over the playground. For the older kids, there were two moons made out of glitter cardstock hidden for them to find. For the younger ones, she filled moon- and star-shaped plastic containers with toddler puff snacks. With a little help from the mommies, the children were able to find their way to a delicious treat!

Other activities included reading books on Ramadan and an interactive session where the kids and the host talked about the religious significance of sighting the Ramadan crescent, the Night of Power (Laylatul Qadr) and other aspects of Ramadan. The host also passed out crescent shaped cookies to all of the kids. Everyone who attended had a blast, learned, shared a thing or two and definitely became excited about Ramadan. Gather some friends and make this your own by adjusting the details of the day to your preferences!

PC: Miss Sana Teaches

Ramadan baskets are a great way for your kids to get excited about utilizing their time in Ramadan while trying to take their mind off of food, if they are participating in the fast. You can customize the contents of each basket to meet each of your child’s needs and age. A great place to start is with are books on Ramadan. Check out my post on Ramadan books and where to find them. Other things you can include are: a water bottle to help them keep hydrated after breaking their fast, playdough, coloring books, a prayer rug, Ramadan activity books and pretty much anything else you’d like to include and think your child would enjoy!

Hosting iftar parties at home was always one of my favorite parts about the holy month growing up, and it’s no secret that I still enjoy it now as an adult. One of my fondest memories of Ramadan was when my mom would host an iftar dinner just for my sister and my friends. We would help her come up with the menu and with the way we wanted to present the food and decorate around the house. This is a great way for you to get your children involved in the sunnah of feeding a fasting person.

Depending on the age group, you can also incorporate some activities like working on Ramadan coloring pages, reading stories about Ramadan for younger ones or praying tarawih and reading some verses of the Quran as a group for the older ones.

PC: Days of Eid

If you have older kids who have non-Muslim friends, having them over for an interfaith iftar dinner may be a great way for your kids to introduce their peers to the concept of Ramadan and fasting. You will be amazed at the doors and dialogue this opportunity will open. Have your children prepare a simple favor bag with a brief message on Ramadan for their guests to take home.

This has been a newer trend over the past few years, and for great reason! There are countless options ranging from DIY’s such as this 30 days of Ramadan balloon countdown and the Ramadan Drummer’s hat countdown calendar, if you are more of a crafty person. You can also purchase beautifully crafted products such as the Hello Holy Days’ Ramadan Countdown Calendar, this beautiful Mosque-shaped calendar by Days of Eid, or one from Handmade Beginnings Ramadan Calendar collections. No matter what style calendar you choose to incorporate into your home, your children will get excited each day of the holy month as they countdown their days to Eid.

You can customize the contents of each day depending on your children’s ages. Handmade Beginnings has also come out with a one-of-a-kind, digital online Ramadan calendar to help parents fill their Ramadan Calendars with interactive activities and crafts. If you’re hanging up a homemade calendar, include slips of paper with a dua or hadith on it or a piece of chocolate. Using an advent-type calendar for Ramadan can also be a great incentive for your children to practice fasting. You can also have them talk about what they are thankful for each day before they enjoy their treat.

Another great way to keep your kids excited about this holy month while still putting an emphasis on what Ramadan is truly about is creating a special space in your home where they can pray and read Quran. By decorating it with beautiful lanterns and twinkle lights to give a warm and inviting feel, your kids will want to spend most of their time here! You can set up an itikaf tent, as I mentioned earlier, or even make your kids their very own mosque made out of cardboard. This special space can be used for story time where you read books on Ramadan and Eid as well as for reading Quran and setting your Quran reading goals for the holy month as a family. Your kids can also practice praying their five daily prayers as well as tarawih and qiyam (which is offered before Fajr) prayers in their very own mosque.

PC: Miss Sana Teaches

As Ramadan comes to an end, and we prepare ourselves for the festivities of Eid ul Fitr (and later on Eid ul Adha), hosting a Eid cookie decorating party is another great way to get your kids and their friends excited about the holidays. Be sure to get your kids involved in the planning and activities of the day. A great idea would be to bake the cookies with your kids prior to guests arriving and then having the children decorate them together after they’ve cooled. For some major cookie decorating inspiration, be sure to check out these beautifully decorated cookies using With A Spin’s cookie cutters.

Wearing new pajamas on the night of Eid was something my mother-in-law introduced me to after getting married. She would buy brand new pajamas for herself and the whole family to wear on the night of Eid so that when you wake up on Eid morning, you’re in a pair of beautiful and new pajamas. I loved the idea so much that I started incorporating it into my own family’s traditions and even started buying Eid pajamas for my friends’ kids to wear.

There are many shops out there now such as Jasmine and Marigold, Noam Pajamas, and Twinkled Eid that offer a variety of beautifully designed Eid sleepwear for the whole family to enjoy. You can even make this into a month-long tradition and gift your family special pajama sets that they can wear throughout the month.

We ask Allah (S) to make us of those who observe Ramadan this year and reap it’s blessings. While we all know that the purpose of this holy month is to focus on our spirituality and worship, making this time of year extra special by adding decor around the house for the entire family to enjoy and planning special activities for your kids can also be a form of worship for maximizing the most out of Ramadan. It’s important to show our children that our deen is one of beauty, and getting them excited about their own holidays wouldn’t be complete without adding bits of pizzaz here and there!

It’s so exciting to see the countless options we now have when it comes to Muslim-owned businesses and the amazing products they have to offer especially for Ramadan and Eid decorations. I’ve rounded up a list of shops for your convenience. Happy shopping and decorating!

Crafty EmoInstagram | EtsyCrafty ShiroInstagram | EtsyCrescent MoonInstagram | EtsyCrescent Star CreationsInstagram | EtsyCrown Your OccasionsInstagram | EtsyDays of EidWebsite | InstagramDesign by DedaInstagram | Etsy Designed with LoveWebsite | Instagram | EtsyEid CreationsWebsite | InstagramEvery Cloud Silver LiningWebsite | InstagramHafsa CreatesWebsite | InstagramHandmade BeginningsWebsite | InstagramHello Holy DaysWebsite | InstagramHoney Lemon EventsWebsite | InstagramJasmine and MarigoldWebsite | InstagramKanzi StoreWebsite | Instagram | EtsyKnooz DesignsWebsite | InstagramLilly & Lulu CoInstagram | EtsyLittle Wings CreativeWebsite | InstagramMade With HabWebsite | InstagramMiss Sana TeachesInstagram | EtsyModern EidWebsite | InstagramModern Muslim HomeWebsite | InstagramNoam PajamasWebsite | InstagramNur ShopWebsite | InstagramPoppetryWebsite | InstagramQuote Lovin'Website | Instagram | EtsySimply RamadanWebsite | InstagramStar Paper MoonWebsite | Instagram | EtsySweet Greetings Gifts InstagramTawheed TreasurersWebsite | InstagramThe Rustik HomeWebsite | InstagramTwinkled EidWebsite | InstagramUmmi CraftsInstagram | EtsyWith A SpinWebsite | Instagram | EtsyYengeCraftsInstagram | EtsyZair Zabr PlayWebsite | InstagramZeena HamidInstagram | Etsy

Danah is wife to Kareem and mama to their daughter Kinzah (aka Kiki). She was born and raised in Charlotte, NC, and loves all things food, fashion, photography and home decor. After having Kinzah, she created her blog, Mother of Pearl, where she shares a glimpse into her life as she navigates motherhood and hopes to build a safe space for other mamas to connect. You can follow her on Instagram.