· Umm Aishah · 6 min read
Eid Activities for Kids, the Sunnah Way: Takbir, Ghusl, Dates and More
Make Eid al-Fitr joyful and authentic: the takbir with its source, ghusl, eating dates before the prayer, taking a different route home, and simple activities for children.
Children remember Eid for the rest of their lives. I want my daughters to remember it as the day the whole family said the takbir together, ate dates before the prayer and walked home a different way, because that is what the Prophet (ﷺ) did. The fun fits around the Sunnah, not the other way round.
Eid al-Fitr 2027 is expected around 10 March 2027, depending on the sighting of the Shawwal moon. Here is how we turn each Sunnah of the day into something the children can do.
The night before: the takbir begins
Allah says, after mentioning the fast of Ramadan: “…and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful” (al-Baqarah 2:185).
وَلِتُكۡمِلُواْ ٱلۡعِدَّةَ وَلِتُكَبِّرُواْ ٱللَّهَ عَلَىٰ مَا هَدَىٰكُمۡ وَلَعَلَّكُمۡ تَشۡكُرُونَ
The takbir for Eid al-Fitr starts once the month has ended (when the moon is sighted or thirty days are complete) and continues until the Eid prayer begins.
The wording. A well-known wording is reported from the Companion ʿAbdullah ibn Masʿud (رضي الله عنه):
اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ، وَاللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، اللَّهُ أَكْبَرُ، وَلِلَّهِ الْحَمْدُ
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illallāh, wallāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, wa lillāhil-ḥamd. Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, none has the right to be worshipped but Allah; Allah is the Greatest, Allah is the Greatest, and to Allah belongs all praise.
Source: Ibn Abi Shaybah, al-Muṣannaf, from Ibn Masʿud, who said it during the days of tashrīq (Book of Prayer, no. 5509 in the numbering used on sunnah.com). Its chain is authentic, and the scholars use this same wording for the takbir of both Eids.
Activity: the takbir card. Write the takbir on a card in large Arabic letters with the transliteration underneath. Practise it after Maghrib on the last night, then say it aloud together as you go out in the morning. Men and boys raise their voices; women and girls say it more quietly.
Activity: Zakat al-Fitr with the children. The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that Zakat al-Fitr be paid before the people go out to the prayer (al-Bukhari 1509). Let the children help measure out the food or hand over the payment, and explain that it is so the poor can enjoy Eid too. Do it in the last days of Ramadan so it is not rushed.
Eid morning
1. Ghusl. ʿAbdullah ibn ʿUmar (رضي الله عنهما) used to do ghusl on the day of al-Fitr before going out to the prayer place (Muwatta Malik, Book 10, Hadith 2 on sunnah.com). Make it part of the morning routine: towels and clean clothes laid out the night before, a checklist on the bathroom door.
2. Best clothes. ʿUmar (رضي الله عنه) brought a cloak to the Prophet (ﷺ) and said: “Take it and adorn yourself with it during the Eid and when the delegations visit you.” The Prophet (ﷺ) refused it only because it was silk (al-Bukhari 948). Imam al-Bukhari placed this hadith under the chapter heading “The two Eids, and adorning oneself for them.” Let the children choose their outfits the night before. Girls and women go out modestly, without perfume.
3. Dates before the prayer. “Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) never proceeded (for the prayer) on the Day of Eid al-Fitr unless he had eaten some dates,” and he ate them in an odd number (al-Bukhari 953). Young children love this: put out a small plate and let each child count out one, three or five.
4. Everyone goes out. Umm ʿAṭiyyah (رضي الله عنها) said: “We used to be ordered to come out on the Day of Eid and even bring out the virgin girls from their houses and menstruating women so that they might stand behind the men and say takbir along with them and invoke Allah along with them” (al-Bukhari 971). Take the whole family, including the little ones, to the prayer place.
5. Go one way, return another. “On the Day of Eid the Prophet (ﷺ) used to return (after offering the Eid prayer) through a way different from that by which he went” (al-Bukhari 986).
Activity: the two-route map. Older children can draw a simple map of your neighbourhood and mark the route there and the different route home. On the way back, greet neighbours and give out small gift bags.
The rest of the day
- No fasting today. The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade fasting on the day of Eid al-Fitr and the day of Eid al-Adha (al-Bukhari 1990). Explain to the children that eating today is itself obedience to Allah.
- Visit family and give gifts. Prepare small gift bags in advance: dates, a little money, a book or a free printable such as our Islamic Geometric Pattern Coloring Page or a Dua of the Day Card.
- Keep the joy wholesome. Games, good food, a picnic or a walk. Keep the celebration free of music.
- Write an Eid memory. At bedtime, each child writes or draws (no faces or animals) one thing they loved about the day. Keep the pages in a folder and read last year’s before the next Eid.
After Eid: the six days of Shawwal
“He who observed the fast of Ramadan and then followed it with six (fasts) of Shawwal, it would be as if he fasted perpetually” (Muslim 1164). Older children who fasted Ramadan can try one or two of these days with you.
Eid morning checklist for kids
- Say the takbir from the night before until the prayer
- Zakat al-Fitr paid before the prayer
- Ghusl
- Best clean clothes
- Eat an odd number of dates
- Go to the prayer place with the whole family
- Come home a different way
- Visit family and give gifts
Frequently asked questions
What is the authentic Eid takbir?
Allāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, lā ilāha illallāh, wallāhu akbar, Allāhu akbar, wa lillāhil-ḥamd, reported from Ibn Masʿud in the Muṣannaf of Ibn Abi Shaybah (no. 5509 on sunnah.com) with an authentic chain. It is also reported from Ibn Masʿud with Allāhu akbar said three times at the start (see IslamQA 36442).
When does the takbir for Eid al-Fitr start and end?
It starts when Ramadan ends, on the night before Eid, and continues until the imam begins the Eid prayer.
Why do we eat dates before the Eid al-Fitr prayer?
Because the Prophet (ﷺ) did not go out on Eid al-Fitr until he had eaten dates, in an odd number (al-Bukhari 953). It also shows that the fasting has ended, since fasting on Eid is forbidden (al-Bukhari 1990).
Should young children go to the Eid prayer?
Yes. Even girls who normally stayed at home, and women who were not praying, were told to come out for Eid (al-Bukhari 971). Bring snacks and something quiet for the little ones.
What are good Eid activities for kids that avoid music and images?
Saying the takbir together, counting dates, helping with Zakat al-Fitr, drawing the two-route map, making gift bags, colouring geometric designs, and visiting family. Our free printables contain no images of living beings.
For the month before Eid, see our Ramadan activities for kids and our Ramadan planner for mums.
May Allah accept from us and from you. Ameen.
