Suggestions For Islamic Youth Activities

[Mysterious secrets 124]

(bismillah)

 

(salam) ,

 

InshAllah you are well!

 

I wanted to open up a thread in which we can share ideas about how we can encourage the youth to WANT to become practicing Muslims in a place where Islamic teachings are either scarce or nonexistent. There are so many theories about how to go about this roaming around the internet and speech but very little 'practical' ideas that have been implemented in community centers and/or mosques in the West. Having said that, what kind of fun activities have you done ( or think could be done) to teach shia Islam whilst making it engaging for youth/young adults who really feel 'forced' to be there?

 

Here are a few ideas that I've come across by either consulting or practicing:

 

-Organizing a theatrical plays/movies about an Islamic teaching or history

-Islamic Book reading club

-Creating a question and answer competitions like jeopardy between two groups  

-painting projects regarding islamic events

-molding clay into historical islamic events

-photo/video/art contests 

-teaching kids about charity by helping them make their personalized piggy banks

-keeping a 'kind acts' and 'sins' (the sins should be personal not for sharing) diary / or jar to be more creative---personalizing the jar or notebook could be another activity

-making 'ya hossain' headbands

-Islamic sleepover retreats

-islamic movie nights

-making a piñata  with written 'sin's on it, so when you hit it, you are 'symbolically' hitting away the sins

- having a sisters panel to discuss hejab and the youth insecurities about it

- skyping/google hangout speakers from around the nation or globe

-making 12 groups to research facts about the 12 imams, then to present their findings on small posters. collectively binding that into a book about the Ahlul bait as. 

-Giving water/hot chocolate out during ashura

-Repeating quranic verses for students to memorize& quran competitions 

-teaching about eating halal/haram by having a game where they have to add the feather on the turkeys tail while being blindfolded--the activity's introduction could be a mini speech about halal meat?  

-making a massive paper tree and having the youth to write things that they are thankful for on separate leaves

-s c r a p booking 

-having mini lectures given by members of the community & provide snacks

-have sporting events as a means to bond

-drawing/crafting/baking/cooking etc. workshops as a means to bond

-making a family tree of the Ahlul Bait as whilst telling stories

-having a friday or sunday school AND inviting parents for a mini parent-teacher conferences once a semester

-creating a youth/young adult committee

-creating a point system where youth can receive prizes for rewards

-writing poetry given certain key words

-taking the youth/young adult to the zoo/ice skating etc to bring compassion 

-Canned good drive to the homeless

-volunteering at Elderly homes 

-writing letters to self about self improvements to be handed back to the individuals a year later

-making an islamic activities diary to pass along the next generation

-translating islamic text as a group

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

updating the list based on thread responses:

 

-bake sale

-Essay competition- [Give the youth a topic and ask them to compose an essay of a certain number of words. Have three judges from adults who will choose the three best essays. Have the three winners read their essay aloud to everyone. Award them with small prizes. Give a small gift to everyone who participated. Talk about having the same event in the future and hoping to make it an annual event.]

A movie night [would be really good for teenagers if you could find an engaging way to criticize and look at a movie Islamically. If content is an issue, there are places where you can purchase edited versions of movies that have been edited for broadcast television.]  

 

If you are a parent, teacher or anyone with a creative mind, I would love to have your input to implement such activities at our youth/young adult Islamic centers someday inshAllah. Please keep adding to the list. It could be a good parenting guide for all of us.

 

jazakAllah khairan & thanks so much in advance!

 

Mysterious secrets

Edited December 1, 2014 by hameedeh
OP request to edit.

[Reza 11,275]

You forgot bake sale!!!!

[Mysterious secrets 124]

You forgot bake sale!!!!

i have such a.... non-creative mind! thank you !

[Hameedeh 20,173]

Essay competition. Give the youth a topic and ask them to compose an essay of a certain number of words. Have three judges from adults who will choose the three best essays. Have the three winners read their essay aloud to everyone. Award them with small prizes. Give a small gift to everyone who participated. Talk about having the same event in the future and hoping to make it an annual event.

[Mysterious secrets 124]

Essay competition. Give the youth a topic and ask them to compose an essay of a certain number of words. Have three judges from adults who will choose the three best essays. Have the three winners read their essay aloud to everyone. Award them with small prizes. Give a small gift to everyone who participated. Talk about having the same event in the future and hoping to make it an annual event.

Perfect! JazakAllah khairan!

[Saintly_Jinn23 1,222]

A movie night would be really good for teenagers if you could find an engaging way to criticize and look at a movie Islamically. If content is an issue, there are places where you can purchase edited versions of movies that have been edited for broadcast television. I know that's where a lot of church youth groups get some of their copies of popular movies that are too rated R in their original forms. But either way, it would probably be a fun experience for young Muslims to get together and watch a movie and bring questions to ask while they watch it, then afterwards have a kind of round table discussion on how the movie relates to them. If you want some recommendations for classic cinema or popular media to watch, I'm definitely your guy. However, if you plan on airing a movie that isn't public domain, you may need to look into public viewing restrictions in place due to copyright laws. But I think that would be great for young Muslims to develop both an appreciation for Western cinema on the one hand and finding common cultural links between themselves as Shi'a or Muslims and American society or maybe help them learn how to intellectually break down a story.

 

Good simple questions like: What kind of message is this story trying to tell us? What sort of feeling does the writer or director want us to walk away with? What events in the life of Ahlul Bayt or the saints and prophets of God reveal similar truths as those which the film is trying to express? If you're watching something that expresses a particular religious worldview, you may want to ask questions of how the themes and concepts relate or don't relate to Islam or Shi'ism.

[Mysterious secrets 124]

A movie night would be really good for teenagers if you could find an engaging way to criticize and look at a movie Islamically. If content is an issue, there are places where you can purchase edited versions of movies that have been edited for broadcast television. I know that's where a lot of church youth groups get some of their copies of popular movies that are too rated R in their original forms. But either way, it would probably be a fun experience for young Muslims to get together and watch a movie and bring questions to ask while they watch it, then afterwards have a kind of round table discussion on how the movie relates to them. If you want some recommendations for classic cinema or popular media to watch, I'm definitely your guy. However, if you plan on airing a movie that isn't public domain, you may need to look into public viewing restrictions in place due to copyright laws. But I think that would be great for young Muslims to develop both an appreciation for Western cinema on the one hand and finding common cultural links between themselves as Shi'a or Muslims and American society or maybe help them learn how to intellectually break down a story.

 

Good simple questions like: What kind of message is this story trying to tell us? What sort of feeling does the writer or director want us to walk away with? What events in the life of Ahlul Bayt or the saints and prophets of God reveal similar truths as those which the film is trying to express? If you're watching something that expresses a particular religious worldview, you may want to ask questions of how the themes and concepts relate or don't relate to Islam or Shi'ism.

salaam

 

JazakAllah khairan! MashAllah! Absolutely loveeee this idea about movies!! I did a similar thing in the class that I was teaching with this short video. We broke down the Islamic &ethical perspectives of it:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPdqtktkZn0

Although it seemed rudimentary at first, it's amazing how many doors it opened up in regards to Islamic mannerism and topics !

 

It's a really neat idea you bring up about critically breaking down a movie to discuss and analyze it, both that it prepares youth intellectually as well as engages them to participate. Yess definitely in need of recommendations, which movies do you suggest? 

 

 

 

wait Oops I can't edit my main topic anymore? :( Admins? 

Edited November 24, 2014 by Mysterious secrets

[Hameedeh 20,173]

^ The homeless man has no shoes and he seems to shiver from the cold, but shares the food he has. Very touching video. Thank you for sharing that.

[Mysterious secrets 124]

salaam,

 

If you may please click on "Follow this Topic" button located on the very top right of this thread so that you can find it in "Content I Follow" portion of your name-scroll-down. This way if you think of something haphazardly in the future, you can post a response here inshAllah. 

 

jazakAllah khairan! 

[Mysterious secrets 124]

-Making group origami ! username jonakashima on youtube has loads of cool simple and straight forward ideas

 

-Hot glue gun stencil making---they could make "ya Hossain", "ya zahra" etc. stencils by first printing the desired design and placing it under wax paper. Draw the design with a hot glue gun and let it cool. safely remove the stencil from the wax paper & place on a blank sheet. you can spray paint over it like a stamp and be creative to make cards and paintings etc. Great example of a video here

 

- group work= provide small posters and markers & ask questions like "what does it mean to be 'shia' " -- then ask each group to present. This activity should not exceed 30 minutes. 

Edited December 1, 2014 by Mysterious secrets

[Hameedeh 20,173]

I'm following your topic. InshaAllah I will think of something to add here in the future. :)

[:Sami II 1,916]

hmmm , let's see now . suggestions  for our youth activities 

 

• ​respect and listen to their parents day 
• make your bed and clean up your room sessions 
• let's recite :Duas nights 
• stop always asking for pocket money stalls 
• stop driving parents crazy drives 
• bake a nice organic cake for mum event 
• get married and move out campaign 
• get a life and not play video games association

 

and finally my favourite 

 

prepare for :Al-Hujjat (as) and  be one of his 313 club 

 

ws

Edited December 7, 2014 by :Sami II

[Gotham 2,644]

I think having casual hang-out days at centers would be nice. There are some centers that have pancake breakfasts, barbecues, days where the brothers go out somewhere with the sheikh and just talk, stuff like that. I think the first thing centers should do is make youth feel welcome. Centers are for people of all levels of faith, so if you have events that don't necessarily have anything to with religion, but are more about being social, more people may be more interested in attending.

[Mysterious secrets 124]

I think having casual hang-out days at centers would be nice. There are some centers that have pancake breakfasts, barbecues, days where the brothers go out somewhere with the sheikh and just talk, stuff like that. I think the first thing centers should do is make youth feel welcome. Centers are for people of all levels of faith, so if you have events that don't necessarily have anything to with religion, but are more about being social, more people may be more interested in attending.

salaam,

 

I concur!

[Mysterious secrets 124]

besmellah 

salaam

 

Muharram Memories game:

 

It's so random that I thought of this! Islamic memory games that could be made for any event! In the following link I've attached a Muharram template if anyone would like to print and use it for their kids or/and group activities. I left it as a word doc so feel free to tailor it to your desired age group! I have also attached an answer sheet as well. 

 

Muharram Memories game Template to print:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ipfx8mszcgp1300/Memories%20of%20Muharram%20game-%20nkk.docx?dl=0

 

Instructions: Print and cut each square out, and with every question/blank there is an answer that matches it. After cutting the squares individually, flip them over so the words don't show, each contestant will pick two cards at random and try to match the correct answer with the question. If they match, they pick the two cards and keep them as points and take another bonus turn. If they mismatch, however, then they lose their turn and the next person picks his/her cards etc. At the end of the game, the person with the most matches wins! It can be played in a group or as an individual. 

 

I tried it out on a few teenagers today, some of them seemed to get pretty competitive and actually learned something new, alhamdolellah!  

Edited December 14, 2014 by Mysterious secrets