Check it Out!: A Black Book of Colours

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

I posted about this book,  The Black Book of Colors on my other blog, The Well Read Muslim, a while ago.

I will not go into any detail about this book and what this concept can possibly do for Muslim children who are blind as I spoke to that aspect of the book on The Well Read Muslim. But, what I will say here is that if you have a child who is blind or is a tactile learner (or any other type of learner), this is a book worth checking out from your local library insha'Allaah.

A picture book intended for blind and sighted children, it gives sighted children a unique opportunity to experience storytelling the way a blind child would: through their sense of touch. The illustrations are embossed (raised) and set against a completely black background so you cannot see them unless you hold them at a certain angle up to the light. But no, you can see them: with your fingers. A child can close his/her eyes and 'see' the pictures with their sense of touch subhana'Allaah.

The story is written for children ages 4 to 8 but I see no reason why an infant or young toddler who is blind could not be invited to enjoy feeling this book as his/her mother or father reads it aloud to him/her.

The next time you're at your local library, check the shelf and if they have 'A Black Book of Colours'...check it out insha'Allaah!

Alphabet Wrist-Bands

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This Arabic letter activity is a fun way to help reinforce what students have been learning about the letter you have been teaching. This is an alphabet wrist band. 

Students are given a strip (printed on cardstock for durability) with the letter of the week and pictures that start with that letter. They are invited to colour their wrist bands and then the teacher/parent uses a hole-puncher to make two holes at each end of the band. With a small piece of yarn, secure the wrist-band to the child's right wrist.

Print and cut out large cards that show the same pictures that are on the wrist band. Hide them around the classroom/your home and invite students to tell you when they happen upon a picture card that matches a picture on their wrist band. When they point out the card, ask them what the picture shows and what letter it begins with. If they are correct, you can choose to place a star sticker on their wrist band (you may wish to ask the child if they want their sticker on the inside of the wristband so the letters and pictures are not obscured).

To add a level of difficulty, include pictures that start with the letter you are studying but are not on the wrist bands but students are familiar with insha'Allaah. See if students can accurately identify that the other pictures they find also start with the letter you are studying. Again, if you wish to give a sticker when the student finds and accurately identifies the picture and its beginning sound, this is at your discretion.

*If your child(ren) are small enough, you can glue the wrist bands onto empty toilet paper rolls and then cut the rolls so that each band is already round. Then just use the hole-punch to make two holes at opposite ends of the band.*

If you wish to use the band and cards for the letter Kaaf, you can download them below insha'Allaah. The file for a class has 7 wrist bands on the page and one set of picture cards. The file for the small group has 3 bands and the picture cards. The words on the picture cards and their pronunciation can be found on the harf (letter) Kaaf postcard.

Harf Kaaf Wrist Bands & Cards (Class or Large Group)

Harf Kaaf Wrist Bands & Cards (Small Group)

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Giveaway Winner!: Easy Doll Sewing Kit

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
                 

to all who entered the giveaway!

The winner of the Smart Ark Easy Doll Sewing Kit is....

Number 3 is sister Umm Muhammad K.
Mubarak dear sis!

Sis Umm Muhammad K. please contact me providing the postal address

where you would like your Easy Doll Sewing kit mailed

using the link on the right hand side of the page insha'Allaah.

Arabic Alphabet Memory Games (all letters)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

In addition to the Kaaf Activity book, I also made a Kaaf memory game for toddlers to play insha'Allaah.

So much fun was had that I decided to make a memory game for each letter of the Arabic alphabet. These games are also a great way to reinforce/re-teach the names of the colours for young toddlers who are just learning this (i.e. the colours). For the game pictured, I just printed the cards and then glued them to the back of a box that had a colourful pattern on it. Each game has 8 cards in the set (each letter in the same colour twice). When introducing memory to toddlers, I usually start with 4 cards and increase them as the child begins to grasp the concept and comfortably plays the game. Here are all of the games to download insha'Allaah:

Alif Memory Game

Baa Memory Game

Ta Memory Game

Tha Memory Game

Jeem Memory Game

Haa Memory Game

Khaa Memory Game

Daal Memory Game

Dhaal Memory Game

Raa Memory Game

Zay Memory Game

Seen Memory Game

Sheen Memory Game

Saad Memory Game

Daad Memory Game

Taa Memory Game

Thaa Memory Game

Ayn Memory Game

Ghayn Memory Game

Faa Memory Game

Qaaf Memory Game

Kaaf Memory Game

Laam Memory Game

Meem Memory Game

Noon Memory Game

Ha 1 (looks like circle) Memory Game

Ha 2 Memory Game

Waw Memory Game

Yaa Memory Game

These can be used along with the Arabic Letter Postcards and Alphabet Activity Books too insha'Allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Together We Read: January

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Normally I post Together We Read on the 15th of each month and this month is late. My apologies.Aside from being late, this is a very lite Together We Read post and perhaps before the month is finished I will update this post insha'Allaah.

For January, we read (and re-read) Rub-a-Dub Sub. This is a delightfully fun (and funny) book that toddlers, pre-school children and kindergarten children may enjoy so much that you may find yourself re-reading it to the point of memorization...*smile*

I made one activity to go along with this book: Rub-a-Dub-Sub Rhyming word cards.

The rhyming words from the story are included plus other rhyming words such as: pray, way, and day. A page of blank submarines is included in the file to allow teachers/students to come up with their own rhyming words too insha'Allaah. If you'd like these cards in black and white, please leave a comment and insha'Allaah, I will try to upload a set.You can find an ocean matching game for this book here and a submaze for the book here insha'Allaah.

If you read a book this month and did an activity related to it with your child, we'd enjoy reading about it insha'Allaah. Please do share by linking up to this post on your blog insha'Allaah (see below).The linky for this book will remain open until February 15, 2011, if you'd like to read this book, do an activity and then share with us insha'Allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Alphabet Activity Books

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

This is an alphabet activity book that children can assemble in class and then take home at the end of the day and/or they can be used in homeschools too insha'Allaah.

 

Within the book, the teacher/parent-teacher can choose different activities that relate to the letter that is being studied and invite children to do the activities as an extension to the lesson covered in class or these little books can be great school-to-home resources. This will allow parents to see what their child learned in class that day and help him/her continue to practice working with the letter featured in the book.

Teachers/parent-teachers can decide which activities they wish to present to their child(ren) and include them in the book. Above, this is a pattern card and a letter identification board. Both the boards and the game pieces are covered with clear adhesive paper so the children can use stickers to mark the correct letters and they can use the pattern board repeatedly with minimal damage insha'Allaah. This book (pictured above) is more suited to a homeschool setting as it is time consuming to laminate boards for an entire class.

Here, the pieces that relate to the focus of the day are in the book and the remaining pieces are stored in a plastic bag that can be placed inside of the book when done insha'Allaah.

 When children are finished with their books, they pack them away and prepare them for transport home insha'Allaah or for homeschools, the children pack them away to be stored in their designated place insha'Allaah.

To assemble the books is quite easy (if you are not laminating the pieces).

1). You can either print the book template out and glue it to a folder (as pictured) or simply leave it on the printed paper (this is best for classrooms).  Cut the book template out.

2). Fold the book in half along the line and then fold the bottom flap along the dotted line. Glue the bottom flap closed at the ends only to create the pocket.

3). If you are using cards that require matching (like above) glue the game card templates into the book. This way the students know where to place each game piece that must be matched. In this book, the top box (the smallest) has words that are part of our word work this week. A word card is placed in the box and the student must find the card whose picture and sentence matches the word card. But be sure that the child glues the boxes on the correct side of the activity book *smile*.

4). If you choose to glue your book on to cardstock or a similar material you may wish to consider using velcro circles to keep the book closed. If you leave it on the regular printing paper, I do not believe this step is needed.

5). You can mount the activity/game cards on cardstock/cardboard if you wish but this is optional.

These types of books are very easy to make but the assembly time depends on how many activities you include. As I am typing this, I think you can also find these on lapbooking sites too! I do not recall where I've seen a similar type but I remember it was very cute but different from this one.

A quick Google search is sure to turn up good results insha'Allaah and if you'd like to use the template I made for this book, you can download it here (this is a blank template for you to use however you'd like) insha'Allaah. These also compliment the Arabic Letter Post Cards if you use those in your alphabet units.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Postcard: Harf Kaaf

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, this is the postcard for the letter Kaaf. I have stepped out of order momentarily (the next postcard would normally have been the letter saad) due to necessity but insha'Allaah, I will return to the sequence of the alphabet in the next Arabic Letters Postcard post.

Download Harf Kaaf postcard here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Check it Out: Starry Safari & Babies on the Go

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

The first book I'd like to suggest you check out is simply hilarious! Be warned, the end of the story may cause you to laugh out loud for several minutes. A surprising and delightfully funny ending that many children may be very familiar with.

Starry Safari is the story of a little boy who, in his bright red jeep, bravely encounters many wild animals while on safari. In the end, he runs into the 'King of the Jungle' and.......this is the ending that I will not spoil for you but will let you discover for yourself insha'Allaah *smile*. You can also download a Starry Safari matching game here, a Starry Safari circle game here, and a Starry Safari crossword puzzle here insha'Allaah.

The next book, by the same author Linda Ashman, has a different tone. Loving and gentle,

Babies on the Go is a wonderful story for babies and toddlers.

From the day they are born, babies, human and animal, are transported by their mothers (and fathers) in various ways. This story explores the ways human babies and animal babies get from place to place in an endearing manner. The illustrations are delightful and their gentleness matches the story very well.

Both books can be found on Amazon

 

But you're local library is a great place to start enjoying these two fun and delightful books. So, the next time you're at the library, check the shelves for Starry Safari and Babies on the Go and Check Them Out insha'Allaah!

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Did you enter the Smart Ark Giveaway? If not, click here to enter insha'Allaah!

Giveaway! - Easy Doll Sewing Kit

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, the next giveaway was featured in this product review a few days ago and now you can enter to win an Easy Doll Sewing Kit from Smart Ark.com insha'Allaah!

This doll is very easy to sew 

and little girls may find this little Muslimah doll is a wonderful companion.

 The doll is soft and fluffy and it's machine washable too masha'Allaah.

Alhamdulillaah, some sisters already submitted their entries in the product review and I will count those when the drawing is done (in the order that they were submitted/posted) insha'Allaah.

This giveaway opens today, January 20, 2011, and will close on January 26, 2011, at midnight Google time insha'Allaah. To enter, leave a comment briefly mentioning how you think your child may involve this adorable doll in her playtime fun. The winner will be selected by Random.org and the winning entry will be announced on January 27, 2011, insha'Allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Islamic Storytime Cards

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

I made these cards last year for students to use during circle time (and I forgot to share them here subhana'Allaah...*smile*). These Islamic Storytime Cards help children practice public speaking and help children practice new and familiar vocabulary words. They also help children learn to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings appropriately insha'Allaah.

There are 36 cards in this set, each with a different sentence.

Cut out each card and store all cards in any container that is convenient for you insha'Allaah.

On each card an incomplete sentence/thought is presented for a child to complete. These cards focus on Islamic concepts and students are invited to complete sentences such as:

- If I could tell the world one thing about Islaam, it would be....

- When I wear the hijab I....

- The Qur'aan...

Storytime cards can be placed into a bag, box, or container and during circle time students pick a card (one student at a time). If the child(ren) is/are not able to read all of the words on the card, the teacher reads the card for the child. The child keeps the card with him/her while they are verbally continuing the thought/idea on the card. When they have finished speaking, teachers (or parents and siblings in homeschool settings) comment briefly or have a brief discussion on what the student said. The teacher tells each student 'Jazakullaah/Jazakiallaahu khayr for sharing that with us' or something similar to help the student understand that his/her thoughts are appreciated and valued.

These cards can be used in classrooms, homeschools and even weekend Islamic Schools. You can design your own to match the needs of your students insha'Allaah. The cards in this set are intentionally geared toward lower elementary students but many of the prompts can be used with children as old as ten years.

One of the primary things that students must understand is that they are free to express their thoughts and feelings in Islamically appropriate ways. They must know that when they are speaking they will not be interrupted, made fun of, or questioned about why they feel the way they do, think that, etc. When the child is done speaking, if a thought has been expressed that does require correction, this is the teacher's/parent's role and not the other students. Other students may (briefly) contribute their thoughts such as, "I used to feel that way too until I moved to a new school' or something similar.

Storytime cards are excellent ways to incorporate Islaam with literacy in the classroom and the home. Families can take turns picking cards and each family member can continue the sentence/thought/idea on the card and the family can discuss afterward insha'Allaah.

Download Islamic Storytime Cards here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

And drop by tomorrow to enter another Smart Ark Giveaway insha'Allaah!

Smart Ark Easy Doll Sewing Kit (Product Review)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Smart Ark.com recently released an Easy Doll Sewing Kit for children 12 and older. This product is being reviewed here due to the fact that this might make a delightful gift for a child 3 years and older once it is sewn.

In this product review I will, insha'Allaah, mention a few things I found to be very commendable about the product and anything that I felt I would like to see modified, perhaps in the next version insha'Allaah. And at the end of this post, there is a surprise from Smart Ark for the readers of 'A Muslim Child is Born'!

Admittedly, I cannot be called upon to give any insight into projects that require a needle, thread, or a sewing machine. Other than my recent dabbling with felt food I have no sewing credits to my name and before receiving the Easy Doll Sewing Kit, I had yet to attempt anything more complicated than simple felt food. However, this doll sewing kit is appropriately named - it is indeed easy. All of the materials that your child will need to sew this doll are included in the box and the assembly is made smooth and nearly flawless by the pamphlet that guides you through the process step by step.

Of the things I liked about this product are:

1. 1. The doll depicts a young Muslim girl.  I truly believe it is important for children to see themselves reflected in the books they read and in toys they play with. For children not growing up in Muslim societies, toys such as this one can help a child gain a sense of importance and help the child feel that their Religion is valued and that it counts.
2. 2. Everything needed to assemble the doll is included. The excitement children experience upon seeing a new toy can often be dampened when you open the box and discover that, "Batteries [are] Not Included" or the really amazing part pictured with the toy is "sold separately".  There isn't even a need to search the house looking for the proper sized needle as all of the tools needed are all in the kit.
3. A growing number of parents prefer not to purchase toys that require no real work on the part of the child's brain. Toys that 'beep' and 'flash' continue to be criticized because the child is not required to do anything. Children sit passively while the toy entertains them but the child's brain is often not stimulated in a way that encourages intellectual growth...waallaahu a'lam. For parents who share this concern, toys that engage the child's senses, such as this one, are often sought. 
4. Sewing is an excellent fine motor skill activity and it also helps children learn to concentrate on a task for long periods of time. It is very nice for a child to have a project that accomplishes the aforementioned goals and is also Islamic.
5. If your child is a beginning sewer, this doll can inspire the confidence needed to pick up the needle for another project as the simple,clear instructions make success highly likely by the Permission of Allaah. If your child is an experienced sewer, this would be a nice gift for him/her to sew and present as a gift to a younger sibling.
6. The fabric is durable and machine washable. 
7. The doll does not require days of work to complete. Depending on your child's skill level and stamina, this doll can be started and finished within hours insha'Allaah!

One difficulty I had with the Easy Doll Sewing Kit can be attributed to my nearly non-existent sewing skills and not to the product itself. To sew the doll, the kit recommends using a back stitch. I had no idea what that was..lol...but to save you from making the mistakes I made insha'Allaah, you can see a quick (and really easy explanation) of how to do this stitch here. The stitch, and the manner in which one would do it, is pictured in the pamphlet but for a person with no sewing knowledge, I was unsure if I properly understood how to execute the stitch.

I also found that for a novice sewer, a bit more instruction on the amount of thread that will be needed would be helpful. The kit comes with an impressive amount of sturdy thread but I was not sure how I was to thread the needle with it. I ended up doubling the thread (to ensure it would hold the fabric together as it appears to be very durable masha'Allaah) and then feared I would run out of thread and not have enough to complete the doll. However, this again may be due to my lack of sewing knowledge. The package does say that a parent should supervise the project but I wondered for a parent who has no sewing knowledge, might this cause them a bit of confusion too? Allaahu a'lam. 

Even with that confusion, I still managed to end up with a really cute doll masha'Allaah!

The doll I sewed came out pretty much just like the doll pictured on the Smart Ark Website alhamdulillaah!

Yet another beautiful product from Smart Ark.com for your children to enjoy alhamdulillaah. You can purchase An Easy Doll Sewing Kit directly from Smart Ark or....you can come back to 'A Muslim Child is Born' on January  20, 2011, and enter to win one insha'Allaah! Smart Ark has generously donated An Easy Doll Sewing Kit to be given away to one reader insha'Allaah.

Unfortunately, due to the excessive shipping times right now, I will have to open this giveaway to Canadian and U.S. residence only (unless you do not mind that it may take up to a month to receive the kit - if this is the case, you are most welcome to enter insha'Allaah).

Enjoy insha'Allaah and Jazakum Allaahu Khayran Smart Ark!

The Facial Features on Childrens' Dolls (clarification)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah a sister emailed me asking about the post regarding the type of permissible dolls for children. Barak Allaahu feha, she asked about the features on the dolls and if they (i.e. the facial features on them) were to be removed. I thought that her question (and its' answer) may also be beneficial to others as well insha'Allaah. Ash-Shaykh ibn-Uthaymeen was asked:

Question: since we're not allowed to make images of humans and animals, should children be allowed to play with toys in the shape of humans or animals?

Answer:

Praise be to Allaah.  

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: 

With regard to those in which the shape is incomplete, in which there is only a part of the limbs or head, but the shape is not clear, there is no doubt that these are permissible, and these are like the dolls with which ‘Aa’ishah used to play. (Narrated in al-Bukhaari, 6130; Muslim, 2440). 

But if the shape is complete, and it is as if you are looking at a person – especially if it can move or speak – then I am not entirely at ease with the idea of them being permissible, because this is a complete imitation of the creation of Allaah. It seems that the dolls with which ‘Aa’ishah used to play were not like this, so it is preferable to avoid them. But I cannot say that they are definitely haraam, because there are concessions granted to young children that are not granted to adults in such matters. It is natural for young children to play and have fun, they are not obliged to do any of the acts of worship so we cannot say that that they are wasting their time in idle play. But if a person wants to be on the safe side in such matters, he should cut off the head or hold it near the fire until it softens, then he should press it until the features disappear. 

Majmoo’ Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him), 2/277-278

Remember Allaah (Book 9)

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, this is book 9 for Umm Maimoonah's pre-school Islamic Studies Curriculum.

The focus of this book is to teach children various ad'iya (pl. of dua') that we say throughout our day. Children also have practice correctly sequencing the steps of the salat (i.e. Qiyam, ruku, etc.). There is also a small activity to help children demonstrate their understanding of what we say in different situations (i.e. when we see something that is pretty, astounding, etc.).

You may also find the beautiful photo gallery on this site helpful in teaching children to glorify Allaah.With your child, you can view the gallery and discuss what we might say for each picture (alhamdulillaah there are no faces of people or animals in any of the pictures) and discuss what in the picture caused the child to choose that particular word. For example, if the child says, "Masha'Allaah!" you may ask "What did you see in this picture that made you say masha'Allaah?" Invite the child to discuss the beauty in Allaah's Creation that caused them to exclaim 'masha'Allaah'.

Download 'Remember Allaah' (Book 9) here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Another Easy Math Activity

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Sometimes you buy or receive something that at that moment, you're not quite sure how you'll use it. But later an idea comes to mind and alhamdulillaah, you find that what may have been intended for you, may be better used by your students/children. Here is an example:

A wooden pot holder is turned into a math game. I made cards showing different patterns and using marbles, children can choose cards and complete the patterns on the pot holder with the marbles.

Here a small book was used to cover four rows and as the child completed a row, he/she uncovered the next row of circles. This helps the child go through each row one at a time if he/she is having trouble completing the pattern with marbles on the pot holder.

Perhaps children can even play a game of five in a row (instead of four in a row because this particular pot holder has 5 rows with 5 holes in each row).

Easy math that cost less than $2.00 to make (printing the cards)! This can be placed in your learning centre and children can complete the cards individually or two children can play five in a row together insha'Allaah.

The Type of Dolls that are Permisble to Play with

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Question: Is it permissible for little girls to play with baby dolls? Some parents say that these are images or could be used as idols. This is what is commonly mentioned in America in relation to these types of toys such as the Barbie dolls, and here in Saudi Arabia they have what is called the Fula dolls which could probably be better because she is a Muslim, she has a khimaar, a jilbaab and everything else. However, the point is that some parents remove the head from the doll and then give it to the child, making it undesirable for the child to play with as the child doesn't want to play with a doll without a head. Is this type of doll to be looked at as an idol or an image or something that is impermissible for the children to play with?

Answer: If this toy or doll is the type of doll which is magnified or glorified like 'China dolls' or dolls which the child is not allowed to touch - perhaps it is made from wood or glass or it is placed in a particular box or something like that, then this is something that is prohibited. This is what is prohibited.

As for the baby doll that is in the form of a girl or a boy or like this, and it is something that the child plays with and which the child throws around; something that you may find lying on the ground and the child picks it up and plays with it; then there is nothing wrong with this. `A'ishah رضي الله عنها had a toy horse with two wings which she used to play with; the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم acknowledged this and he never stopped her from playing with it. This is not the type of image/form which is prohibited in Islaam. The image/form that is prohibited is the one that is magnified or glorified and the one that no one should touch or play with. It may be in the form of a man or woman or like this. As for the toy that the child plays with, there is nothing wrong with it; it is not haraam because it is for children.

The Shaykh حفظه الله added to this, that the legislation of Islaam has prohibited taking dogs as pets and has prohibited pigs from being eaten or taken as pets as it is itself something that is najis (impure). Due to this, it is not permissible to play with toys in the image/form of a pig, a dog or anything that the legislation of Islaam has prohibited. This is not appropriate. However, if it is in the form of a lion, a camel or any animal which Islaam has not prohibited then this is okay.

Answered by: Shaykh Wasiullaah 'Abbaas

Title of Lecture: As-Seerah an-Nabawiyyah

Date of the Lecture: January 30th, 2007

Source: http://www.albaseerah.org/

Postcard: Harf Sheen

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Alhamdulillaah, here is the postcard for the letter Sheen:

Download Harf Sheen postcard here insha'Allaah

Enjoy insha'Allaah!

Easy To Make Toddler Math Activities

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Here are two activities for children ages 2-5 that are very easy to make at home.

The first is can be used as an extension to the Montessori Knobbed Cylinders:

Photo Credit: Creative Commons ©Jess and Colin

Knobbed Cylinders are a Montessori tool used to help children explore and learn about dimension.

Knobbless cylinder materials such as the one below are sometimes used as an extension to the knobbed cylinders (these are also available in wood). You will note however, in the video below that demonstrates how to present the knobbed cylinders, having knobbed cylinders in varying colours presents an obstacle for the child whom you want to focus on size. The fact that colour is present can be a distraction for the child; his/her attention may end up being drawn to not only the size of the materials but the colour as well.

Here, a piece of cardstock with red circles in various sizes, and from smallest to largest, is presented to the child with the matching pieces in a box on the right hand side.

*If you are teaching a child to read in English, you would have the box on the left hand side as English is read left to right.*

The child is invited to match the circle (pieces) to the circles on the strip of cardstock.

*There two things to note when using this activity: the Control of Error that is naturally in the Knobbed Cylinders (pictured above) is almost removed in this activity. The child cannot 'feel' when they have incorrectly matched a circle to the one on the strip, therefore it may be difficult for them to self-correct. For this reason, I showed the child how to compare the circles by placing a circular piece under the circle on the strip to see if they matched. Additionally, a child cannot note depth, length or height using the above activity.*

I would not suggest using knobbless cylinders above as the primary tool for teaching children about size/dimension, but as an extension, these might be enjoyed by children. They are also easy to make on your home computer using MSWord or similar programs. Those pictured were downloaded free and I have searched and searched for the link but it appears the site that had them either no longer offers them as a free download or no longer exists because I can only find these as a download to purchase subhana'Allaah.

The second activity helps children match objects to their outlines:

You can add a degree of difficulty to the activity by tracing only half of the object and invite the child to match the object to the partial outline.

To make this all you will need is a shoe box, 8 squares of blank white paper (identical in size), onto which you will trace the shapes' outlines and partial outlines, and four objects whose outlines are easily recognizable. Simply trace the outline of each object on to a separate piece of paper and on the remaining four pieces of paper trace only half of the object's outline (for each object).

You would line up each of the first four pieces of paper that show the complete outline of each object, in random order (do not have the other four pieces of paper with the partial outlines in the box when you are presenting the child with the complete outlines). Take the objects out of the box one at a time and show the child how to compare the object to each outline to find its match. Slowly compare each object before placing it on the correct outline. Repeat this for each object. Once you've matched all four objects, place them back into the box along with the papers. Invite the child to do the activity insha'Allaah.

Once the child has shown mastery of matching objects with complete outlines you can introduce the partial outlines in the same manner above. Be sure that you only have the pieces of paper that have partial outlines on them in the box when presenting them.

Both of these activities are relatively simple to make and require very few materials, all of which can be found in the home insha'Allaah.

Enjoy insha'Allaah!