Ramadan Craft Activity # 8

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

Picking up from the Ramadan craft activities from previous years alhamdulillaah, here is a simple craft for children 4 and 5/6 years old. 

This little gift box is easy to make, and when done your child can fill the box with dates and/or sweets and give the box away to a family member, friend, or neighbour in'shaa Allaah.

Here is what you will need to make the box in'shaa Allaah:

1. An empty square box.
2. Black, white, red, yellow, and green construction paper. 
3. Construction paper in any colour that your child chooses, for the sign. 
4. A plastic straw.
5. Two toy cars - make sure they are cars that your child won't mind having glued to the box and given away. 
6. Glue (a glue stick and liquid glue).
7. Scotch or packing tape.

How to make the gift box:

• Prepare the streets first (depending on the age of the child). Measure the box and cars to see how long and wide your streets need to be.  Make sure you leave enough space in one corner to insert the straw. Also, be sure to measure and prepare the streets for both the lid and the sides of the box at the same time (i.e. if you measure and prepare the streets for the lid only first, once the child has glued the streets to the lid, he or she will have to wait while you measure and prepare the streets for the side of the box. Have all streets prepared in advance.)
• Cut out the black construction paper to make the streets and then use the white construction paper to make the small lines for the middle of the street. 
• Invite the child to glue the streets to the top/lid of the box, using the glue stick. Allow to dry. 
• While the streets are drying, invite the child to glue the streets on to the side of the box. Allow to dry. 
• Prepare the streets lights ahead of time as well, for young children. Use the black, red, yellow and green construction paper to make the stop lights. Invite the child to glue the stop lights on to the side of the box with the glue stick. 
• When the box top/lid has dried, make a hole in the corner of the lid (THIS PART/STEP CANNOT BE COMPLETED BY THE CHILD). Cut the plastic straw to the appropriate length and invite the child to insert the straw into the hole. Place the lid on the box to make sure the straw will not prevent the lid from closing completely. Once verified, put liquid glue around the base of the straw on the inside of the lid and on the outside of the lid. Allow to dry. 
• While the lid is drying again, invite the child to make his or her road sign using construction paper. When the sign is ready, have the child write the words, "Race to do good deeds" on the sign.
• When the lid is dry, place the sign on the straw and secure it with a piece of scotch or packing tape (see picture below). 
  
• Using the liquid glue, put a dab of glue (about the size of a dime, depending on the size of your cars) on the bottom of the car. *You may need to put the glue on the wheels of the cars if the bottom of the cars are not low enough to touch the lid of the box. In this case, you will use less glue.*  
• Allow the glue on the cars to dry and fill the box with dates/sweets and give the box away! 

Benefit and Enjoy In'shaa Allaah!