Ramadan is a happy month, and children enjoy it more when it does not arrive as a surprise. Rajab and Shaban are the two months before it. They are a good time to get kids ready for Ramadan with small steps that feel like play.
This guide gives the expected dates, a light plan for Rajab and a four-week plan for Shaban. It uses short surahs, duas and a countdown chart, and all of it is free. Treat it as a set of ideas to try, not a promise. It gives no religious rulings, so for a rule, ask your imam or teacher.
How Do You Get Kids Ready for Ramadan?
Start small in Rajab with a few minutes of Quran each day. In Shaban, add one short surah and one dua each week, and fill in a Ramadan countdown chart. Keep every step short and happy, and let your child help to plan it. By Ramadan, the habit should feel normal.
You can follow the plan even if you cannot read Arabic. You need a few minutes, a chart and a calm time of day. A teacher can hear the sounds and fix them. At home, you cheer your child on and keep the routine going.
When Do Rajab, Shaban and Ramadan 1448 Start?
These are expected dates, not final ones. We took them from the AlAdhan Islamic calendar converter, set to the Umm al-Qura method. A calendar like this is worked out in advance. The real first day of each month depends on moon sighting and on what your local mosque follows. It can differ by a day. Please ask your mosque shortly before each month. Here are the expected dates:
| Month | Expected first day | Day |
|---|---|---|
| Rajab 1448 | 10 December 2026 | Thursday |
| Shaban 1448 | 9 January 2027 | Saturday |
| Ramadan 1448 | 8 February 2027 | Monday |
Each month has 29 or 30 days. On this calendar, Rajab and Shaban both have 30, so Shaban ends on 7 February 2027. If your mosque starts a month a day later, move the dates in this guide by one day. Our guide, Ramadan 2027: expected dates and fasting hours by country, shows day-one times in 11 cities.
What Can Kids Do in Rajab?
Think of Rajab as the warm-up. Choose one small habit and keep it the same every day. The aim is a Quran time that your child knows and likes, before the busier weeks of Shaban begin.
We do not repeat popular sayings about special rewards in Rajab, because many of them are weak. Scholars also differ on some customs that people link to the month. If you have a question about this, ask your imam or teacher. A steady habit does not depend on any of it. Here are five easy steps for Rajab:
- Pick one time that never changes, such as after school or after dinner.
- Do 5 minutes of Quran. Your child can read, listen or say one ayah.
- Say Bismillah before meals, and add one dua that your child already knows.
- Put the free kids' Quran practice chart on the fridge, and colour one star a day.
- Make it fun. Let your child choose the sticker, the pen or the spot.
A Week-by-Week Shaban Plan for Kids
Shaban 1448 is expected to run from 9 January to 7 February 2027. Four weeks cover 9 January to 5 February, and the last two days are for rest and a family talk. Each week adds one small step to the last. The Quran column uses surahs from our guide to short surahs for kids. Here is the plan:
| Week | Quran | Dua and habit |
|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | Go over known surahs, 10 minutes a day. | Start the countdown chart. Say Bismillah before meals. |
| Week 2 | Learn Al-Ikhlas (4 ayahs), an ayah every day or two. | Add the waking-up and sleeping duas. |
| Week 3 | Learn Al-Kawthar (3 ayahs). Say Al-Ikhlas daily. | Read together for 10 minutes after dinner. |
| Week 4 | Learn Al-Asr (3 ayahs). Say all three at the weekend. | Talk about Ramadan. Plan family evenings. |
Does your child already know these surahs? Pick the next ones from the short surahs list. Is a week too short? Take two weeks for a surah, and let the chart set the pace. If you miss a day, just carry on the next day.
Make a Ramadan Countdown Chart
A countdown chart helps a child feel Ramadan coming. It also turns each day of practice into a small win. You can draw one in five minutes, or print one of ours:
- Draw one box for each day of Shaban, which is 29 or 30 days. Colour one box when the day's practice is done.
- Or print the free kids' Quran practice chart. It has a star for each day of the month, made for 10 minutes of practice.
- In week 4, print the free Ramadan Quran reading planner. Its third page is a month chart for kids, with one star to colour a day.
- Hang the chart where the whole family can see it.
Count the stars together at dinner. When the last box is coloured, Ramadan is here, so the family can look forward to it together.
What Did the Prophet Do in Shaban?
Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, said this about the Prophet, peace be upon him. She never saw him fast a full month except Ramadan. In no month did she see him fast more than in Shaban (Sahih al-Bukhari 1969).
We share this to show that Shaban is a month of getting ready. It is a report of what the Prophet did himself, not a ruling. We do not give fasting rulings. For any question about fasting in your family, ask your imam or teacher. Some families also keep special customs in the middle of Shaban. Scholars differ about these customs, so ask your imam about them too.
Tips for Parents: Keep It Light
Ramadan should feel warm, not heavy. These tips help:
- Short beats long. Ten happy minutes a day is better than one hour on Sunday.
- Let your child choose. A child who picks the surah or the sticker takes part.
- Praise the effort, not the speed. Say well done for trying.
- Join in. Children copy what they see, so read your own Quran nearby.
- Fix sounds early. Unsure about a sound? A teacher or an imam can say it for you.
- After a bad day, do the next small step the next day, with no blame.
Looking for ideas for the month itself? See our list of Ramadan activities for kids.
Get Ready With a Live Teacher
A live teacher hears each sound and corrects it at once. At Salam Campus, a class is one-on-one, on video, and lasts 30 minutes. Your child can learn with a male or a female teacher, and a parent may join any class. Classes run around the clock, every day, so you choose a time in your own time zone.
Already in classes? In Ramadan you can keep your times, move them or pause. Our page on Ramadan Quran classes online explains the three choices.
Your child's first class is a free trial of 30 minutes. You can book it in a few minutes. No card is needed. The teacher will check your child's level and suggest a plan.