Celebrate the joyous festival of Eid with fun, engaging, and meaningful activities that help early years children explore different cultures and traditions.
These Eid activities for EYFS are designed to encourage creativity, teamwork, and understanding while supporting children’s development across the Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals.
Blossom’s Recommended Eid Activities for Early Years:
Activity 1: Design an Eid Card
Provide children with coloured paper, glitter, stickers, and stamps to create their own Eid cards.
Encourage them to decorate the cards with crescent moons, stars, or lanterns and write “Eid Mubarak” on the front.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Creating with Materials:
- Children use various materials to design unique cards.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Designing cards fosters creativity and self-expression.
- Creating with Materials:
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Cutting, gluing, and decorating improve hand strength, finger strength and control.
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Literacy
- Writing:
- Older children can practise writing simple messages like “Eid Mubarak.”
- Writing:
Activity 2: Eid Celebration Role Play
Set up a pretend Eid celebration area with role play food, colourful fabrics, and traditional clothing. Children can role-play sharing meals, exchanging gifts, and celebrating with their friends.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Building Relationships:
- Role play helps children work together and build empathy.
- Managing Self:
- Acting out celebrations develops confidence and social skills.
- Building Relationships:
- Understanding the World
- People, Culture and Communities:
- Exploring Eid traditions promotes cultural awareness and respect.
- People, Culture and Communities:
- Communication and Language
- Speaking:
- Talking about their roles builds vocabulary and storytelling skills.
- Speaking:
Activity 3: Create a Crescent Moon and Star Craft
Provide children with cardboard, paints, foil, string and glitter to create crescent moons and stars, iconic symbols of Eid.
They can hang their creations in the classroom or take them home.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Creating with Materials:
- Crafting crescent moons and stars encourages creativity.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Children use their ideas to personalise their designs.
- Creating with Materials:
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Painting, cutting, and sticking enhance precision and hand-eye coordination.
- Fine Motor Skills:
Activity 4: Read an Eid Storybook
Choose an age-appropriate book like by Zeba Talkhani or Rashad’s Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr by Lisa Bullard.
Read it to the children and discuss the story’s key themes, such as family, generosity, and celebration.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Communication and Language
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Storytime encourages focus and comprehension.
- Speaking:
- Children discuss the story and ask questions about the festival.
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Understanding the World
- People, Culture and Communities:
- Storytelling introduces children to Eid traditions and values.
- People, Culture and Communities:
Activity 5: Eid-Themed Sensory Play
Create a sensory tray with materials like coloured rice and small crescent moons and stars. Add toy food items or miniature gifts to reflect the festive spirit of Eid.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Understanding the World
- The Natural World:
- Sensory play encourages curiosity about textures and objects.
- The Natural World:
- Physical Development
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Scooping, pouring, and sorting materials improve hand-eye coordination.
- Fine Motor Skills:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Children use their senses to create their own imaginative stories.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
Activity 6: Traditional Eid Dancing and Music
Play traditional Eid songs and encourage children to move to the rhythm. Use scarves or ribbons to add an extra layer of fun and creativity to their dancing.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Physical Development
- Gross Motor Skills:
- Dancing improves balance, coordination, and rhythm.
- Gross Motor Skills:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Dancing to music fosters creativity and self-expression.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Communication and Language
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
- Listening to music builds focus and appreciation for different cultures.
- Listening, Attention and Understanding:
Activity 7: Decorate an Eid Feast Table
Provide pretend food, tablecloths, and decorations for children to set up an Eid feast table.
They can learn about the types of food traditionally shared during Eid, such as dates, sweets, and savoury dishes.
EYFS Areas of Learning and Development and Early Learning Goals:
- Understanding the World
- People, Culture and Communities:
- Discussing Eid food traditions promotes cultural understanding.
- People, Culture and Communities:
- Personal, Social and Emotional Development
- Building Relationships:
- Sharing the “feast” encourages children to play cooperatively.
- Building Relationships:
- Expressive Arts and Design
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
- Decorating and arranging the table inspires creativity.
- Being Imaginative and Expressive:
These Eid activities for EYFS combine creativity, storytelling, and sensory play to help children learn about the values and traditions of Eid in a fun and engaging way. From crafting crescent moons and stars to role-playing celebrations, these activities support various areas of learning and development while fostering cultural understanding and kindness.
For UK nurseries and early years providers, these activities are perfect for celebrating Eid while promoting inclusion, empathy, and teamwork in young learners. Let the celebrations begin!
