Baby Mo's Holiday Jar

On the first day of the school holidays, the sun shone bright — but Baby Mo just rolled around on the sofa, groaning, "I'm booored. What can we do, Umi?"

Baby Ais copied her brother, rolling too. "Booored as well."

Umi smiled. She went to the kitchen and came back with a glass jar full of little colourful rolled-up papers. "Here," she said, "the Holiday Jar. Each paper has one surprise activity. But there's one rule: every activity we begin with… what was it again?"

"Bismillah!" cried Baby Mo and Baby Ais together.

"Clever!" Umi nodded. "Now, who wants to pick first?"

Baby Mo leapt up. His tiny hands stirred the jar, then pulled out a roll. He opened it slowly, like opening treasure. "Plant… a… seed!" he read.

So that morning they planted mung beans in an old plastic cup. "Bismillah," said Baby Mo before setting his bean on the damp cotton. "Grow nice and tall, okay," Baby Ais whispered to her bean, as if it could hear.

In the afternoon, the second paper said "Call Grandma." Baby Mo told a long story about his bean, and Grandma's voice laughed warmly down the line. "That's called keeping family ties," said Umi. "Allah loves it when we keep love flowing between family."

In the days that followed, the jar never seemed to run out of surprises. There was "Reading Day" — they curled up under a blanket listening to stories of the prophets. There was "Help Umi" — Baby Ais wiped the table until it gleamed, and Baby Mo tidied his toys while singing. There was "A Small Charity" — they slipped a few coins into the mosque donation box, and Baby Mo's chest felt warm in a funny way.

One evening, the paper read "Look at Allah's Creation." They went to the park. Baby Mo tilted his head back at the clouds drifting like little white sheep. "Umi, who made the clouds?" he asked.

"Allah," said Umi.

"Who made the wind?"

"Allah."

"Who made… Baby Ais so chatty?" Baby Mo giggled, and Baby Ais chased him around the park, laughing.

On the last night of the break, their mung beans had sprouted into tiny green shoots reaching for the window. Baby Mo stared in wonder. The holiday that once felt so "booored" turned out to be full — not full of screens and shouting, but full of laughter, a growing seed, and a Bismillah at the start of each thing.

"Umi," said Baby Mo with a yawn, "is there still a paper for tomorrow?"

Umi tucked him in. "There always is, dear. Because a day begun with Allah is never truly boring."

The best holiday provision isn't a new toy, but time spent together that begins with the name of Allah.

Now, let's make your own Holiday Jar with your little one. Write small activities, roll them up, and drop them in the jar. Don't forget: every activity begins with "Bismillah!" 🫙✨