Masha’Allah the books that were donated to the Zambian orphanage from the UK have been received. Jazahkhallah khayr to all those who donated, and may Allah reward you in this life and the next. Ameen. See the video for latest updates.
Do you compost your waste?
Here at Smart Ark HQ we love to compost and have been doing so for 10 years. Below is a list of thing you can compost:
Tea bags
Grass cuttings
Vegetable peelings, salad leaves and fruit scraps
Old flowers and nettles
Coffee grounds and filter paper
Spent bedding plants
Rhubarb leaves
Young annual weeds (e.g. chickweed)
Cardboard
Egg boxes
Scrunched up paper
Fallen leaves
Sawdust
Twigs, branches and bark Tissues Hair
New research has found that almost half of the food waste in rubbish bins could have been composted. Did you know that composting at home for just one year can save global warming gases equivalent to all the CO2 your kettle produces annually, or your washing machine produces in three months?
Check out the Recycle Now website for all the information you need on composting.
“Build A Masjid” is a fun counting game where each player has to collect golden coins to help build the Masjid. But watch out for the magpie who loves to steal shiny coins!
Suitable for 2-6 players.
This game builds on:Math skills, social skills and concentration.
The sturdy game components can be used as various other educational resources i.e. the coins cards can be used as a stand alone counting resource and the masjid puzzle can be made up as a simple puzzle game for younger children.
Recommended age: 3-9 years. Available on May the 3rd insha’Allah!
Oxfam’s excellent “Food for thought” initiative.
Helps children explore the inequalities in the global food system to learn, think and take action as active global citizens. Some great teacher resources to download!
Article By Somayya Patel
As consumers we are surrounded, practically all the time, by adverts and consumerism. The internet, TV screen, mobile phone and bill board are all constantly telling us materialism is a core part of being happy and successful. Maintaining a healthy and spiritual balance in the face of this onslaught is understandably quite a challenge for any adult, let alone a child. To help parents facing this all too common dilemma, here is a list of top ten tips:
1. Inspire in kids a holistic faith-based view of money. Islam teaches us to earn an honest halal living, yet at the same time money and the pursuit of it should not distract us from our ultimate purpose in life. To curtail both greed and selfishness, believers are repeatedly reminded in the Quran to spend on others purely for the sake of God.
2. Teach them the value of money. When they reach a responsible age, instead of continuing to fund them, encourage them to start earning. Make them economic actors. For e.g. give them a budget and tell them they have to prepare a meal for the family or save up with them to purchase a gift for someone. Continue reading
Free sweets counting numbers print for you to download, print and frame!
We like the new Fair trade campaign. Says it all in a nutshell. Look out for fairtrade baby products in our shop and also coming soon Smart Ark branded fair trade dolls…
As they go through their day, your children experience many moments of exhilaration and frustration. Often the quality of your day can feel tied to your children’s own roller coaster of emotions. One way that you can keep yourself on an even keel is to learn how to weather their ups and downs. Listening to your children is a chief skill you can use. You can hear their disappointment when they do not make the team; you can accept their frustration when their plans do not work out; and you can acknowledge their dissatisfaction when they complain that their friends follow a different set of rules.
It can feel like a relief to parents to learn that they do not need to “fix” everything for their children. Just listening can help your children. By showing that their thoughts are important, you are showing that they are worthy of your attention. By hearing their distress, you are demonstrating that their view of the world has merit. By allowing them time to decide their course of action, you are indicating your trust in their ability to solve problems.
How do you really listen?
Listening involves paying full attention to what your children have to say. It means turning off the running dialog that goes on in your head – the one where you are so busy thinking about all the things you need to do or should be doing or you are so busy thinking of the perfect response to your children that you miss half of what they are saying to you. If you are too busy at the moment to listen, then you can set an appointment with your child to talk at a later time. For example, “I need to make a few phone calls before 5:00, but after I am finished, I am all yours.” It is important that you keep to your time schedule and don’t get involved in another activity. You want to communicate to your child that he is important and that you care about his thoughts, feelings and struggles. Continue reading
We spent 2 years searching for a fair trade manufacturer to make our dolls. Alhamdulilah we found an organisation with exemplary standards, so we are super excited with our new products. We’ve got some pictures of the our designs that were made in to samples. All in all I am very happy with the dolls, with only a few small minor adjustments to be made.
The dolls are made by artisans in Sri Lanka under fair trade conditions. All the cotton is hand loomed and then dyed using natural dyes which are sources locally.
We have designed two dolls so far, a girl doll and a boy doll. One a lighter complexion and the other a darker complexion. Both come with a prayer mat and praying clothes.
Insha’Allah dolls will be available in late May.
Earth Hour is a brilliant way for the world to come together to do something about helping the environment and raising awareness of environmental issues. WWF (who came up with the idea of earth hour) say, “It’s about appreciating the brilliant world we all share – and how we need to protect it. Not just for an hour a year, but every day. Because a healthy planet isn’t just good for polar bears or tropical tree frogs. It’s essential for us all.”
So join 1.8 billion people in 135 countries around the world and switch off your lights for Earth Hour on 31st March 2012!