Author: taskeentm

Teaching Toddlers : Kindness and Making Friends

For playgroup in Week 3, we focussed on the theme Kindness & Making Friends. 

Our playgroup ranges from kids between 18 months to 2.5 year olds. Around this age, children start to notice other kids and are curious to learn and interact together. So this week, since we had the kids meeting regularly now for 3 weeks, we focused on learning names. Here are the lessons for Week 1 and Week 2 which I posted previously on this blog. We have paused our playgroup for now due to coronavirus measures in Istanbul, so I’m sharing what we did before we closed to inspire and help Moms of little kids with ideas for teaching islamic concepts since I know there isn’t alot available online focussed on under 3 years olds and I had to make it up as I went along 🙂

We always begin our playgroup with Salaam song( Omar Hannah) and “Nabil & Noura say salaam” each week to build consistency.
Related to the topic this week of Kindness & Making Friends, we chose these concepts:
Song & Play: “I have a new friend” (throw a ball or pass an object to the friend and sing the song with that friends name) It’s super cute to see the little kids interact with each other! We also sang this song from Teaching Mamas:


Activity : Puppet Show – I did a small puppet show about a giraffe and a penguin (the hand puppets I had at home!) where the Penguin wants to play but the Giraffe says he needs to tidy up first. So the penguin helps him to tidy up (kindness) so they can play together. 





Tips for puppet shows:
– Keep the story very simple and short so kids can follow and stay till the end
– Don’t lecture in the show, rather weave the moral into the story so they learn through the fun 
– Use different voices for characters 
– Make it funny and silly – this is how they will remember!
We also did some fun colouring – a picture of friends.

This weeks snack was Pizza Muffins. I posted the recipe here – its  super simple and makes an ideal outdoor food snack.

Let us know if you try the activities with your little one and how you get on!
Taskeen
Productive Muslim Mom

Teaching Toddlers: Bismillah

Bismillah Activity 
For playgroup in Week 2, we focussed on the theme Bismillah: 
“In the Name of Allah”

For Moms: By saying this before we begin anything, it is a  way of remembering and thanking Allah. It is a practical way of making us more mindful of Allah. When we get into this routine, then we remember Allah and always try to do things that please Him. We get maximum benefits from whatever task we are doing by remembering to take Allah’s name before it.
Aishah [R] related that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “When one of you eats food, then let him say: ‘Bismillah.’ If he forgets in the beginning, then let him say: ‘Bismillah Fi Awwalihi Wa Akhirih (In the Name of Allah in its beginning and its end.)” [Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1858] A simple act, such as eating becomes a source of blessing (by the permission of Allah) and an act of worship. 
Additionally, various Hadith and saying from Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) show us that saying this phrase enables us to gain Allah’s blessings.
So how do we teach this to kids:

We always begin our playgroup with Salaam song( Omar Hannah) and “Nabil & Noura say salaam” each week to build consistency.
Related to the topic this week, we chose these concepts:
Song: Bismillah song by Dawud Wharnsby Ali (lyrics here). It’s a really simple song so ideal for toddlers.
Book : “Don’t forget to say Bismillah” with sounds from Desi Doll Company. It’s interactive so kids enjoyed pressing the buttons to hear the sayings in English and Arabic. Highly recommend.
Activity : Create your own Bismillah placemat – sticking fruits and food for fine motor skills.
I cut out colourful fruits and these placemats from Karima Krafts.  (Ps we’re outdoors in the park hence the setting in the pics below!)
                                       
We always end with a snack and for sunnah snack I offered dates and cucumber. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him) combined cucumbers with ripe dates saying: “the heat of the latter is reduced by the coolness of the former.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah).
We also had fresh fruit and crackers to keep the young ones going!
This is a great beginner activity but of course the main learning comes from daily practice – so remembering to say bismillah when beginning to eat, changing clothes, putting on shoes, leaving the house – and every little or big action.

How will you teach “Bismillah” to your little ones today?

Teaching Toddlers – Theme : Salaam

I was thinking about a structure for planning the content for our Muslim Mommy & Me Playgroup,  using the islamic toddler books I have at home for ideas. What I realised is that for kids under 3, the lessons have to be super simple. Instead of Aqaaidah (beliefs) or rituals, it’s easier and more effective to  focus on Akhlaaq (morals, behaviour as muslims).

My dear sister in law (a teacher and homeschooler) gave me a great idea to use the Arabic Alphabet as a prompt for a theme each week. So for (ا) alif, in week 1 you could do a theme around Allah. Maybe use play dough to write the letter ا etc. I may bank this one to use with my 3.5 year old, Insha Allah

For playgroup in Week 1, I chose the theme Salaam. 

Song: Salaam song( Omar Hannah) and we use this every week
Book : Nabil & Noura say salaam (I had it already at home)
Activity : Colouring in with colour pencils (I printed a colouring in page from here)
We always end with a snack and for sunnah snack I offered dates and cucumber. Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) combined cucumbers with ripe dates saying: “the heat of the latter is reduced by the
coolness of the former.” (Bukhari, Muslim, Abu Dawood and Ibn Majah)
We also had a yummy snack box this week from Aliyah (Delish_tanbul)
Hope this helps inspire some ideas for teaching your little ones. Let us know with a comment or find me on Instagram for more ideas and resources.

Introducing our Muslim Mommy & Me Playgroup – first in Istanbul

Since my 3.5 year old daughter is now settling in at school, I turned my focus on finding activities or groups for my 2 year old son. With Covid restrictions, so much has changed and the options are limited and just so pricey! 

We are lucky to have around us : enthusiastic moms + active toddlers + well-suited parks- put it together and I decided to start my own playgroup! And since we’re always trying to find ways to inject some Islamic teachings for our kids as its not so easily accessible here, especially in the modern suburbs (ironic I know!), I’ve positioned it as  “Muslim Mommy & Me” Playgroup – the first English based one (that I am aware of) in Istanbul Turkey. 

The aim is to introduce little kids to key islamic concepts and morals in a fun, social context. We meet outdoors at a local park and I bring along books, art supplies and snacks.

Sample Format 
🤸🏽‍♀️ exercise (3 mins)
📚 Circle time : salaam song , salawaat 
Book/+song (15 mins)
🥒 Sunnah Snack (10/ 15 mins) 
Free Play 
⏰ 30 mins | 📅 Weekly 10am   |👧🏽 1.5-3 year olds| 📍 Etiler Sanatlicar Park
Please note Pandemic Protocol: 
 😷Masks on for Moms. 👧🏽 Max 6 kids. First come first served 😊 #letsstaysafe 
Ps It’s run by moms not teachers or anything professional !! No charge for now so we’re keeping things minimal but effective iA 😉 
Follow@productive_muslim_mom 

Each week we have theme and I design activities around this. Now there seems to be plenty ideas online for islamic crafts and lessons, but not a whole lot for mini muslims like under the age of 3! We have mostly 2 year olds which means we need stuff thats super simple, fun and engaging.

So I’ve been using a combination of what I have found online + my own ideas for each weeks activities and I will share it with you here on my blog.

If you’re in an area without access to many muslim events, then consider starting your own group. Its super fun, and I use many materials from home to keep costs low. 

We’re on  a break at the moment, given latest lockdown restrictions for children in Turkey – however I will share the last 3 weeks meetings for your inspiration and to re-create yourself at home!

Taskeen

Productive_Muslim_Mom

Kemerburgaz Kent Ormani Istanbul

There is alot to discover at this amazing park in Gokturk,  and you will probably only be able to see it all if you have a car. We travelled by taxi (Progo to be precise), and therefore covered what we could on foot- with 2 strollers (2 toddlers under 4)

It took us 20/25 minutes to get there by car. We spent 5 hours and probably could do with more. Entrance fee is 15TL per car, and more for minibuses etc. As we entered on foot since we were dropped off, there was no charge. (however costs added up with all the rides and activities- see below!)

To eat:There are plenty benches located in the forest and around the park if you want to bring your own food for a picnic. You could camp out for the day! There is also a Beltur restaurant selling breakfast items (till 1 pm) and then a lunch menu including pasta, kofte, sandwiches as well as drinks and desserts. It overlooks the green open field so it has a great setting and prices are reasonable.

Being in Nature: There is plenty of open green space to run around in, picnic or just relax. The kids enjoyed rolling down the gently hills. You can hire a car buggy to zoom around in and discover more (additional 50TL for 1 hour).

                                

Fun Fair : There are rides such as carousel, trampoline, train, bumper cars in water (very cool!) and the grownups are allowed to go on with the kids, making it really appealing. They range from 15/20 TL per kid per ride, depending on the type of ride. Some are located right at the entrance, and others a little into the park. There are directions and security guards around for further help.

                                          

Playgrounds: There are at least two playgrounds (slides and climbing) for little ones, and also more intense adventure type activities (pay extra 50TL and includes helmet and harness) for older ones.                                                                              
Fast climbing (parkour- obstacle equipment) for kids over 150cm and adults.
                                                        

Animals: There are ponies located further into the forest at 20TL per ride.

.
                   
We certainly did not cover everything at the one visit- so thanks to the moms from my local group for sharing some of their pics and areas that they discovered!
Discovering Istanbul, one exciting outdoor place at a time,
Taskeen
Follow me on Instagram for more reviews and proven toddler play ideas : @productive_muslim_mom

Review : Polonezkoy Zoo -The Ultimate Guide including pics and prices

Overall: A great day out for the family to get a healthy dose of animals and nature away from the city.

Not a place to go out of your way for if you’re for tourist – but ideal for us animal-deprived Istanbullus!

There are aspects I am not so keen on like some animals being enclosed. However, as I understand these animals can no longer survive in their natural habitats and are therefore being kept here as a way to preserve their lives- at least that the view I am going with 🙂

Entrance fees and details:

They open at 9am at least during August when we visited. It was super quiet at 10am when we arrived but picked more by midday.

50TL adult, 30TL kids over 2. There are discounts for older people. Under 2 is free.

Duration of visit : 6 hours (2 adults, 2 toddlers under 4). We did 10am-16:30pm including naps, lunch and snacks.There are different sections to enjoy so you could structure your day best suited for little legs, the weather (its open and hot), and also meal times. There is enough shady areas and benches throughout for rest and picnics.

It’s divided into:  Animals, Playground, Fun Activities, Outdoor Adventure Park, Restaurant. It’s not that huge – like you can get from one side to the other fairly quickly. Maps are provided at the entrance and it’s handy to pick up one to follow.

polonezkoy zoo

There are different areas to walk around to view animals in their respective enclosures. This took about 1.5 hours. It is stroller friendly. We got the kids out of the stroller at times so they get closer to see like the birds in the pond, or the lake. There is also an enclosed “forest” area that you can roam in – not stroller friendly but it’s not big so you can take the kids walking. we saw donkeys, deer and emus. Some animals were following us around so we didn’t spend alot of time there. There is also another area to touch animals which we didn’t visit as our friends told us it was difficult to walk around – so we skipped it.

Fun Activities: Include kiddy car rides, mini train, Ferris wheel, pony and horse rides. Theres also carnival style games like giant bow and arrow/punching. Everything is old but there is effort to maintain and we saw them cleaning out the equipment beforehand.

Each activity is between 10-20TL. You purchase tickets at the reception (a few minutes walk away) and use them at the activity area to pay for each thing you are going on.

Food: 

Inside the park, there is one self service restaurant with an option of  made to order food (eg pasta, sandwiches etc) , or cook your own (mangal – barbecue meat and chicken). 

There is also snacks, ice-cream, desserts and fruit available for purchase. It is slightly pricey, but expected.

There is a beautiful outdoor setting with plenty tables. You are not allowed outside food, however they did not check.

                             

Playground: really exciting, novel play equipment like swings, climbing , tractors to sit in, basketball court and much more. You could spend alot of time here so do allocate accordingly.

                                                                


Covid measures: standard :staff wear masks and there is sanitiser at entrance and at restaurant. The
park was not over busy on a Sunday, meaning there was enough opportunity for social distancing.

How to get there: We took a taxi which was 80-90TL from Etiler (Istanbul), and it took around 35 minutes. To return, we weren’t sure whether we could get a taxi back easily and therefore booked a Progo car in advance to pick us up which was a minivan so a more comfortable ride as well.

There isn’t alot of detailed info available online on this park so I have decided to share our experience to help other families! Hope you have an enjoyable day. Please feel free to share a comment below or ask any questions from myself or the readers.

                                                                     

Exploring Istanbul, one outdoor place at a time,

Taskeen

@Productive_Muslim_Mom

Beach Review : Tirmata Beach Club -Kilyos

As many families in Istanbul, we have been on the prowl looking for “safe” family fun day options to enjoy the summer amidst the risk of Coronavirus.

We came across Tirmata beach club in Kilyos as a good option for a beach day as was shared on my local Mom’s group.

We had fantastic day there yesterday and here is my review and info.




Covid measures:
Standard- temperature check at the entrance, masks worn by staff, masks mandated for guests in certain places (but not enforced). Chairs placed apart with some distance. Markings in the restaurant about where to stand in queues.

Price: 75 TL (weekend) with children under a certain age free (mine were under 4). This is in the upper range of beach club prices in the area – but we selected it specifically with the hopes of superior safety and upkeep- which is largely delivered.
Taxi from Istanbul (Etiler) cost us 100TL one way, via taxi. When we were ready to leave, they called us a taxi and we waited just 15 minutes.

Facilities : Deck chairs and umbrellas on the sand as well as a large grassy patch where it was less windy. There is a nice kids playground which was useful when the kids wanted to do something different especially as it was cool in the wind. The showers, change rooms and toilets were decent and cleaned.

Food : There is a self service restaurant selling standard casual food like sandwiches, kofte, chicken, few fish dishes and more. They also sold drinks, milk and ayran. Everything was more pricey than usual (as expected but still!) plus portions were small. You aren’t allowed outside food (though I just took in necessary snacks for the kids and their water bottles)
Theres also a kiosk for ice cream and chai and snacks for quick access which is convenient.
There are two other more formal sit down restaurants in a beautiful setting – with what looked like amazing views. They sold dishes like grills,  pasta, and the other restaurant was Tirmata Beach Balik Restaurant (seafood and mezes)

Feel: Family friendly. There wasn’t any loud disturbing music or rowdy crowds. We went on Saturday and it was busy, but certainly not overcrowded. There were enough chairs available and enough place to play in the sand without being near to many people. In the water itself, its a bit harder to keep distance of course though we tried!
There were also real waves in the water and a strong backwash. Life guards were visible and active throughout.
Note it seems to be a windy beach as there was also windsurfing nearby. We arrived early around 10:30am and whilst it was nice and quiet, we  found it too cold to swim at that time! By the afternoon it warmed up more so we could swim and hang around on the sand more comfortably.

Overall : Recommend for families.
However, there are other beach clubs nearby that we also spotted (such as Bamboo Beach Club) which I might try another time too as they were less expensive and looked great too.

Exploring Istanbul, one fun beach at a time!
Taskeen

PS Follow me on Instagram @Productive_Muslim_Mom where I share snippets of my life in Istanbul with two toddlers.

Spice up your Istanbul life: Takeaway Asian food is here!

Great news for spice lovers- after many years of having really few authentic options for Indo-Pakistani (Asian/Desi) food (especially the takeaway kind) in Istanbul, I just came across a few new places offering amazing food, delivering to most areas across Istanbul. Some are homemade family run businesses and others are restaurants. They are all halal (as claimed by Muslim owners).

Here is a handy list I compiled with feedback from what I have tasted myself as well as what my friends shared with me. You can contact each place directly to get their menu details and latest offers. Heres an end to our spice-deprived days, yay!

Takeaways

Chicken biryani

1. Pakıstani Turkish food point
Owner:  Parivish
Essenyurt. Delivery  20TL.
Starters, biryanis, curries, drinks.
WhatsApp : 0552 532 20 91

Review:
Chicken Biryani- delicious
Mutton Karahi- pricey at 70TL but absolutely delicious.
Samoosas (frozen) – ok, not the same pastry (purr) we use back home, but did the job
Spring Rolls- tasty

Overall: good portion size, very spicy.






2. Indo -Pak Spice
Owner: Komal Shahid
Facebook
Instagram
WhatsApp: 05366193540
Avcilar. Delivery to Etiler 10TL
Starters, biryanis, curries. Spice level to order
Review:
Chicken biryani- tasty
lamb biryani – delicious
spring rolls – ok
aloo samoosas- good
aloo paratha – tasty- big portion. ideal for kids snack
Dal mix  – ok
Mix veg curry – tasty, small
butter chicken – great

Overall:
They tailor spice level according to your request.
Good portion size. We were very impressed by the hands on service and care taken to prepare and deliver the food.
Spices are authentic not boxed!
**Highly recommend

3. Al Hafiz Pakistani Restaurant 

FooD Delivery Services- to Ortokoy only.

Hafiz Atif : 0534 822 8488

Facebook
Review:
Chicken curry – good.

Karista Biryani

4. Karista Foods
Facebook
whatsapp: 05357602884
Frozen and homemade food.

Review:
Pakora- good
Biryani – ok. First time there was very little chicken, which they corrected the next time.
Chowmein- ok. not the indo-chinese taste I was after though.
Butter chicken – good

They do nice deals like for Iftaar in Ramadan.

Karista- Chicken Biryani
Karista Butter Chicken

5. Online Pakistani Grocery and Food Istanbul
Seed Shah: +90 552 512 24 88
Facebook
Delivery to Etiler.
(Closed currently)

Tips: Confirm delivery times for the establishment you order from, as some are self run home businesses and delivering themselves. In addition, traffic can be challenging.

Groceries
a) Pakistani Grocery Istanbul
Facebook
05347882069 /05377991237 whatsapp
Fatih. delivery?

b)Pakistani grocery shop in Istanbul (Punjab teknik servis)
0539 737 86 26 Gulam Mustafa Imran
Facebook
Sultangazi. Delivery- charge 50 TL to Etiler

c) Dukkanci
 Review: Mohamed ordered spices from them. Saffron, cumin seeds and a few others. Ok  quality.

d)  n11.com – spices 
Have not tried yet

Afiyet Olsun. Bismillah. Bon Appetit.

Got any more to share? Please share your feedback or reviews so we can keep this list updated. Leave comments below or Email me (see profile).

Devouring Istanbul, one yummy meal at a time,
Taskeen
MbyDesign

Cheats Guide to setting up an Eid to Remember

If you’re thinking about how to make Eid special for your little ones, given the context of a semi or fully socially isolated Eid this year, here is my cheats guide! ⭐️🌙 

Many of us are already so busy just by running our homes, and with trying to do extra prayers in this last week. So like I suggested to my friend this week- Keep it simple and you’ll come up with a great day: think treats, gifts, activity and you’re done! 🌟

Kids (particularly smaller ones), appreciate the little things, and I’m sure with a sincere intention, you’ll make a lasting impression Insha Allah !

So here’s my simplified approach to make an impact :

1. Decor 🎀
Think about buntings, posters and table decor such as labels, serviettes and my favourite – toothpick flags. Use free online printables – @ayeina_official have a comprehensive list so just pick and print!
You could also make some simple decor with your kids as an activity together to build up anticipation for the big day.
Balloons are the cheapest and most exciting element to add!🎈 

2. Dress up
Time to bring out your little girls favourite twirly dress and anything sparkly !👗 putting them in smart or new clothes will immediately set this day apart from the rest.

3. Food 
As part of your Eid menu, make at least 1 special treat for the kids as something for them to look forward to eating on Eid day. Bonus: make it with them for a fun morning in the kitchen.

4. Presents 🎁
The highlight of the day for all kids I’m sure! Use wrapping paper, or make Eid gift bags or boxes of you want to take it up a notch. Have them wrap a gift for their doll or a poor person.
Sadly, we won’t be able to make Eid treat boxes for our neighbours this year given the caution around the pandemic. But we have a helper, so we’ll give her a treat and gift at least from the kids.


5. Activity
Being home all day for Eid, you may need to think about an activity to occupy the kids. Browse through my page for some inspo.
Have fun preparing for your Eid and please share with me your ideas!

Ps my Eid decor is up already only because I thought it was Eid on Saturday in Turkey, turns out it’s on Sunday! 🙈 this involves a bit of reorganisation in my mind , but at least the banner is up!

How I improved my duas to Allah with one easy tool

As part of my preparations for Ramadan this year, I decided to spend some time focusing on my dua, and defining what it is I would be asking of Allah during this special month. I realized that whilst dua is a daily practice, preceded by my every salaah, I have not given it enough meaningful attention to benefit from the value I could otherwise gain from it.

Allah says in the Quran (Chapter 40, Verse 60): “Call upon me; I will respond to you.”

I became aware that I have not been clear and specific in my appeal to Allah, often just quickly rattling off some previously thought of requests without giving it conscious thought. To expect results, I need to define exactly what I wanted from Allah, in all aspects of my life. This way I can feel sincerer and connected to Allah with my requests. So I sat down and brainstormed all the many things I wanted for myself- and my family by using an awesome tool called “Mind Maps.”
Artist: AJacub786
This takes me back to my school and university days where I would use this technique for studying, to categorise information when there is a lot to work with. Mind Maps are a creative way to visually represent ideas or lists that we have in our minds. It can help us to structure our thinking to give it purpose and meaning. We start with one idea and branch off to many others, thereby capturing all the things we want under each topic.

How to complete the Dua Mind Map
So for example, when structuring my dua request, I started with myself: “Me” in the image above, and then separated into two main areas: Deen (Hereafter) and Dunya (This World). Under “deen” I listed a few headings such as pleasing Allah, forgiveness and our ultimate goal – attaining jannah. You could list all the steps we need to take to get to jannah.


This World
Under “dunya”, I expanded to all the aspects in my life that I could think of – such as for personal
(health, mental, emotional etc.) and then to people in my life (family, friends, ummah), my environment (work, safety, etc.). All the time, listing in each category everything I desired, for
example under health asking for a stronger body, or to meet my fitness goals. Under family I listed protection, their success and happiness. The beauty is that nothing is out of scope as I continued to list everything I wanted under each subheading, remembering that Allah is Most Powerful and Most Merciful and can grant as He wishes.

Benefits
The purpose of using this tool, over simply listing is that the subheadings or branches, just provide a logical structure to ensure everything is covered. The creative process provides a lovely flow as thoughts keep popping up, and I could easily capture it under each branch. It also brought to my consciousness some things in my life that I wanted changed, yet I was not explicitly making dua for it! So I could now add it my comprehensive dua list.
How to use it
So once complete, how do I use this dua mind map in practice?  I could now either use it as a reference point to look at when making dua, or I noticed that many things I uncovered during the creative process itself, now automatically came to mind each time I make dua which is a great outcome too. This map can also be used to prompt when making shukr (thanks to Allah) as part of dua and daily practice.
Finally, for the best results, I will consider the most effective times for supplication, and structure the dua according to the way we were taught by the Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon on him) by first thanking and praising Allah, and then emptying my heart to connect to Allah more deeply, using my new and improved comprehensive dua “list”.
In this way, I feel more present when I appeal to Allah through dua. I come from a place of being heartfelt, no longer absent mindedly making dua on autopilot. Rather I am fully conscious when I am asking for what I want from Almighty Allah- detailing to my hearts desire all the requests I can think of, for myself and my family, friends and indeed the world, Insha Allah.