Last week, Oak Class took part in a wonderful hands‑on exploration of Islam. The children were completely absorbed as they moved through a series of sensory stations designed to help them understand how Muslims show faith, respect and community in their everyday lives.
The Scents of a Mosque
One of our stations invited the children to explore calming scents often associated with places of worship. We talked about how many mosques feel peaceful and reflective, and the children enjoyed noticing how certain smells can help people feel calm and ready to pray.
Patterns on Prayer Mats
Oak Class were fascinated by the beautiful geometric patterns found on prayer mats. They explored shapes, symmetry and colour, and many created their own repeating patterns inspired by Islamic art. This helped us understand how art can be a meaningful part of worship.
Exploring Islamic Artefacts
The children handled a range of artefacts linked to Islam, including prayer beads, prayer mats and examples of Arabic writing. They were incredibly respectful and curious, asking thoughtful questions about how and why these items are used.
Exploring Arabic Letters and Script
The children enjoyed looking closely at Arabic letters and noticing how different they are from the English alphabet. They explored the flowing shapes of the script and had a go at creating their own patterns and marks inspired by the style of Arabic writing. This helped them appreciate how writing can look different across cultures and languages.
Respecting the Qur’an
We also discussed the importance of the Qur’an in Islam and explored the difference between respectful and disrespectful ways of handling holy books. Oak Class showed a mature understanding of why Muslims treat the Qur’an with such care, and they practised showing the same respect in our classroom.