The Best 10 Days: A Dhul Hijjah Good-Deeds Challenge for Kids
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are among the most beloved days of the year — and often overlooked with kids. Here's a simple good-deeds challenge to mark them.
How can children observe the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah?
Why these ten days are special
The first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are among the most beloved days of the year for good deeds — a well-known teaching of the Prophet ﷺ is that no righteous deeds are more beloved to Allah than those done in these days. Yet with children they often pass unmarked. Naming them and marking them, even simply, gives kids a second “special season” of worship after Ramadan.
Set up a simple ten-day challenge
Make a ten-box chart — one per day — and choose one small act to aim for each day: a little extra Qur'an, some dhikr (remembering Allah), a good deed, or small charity. Let children colour in each day as they complete it. The visible countdown to Eid al-Adha gives the ten days shape and something to look forward to.
Lean into dhikr and gratitude
These days are especially associated with remembering Allah. Teach children a simple phrase of dhikr to say through the day — takbir, tasbih, or a short praise — and pair it with a daily gratitude moment. It's an easy, joyful worship that even young children can join in with.
Build toward Eid al-Adha
The tenth day is Eid al-Adha, so the challenge naturally builds to a celebration. Talk simply about the day of Eid and the story of Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him) at an age-appropriate level, and let the ten days of small deeds culminate in the joy of Eid — a satisfying arc for children.
Keep it light and repeatable
Like Ramadan, the aim is warmth, not pressure. One small deed a day, celebrated, is plenty. Keep the challenge simple enough that you'll actually finish all ten days — and it becomes a tradition your family looks forward to each year.
Why these days deserve a place next to Ramadan
Most Muslim children can tell you Ramadan is special; far fewer know that the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah are, too. Yet the Prophet ﷺ taught that righteous deeds in these days are especially beloved to Allah. Giving them even a fraction of the attention we give Ramadan hands children a second “special season” in the year — one that arrives when the calendar is otherwise quiet. Naming it and marking it, however simply, is itself the lesson: that the year has more than one peak.
A tiny takbir habit for the ten days
An easy, joyful worship for these days is the takbir — a short phrase of praising Allah's greatness that's especially encouraged now. Teach children one simple phrase and let them say it through the day: after prayers, in the car, before the good-deed tally. It's remembrance (dhikr) a three-year-old can join in with, it fills the ten days with something audible and shared, and it builds naturally toward the celebration of Eid al-Adha on the tenth day.
Frequently asked questions
What are the first 10 days of Dhul Hijjah?
How can kids observe Dhul Hijjah?
Is Dhul Hijjah like a mini-Ramadan for children?
What is a simple dhikr to teach children in these days?
Want to take it further?
Want a ready-made way to track a good-deeds challenge — for Dhul Hijjah or any time? The Daily Prayer & Good-Deeds Tracker makes worship visible and celebrated for kids.
See the Prayer & Good-Deeds Tracker — $9 Start free: alphabet sampler— Mohanad. I make these for my own family too; if anything here helped, I'd love to know at [email protected].