It goes without saying that summer is a great opportunity for Muslims of all ages and both sexes to do all sorts of beneficial activities: physical, intellectual, and spiritual.
Remember, Islam wants us to develop our bodies, minds, and souls. One of the best ways of using the summer is to organize more outdoor da`wah activities and educational camps outside where we integrate a three-fold program geared towards building strong Islamic personality. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) is reported to have said: “A strong believer is superior to a weak believer, even though there is some good in every one.”
Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecturer and Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, states: Parents should find some creative ways of engaging their children in specific activities that would be beneficial for them; here are a few of such activities, and you may add more:
1. Take them outdoors for hiking or walking through nature trails where they would be conditioned to appreciate the beauty of Allah’s creation; while doing so refer to the verses specific to nature in the Qur’an; you can find them by checking the index in the tafsir (for instance, Yusuf `Ali’s index).
2. Let them organize some social activities such as a walkathon for collecting funds for charities. In this way they will learn leadership skills.
3. Organize outreach programs such as soup kitchens in mosques or Islamic centers where they will take the initiative to conceive, plan, and run them.
4. Organize sports events in order to shape and improve their health.
5. Organize Islamic camps or summer schools for them in which learning is incorporated beautifully with play and fun activities that are perfectly halal (lawful).
the list can be expanded; there is no restriction to such activities so long as we stay clear of what is considered haram (unlawful) and morally degrading.