Ultimate List of Fun and Halal Activities for Muslims

Religion is often depicted as a strict, fun-sucking belief system. Why? Because it has rules and restrictions that go against our desires. Despite what others think, there are plenty of fun (and halal) activities Muslims can engage in—this list contains 100+ of them. 😏

Before we get into the list, though, there are a few things that need to be addressed:

1. Fun is subjective. What may seem boring to you might be entertaining to someone else and vice versa. Keep that in mind while going through this list.
2. This is a list of activities that are halal (permissible) in general. Therefore, don’t be a snob by critiquing every little detail of every activity listed on here.
3. The previous point wasn’t stated to avoid all advice—just unnecessary advice/comments. Therefore, if there is something listed on here that is not actually halal in general, then please let me know so I can remove it as soon as possible.

Without further ado, here are 100+ fun and halal activities for you to try at least once:  

1. Join a school club 

Your schedule will be filled with various activities, meetings, and events that will help to develop/improve imperative skills, build your social network, and eventually remove that feeling of boredom. Some examples of clubs you can join are Speech and Debate, Language, HOSA, Muslim Students Association, and Hands On.

2. Join an organization within your community 

If there aren’t any clubs at school that appeal to you or if you’re no longer enrolled in school, then you can search for organizations within your community. Ask your friends, family members, neighbors, or coworkers for recommendations and take the time to do some research on each suggestion before you make your final decision.

3. Go bike riding 

Go for a ride on your bike in your neighborhood, at the park, on a trail, etc. It’s even more fun to go bike riding with someone else so invite your spouse, sibling(s), or friends to go with you. If you don’t have a bike to use now, then you can rent one or borrow one from someone else.

4. Read a book

Look through your book collection or go to your local library to find a good book to read and get lost in. One of my top recommendations is Reclaim Your Heart by Sister Yasmin Mogahed. What’s yours? (Comment below)

5. Take a painting class

If you’re artistic or interested in learning how to paint, then you should sign up for a painting class. Remember to avoid painting/drawing animate beings such as humans and animals. This article explains why.

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Related Article: Ruling on Drawing Animate Beings Without Showing the Facial Features

6. Fly a kite

7. Play Scrabble

8. Host an iftaar gathering

If you usually only attend iftaar gatherings during Ramadan, then you should consider hosting one yourself this year. Find out when your friends will have theirs so you can pick a date that won’t clash with theirs. Then, make a list of all the people you want to invite, dishes you will serve, and potential places to host it at (e.g. specific part of your home or a venue). Although Ramadan is one of the best times to host an iftaar gathering, you can still host one outside of it—specifically when you know others are making up the fasts they missed or when others are fasting voluntarily.

9. Get a massage

Make sure the person who is assigned to give you the massage is of the same gender as you. If you have trouble getting a same-gendered massage therapist, then consider asking your spouse for a massage instead.

10. Plan or participate in a scavenger hunt 

Do you know someone who’s having a scavenger hunt soon? If so, participate in it! If not, plan your own and invite others to participate in it.

11. Re-decorate your personal space 

Is your bedroom, dorm room, or entire apartment/house in need of a makeover? If so, use your spare time to change things up: (re)paint the walls, rearrange the furniture, add/remove something from it, etc.

12. Learn a new language

Here are the ones I’m striving to become fluent in:

• Arabic
• American Sign Language
• Spanish

What languages are you currently fluent in? Comment your answers below!

13. Be a tourist in your hometown

There are probably a few places you haven’t been to in your hometown, so why not explore them? If you have seen everything there is to see in your city, then explore the rest of your state or country instead. Look up the various tourist attractions that are in it, make a list of the ones that catch your attention, and go out and explore each!

14. Go go-kart racing

15. Color in a coloring book 

There are a variety of adult coloring books you can choose from. Just like #5, make sure the one you get doesn’t have drawings of humans or animals in it. Get one that has drawings of flowers, shapes, buildings, etc. instead.

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16. Look at the stars, planets, and moons through a telescope

“And among His signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Do not make sajdah (prostration) to the sun or to the moon. And make sajdah to Allah who has created them, if it is Him whom you worship.” —Surah Hamim As-Sajdah [41:37]

17. Pick fruits and vegetables at a pick-your-own farm 

You can use this website to find your local PYO farm: www.pickyourown.org.

18. Write poetry 

Brother Boonaa Mohammed did a series on YouTube called Connect the Dots in which he gave tips and advice on how to write poetry. Check it out if you’re interested in learning more about the process of composing poetry.

19. Go rock climbing

20. Start a blog 

You can start a free blog on Tumblr, Blogger, or WordPress.

21. Host a decluttering party 

Ask one or a few of your friends for help with decluttering your home and then return the favor for them. When decluttering, put items into one of four piles: keep, sell, donate, throw away. Let your friends help you with categorizing the items you’re unsure of or think can fit into more than one pile.

22. Visit a museum

23. Organize and execute a skit/play 

Several years ago, my older sister, one of my female cousins, and I planned and performed a skit for my mother and my cousin’s mom. I don’t remember the full details of the skit, but I do remember having a good time throughout the whole process. You can do the same by asking some of your family members, friends, or even neighbors if they’d like to be a part of your “project.” Be sure to get their input on the storyline, characters, setting, stage area, etc. After all, teamwork makes the dream work!

24. Play laser tag

25. Feed the ducks at the park

26. Learn how to knit/sew

27. Attend/Compete in a Qur’an recitation competition

“Certainly, the believers are those whose hearts are filled with fear when (the name of) Allah is mentioned; and when His verses are recited before them, they increase them in faith and in their Lord they place their trust.” —Surah Al-Anfal [8:2]

28. Blow bubbles

29. Go horseback riding

30. Test out your hula-hooping skills

31. Finish a crossword puzzle

32. Have a BBQ/cookout

33. Play hopscotch 

Get some chalk and draw a hopscotch court on your driveway or sidewalk or you can get a stick from your yard and draw one on the dirt in your backyard. Use a rock or another small object to toss onto the court and retrieve from it.

34. Take a pottery class

35. Write a letter 

Send a letter to a family member who lives far away, a friend you haven’t spoken to in a while, or your pen pal if you have one. You can also write a letter to a public figure to persuade them to take a certain stance on a particular issue, to inform them of the changes you want to see within your community, or to thank them for their service to you and the members of your community.

36. Participate in a charity walk for an important cause

37. Go to the aquarium 

If you’re a resident of Georgia (USA), you can get into the Georgia Aquarium for free on your birthday. Click here for more details.

38. Throw a DIY party 

DIY stands for ‘Do It Yourself,’ and it refers to decorating, repairing, building, or modifying things yourself instead of paying someone else to do it for you. Need some project ideas or examples? Try searching for some on Google or Pinterest.

39. Jump rope

40. Organize a sisters/brothers only party 

In case it’s not obvious, a sister should throw a sisters-only-party, and a brother should throw a brothers-only-party. For the sisters’ party, y’all can get henna done, create face masks, order takeout, etc. For the brothers’ party, y’all can…do whatever it is brothers do at these events (play video games?).

41. Travel to a different state or country

42. Go kayaking or canoeing

43. Put a jigsaw puzzle together

44. Bake 

Make some cookies, brownies, pies, cakes, pizza, etc. and share it with your family, friends, and neighbors.

45. Ride an ATV

46. Play ping-pong

47. Start/participate in a book club

48. Vlog 

Besides performing skits for our family, my older sister, one of my female cousins, and I also used to make video blogs. Using a VHS camcorder and my sister’s room as the stage, we recorded our own fashion show (clothes were supplied by my older sister) and an episode of our own talk show. We loved being creative and goofy.

You can use your phone camera, a digital camera, or a camcorder to create your own vlogs. You can record a day in your life, a special event, or your own show like us.

49. Improve your skateboarding skills

50. Attend a seminar

“Next time someone asks you, “what CAN Muslims do?” show them this list.”

Jessica Dukharan

51. Go fishing

52. Take a DNA test to trace your ancestry

53. Watch the sunrise

54. Learn how to cook your favorite meals

55. Read books to children

You can read books to younger siblings, nieces/nephews, younger cousins, children you babysit, etc. or to children at a children’s hospital or shelter. Try to change your tone/voice when doing so to indicate when a different character is introduced in a story. They’ll enjoy it 😄.

56. Create an obstacle course

57. Go on a college tour

Whether you’re in high school or undergraduate school, this activity is perfect for you if you haven’t made your final decision about which college you’re going to attend in fall. Sign up for a group college tour or explore the college campus with a peer.

58. Have a picnic

59. Ride a motorcycle

60. Bowl at home

Get a plastic bowling set from the store (e.g. Walmart, Toys R Us, Amazon) and set it up in your living room, hallway, garage, or backyard. Invite your spouse, kid(s), siblings, friends, etc. for a friendly match.

61. Watch the Inspiration Series on YouTube 

It connects the morals and teachings of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) to modern times—showing us that his Sunnah is timeless. There are currently two seasons, and you can watch both here.

62. Make s’mores and drink hot chocolate

63. Shadow a professional in your career

This is one of the best ways to get an inside look at the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of the career you’re pursuing.

64. Video chat with a friend or family member 

You can use FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, or another app to do so.

65. Give out food and care kits to homeless people

The care kits can include hygiene items such as tubes of toothpaste, toothbrushes, lip balms, deodorants, wash cloths, sanitizing wipes, pads (for women), and lotion. It can also include sunscreen, Band-Aids, socks, water bottles, and on-the-go snacks like applesauce and trail mix.

66. Play mini golf

67. Apply for an internship

This is another great way to get an inside look at the career you’re pursuing or a hobby/passion you’d like to turn into a part-time or full-time job one day.

68. Listen to a podcast

• The Jessica Dukharan Podcast

69. Stargaze in your backyard 

Get some blankets to spread on the grass and lie down on it and gaze at the beautiful night sky.

“Verily, We have decorated the nearest sky with an adornment, the stars…” —Surah As-Saffat [37:6]

70. Go to the park/playground

Take your younger family members with you.

71. Enroll in a travel abroad program

72. Roller skate

73. Play Connect Four

74. Throw a potluck party

75. Watch a documentary

76. Host an event on something you’re passionate about

The event can be online (e.g. webinar, workshop) or in person (e.g. workshop, seminar). Topics can include climate change, providing aid for those in need, combating racism, raising awareness on mental illness, fostering orphans, making education more accessible, etc.

77. Go sailing

78. Apply for a temporary/seasonal position

If you’re not looking for anything long-term now, then apply for a temporary or seasonal position instead.

79. Build something

You can build a bookshelf, bird house, something from Ikea, etc.

80. Play Scattergories

81. Go out to eat

82. Create a plan

Use your spare time to plan your next trip, how to save up for your first apartment/house, your college experience (e.g. classes to take, clubs to join), a campaign, a product launch, etc.

83. Read blog posts/articles 

Here are some of my favorites:

• Inside the Therapist’s Office by Lilly S. Mohsen
• Your Jannah To-Do List: 6 Tasks to Inherit Al-Firdaus by Dina Mohamed Basiony
• You’re A Doctor; You Just Don’t Know It Yet by Lilly S. Mohsen

84. Learn about your ancestors

85. Have a tea party

86. Go hiking

87. Volunteer

You can volunteer at a shelter, the masjid, your school, the hospital, etc.

88. Participate in a Twitter chat

89. Go shopping

90. Play an Islamic board game

I’m interested in getting the 5Pillars game—it looks fun and educational! Have you played it before?

91. Attend a Tug of War movie screening

92. Carry out a random act of kindness

Need some ideas? Read this:

• A to Z: Random Acts of Kindness

93. Take an online course

94. Plan a family reunion

“Allah commands to do justice and be good, and to give relatives (their due), and forbids from shameless acts, evil deeds and transgression. He exhorts you so that you may be receptive to advice.” —Surah Al-Nahl [16:90]

95. Ride in a helicopter

96. Play basketball

97. Take a self-defense class

98. Have a book fair

Gather the books you no longer need or want and exchange each for ones your peers no longer need or want too. It’s a simple and free way to get “new” books. Consider having one at least once every year and taking turns with the host duties every time as well.

99. Engage in gardening

100. Spend the day with family/friends

You don’t need to plan much when you’re hanging out with your closest family members/friends. You can just spend the day sitting around, talking to one another about anything and everything. That’s the best type of fun. 😌

101. Become CPR/First Aid certified

102. Start a podcast

Here’s a free course on how to start a podcast by Buzzsprout.

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Over to You: Fun Halal Things to Do

Which activity are you going to try this week? Let me know your answer(s) in the comments section below (in-sha-Allah)!