Zahirah Lynn Eppard

There are many tools for building skills and creativity that keep children engaged and entertained. In our house, puzzles have been front and center from toddler to teen and into adulthood.

There has been a lot written about empathy lately. Perhaps because we see so little of it generally and instead see an overwhelming amount of evidence that it is severely lacking in our nation and daily life.

Allah has given us a beautiful planet that is filled with resources to support our success. There is nothing more important to our survival than water. The human body is made up of water, from 60-70% dependent upon age, gender, and overall health.

Educators and researchers who study play consider the phenomenon of schematic play very important and often misunderstood. The concept of schema - a pattern of repeated actions that help us understand how things work - is more simply explained as how humans organize knowledge.

We are blessed with guidance and details about every aspect of our relationships to Allah and to people, about how to worship and to pursue knowledge, about how to connect the trials and experiences from the past to the present, and more.

All eyes are on the 2020 Olympics which are well underway in Tokyo. The opening ceremonies were a beautiful display of what might be possible if we as humans can ever all get on the same page.

It is important to find every available means of reinforcing positive images of Muslim children. In many instances, our own children can be great advocates for themselves. And parents can do a lot to help this along. Uthman Guadalupe is a great role model here.