Start with bismillah.

Put an ice cube on a plate in the sun. Ask: "What is happening to it? Can we stop it?" Check it every five minutes.

Watch the BBC video about the mayfly, which spends a long time growing in the water and then has a very short life as an adult.

Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What does this ayah say about people?"

Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "How can I make sure I'm not losing?" Younger children can draw theirs.

Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-'Asr is surah 103. Find ayah 2. Is this ayah about some people or all people? Keep reading: the next ayah has an "except".

Fact: How long does an adult mayfly live?

Ages 5–8: Ice race. Put one ice cube in the sun and one in the shade. Which melts first? How many minutes did each take?

Ages 9–12: Same race, but measure the time every two minutes and make a line graph for both cubes.

Finish with: "I found that the ice cube in the ___ melted in ___ minutes."

Talk together:

• What do you think it means to be "in loss"?
• Which name of Allah does this remind you of?
• If time is melting like the ice cube, what should we do with it?
• What things can we do that never melt away?
• What else would you like to learn about this ayah?

Make a small plan: "Today, instead of wasting time at ___, I will ___."

• Show someone at home your ice race and explain what it taught you.
• Ask a grandparent: "What do you wish you had spent more time on when you were young?"
• Next time: the last ayah (103:3) tells us who is not in loss. Explore it together!

Action: Do your plan daily, and notice how it feels.