Start with bismillah.

Lay a ruler across two books with a gap between them. Put a toy car on one side. Ask: "If the bridge is taken away, how could the car still get across?"

Watch the New Scientist video of army ants building a bridge out of their own bodies.

Now listen to the ayah together in the app, with the translation. Ask: "What question does this ayah ask us?"

Each child keeps one wonder question, for example: "Why would anyone try to stop someone from praying?" Younger children can draw theirs.

Find it in the mushaf: Surah Al-'Alaq is surah 96. Find ayah 9. It is a short question that begins "Have you seen…?" Ask your teacher about the story behind ayat 9 to 18.

Fact: How many ants can join together to make one living bridge?

Ages 5–8: Obstacle course. Build a small course with cushions. Find a way past every "blocker".

Ages 9–12: Engineer it. Use paper and tape to make a bridge across a 20 cm gap that can hold a pencil case.

Finish with: "I found that the ants got past the gap by ___."

Talk together:

• What could get in the way of you praying or doing good?
• Which name of Allah does this remind you of?
• How did the ants work together so nothing stopped them?
• How can we help others when something blocks their good deeds?
• Who could you ask for help if someone tried to stop you doing good?

Make a small plan: "This week, when ___ gets in the way of my prayer, I will ___."

• Help a family member get ready for prayer: lay out the mat or remind them kindly.
• Show someone your paper bridge and explain the ants' teamwork.
• Next time: the next ayah (96:10) is about a servant of Allah praying. Explore it together!

Action: Pray on time this week even when something tries to distract you.