What Age Should Children Start Fasting in Ramadan?

“Can I fast tomorrow?” For many parents, this question arrives earlier than expected, often from a six-year-old who has watched the whole family sit down to iftar and wants in.

It is a lovely question. The answer depends less on a number and more on your child. This guide sets out what the sunnah says, how families usually build up, and how to keep it safe.

The ruling in brief

Fasting in Ramadan becomes obligatory at bulugh (puberty). Before that, a child is not sinful for not fasting, and is not required to make up fasts.

Evidence · Hadith

“There are three (people) whose actions are not recorded: a boy till he reaches puberty, a sleeper till he awakes, a lunatic till he is restored to reason.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, as quoted by ʿAli ibn Abi Talib (RA).

Puberty comes at different ages. CBC News, reporting on children and Ramadan in Canada, describes it as usually between 10 and 14 for girls and 12 and 16 for boys. A schools guidance note from Wokingham in England reminds teachers that for some children it can be as young as nine.

How do you know? Scholars describe a small number of physical signs of puberty, which you can talk through privately and simply, the way you would explain any body change. Scholars differ on the age used when no signs have appeared. Ask a scholar you trust about your own child, especially if you think puberty may be starting early.

Why the Companions trained their children

Even though children were not required to fast, the Companions brought them into it gently.

Evidence · Hadith

“We used to fast on that day regularly and also make our boys fast. We used to make toys of wool for the boys and if anyone of them cried for food, he was given those toys till it was the time of the breaking of the fast.” Ar-Rubayyiʿ bint Muʿawwidh (RA), about the fast of ʿAshura.

The same report in Sahih Muslim (1136) adds that they took the children to the mosque with them. Notice three things:

1. It was a family activity. Children fasted alongside adults, not alone.
2. They planned for hunger. The toys were ready before anyone cried.
3. It was the fast of ʿAshura, a single day, not a whole month. Practice came in small portions.

That is still the best model: together, prepared and small.

A build-up plan

There is no fixed timetable in the sunnah, and every child is different. Health for Kids, an NHS-linked service in England, describes how many families build up over several Ramadans: half days, then full days at weekends, then full school days, then the whole month. It notes that most children complete a full month around eight or nine, depending on the child, their health and the country.

Here is a gentle ladder you can adapt.

Move down the ladder as easily as you move up. A child who managed full days last year may struggle this year if Ramadan falls in long summer days, or if they are growing fast. Health for Kids notes that children in summer Ramadans often take longer to reach the full month.

Siblings and cousins at different stages

In most families, children reach each step at different times. A nine-year-old cousin fasting the whole month can make a seven-year-old feel left behind, and an older sibling can make a younger one feel they “should” be fasting.

• Talk about paces, not rankings. “Everyone in this family is on their own Ramadan path. Yours is going really well.”
• Give every child a visible achievement. A sticker chart of half days counts as much as a chart of full days.
• Ask relatives kindly. “We’re taking it slowly with Yusuf this year, so please praise whatever he manages.” Most grandparents are happy to help once they know.
• Keep the youngest included at iftar. Whoever fasted, everyone breaks bread together.

A word for parents of girls

When a girl reaches puberty, she will also begin her periods. Scholars agree that she does not fast during her period and makes up those days later. It helps to explain this calmly before it happens, alongside your wider puberty conversations, so she is not confused or embarrassed during her first Ramadan as an adult. Make sure the rest of the family knows that a sister eating during the day is following the rules of fasting, not breaking them, and that it is private.

For planning the actual day, from suhoor to the iftar dua and a small celebration, see our first-fast guide.

Health and safety

This is not medical advice. If your child has diabetes, asthma, a heart or kidney condition, an eating disorder or any ongoing health need, talk to your GP or doctor before they try fasting at all.

For healthy children, the basics are simple:

• Suhoor is not optional. A child who fasts should eat and drink well before dawn. Slow-release foods and plenty of water help.
• Drink well between iftar and bed. Small amounts often, rather than a huge glass at once.
• Rest. Short days of quiet play beat long days of running around.
• Watch the weather and the clock. Long northern summer days in the UK, Canada or Scandinavia are very different from a short winter fast. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, so days will be shorter in the northern hemisphere and longer in Australia.

When to stop

Stop the fast straight away, and offer water and food, if your child:

• feels dizzy, faint or shaky
• has a headache that won’t settle
• looks pale, very tired or unwell
• becomes unusually upset or tearful
• is unwell in any way that worries you

Evidence · Qur’an

يُرِيدُ ٱللَّهُ بِكُمُ ٱلْيُسْرَ وَلَا يُرِيدُ بِكُمُ ٱلْعُسْرَ

“Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship.”

School days

Before full fasts on school days, tell the school. In the UK, US, Canada, Australia and much of Europe, teachers are used to Ramadan, and many schools publish guidance. Ask for:

• a quiet place to sit at lunchtime, if your child would like one
• lighter PE, or permission to sit out hard exercise
• an agreement that your child can eat or drink if they feel unwell, without fuss

Our Ramadan at school guide has a short letter you can copy.

Children who want to fast too early

Some four- and five-year-olds are desperate to fast like everyone else. Honour the wish without letting them go hungry all day.

• Give them a “baby fast”. Eat a good breakfast, then “fast” until morning snack time. Celebrate it like a real achievement.
• Bring them to suhoor. A sleepy pancake with the grown-ups makes them feel part of it.
• Give them an iftar job. Handing out dates when the adhan sounds is a big responsibility for a small person.
• Name what they’re doing. “You’re practising, just like the children in the Prophet’s ﷺ time.”

Health for Kids is clear that it would not be age-appropriate to expect a five-year-old to fast the whole month. Joining in is their Ramadan, and it counts.

For more ways to include younger children, see Ramadan activities for kids.

The goal is love, not a number

By the time your child reaches puberty, you want fasting to feel familiar, possible and even joyful. A few half days at seven, a proud first full fast at nine, and many warm iftars in between will do more for that than any early start. For a wider view of the milestones from birth to eighteen, see our Islamic milestones checklist.