Fanfoon فنفون
If your family lives outside the Arab world, English often wins by default: at nursery, at school, with friends and on screens. Keeping Arabic alive takes a little planning, but it doesn't have to be hard. These are ideas that families tell us work.
1. Give Arabic its own times and places
Children find it easier when a language has a home: Arabic at breakfast, Arabic at bedtime, Arabic with grandparents. Some families follow "one parent, one language"; others use Arabic at home and English outside. Pick a pattern you can keep up.
2. Read aloud every day
A picture book at bedtime is the single best habit. Point at words as you read. Children who see letters every day start to recognise them on their own.
3. Talk about everything
Narrate the day in Arabic: what you're cooking, the colours of the cars, how many apples are in the bowl. Young children learn words from hearing them used, not from lists.
4. Learn the letters early
Reading opens up a language. A few minutes a day on the Arabic alphabet, the sounds first and then tracing, gives children a head start for Arabic school or Qur'an class.
5. Use English as a bridge, not a replacement
For bilingual children, learning the same word in both languages helps both. "This is a قِطَّة, a cat!" Fanfoon teaches Arabic and English side by side for exactly this reason.
6. Make screen time count
If your child is going to use a screen, make it something that speaks Arabic back to them: songs, cartoons in fusha, or a learning app without ads. Short and daily beats long and occasional. Our comparison of Arabic learning apps for kids can help you pick one.
7. Connect with family
Video calls with grandparents, cousins and family friends give Arabic a real purpose: it's how you talk to Teta and Jiddo. Ask relatives to stick to Arabic, even if your child answers in English at first.
8. Celebrate the culture
Ramadan lanterns, Eid mornings, stories, food and songs make Arabic feel like part of who your child is, not homework.
9. Print it out
Put letters on the fridge, a letter of the week on the wall and a worksheet on the kitchen table. Our free Arabic worksheets are made for exactly this.
10. Don't panic about mixing
Bilingual children often mix languages in one sentence. It's a normal stage, not a sign of confusion. Keep answering in Arabic, keep it warm, and the separation comes with time.