Last Wednesday, my son took part in the Hajj simulation, which is held once a year for every kindergarten student. Hajj simulations are a simulation activity of the Hajj pilgrimage, which is carried out in the month of Dzulhijjah or the last month of the Hijriyah year. In my area, the Hajj simulation for kindergarten students is usually held in September, or depending on each school's policy.
This Hajj simulation starts with dressing in ihram, making tawaf around the miniature Kaaba, sa'i from Safa Hill to Marwah Hill, and throwing the juror. The aim is to provide children with an overview of the Hajj pilgrimage and instill religious values from an early age. This activity also aims to grow the intention in their hearts so that one day they can carry out the real Hajj pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, as well as train patience, sincerity and physical strength.
At seven thirty in the morning, we left for the Hajj ritual location by bus. Children are asked to recite talbiyah sentences on the way. Upon arrival, the children, already dressed in their ihram and Muslim attire, immediately lined up and queued according to school order. Afterward, they performed the Hajj simulation from start to finish. The activity ran smoothly, and all the children participated in the entire process. Despite the hot weather, they remained enthusiastic about participating.
After the Hajj simulation, we continued our journey to a shopping center in the city. This field trip was one of the kindergarten's learning themes, introducing urban areas. The teachers guided the children and explained everything they encountered along the way, such as the buildings and places of worship we passed and the types of vehicles passing by on the roads. Medan is one of the largest cities in Indonesia, home to a diverse mix of ethnicities, religions, and cultures.
Upon arriving at our second destination, we went up to the second floor of the shopping center. After a short walk, we finally arrived at the children's second activity: a Japanese restaurant. Here, the children received a cooking class. They were taught how to make sushi, onigiri, and assemble bento boxes.
Before that, since there were a large number of children, the cooking class was divided into three sessions. My son was in the third session, and we had to wait quite a while. Luckily, there was a playground near the restaurant, so the children could play while waiting for their turn. At first, my son was bored because of the long wait, but because he played with his friends, that boredom disappeared immediately.
Now it was my son's turn to enter the cooking class area with the other kids. They sat across from each other at a long table. The kids couldn't wait to receive the ingredients for the sushi. Then, one of the restaurant's chefs handed out a plate containing crab sticks and eggs, nori, a handful of rice, fish floss, and a makisu (a type of sushi roll) for the sushi. The chef guided the children in rolling the sushi with the makisu. First, lay the nori as a base, then add the rice and spread it out until the nori is completely covered. Next, add the crab sticks, eggs, and fish floss. Roll the sushi with the makisu from the bottom up to the top until it forms a long, round shape. Afterward, the chef helped cut the sushi into pieces, and it was ready to eat.
After that, the children made onigiri and assembled the bento. They were very happy with their creations. Some ate them on the spot, while others took them home. Although it was a very tiring day, they went home happy. Thank you for stopping by. I hope you like this post, and see you next time. Don't forget to comment and vote.