The explanation that lands
The hardest part of explaining Laylat al-Qadr to a child is the scale: how do you convey that a single night is better than a thousand months, when he has no clear sense of how long a year is, let alone eighty-three?
The trick is to translate the number into something from his world. "Imagine you study for a whole year and get one mark at the end of it. Then you are told: there is one night where, if you make an effort, it is as though you had studied for eighty years." Children understand the idea of a very rare opportunity; it already exists in their games.
And add the element they love most of all: it is hidden. We do not know exactly which night it is, but it is among the last ten, and most often among the odd-numbered ones. Searching for something hidden stirs a child's curiosity far more than any direct encouragement.
What to do in practice
Change how the house looks for these ten nights. Different lighting, or a small corner for the child with a rug and a chair. A visible change tells him these days are not like the ones before, far better than words do.
A very short supplication he memorises. "O Allah, You are Pardoning and love to pardon, so pardon me" is a single sentence a seven-year-old memorises in minutes, and repeating it himself is enough to make him feel he took part.
A measured late night. Half an hour past his usual bedtime on the odd nights is plenty. A child exhausted at school the next day will remember nothing of the night but the tiredness.
One act he does with his own hands. A charity he gives, a note he writes to someone he loves, or going through the charity box he filled all month. The act stays in the memory far longer than sitting still does.
What does not work
Extending the night prayer with children on the grounds of making the most of the night usually produces the opposite result: a child who associates worship with exhaustion and boredom. The practical rule is to stop while he still wants more, not after his patience has run out.
The same goes for wading into the disputed details: which night exactly, and what its signs are. That is a discussion for adults. A child needs one clear meaning and a good feeling, not a map of scholarly opinions.
Frequently asked questions
When exactly is Laylat al-Qadr?
It has not been fixed with certainty, and that is deliberate. What is most often reported is that it falls in the last ten nights of Ramadan, among the odd-numbered nights, with the twenty-seventh mentioned most frequently. The wisdom in it being hidden is that people strive across all ten nights rather than one.
Should I wake my child for the night?
If he is willing and will get up for school the next day without exhaustion, then yes, and for half an hour at most. If he is young or has a long school day ahead, involving him before bed with a supplication and a short conversation is better than waking him.
How do I explain "better than a thousand months" to a young child?
Do not use the number. Say: "one night whose reward is greater than that of very many long years." A large, vague comparison reaches him better than a figure he cannot picture, and arithmetical precision is not the goal at this age.