Celebrating Mother’s Day: Activities to Do Together

The people who care for us are some of the most significant people in our lives. Maternal figures: mothers, aunties, grandmothers, nannies, teachers, and so on, are the people who love us and take care of us as we grow. In times of crisis, we look to our mothers and motherly figures for comfort.

In an effort to promote peace in a divided country after the Civil War, a “Mother’s Friendship Day” was created by Ann Reeves Jarvis, who would later create the holiday we now recognize as Mother’s Day. Today, Mother’s Day is celebrated around the world, with feasts, gifts, and a lot of love for our care-takers. 

Here are some gift ideas and Mother’s Day activities that you can do with your little one for the maternal figure(s) in their life!

Make Breakfast

If Mom makes breakfast for little ones everyday, show how much you appreciate those meals by making breakfast for Mom! I grew up being so excited to wake up on Mother’s Day to help my dad prepare a special breakfast for my mom: helping make coffee, cooking heart-shaped pancakes, and picking a small bouquet of flowers from our yard. Letting your little one help in the kitchen is a great way to bond, and teaches valuable lessons about cooking and food preparation. Preparing a meal for a loved one is also a great way to show your little one the different ways we tell people “I love you.” Additionally, if your little one is not all that interested in cooking, set out some crayons and paper and let them make a special Mother’s Day Card for their Mother’s Day morning preschool activity!

Learn All About Mom

What are Mom’s favorites? Favorite color, food, place to go, and especially, what is her favorite activity to do with her little ones? The answers to these questions can help with gift ideas and special preschool activities to do on Mother’s day. It also gives your little one a chance to ask questions about when Mom was little and what she liked to do with her family. Learning more about the adults in their lives allows for little ones to relate and connect — they can also find comfort as they grow knowing their incredible Mom was once “little like me!” 

Movie Night

Make a comfy fort in the living room, get some of Mom’s favorite movie snacks, and cozy up with a movie night in. Find out Mom’s favorite movie from when she was little and share a piece of Mom’s childhood with the family for a special Mother’s Day activity. 

Hand-Print Flowers 

This can be a great craft to do on the day of Mother’s Day, or simply another great hand-made gift idea! For this mother’s day activity, begin by drawing a couple of green stems tied together with a bow. Little ones can paint their hands in mom’s favorite colors, and press their handprints on the top of the stems to make a bouquet of hand-made flowers! You could even make a family bouquet with grown-ups’ hands too! Little ones will have so much fun getting the chance to paint the hand of their grown-up and getting you in on the fun of this Mother’s Day activity.

Nature Walk

If the spring weather permits, enjoy a walk through your neighborhood or park. With spring in full bloom, your little ones can point out plants and animals they see, and you can all learn about them together through other preschool activities. Maybe take a stroll by Mom’s favorite coffee shop or market for some special treats to enjoy on your walk.

Alone Time for Mom

Some moms like to spend time alone on Mother’s Day — giving mom space to spend a day by herself can be a great gift! Spend the day making cards or gifts or doing similar preschool activities while Mom goes out, or take the little ones out and let Mom have a part of the day to herself. Maybe you all have breakfast together, Mom goes out for some alone time, and little ones can make gifts or cards as their Mother’s Day activity and then get the home ready for mom’s return.

However you spend the day, let your little ones know how important it is to show our maternal figures how much we appreciate them! 

To all Mothers, Grandmothers, Caretakers, and Maternal figures alike:

Have a wonderful Mother’s Day!