Mother's Day

Fun & Learning

Mother's Day is a time for expressing your appreciation for mom.  Doing nice things for her, bringing her flowers, and letting her relax are all wonderful ways to show mom you love her and that you are grateful for all that she does. 

And speaking of flowers and relaxing, did you know that scientific research proves that looking at beautiful flowers, sitting in a garden, or taking a walk out in nature can make us feel more peaceful and happy?  So what better way to celebrate Mother's Day than by getting Mom outdoors, or at least bringing some of nature indoors to Mom? Here are some of our favorite ideas for Mother's Day Activities that help reconnect you and your Mom with Nature:

Take a nature walk.  If you're mom is not the hiking type, perhaps a leisurely stroll through a community flower garden, arboretum, or a favorite area of a local park. 

Eat Sunday brunch outdoors or have a tea party or picnic outside.  You can help prepare the food, set the table (or pack the picnic basket), and serve the food.  Don't forget about cleaning up after!  Note:  be sure to have your dad or another adult plan with you so that the foods you need can be purchased ahead of time at the store.  For brunch or tea party recipes see our More Fun section below.

  Decorate a flower pot for mom, then fill it with soil and plant some seeds ― or transplant a small flowering plant from the nursery into the pot.   

Give Mom a coupon for gardening help.  You can pull weeds, rake leaves, water plants, or do other chores that will give Mom time to do something she enjoys...but may not have time for ordinarily. 

Make mom a beautiful "flower pen".  This is one flower that will never wilt or die, and it's very useful when she has to write a shopping list or jot down phone messages.  For directions, see Arts & Crafts below.

Decorate a vase for mom.  You can do something nice for Mom and Mother Earth at the same time if you save a nice tall jar or can to re-purpose for this project.  (If you use a can, be sure the jagged edges have been thoroughly removed. then fill it with soil and plant some seeds ― or transplant a small flowering plant from the nursery into the pot. 

Need more Mother's Day related activities?  Try these...

Reading

Happy Mother's Day Poems

Lovely poems for Mother's Day.  Perfect for cards and gift tags.

Every Day Should Be Mother's Day

A read and response activity.

Mother's Day Each child in Mrs. Madoff's class explains how he or she will celebrate Mother's Day. Rockwell introduces a variety of youngsters, representing many cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Young readers will be intrigued by the multiple ways these characters plan their festivities, which include appreciating nature, enjoying family togetherness, eating special foods, and going to a museum. The simple text and vibrant illustrations work well together, as single- and double-page paintings provide glimpses of the activities described by each student. The warm hues and smiles all around show the affection shared by these families. As a bonus, step-by-step directions for making flowers with construction paper, pipe cleaners, and buttons are included. This Mother's Day delight is sure to be in high demand.--Andrea Tarr, Corona Public Library, CA

Writing

Mother's Day Coupons

You can make your own coupons without a print out, but this might be a fun way to get started.
 

A Note To My Mom...

Print and fill in a special "I just want you to know" message to mom.
 

Acrostic

Write your own Mother's Day acrostic poem, like the one below.  You can fill in your own special thoughts about mom. 

Super Mom!

Mom's are busy ladies, who have to do many different kinds of jobs -- and keep track of so many things -- just to take good care of their families.  Do you think you can make a list of all the things your mother does?   (HINT: it's okay to ask her for more information!)    You may wonder how she gets it all done.  Does she have super powers?  Well... probably not.   But let's have some fun with that idea by writing a story about your mom going through her daily routine -- making breakfast, getting kids to school, juggling all her many jobs -- as if she really was a super hero. 

What super powers can you imagine for her?  Does she instantly toast the toast with her heat ray vision?  Does she use super speed to get all the chores done when she gets home from work?  Does she have super hearing that allows her to know exactly which junk food you're getting into?

Start this project by brainstorming your ideas.  You can even list them on a piece of paper.  Then think of some ways to make your story exciting.  Is there a big crisis that happens in the story?  Is there a super villain or special challenges to overcome (dirty laundry that magically makes more of itself, pesky telemarketer sales people popping out from behind every bush and calling on the phone every minute, etc.).  What kinds of funny stuff can you think of?  

And now...give some thought to how your story might end.   Does the family ever get a clue as to how much Super Mom does for them?

Now get busy and start writing!  Don't worry if it's not perfect.  You can always come back and make little changes.   Don't forget to draw a picture or two to illustrate your story.  You may even want to do this part first, to help get your imagination flowing.

Top Ten Reasons Why I Love My Mom

Use this writing prompt to create a meaningful Mother's Day gift.  Click here for another version.

Word Scramble

Oh dear, it seems Mothers are always cleaning up messes.  Well this time it your turn!  See if you can unscramble these messed up words

Math

Mother's Day Math

Math Sheets for Mother's Day

Try these great worksheets from EdHelper.  Don't miss the "count by" pages, which are actually fun dot to dot worksheets!   

Science

Garden with Mom

If you happen to have great weather this weekend, why not spend some special time outdoors with mom in the garden!  You can even surprise her with a special packet or two of seeds and maybe some starter plants from the nursery (hint: tomatoes and zucchini are pretty easy to grow).  And of course, this is a great opportunity to score some point with mom by doing a few garden chores like pulling weeds, raking leaves, and watering.  Don't forget the sunscreen!   And be sure to stop by the Earth's Kids Garden Page for more ideas, plus great links, books, and supplies.

E.K. Earth Science

Even though Mother's Day is mostly about showing our love and gratitude to the women who have helped raise and care for us, it can also be a time to stop and show some love and appreciation to the Earth.  Traditional societies for thousands of years have acknowledge that planet Earth is much like a mother to us.  Our bodies are ultimately made from her substance, her earth, air, and water sustain us.  And if we don't take time now and then to appreciate this fact, and to think a bit about what we can give back, about how we can help the Earth be happy and well, we just might find the Earth, and ourselves, coming upon some pretty hard times.  So take a minute to browse the following EK pages to learn a little more about our Earth and what you can do to be of service.

Earth Day  -- Lots of great ideas for helping the Earth

Environment -- Even more ideas, plus info about food webs and great nature books.

Global Warming -- The EK special feature about this important topic

 

Social Studies

Mother's Day History

More About the History of Mother's Day

Arts & Crafts

Handy Lillies

Make lovely paper flowers made from children's handprints!

Make It Yourself Mother's Day Gift Ideas

The Children's Family Fun Website has dozens of great ideas for gifts you can make yourself for mom, including:
 

Blooming Flower Pen Craft

This will look really pretty on your mom's desk, or on her bedside table!  In fact, it's really two gifts in one -- a useful pen and... beautiful "flower" in a pot.

Dream Pillows

Here's a way to give Mom sweet dreams!  You'll need some special scented oils and dried herbs and flowers, plus some pretty cloth fabric.  If  you go to the local fabric store or to the fabric department at Wal-Mart, ask them to point you toward the "remnant" scraps.  These are leftover pieces of cloth that are marked way down, saving you money.  Or you could think about recycling some worn out clothing for this craft, like a pair of flannel pajamas.  But please check with a grown-up before you start cutting!

Honor Your Mom AND Mother Earth

Make something pretty for her out of recycled stuff:  Make her some flowers using recycled egg cartons. (click for ideas)    Use recycled paper towel or toilet paper tubes to make something adorable. (click for ideas)   Or make  a nice collage out of recycled stuff, like used wrapping paper, bottle caps, a broken hair clippy, etc. 

Hand Print & Poem

Here's a craft for dad (or a big brother or sister) to help a little one do for mom.  It's a favorite activity to do with kindergartners and preschoolers that has been in circulation for many years, that is sure to bring a happy tear to Mom's eye.  You will need paper and washable tempra paint (and a plan for getting the paint of the child before it ends up everywhere).  Put the paint in a flat pan, like a pie tin, or simply brush it onto the child's hand.  Then have the child make a handprint on a sheet of paper.  Allow the print to dry thoroughly.  You will also need copy the text of the following poem and print it out on another sheet of white paper:

A Box of Love

Materials: box, paint, glue, ribbon, nice paper, hole punch, scissors and lots of love!

What better gift could their be! This is another classic gift craft that could be used for a birthday, Mother's Day, or even Father's Day.  You'll need a small box.  You could get one from the craft store or look around the house for one.  Be sure to check with a grown-up before you "borrow" one from around the house.  Then you'll need to decorate your box.  You can paint your box, cover it with stickers, or cover it in pretty wrapping paper held on with glue or tape.   Don't forget to decorate the lid! 

Now you will need to copy the following poem onto some pretty paper to make the "gift tag". 

Make a Something Special Calendar

Print a calendar sheet .   Then think about things you could do to help Mom out this month, and write these down on a list.  Can't think of anything?   Try these:  help keep the living room clean, hug Mom, set the table for dinner, tell Mom 5 funny jokes, do my homework without being asked, take the dog for a walk, no fighting with my sister/brother today, tell Mom I love her, draw Mom a pretty picture, bring Mom her breakfast in bed, make my own bed, clean my room.  These are just suggestions of course!  You write up your own list.  Then neatly copy each thing into a box on the calendar. 

Don't try to fill every box!  Only write things you will really be able to do.  Try to do one big thing each week, and some little things (like stuff you're supposed to do anyway, but usually forget) on a few other days of the week. Now color and decorate your calendar and glue it onto a nice piece of construction paper backing.  You're all done!  

After you give your calendar to Mom, don't forget to check it each day to help you remember if there was Something Special you were going to do for her today.

  Mother's Day Crafts & Activities from Preschool Education

  Printable Coloring & Activity Pages

More Fun

Mother's Day Games

Play some fun Mother's Day games online.

Mother's Day Brunch Recipes

Fancy crepes, omelets, coffee cake and more.  From RecipeLink.com.

Cooking for Kids

Mother's day is the traditional day for kids to invade the kitchen!  Check the E.K. kids cooking pages for fun and easy recipes and meal ideas that kids can help make.   Try our easy oven Baked French Toast , some fun Biscuit Shapes,  or a Sweet Apple Kugel.  Make a delicious Ambrosia Salad or Baked Apples, or just whip up some Fancy Egg Scrambles.   Lots of easy ideas, plus great tips for doing food preparation with young children.

 

 

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