Celebrate Mother’s Day: Activities to do with kids

Make this Mother’s Day Special!

Flowers and cards are nice, but there are as many ways to show appreciation as there are moms. It’s time to give Mom a break and some special attention. From baking treats to taking over chores, here are some ways to make Mother’s Day memorable.

Deliver a Tasty Bouquet

Instead of getting Mom flowers, kids can make a delicious “bouquet” of treats! Barbecue skewer stems can sport a variety of flowers. For example, cookies that have a hole in the center can be held on the skewer with a gumdrop above and below. Skewers can be pushed into slices of refrigerated cookie dough and baked in. Pieces of fruit such as grapes, strawberries, and melon balls can be skewered as well. You might wrap the stems in green florist tape from a craft store and even add leaves. Flower shapes and colors can be varied using different cookie cutters and icing tinted with food coloring. Or instead of flowers, make the cookies into smiley faces or balloons.

Make a Keepsake

To celebrate good memories with Mom, have children choose some of their favorite pictures and make a family collage. (They can make color copies or print out pictures on the computer.) They should arrange the pictures on paper or poster board, then decorate the collage and/or write something about the pictures. Another way to gather favorite pictures is to make a photo book. Children could also draw pictures about Mom, make a video saying thank you, or take a special new picture. They could decorate a dollar-store frame or even make a frame (for example, using craft sticks).

Fix Mom a Meal

One of the nicest things kids can do for Mom is to take over preparing a meal. It’s not as hard as it sounds! Dad might cook something on the grill, and kids can help make other items. Sandwiches are easy to fix, and they can make mini-pizzas with bagels or English muffins, pizza sauce, and shredded cheese. Combine raisins, nuts, and a favorite cereal to make snack mix. You can get vegetables already cut up for salad. For dessert, make cookies using a mix (and decorate them), or make made-to-order ice-cream sundaes. Be sure kids clean up and put things away in the right place. Mom will be delighted!

Fill a Gift Basket

A gift basket is a fun gift with lots of options. Mom will love “opening” her basket and finding all the surprises. Have children think about Mom’s favorite things. How does she relax? Is there a hobby she enjoys? Get things for the basket that will help her enjoy some of those things. You might get coffee or tea, a book, candy or other treats, beauty or craft items, a plant, or a scented candle. You could put in a movie and some popcorn! What you buy doesn’t have to be big or expensive. (Pay attention, though, because little things can add up!)

Also be creative about the container. It doesn’t have to be a basket – it can be a big bowl or a decorative storage box, for example. Make sure it is big enough to hold the things you want. You can put shredded paper, wrapping paper, or even cloth napkins in the bottom of the basket. Put your gifts in, with tall items at the back. You may want to add a bow.

Mom’s Helper Coupons

One great way to show appreciation for Mom is to give her some help! Have children do a little detective work and notice the things she does every day. Jobs may include making meals, vacuuming, and washing clothes. Have kids make a list of things they could help with and make “coupons” good for those chores. Maybe they could set the table or put dirty dishes in the dishwasher, help put away groceries, sweep the floor, or help make lunches. They should also think of things Mom likes that they can support – promise not to interrupt her workout or reading time, for example. They could even make a blank coupon for her to fill in! To make coupons, use a mini photo album or cut slips of paper and staple them together. Kids can write coupons by hand or make them on the computer (a large label format works well).

Coupons can also be made to look like flowers! You can put construction-paper flowers in a paper pocket “vase,” or use craft sticks for stems and put them in a real flowerpot. Make sure the stems are long and thick enough for kids to write a chore on each one.

Happy Mother’s Day!

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