Mother’s Day is upon us, and while the majority of us are quarantined in our homes, we can still help our students celebrate the wonderful women in their lives. Here are a few fun and educational activities for students to honor their mothers, grandmothers, or other mother figures in their lives.
Activities to Celebrate Mother’s Day
All About My Super Mom
If you want to create a unique keepsake while giving moms a good laugh, then have your students fill out the all about my super mom worksheet. Students will fill in the blank for statements like, “My mom always says,” and “My mom looks the prettiest when…” As you know, kids say the darndest things, and this fun worksheet is sure to bring every mom a smile on her special day, while letting students practice vocabulary and writing skills.
Recycled Bouquet
If you do not live in a warm climate and cannot get to your local florist, having students create a bouquet of flowers out of recycled paper is your next best bet. Not only will moms love all the hard work their child put in, but these flowers are made of paper that is laying around the house; so it is also earth-friendly and teaches students how to be resourceful and think creatively. Not to mention, students will learn that you can upcycle trash to create a beautiful gift.
To begin this craft, all students have to do is collect paper scraps from their homes. This can be old newspapers, paper bags, magazines, cereal boxes — whatever they have. Then, print out a free flower template to either use as a pattern or to use as a template to glue their recycled paper on to. Next, instruct students to use a ruler to draw the stem. Once they have made a few flowers out of their recycled paper, they can glue them all onto a sheet of construction paper and give their moms their Mother’s Day bouquets.
History of Mother’s Day
Learning the history of Mother’s Day is an excellent way for students to develop a deeper understanding of the holiday they are celebrating with their loved ones. Encourage students to watch this video from the History channel about the history of Mother’s Day. Then, they can take the information they learned in the video and create a dramatic play for their mom or mother-like figure.
Mother’s Day Cookbook
Create a cookbook for moms by having students each choose one of their favorite recipes. Students can email you a picture of their mom and themselves along with the recipe. Then, you can compile the shared photos and recipes into a downloadable cookbook where students who are quarantined at home can download for their moms as a gift for Mother’s Day.
Fun Facts
Fun fact, did you know that Mother’s Day was created by Anna Jarvis in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914? Did you also know that Woodrow Wilson officially established Mother’s Day as the second Sunday in May? These are just a few fun facts about the history of Mother’s Day. While students are social distancing and learning from home, a great way for students to learn about Mother’s Day from the comfort of their computers is to practice their research skills. Once students have learned at least three fun facts about Mother’s Day, have students share them via zoom, on your classroom blog, or with their families.
Mother’s Day Traditions
Mother’s Day is observed not only on different days in other countries but also in a variety of unique and different ways. Students can research how other cultures celebrate this holiday and choose their favorite way to celebrate with their mom. For example, children in Japan give their living mother a red carnation and display a white carnation if their mother has died. In contrast, children in the United Kingdom bake their mother a fruitcake, while children in Mexico sing the traditional song “Las Mañanitas.”
Mother’s Day Math Craftivities
Students in grades 1-5 can partake in a math percentage poem where they identify five things/qualities/characteristics that they think make up their mother and assign each of these things a percentage. They can also fill out a mom fraction worksheet where students identify four things that make up quarters of their mom.
These are just a few of the many ways to celebrate Mother’s Day and make it an educational experience for kids. Whether you choose a craft, math worksheet, fun facts about the history, or a traditional Mother’s Day activity, every mother will be grateful their child took the time to honor them in some way.
Remote and Virtual Activities for Celebrating Mother’s Day
A typical Mother’s Day celebration where students create a special craft then bring it home may not be a viable option for some classrooms this year. However, it is possible to virtually plan and/or put together something special for Mother’s Day. Here are a few Mother’s Day ideas that teachers can help their students pull off virtually.
Mother’s Day Slideshow
Ask each student to think of something special about their Mother, then use whatever art supplies they have at home to draw it. Next, instruct students to either take a snapshot of the drawing and email it to you, or have students hold it up next to their face during a Google Meet and take a screenshot of it. Assemble each of the photos into a slideshow and email it to all of the moms on Mother’s Day.
Hold a Virtual Mother’s Day Tea
Many elementary classrooms hold an in-person Mother’s Day tea to celebrate moms on Mother’s Day. However, many students are remote learning so that is impossible. This year, invite all of the moms to a virtual luncheon where moms and students eat lunch together over a Google Meet and watch the students take turns singing songs, reciting Mother’s Day poems, and reading personal stories about their special moms.
Create a Mother’s Day Video on Flipgrid
Flipgrid is a popular platform that allows students to create short videos in response to a teacher’s question. Instruct students to create a Flipgrid video about their mom in response to a Mother’s Day prompt, such as “Mom’s Funniest Moments”, “Why I Love My Mom”, “My Mom’s Favorite Things Are…” Then, on Mother’s Day have students share the videos with their moms.
Moms of the Future
Ask students to think about the role that moms have played in the past and present. Show students videos of mothers in the past, then ask students to think about what they think mothers will be like in the future. Challenge students to write a few paragraphs of what they imagine mothers to be like in the future, then have students create a Flipgrid video of their responses. Next, share these videos with students’ moms on Mother’s Day.
Memories of Mom
Invite students to think about their favorite memories of their mom. Have students choose three writing prompts out the list below to help them create a “Memories of Mom” memento they can print out and give to their moms on Mother’s Day.
- A funny moment with mom
- I lesson I learned from mom
- A memorable moment with mom
- A fib I told my mom
- What I admire the most about mom
- The happiest time I spent with mom
A Mother’s Day Message
Ask students to think about ten things they love about their mom. Next, have students create a top ten list of their favorite things. Ask students to write them on chart paper in a list format and to be sure to leave the best “thing” for last because they will be covering up each statement and reading the list on a Flipgrid video to their mothers.
