I often hear children say, “I am colouring this for my mom” or hear them pretending to be their mom during free playtime. Here are some ideas to get children to remember how special their moms are and give them ideas for how to celebrate them on their special day.
BOOKS
Are You My Mother
A favourite book for my kids. The baby bird falls out of its nest and has to find his mother.
I give each animal it visits a different voice.
Love You Forever
I remember discussing this story with my brother Russell and his wife Heather.
It was a favourite for their family too. Their version of the song was different from mine.
This is what I would always sing…have a listen.
My Monster Mommy Loves Me So
This is a great one especially if you have little boys.
All the yucky things that monsters do really play into the potty talk that preschool boys enjoy. There is a great rhyming rhythm to this story.
If I Could Keep You Little
This book has you remembering all the things moms do when children are little that lead them into doing similar things independently as they get older.
Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?
We all love Eric Carle books.
This one would be great for early readers as the only words changing on each page is the animal and the picture helps out with that.
At the back of the book it says what each type of animal baby is called.
My Mother is Mine
On each page is a different type of animal mother with a description or adjective that describes them.
Llama Llama Mother’s Day Present
A popular series of children’s books is always a good option to add in.
This story gives different ideas of what kids could do for their mom’s for Mother’s Day.
SONGS
Five Pretty Mommies
Sing to tune of “Five Little Ducks”
Five pretty mommies I once knew,
Fat ones, skinny ones, tall ones, too,
But the one in the middle that belongs to me…
I love her and she loves me!
Down to the grocery store we did go,
Wibble – wobble, wibble – wobble, to and fro,
But the one in the middle that belongs to me,
I love her and she loves me!
Mommy
Sung to tune of Bingo
I love her and she loves me,
And Mommy is her name-o,
M-O-M-M-Y
M-O-M-M-Y
M-O-M-M-Y
And Mommy is her name-O
Momma don’t allow
Tune of “Here we go around the Mulberry bush”
Momma don’t allow no jumping round here (children jump)
Momma don’t allow no jumping round here (children jump)
I don’t care what momma’s gonna say
I’m gonna do it anyway (children jump)
Momma don’t allow no hopping
………………………………… no skipping
……………………………….. any action
(last verse) no yelling
Five Little Mommies Jumping on the Bed
(Tune: Five little monkeys jumping on the bed)
Five little mommies jumping on the bed
One fell off and bumped her head
Daddy called the doctor and the doctor said
“No more mommies jumping on the bed!)
Four little mommies…
Three…
Two…
One little mommy jumping on the bed
She fell off and bumped her head
Daddy called the doctor and the doctor said,
“Get those mommies back to bed!”
If You Love Your Mom and You Know it
(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know it)
If you love your mom and you know it, blow a kiss
If you love your mom and you know it, blow a kiss
If you love your mom, really love your mom,
If you love your mom, blow a kiss
If you love your mom, give a hug…
If you love your mom, say “I love you”…
If you love your mom, do all three…
CRAFTS
Mother’s are like buttons
Mommy Poem with Handprints
I love you to pieces heart
Cut up bright colored paper and have kids glue pieces onto a drawn heart.
Older children can write out the words.
Sharpie Tile Coaster
Take a blank white kitchen backsplash tile.
Colour with permanent sharpie markers.
Drop 70% (or greater) rubbing alochol with medicine or eye dropper.
Make sure to put a few layers of newspaper underneath!!
Tilt the tile to spread the alcohol.
Once dry, coat with modge podge to avoid staining.
Fingerprint heart
I really like the poem that goes along with this one.
ACTIVITIES
Guess the task
Write out jobs that mom’s often do around the house.
My husband says I was being sexist but I do all of these tasks most of the time.
Have the children take turns picking out of a hat and acting out the task.
The other children guess what they are doing.
Mother and baby
Have a variety of toy animals and their young.
Talk about what the name of the baby would be example: Cow-calf.
You can focus on farm animals, jungle animals, reptiles, amphibians or just animals in general.
Baby Care station
Have all the supplies needed that a parent would use to care for their baby.
Offer a few dolls and let the kids be the parent.
You could include a baby tub with water to make it more of a sensory activity.
SENSORY
Bake mom a treat
Have the kids measure and mix all the ingredients for a special baked surprise for their mom.
Mother’s Day Playdough
Offer some artificial flowers and challenge the children to make their own out of playdough.
Offer buttons, pom poms, beads and pipe cleaners to add to the dough.
Recipe
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 Tbsp cream of tartar
2 Tbsp veg oil
2 cups water
Mix dry ingredients then add wet.
Cook on stove in a saucepan until a ball forms over med heat.
Remove to parchment paper lined surface.
Separate the dough into as many sections as the number of different colours you want to create.
Poke a well into each ball and add the food colouring.
Knead the dough to mix the colouring into the dough.
**Use plastic bag on hands or plastic gloves to avoid hand staining.
No matter what you do with children to help them get ready for Mother’s Day, just make sure they understand how special their mother’s really are. Children (and even adults) are always so excited to make a gift for their mom.