12 Great Mother’s Day Activity Ideas

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Are you looking for something fun to do with mom on Mothers’ Day? Here is a list of fun Mother’s Day Activity Ideas to inspire you to make the day special for the whole family.

1. Have a Picnic

mothers day activities family in park having picnic

Picnics are always fun and mom will appreciate she won’t have to cook or do dishes. You can stop by your favorite restaurant to order take out or simply pack together some healthy snacks like cut-up vegetables, fruit, cheese and crackers.

You can either head out to the park to have your picnic or you can have one right in your backyard. All you need is a nice picnic blanket and a basket to pack your snacks!

2. Enjoy a Tea Party

Happy young mother drinking tea with her little daughter

Tea parties can be a lot of fun. You can have a formal tea party just for grown-up moms, or you can have a fun tea party with the kids and all their favorite stuffed animals.

If throwing a fun tea party with your kids, it’s nice to have “grown-up” teacups. Kids won’t care too much if they don’t match and you can often find them relatively inexpensively at thrift stores or even online.

3. Take Mom Shopping at Her Favorite Store

View Of Assortment Of Gift Shop In Store Of Shopping Center
View Of Assortment Of Gift Shop In Store Of Shopping Center

Does mom have a favorite store? This can be a fun Mother’s Day activity that also combines it with her gift – she can buy whatever she likes at the store that day! This is a great idea for moms who love flea markets or moms who love crafts and have been wanting to buy some craft supplies. You could also opt to take her to a clothes store where she can pick out a nice new outfit for spring or summer.

My mom loves to garden, so I often like to take her to her favorite garden nursery and let her pick out all of her favorite flowers and plants for the season that I buy for her.

4. Go for a Hike or Walk

Family walking in the forest
Family walking in the forest

This is a fun and simple idea and is good for the whole family to get some exercise. You can go to a park or simply walk around your neighborhood. It’s a fun way to spend time with the family without too much pressure. You could also combine this activity with our first suggestion of having a picnic!

5. Pamper Mom With a Spa Day

mother and daughter with cucumber slices doing facial mask

You can take mom to her favorite spa or salon, or you can plan a fun spa day at home! Give mom some time to take a relaxing bubble bath, make face masks, and treat her to some aromatherapy.

6. Make Homemade Crafts for Mom

Child drawing. Top view of child hands with pencil painting picture on paper. Kid drawings.
Child drawing. Top view of child hands with pencil painting picture on paper. Kid drawings.

Moms always appreciate homemade crafts – even if they don’t always turn out perfect. You could make her a paper flower bouquet, or you could make a jar filled with small pieces of paper where you write on each one why you love your mom. Even a drawing can be a great gift and thing she’ll enjoy!

7. Go Camping

Young mom with little girl camping out in autumn
Young mom with little girl camping out in autumn

Most campgrounds across the U.S. are open Mother’s Day weekend and it can be a fun way to get away and spend some times outdoors. While camping can sometimes feel like a lot of work for moms, there’s nothing like being able to sit around the fire at the end of the day or enjoy the spectacular views of a nearby lake or river.

8. Visit a Botanical Garden

Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh

For moms who love all things flowers and gardening, a botanical garden can be a very fun place to visit. Check with your local botanical garden if they have family membership plans – this can often save money on the admission price and you’ll be able to visit again and again throughout the year!

9. Play Games or Do a Puzzle Together

Mother and daughter do puzzles
Mother and daughter do puzzles

Does mom have a favorite game? Does she like doing puzzles? This is a great “Plan B” in case your outdoor plans where cancelled by rain or colder weather. There are plenty of great family games for kids and adults of all ages or pick up a new puzzle to do especially just for Mother’s Day. You could even surprise mom with a custom puzzle made from a photograph of the kids – many print on demand websites now offer these!

10. Clean the House or Tackle a DIY Project

Cleaning supplies in a blue bowl, wooden floor background.
Cleaning supplies in a blue bowl, wooden floor background.

Okay, so maybe cleaning won’t be that fun, but this is one gift and thing you could do I promise every mom on the planet would appreciate! Make your bed, sweep the floors, do the dishes or even throw in a load of laundry. It doesn’t matter how small the gesture, it will definitely make mom happy that she gets a break from cleaning for the day.

Another thing you could do is tackle a DIY project around the house. Maybe you paint a room or redecorate together or remodel some furniture, Maybe you fix that leaky faucet that’s been driving her crazy. This is a great idea to do for grandma’s too!

11. Take Mom Out to Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner

Brunch
Brunch

Many restaurants have specials just for Mother’s Day, ranging from family brunch deals to fancy gourmet dinners. Restaurants can be very busy during Mother’s Day – so make sure you call ahead for reservations or use the restaurants app to book a table if possible.

12. Hire a Babysitter

Father Babysitting Son

Sometimes moms just need a day off! When my son was very little, he actually went to Grandma’s house for Mother’s Day so I could spend some much needed time to just relax and do absolutely nothing! This is a very good idea for moms of little ones who could use a break.


Do you have something special planned for mom for Mother’s Day? What kind of activities for Mother’s Day does your family enjoy? Share your Mother’s Day activity ideas in the comments section below!

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