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25 Best Mother's Day Gifts From Toddlers Who Adore Their Moms
Some with DIY elements and others with bonding activities, but all are so unique and sweet.
When it comes time to start thinking about Mother's Day gifts, toddlers are just the best. Sure, they may not have the skills to pull off the neatest DIY Mother's Day crafts, but what they lack in fine motor coordination, they make up in heart. And, with the pressure of choosing a first Mother's Day gift off, you can let them loose and have them show their love in their toddler-specific ways, because they'll be big kids soon enough.
These are the best Mother's Day gifts to give from toddlers in 2023. A lot of them rely on a toddler's artistic skills, so break out those finger paints, handprint stamps and foam stickers and get ready to get creative. Others are ideas for mother-child bonding time, with experiences they can share like cooking or reading a book together. And some are fun items that really are just for Mom, but you can sign your toddler's name to them.
One note about crafts: Some craft kits have portions that toddlers are supposed to be involved with, and then fit into a larger item that has not-toddler-friendly pieces. For example, for anything that eventually gets framed, picture frames often have glass that toddlers can break easily. Some kits include magnets to hang the results on the fridge, but small magnets are choking hazards. Be sure to be on-hand to supervise any kid crafts and keep them away from the parts that are for the adults. Other than that, happy crafting!
Have the toddler sit nicely for a photo with Mom, or find one of their best moments together from the past year and then turn the moment into a small, 98-piece jigsaw puzzle in the shape of a heart. It would go perfectly with a card that says, "I love you to pieces!"
Toddlers aren't old enough to fill in the blanks on their own yet, but adults can take dictation for them — or, start a tradition for a multi-year project where they fill out one page each year, so she can see how the scribbles turn into real thoughts as the years go on.
Credit: Olive Loves Apple Mama and Mini Matching Outfit
Take those Mother's Day photos and videos over-the-top with a coordinating outfit. These "Mama" and "Mini" shirts are just what Mom needs to make a statement, and they come in four colors.
There's no better snuggle-together, read-aloud treat than this book, which celebrates the joy of spending a day with Mama. Good Housekeeping testers liked that the book was sweet, but also pretty realistic when it comes to showing the types of activities that moms and kids do together.
Now Mom can take the best moments with her toddler wherever she goes with these ultra-portable photo books. At 4" by 4", they're small enough to fit in a purse, but still can hold between 10 and 40 pages. (Pro-tip: Grandmas also love these.)
This detailed, custom portrait is the perfect gift to capture those special moments of Mom and her little ones. Even as her kids grow older, this portrait will always remind her of her babies! You can customize everything including number of children, skin tones, child names and more.
This book comes with 35 blank coupons, so you can let the little one help you decide what sorts of things Mom could be treated to, whether it's extra minutes of sleep or a big bear hug. (Can you make a get-out-of-a-tantrum-free card?) Mom gets to reap the benefits all year!
If Mom loves to cook and bake, this book will help inspire lots of family time in the kitchen. It helps little ones get the hang of simple techniques and easy recipes. Better yet, on Mother's Day, have the little chef or chefs whip up something delicious (with adult supervision, of course) while Mom gets to stay in bed.
This project is special because you can get the whole family in on the act: parents and kids, siblings or even grandparents. It comes with red, yellow and blue paint for their handprints, as well as a spot for a family photo.
Let them loose with some finger paints and set them on making a one-of-a-kind gift that, bonus, Mom can then use to carry all their toddler stuff around on-the-go.
A toddler is only this small once! This kit comes with everything you need to preserve a handprint, including air-dry clay, letter stamps and the frame. Plus, you can include pictures of your special moments together.
Mom is sure to appreciate the sentiment with this personalized book about how great she is. But toddlers will be wowed when they see themselves — and their names — transported inside the book as well.
If there's more than one mom in the family celebrating Mother's Day, everyone will be able to enjoy this book together. The rhyming words tell the story of how one toddler spends the day with their two moms.
Once you purchase, download and print the template, you'll already have a sweet leaf and petal design. All you have to do is have your child make handprint the "flowers" with to complete the look.
What mom doesn't want an original work of toddler art to hang up on the fridge or at the office? Melissa & Doug's Finger Paint Paper Pad lets them work on a large, 12" x 18" surface so they can really let their creativity shine. You can also get a set of four-color finger paints to go with it.
What could be more adorable than this teddy bear, wearing a custom message from a toddler? Sure, the toddler might "borrow" the stuffie more often than not, but it's the thought that counts.
This is another project where you just have to have a toddler add their artistic "touches," be it with finger paint, stamps or washable markers, and then voilà! Mother's Day accomplished. These come in a set of two, so you can do one for Mom and one for Grandma.
You can slide the paper insert out of this mug and give it to a toddler to decorate however they like. Mom can use it for her favorite beverage or, since it's hand-wash only, use it as a pencil cup or catch-all. The message is still the same: "Home is where Mom is."
Marisa (she/her) has covered all things parenting, from the postpartum period through the empty nest, for Good Housekeeping since 2018; she previously wrote about parents and families at Parents and Working Mother. She lives with her husband and daughter in Brooklyn, where she can be found dominating the audio round at her local bar trivia night or tweeting about movies.
Shanon is a writer and editor who specializes in best-of product roundups and deals. She has over six years of experience, including almost three years as a Good Housekeeping product and reviews editor, covering the best sales and products across home, appliances, health, beauty, parenting and more.