57 Best Mother’s Day Activities to Make Her Feel Extra Special
Let these fun ideas for adults and kids inspire the best celebration for mom yet.
Mothers truly deserve the world every day, but especially on Mother’s Day. If you haven’t already planned to shower your mom with the unique gifts or made reservations for brunch or lunch, we have the perfect Mother’s Day activity ideas that are sure to make the most important woman in your life feel extra special.
On our list, you’ll find an assortment of nice things to do for your mom that will be a hit whether you decide to spend the day at home or want to enjoy a day out on the town. These innovative celebration ideas include fun Mother’s Day games that will keep the entire family engaged and entertained, DIY crafts that will be just as enjoyable for Mom as they are for the kids and one-of-a-kind travel ideas and cool classes if you're looking for more of an adult-centric celebration, or if you can't actually be there with her in person.
Whatever activity or surprise you land on to show your mom, wife, sister or maternal figure your appreciation for all that they do, the most important thing is that you all get to spend some quality time together.
Make pottery.
Working together to make art won't just allow you to leave with a one-of-a-kind piece. You'll be able to bond as you explore a new activity. Because it's so relaxing, you may find Mom opening up like never before.
Let her create a signature scent.
If your mom has a hefty fragrance collection, sign her up for a make-your-own-perfume class. She'll get to leave with a one of a kind scent, and every time she wears it she'll be reminded of the time she spent with you.
Visit an amusement park.
For the mom who's always seeking adventure, a trip to your nearest amusement park will be a welcome surprise. Not only will you be able to treat her to her fill of funnel cakes and caramel corn, but you'll get to see her face light up when you all sit next to each other on her favorite ride. If you ask us, it's a win, win.
Have a backyard BBQ.
Sure, backyard barbecues are often associated with Father's Day, but Mom loves her burgers and dogs, too, so why should Dad get all the fun? If the weather cooperates, fire up the grill!
Find more than 70 of Good Housekeeping's favorite grilling recipes »
Invite her to high tea.
Whether you make the brews and treats yourself or head out to an official tea house, Mom will love sipping her beverage out of fancy china and snacking on tea sandwiches.
Make something totally unique.
If you do a DIY craft project (like this recipe box from Club Crafted), write a poem or come up with a silly dance, you know your mom will love it because it is 100% you. No one can one-up a one-of-a-kind experience! You can make them for her and present them to her, or involve her in their creation.
Have a make-your-own pizza party.
DIY pizza: It's a craft (depending on how artfully you place the toppings), an activity and a meal all at once! Start with basic pizza dough, then everyone gets to add their favorite toppings. Mom gets first pick, of course.
Have a Mother's Day book club.
Sometime before the big day, Mom gets to pick a book and everyone reads it. On Mother's Day, everyone gathers together to discuss. If the kids are still little, this could be modified to be a read-aloud of Mom's favorite picture books.
Watch home movies.
Whether this involves digitizing old VHS tapes or getting video files off your phone and onto the TV, dig into the family archives and host a home-movie marathon. She'll get emotional seeing how much everyone has grown.
Host a lawn-game tournament.
Croquet, cornhole, bocce, outdoor Jenga or horseshoes — what's your family's game of choice? Split into teams and drum up some friendly rivalry — while soaking in rays — with a backyard challenge. Make it an annual event, and pass around a trophy to the winner each year.
Find the Good Housekeeping picks for some of the best lawn games »
Break a sweat together.
If Mom's a fitness buff, whether she likes Pilates, Zumba, basketball or any other heart-rate-increasing activity, join her in a workout! She'll feel the endorphin rush for the rest of the day (though only some of that will be from the exercise).
Make a memory book.
On Mother's Day, have her go through everybody's camera rolls and Instagram feeds and choose her favorite photos. Not only will she have a great time re-living the year, she'll give you the inspiration you need to make a memory book, like this one from Artifact Uprising. You can make it a yearly tradition.
Craft the perfect playlist.
Songs about mothers and Mom's favorite songs can come together into the perfect playlist to put on during brunch or dinner. You can either make it for her, or take turns being DJ and alternate picks.
Play a family board game.
If Mom likes to strategize, challenge her to a friendly board game competition. (And, no, you don't have to let her win just because it's Mother's Day.)
Find the best family board games, as selected by the Good Housekeeping Institute »
Head to the beach.
Depending on where you are, it might not be perfect swimming weather yet. But the sun, the waves and a good book are the perfect ingredients for a relaxing Mother's Day, and she might want to stroll down the beach and look for shells.
Pick your own fruit.
This activity is especially fun if you have a lot of kids who want to get in on the action. Then, when you all get home, you can whip up a treat for Mom with your selections. (Maybe give her a strawberry in a Champagne glass while she waits.)
Find Good Housekeeping's picks for the best strawberry recipes »
Get theater tickets.
You can go to a play or a musical — lots of towns even host outdoor theater events. But if you're still leery about heading to a theater, there are places that let you stream plays and musicals in the comfort of your home, like BroadwayHD or the UK's National Theatre, which lets you see shows with world-class casts for prices you'd never get if you'd bought tickets.
Make a scrapbook.
Break out those old photo albums, print some of your phone pics and transform them all into something beautiful. (Newbies? You can get started by finding ideas online.) You and Mom can each work on your own scrapbook pages and bind them together when you're done.
Spruce up the garden.
Gardeners know that Mother's Day is the perfect time to start planting seeds. Get the whole family outside and digging in the dirt together. Every time she sees them, she'll be reminded of the special day — it's the gift that keeps on giving! Some flowers that are fairly easy to maintain include sunflowers, marigolds and sweet peas.
Complete a jigsaw puzzle.
Find a puzzle with an image you know your mom will love (or make a custom one using a photo of the two of you) and put it together over wine and snacks. You'll be amazed at how much chatting you can get done while puzzling.
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Selena is the entertainment and news editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers the latest on TV, movies and celebrities. In addition to writing and editing entertainment news, she also spotlights the Hispanic and Latinx community through her work. She is a graduate of CUNY Hunter College with a B.A. in journalism and creative writing.
Cameron (she/her) is a staff writer for Good Housekeeping, where she covers everything from holidays to food. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, where she received a B.A. in magazine journalism. In her spare-time she can be found scrolling TikTok for the latest cleaning hacks and restaurant openings, binge-watching seasons of Project Runway or online shopping.
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