Mother’s Day Ideas for Young Children

Written by K Quinn

Just because your little peanut is under the age of 5 does not mean they can’t make a lovely Mother’s Day gift for the Mom’s in their lives.

Keep in mind that you are speaking of toddlers and preschoolers so some assistance from an adult or older child is required for these craft ideas.
For young kids adjust your expectations. You are looking for something meaningful from their little hands. Don’t try for perfection and make sure they are having fun too.

Many of the supplies for these crafts you may need are either already in your home or you can purchase them at the dollar store.

All of these ideas I use with my own preschooler and have since age two.

Mini Herb Garden : This is a great little gift for small hands especially at this time of year (spring). Plan to make either a mini herb or flower garden. Purchase a small flower pot and your choice of seeds whose plants do well in small containers. Let your little one have fun adding the dirt to the pot and planting the seeds and watering it. Make little signs to show what’s been planted. You can print these easily on your home computer and tape them over to laminate them. Then attach them to popsicle sticks and place them in the pot. If the seeds need to germinate cover the whole deal with plastic wrap and tell the honored mother to remove the plastic when the first leaves pop up. Be sure to tell Mom where to place the plant for further success.

Make a Card : Yes your tiny one can make a card too. Homemade cards are a great little craft for small ones. They needn’t know how to write either. A stamp that says “HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY”, or a print out from your computer that says the same can be applied wherever they wish. Add a few stickers, crayons, some pieces of fabric or glitter and glue and let them go to town creating a card for mom that comes just from them. Or just print out a card they can color. We make some nice cards in school that are simply construction paper folder and then your child can draw a picture of mom on the front. If they have learned to print they can write "Mother" on the card (you may have to write it on some scratch paper for them to see). Use some pressed flowers or something to make it unique.

Bake Something : Who doesn’t love fresh baked treats from the kitchen. Baking with your preschooler does not have to be a stressful time. There are a number of ways they can be completely involved and help create a tasty treat for mom. I often bake with my now six four year old and have been since she was two. For cookies we use the mixer and I help her to gather the correct measurements of each ingredient. Then we add it to the mixer. Helping to shape and decorate cookies is a joy also. For cakes, which usually require a much more delicate hand I put the dry ingredients into the flour sifter and then she has a great time sifting into a bowl. I mix the cake batter while she adds the ingredients in small doses. Update: I now measure all the items out and she sifts and then adds to the stand mixer. I do a final mix up and watch closely to make sure things aren't over beaten. Here is a link to a perfect small cake just right for mom to treasure.

Sewing : We know that little hands can't really take to the needle and thread too young but maybe your little one can sew together a little item such as these click here to visit Sewing Kits 4 Kids.

Other Crafts: I love working with craft foam sheets and little kids. It's so easy to cut out things and have them ready for kids to glue togeher into something. I buy foam sheets from Joann.com

When it comes to creating something for Mother's Day from the littlest family members you are only limited by your imagination. Above all make sure it is fun.