Ask most mothers what they want for Mother's Day and the answer is some version of "time together, and nobody fighting." Flowers and brunch reservations are lovely, but the days people remember are usually the ones where the family did something together. Here are Mother's Day activities for every kind of mom, whether your family is little kids and sticky fingers, grown children coming home for the weekend, or a mom you'll be celebrating over video call.
Activities to do together at home
1. Make breakfast in bed (properly)
Kids can handle toast, fruit and a handwritten card. Older kids and partners can take it further with pancakes or a frittata. The rule: the mom doesn't get out of bed until it arrives, and she doesn't clean up afterward.
2. Paint together
An afternoon painting side by side is relaxing, doesn't need any skill, and ends with something that stays on the wall. Paint by numbers works well for mixed ages and mixed abilities because the colors and shapes are already worked out.
For a family, a mini paint by numbers set has six small canvases and one shared paint set, so everyone can paint their own design at the same table. Florals like Ribbon Bouquets or Wildflower Vases suit the day. For a bigger shared project, a full-size floral kit can be painted over several visits.
3. Cook her recipe, with her
Ask her to teach you the dish she always made when you were a kid. Write the recipe down as she goes, measurements and all. You get a great meal and a recipe that would otherwise live only in her head.
4. Go through old photos
Pull out the albums or the old phone backups and look through them together. Ask the questions you never asked: where was this, who took it, what was happening that year. If one photo stands out, a custom paint by numbers kit turns it into a painting she can make herself.
5. Plant something
A few pots of herbs, a rose bush, or a small raised bed of flowers. It's a gift she gets to watch grow all summer.
Activities out of the house
- A garden or botanical park visit, timed for spring blooms.
- A class together: pottery, flower arranging, a cooking class.
- A picnic in her favorite park, with food you made.
- A matinee: a movie, a play or a concert, followed by an early dinner.
- A farmers' market morning, then cook lunch together with what you bought.
With little kids
Keep it short and hands-on. Handprint flowers, a card with a list of "things I love about Mom," or a small painting from a mini set (an adult can help with the tiny sections). Whatever they make, date the back. In ten years it'll be the thing she keeps.
When you can't be there
- Paint together over video call. Send her a kit, get the same one yourself, and paint at the same time while you talk.
- Record a video message with the whole family, grandkids included.
- Mail a handwritten letter about a specific memory. It arrives, it gets read more than once, and it gets kept.
Plan-ahead checklist
- Pick the activity at least two weeks before
- Order anything that needs shipping with time to spare
- Book classes or restaurants early, since they fill up
- Assign jobs: who cooks, who cleans, who organizes the kids
- Remember grandmothers, stepmoms and the other mother figures in your life
Shopping for an older mom or grandmother? Our guide to paint by numbers for seniors covers which kits are easiest on the eyes and hands, and our gift guide has more ideas.
Spend Mother's Day making something
Floral mini sets and full-size kits that turn an afternoon together into a painting she'll keep.
Shop floral kitsFrequently asked questions
What can you do for Mother's Day at home?
Breakfast in bed, painting together, cooking her favorite recipe with her, looking through old photos or planting a small garden are all easy, meaningful activities at home.
What's a good Mother's Day activity for the whole family?
Painting together works for mixed ages. A mini paint by numbers set has six small canvases and one shared paint set, so everyone can paint a design at the same table.
How can you celebrate Mother's Day long-distance?
Send her a paint by numbers kit and paint the same one together over video call, record a family video message, or mail a handwritten letter about a favorite memory.
What's a meaningful Mother's Day gift that isn't flowers?
A custom paint by numbers kit made from a family photo, a handwritten letter, or an experience you do together tends to mean more than something bought off a shelf.
