Get Prepared for Celebrating Mother’s Day With Your Kids – Mother’s Day Lesson Plans + 19 Creative Printable Worksheets

Mother’s Day is one of the best holidays of the year — according to moms, anyway! They get breakfast in bed, a day off from chores, and (if they’re lucky) some cute handmade cards or crafts.

Why not extend the celebration and bring it into the classroom this year with Mother’s Day lesson plans? While it’s sometimes seen as a “Hallmark holiday”, Mother’s Day has a pretty interesting history and there are plenty of related fun and educational activities you can do together with your kids.

When did Mother’s Day start?

The modern tradition of Mother’s Day began in North America, but the origin of festivals honoring mothers and motherhood can be traced all the way back to ancient Greek and Roman times.

Back then, holidays were always celebrations of different gods and goddesses. Cybele, Rhea, and Hilaria were three mother goddesses who were honored with festivals and parties.

Christians would observe Mothering Sundays each year during Lent, where families went to church then ate a celebratory fruit cake with marzipan. Historically, Hindus also had an annual day just for mothers, Mata Tirtha Aunsi, which is still celebrated in Nepal today.

These festivals of motherhood have evolved into a way for us to celebrate our own mothers, as well as the notion of motherhood and the influence of moms in society.

Mother’s Day was first celebrated in modern North America in 1872, though it wasn’t designated as an annual national observance day until 1912. It began as a call for mothers to promote world peace(!) and has eventually transformed into the holiday we know today.

Who knew the history of Mother’s Day was so far-reaching? Make sure you boil these facts down into an engaging lesson plan for Mother’s Day. Combine with worksheets on Ancient Greece, Hinduism and other Hindu celebrations, or American days of national observance, and your Mother’s Day lessons will quickly expand into religious studies and US history.

Where else in the world celebrates Mother’s Day?

We all have mothers, so naturally, Mother’s Day is celebrated all over the world! While the observed day varies by country, it usually falls in March or May.

In Thailand, Mother’s Day is celebrated in August to coincide with the birthday of their current queen, Sirikit, while Serbians observe the holiday in December.

Most countries celebrate with gifts, cards, and flowers. In Ethiopia, they have a whole festival dedicated to motherhood, with huge communal feasts and singing. Brazilian Mother’s Day is also an extravagant celebration — the country’s second-most commercialized holiday after Christmas!

These interesting insights make for great lesson plans leading up to Mother’s Day. Start with one country, and then travel around the world exploring how moms are celebrated in all four corners of the globe!

Ideas for celebrating Mother’s Day with your family

There are endless ways to celebrate Mother’s Day as a family. We’ve even got some printable worksheets with activities and the full history of the celebration.

Dive into handmade cards

Getting cards is lovely, but a handmade card is very special. All you need is paper, markers, and a little creativity. You can take it up a level with glitter glue or by making collages with magazine cut-outs. The Internet has plenty of inspiration, but all you really need is a cute, creative drawing and a heartfelt message.

Cook up a storm

Things can certainly get messy with your kids in the kitchen, so make sure it’s not up to mom to clean up! If they’re old enough to cook unsupervised, encourage them to use a cookbook with mom’s favorite recipe or find something online and make lunch or dinner for the whole family. If your kids are younger, there are plenty of excellent dishes that you can cook together, giving them easier tasks like stirring. You could prepare breakfast in bed (pancakes or bacon and eggs), bake a batch of cookies, or cook a healthy dinner to give mom the night off.

Celebrate Mom in the classroom

This 19-page worksheet bundle is the perfect balance of facts and fun, with some great activities you can work into the week leading up to Mother’s Day. One worksheet asks kids to fill out a page all about their mom, what makes her special, and how she inspires them. Another prompts them to write Mom a letter, followed by a haiku about her. Taking the time to learn and acknowledge the origins of Mother’s Day can help your kids understand why it’s celebrated and help them appreciate the mom they have.

Make a memory scrapbook

Chances are you have a bunch of adorable family photos lying around or stored on your phone. Why not print them out and make your own family scrapbook? Get the kids involved, helping you decorate the pages and decide on the layout. All you need is some glue and scissors, as well as colored paper and markers to spruce it up. It’ll make a really touching gift for Mom on Mother’s Day. A lot of the examples you’ll find online are very aspirational and photo-perfect, but just make it your own!

Play board games or get a custom puzzle

Quality family time together is always important, especially now that we’re all so busy and distracted. Have a screen-free night playing all of Mom’s favorite board games — Scrabble anyone? Or make it extra personal by getting a family photo turned into a jigsaw puzzle — a fun activity that all ages can get involved with!

Make Mom feel extra special

Moms deserve appreciation and gratitude every day of the year, but Mother’s Day is an occasion to really lay it on thick. By dedicating the whole day to family activities and introducing your kids to the history behind the holiday, you can make sure it’s an extra special occasion — just what Mom deserves!