25 Mother’s Day Activities

Photo: iStock.com/eli_asenova

This year, May 12 is more than just another date on the calendar — it’s a heartfelt celebration of the women who make our lives richer and fuller. Whether she’s your mom, grandmother, stepmother, aunt, or any other motherly figure you’ve come to know and love, this special day is the perfect opportunity to show her just how much she means to you. 

Here at Zazzle, everyone on our creative Ideas team – this writer included – is very close to their mother, and that’s why we’re bursting with ways to mark Mother’s Day this year. Learn more about those suggestions below, but be sure to keep them a secret until the big day – mum’s the word, and so on. 

Why Mother’s Day is So Special

While we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the Mother’s Day cards and gifts Zazzle has to offer, the real aim of the holiday is to acknowledge the love and support that these amazing women provide us with every day. Rather than distributing lots of expensive presents and gift cards, focus instead on appreciating the irreplaceable role mothers play in our lives – through a shared activity or some kind words, perhaps. To do so is more in line with the original intention behind Mother’s Day, too, as our article on “The History of Mother’s Day” reveals. 

As a way to celebrate the motherly figures in your life, then, we’ve put together a list of 25 Mother’s Day ideas & activities that she’ll absolutely love to do with you this year (with a bit of coaxing for her to get out of the house, anyway).

25 Top Mother’s Day Ideas and Activities

Ready to make this Mother’s Day the kind of occasion that she’ll be quietly looking forward to every year from now? Here’s the mother of all lists when it comes to thinking of activities to do this May 12th.

  1. Brunch Cruise: Set sail on a local river or lake and enjoy a scenic brunch cruise.
  2. DIY Spa Day: Turn your home (or hers) into a luxury hotel! You can achieve a relaxing spa experience with homemade facials, mani-pedis, and soothing music. You can even concoct a DIY salt scrub with the help of our “DIY: Mother’s Day Gift Homemade Body Scrub” article.
  3. Memory Lane: How about a day trip down memory lane by visiting places that are special to you both? 
  4. Cooking Class: If you’re not as skilled in the kitchen as your mother is, then you could always join a cooking class and learn to make her favorite dish together.
  5. Garden Picnic: Make the most of that glorious summer weather, and spend the day in a beautiful garden or park.
  6. Movie Marathon: Whether your mother prefers weepy rom-coms or high-octane thrillers, it’s easy to set up a marathon of her favorite movies.
  7. Art Workshop: Perhaps she’ll be inspired by those movies to create some art of her own! If that’s the case, accompany her to a painting, pottery, or photography workshop, and discover some latent talents together.
  8. Concert or Theater: This rarely fails: book tickets to a concert or play she’s been wanting to see!
  9. Scrapbooking: Did your trip down memory lane prove significantly meaningful? If so, you might be able to spend the rest of the day putting together a scrapbook filled with your favorite memories. You could use a Zazzle notebook to store your photos and keepsakes!
  10. Wine Tasting: Visit a vineyard for a wine tasting and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Or, at the very least, enjoy some beautiful vino – bottled, perhaps, with a custom label.
  11. Dance Class: Get your mother to participate in a dance class — whether it’s salsa, ballroom, or something funky and obscure! She might even find herself a new hobby or group of friends.
  12. Charity Run: Take part in a charity walk or run that supports a cause she cares about. And if there isn’t such an event taking place in your community, then why not organize one?
  13. Photo Shoot: Arrange a professional photo shoot or snap some fun selfies together.
  14. Crafting Fun: One of the ideas suggested in our “5 Custom Mother’s Day Gifts Your Mom Will Love” article is to present your mom with a DIY craft project. However, this is also something you can collaborate on: would she like to try knitting or DIY jewelry making herself? 
  15. Nature Hike: Celebrate both your mother and the great outdoors with a hike or a leisurely stroll in a national park.
  16. Book Club for Two: If there’s nothing your mother enjoys more than curling up with a good book, then why not join her, and plan your own mini-book club discussion? Furthermore, if you want to impress your well-read mother, then choose a sophisticated greeting or intellectual quote from our “What to Write in a Mother’s Day Card – Mother’s Day Card Ideas” article.
  17. Tea Party: Dress up and enjoy a fancy afternoon tea with all the trimmings! Such trimmings include our Mother’s Day mugs, naturally, which carry all sorts of artwork published by our Independent Creators.
  18. Stargazing Night: Lay out a blanket and gaze at the stars, maybe even catching a shooting star.
  19. Fitness Class: The dance class may have been a step too far, but a fitness class, like yoga or Pilates, might be another way to keep active this Mother’s Day.
  20. Local Exploration: Pretend that you’re tourists in your own city and visit some lesser-known spots. Alternatively, take a guided tour of a well-known historical site or museum in your town!
  21. Baking Bonanza: Bake her favorite treats together, from cookies to a fancy cake.
  22. Memory Box: Create a memory box filled with mementos from over the years.
  23. Board Game Battle: Most of us have fond memories of playing board games in our childhood. Relive those tense competitions with a game night featuring her favorite board and card games! 
  24. Historical Tour: Take a guided tour of a historical site or museum in your town.
  25. Flower Arranging Class: Learn how to create stunning floral arrangements together! Your mother will be a master of ikebana – the Japanese art of flower arranging – in no time at all. 

Celebrating Every Mom

Remember, every mom is unique, and so the way you celebrate should reflect her personality and your relationship. Whether she loves being immersed in nature, likes to be active, or prefers a day of stress-free pampering, you can tailor the day to include activities that she will love. It’s all about making her feel special and appreciated, and by curating the day’s itinerary to match her interests and temperament, you’ll achieve just that!

So, this Mother’s Day, seize the opportunity to recall fond memories and, more importantly, to create new memories together. Whether you pick one activity or combine a few of our recommendations, you’ll be able to have a Mother’s Day unlike anything she’s experienced before!