Mother's Day Ideas

Mom's Apple Pie
Materials needed
Apple Potpourri
Pie tin (small alluminum)
Pom Poms (red)
Gold glitter
Tan Felt
Glue
Scissors
pencil
wax paper

Place your pie tin upside down on the tan felt. Trace the shape with you pencil and cut out the pie crust.
Pour your potpourri into your pie tin. Dont eat it. It smells better than it tastes.
Fill your pie tin with pom pom "apples".
Put a bead of glue around the edge of the pie tin and cover with the pie crust felt.
Place a sheet of wax paper on top of the crust and place a book on top until the glue dries. Dont use a really heavy book or you may end up with apple sauce.
When your pie is dry, decorate the top by drawing lines with glue and sprinkle with glitter.
Your pie is done! Doesnt it smell Yummy. Put it anywhere you'd enjoy the delicious aroma of fresh apple pie. We usually make a card from a fish shape or tie or something similar, but one teacher put a fishing hat on her children, gave them a fishing pole and took each child's picture. Then had the children decorate a frame and put the picture inside. It was really cute.

Book of Kisses
The children can make a "Book Of Kisses" to give to their mothers Mother's Day. Make booklets by cutting paper into 4 inch squares and stapling ten sheets together in one booklet for each child. Write "Book of Kisses" on the top page and invite the children to decorate the page that is the cover of the booklet. In small groups, colour the children's lips with lipstick and have them kiss each page of the book. Send it home with a note explaining that the mothers can redeem each page for a real kiss.

Mother's Day Card
Materials
Construction paper
Tempera paint
Pie pan
Scissors
Pencil
Directions:
Fold the construction paper in half to form a card. Pour enough tempera paint in the pie pan to cover the bottom. Have the child lay the palm of the hand in the paint. Take the hand out of the paint and press the hand on the front of the card, with the small finger along the folded edge. Let dry. Leaving the card folded, cut out the handprint so the card is now in the shape of the handprint. Open the card and write the message.

Plant for Mom
For Mother's Day we usually paint a plant pot and then re-pot a petunia into the pot. Also I ask the child to tell me one thing they love about their mom and I write it on a big heart which we paste into the center of a fingerpainting the child has done and we display them for everyone to read.

Tealight Candle
Cut tissue paper into small pieces and glue on to baby food jars (use a glue/water mix and you can paint it on with a water color brush). First paint the jar with the mixture and place the tissue paper on. Then, after that has dried, paint over the tissue paper with the same mix. Put a tea light inside and you have a beautiful candle. These can be customized to any season or event, depending on the colors of tissue paper you use.

Mother's Day Hug
Have children trace their hands and cut them out. Attach a verrrrrrry long stip of paper to hands and print on it. Wrap this around yourself and here's a BIG hug from me to you.

Mom/Grandma Handprint Gift
Make a hand print placque to go with this poem
"I miss you when we're not together
I'm growing up so fast
See how big I've gotten
Sinceyou saw me last?
As I grow, I'll change a lot,
The years will fly right by.
You'll wonder how I grew so quick
When and where and why?
So look upon this hand print plaque
That's hanging on your wall
And memories will come back me,
When I was very small."

GREAT BOOKS
Are you My Mother by P E Eastman
Love You Forever by R. Munsch

SAND CANDLES

Fill a baby food jar with colored sand and insert wick. Next, pour melted wax on top. (To make colored sand mix salt and food coloring thenmicrowave for a few seconds)

MORE SAND CANDLES
Fill a shallow pan with sand. Make an impression in the sand, add the wick and pour melted wax in the sand. Layer with different colors. After the wax has cooled remove candle. Some of the sand will stick to wax.

MOTHERS DAY YUMMY CUP
Take a regular plastic cup (tumbler), bright colors are cute! Let the kids decorate outside w/ marker. Help them write the occasion : Happy Mothers Day! Love you ! etc... We used med. pink cups w/ light purple tissue paper stuffed inside cup. Then let the kids fill w/ goodies for their Mom! We used a baggy of Hershey kisses, some gum, a small note-pad, and various other candies.

PAT ON THE BACK FOR MOM
Materials: T-shirts
Fabric Paint.
Have the children make hand-prints on the back of the T-shirts, then write, "This Mom Deserves A Pat On The Back."

Mother's Day Plaque
I had a wood plaque pre-made for each of the children (each one was maybe 6" x 8" and had a routered edge and a coat of stain on it). I helped each child to put a hand print of any color they chose (press child's hand in tempra paint make handprint on one side of the front front of the plaque). I used my computer to print a little poem the kids helped me make up. It went like this:
Roses are red,
Violets are blue.
You're my one and only mommy
And I loveyou!
I did it in a script-type print so it looked kind of fancy and printed it small enough to fit on the plaque next to the hand print. The kids glued their poem on their plaques when the handprints were dry. I covered the table with LOTS of newspaper and helped each child individually to paint shellac (Mod Podge) on their plaques. These were placed out of reach to dry for a few days and were then wrapped for gift giving.

Flower Pot
Small clay pot
Acrylic paint
Flowers cut out of fun foam
Glue
Craft sticks
Picture of each child
Moss
Foam brick
Let children paint their flower pot. Have children glue their flowers on craft sticks. Take the child's picture and cut their face out and glue on one of the flowers. Put piece of foam brick in bottom of pot, add moss. Stick 3 or 4 flowers in the pot.

Window Knick-knack for Mother's Day:
Cereal box for each child
Clay
Dried flowers
Scissors
Adult can do the cutting part ahead of time, if nec.) Cereal box can be the small individual size, or a larger one depending on what size you want your gift to be. Sit box upright and cut off part of the front leaving enough at the bottom for a flower box (planter, so to speak). Cut little blocks from the back resembling panes in a window. Put a clump of clay on the bottom of the box toward the front. Stick dried flowers into the clay so that they come forward and stick out of the "window".

Father's Day/Mother's Day Present:

The children wanted to give Dad a lasting impression of their hands so we went & bought good watercolor paper. Then each child picked out acrylic paint in the color of their choice. Then we purchased a frame, glass & mat. I painted each childs hand with the paint using a foam brush then positioned their hand over the paper & pressed..........then I took a gold paint marker & made a bow on the index finger. Then in the upper corner in calligraphy I wrote......."Dad (Mom) we have you wrapped around our fingers" He truly loved the print & it now hangs in our foyer for a permanent reminder of their little hands. You could also do this on a t-shirt not only for Dad but for Grandma as well!

Because some children do not live with (some do not even know) one parent or the other (or either), remind children that they can make gifts for "Someone Who Is Like a Mother To Me" or "My Special Person" ....

Mothers Day Snack Bag
The children cut out of a pocketbook shape out of a borwn paper bag. punch holes around the edges and have the children thread together. They can then decorate the bag any which way they like. The children then place two napkins, microwave popcorn, two juice boxes, and place them in the bag. The children can go home and have a nice quiet snack with mom.

A Mother's Day Hug..
You need long paper (from a roll). Let the child hug you...then measure the hug with a piece of string. Put the string on the long paper and cut. Trace the childs hands and attach on either end of the paper. Let them decorate with bingo markers or whatever. Add a small heart in the middle with the poem:

"Here's a happy hug a bunch
Wrap it around and feel the crunch
May smiles and Kisses come your way
With Lots of Love on Mothers Day (or Fathers Day or Grandparents Day"
Either use this along with a gift you've made as part of a card or make a book:
"You sew the buttons on my clothes" (glue button on this page)
"You gave me a hankie for my nose"(kleenex on this one)
"You make good things for me to eat"(picture from magazing)
"You buy me candy for a treat"(glue piece of candy on)
"You wash my clothes and mend my socks" (picture from mag and a cut our sock)

Dear Mother, I love you lots and lots!!
Big heart - can put childs picture in it) or....
Cut a doily into a heart (or buy it like that) and make it into a flower (add cut stem and leaves)
Put child's handprint on top of doily. Glue all onto bright colored paper with the following poem:

"A Piece of me I give to you
I made this flower
Because I Love You
The heart is for you
The hand is me
To show we arefriends
The best there can be
I hope you will save it
And look back someday
At the flower we shared on your SPECIAL DAY!"

Do this craft with bright colored const. paper with coordinating colors. You will also need paint. Colors are up to you. On Reg. sized Const. Paper have the child paint his/her hand print on the paper up towards the top...this is going to be a flower. Then, Out of green Const. Paper, cut out a tulip stem and have Child Glue the stem where it goes under the handprint. When Paint of handprint is dry, cut out a heart and glue it to the palm of the child's handprint. Now, you should have a hand print flower with a heart in the middle. Print this Poem, cut it out and place it on the side of the flower...

A Piece of me
I give to you.
I painted this flower
To say "I love You."

The heart is you
The hand is me.
To show that we are friends-
The best there can be.

I hope you will save it
And look back someday
At the flower we shared
On your special day.

Kathleen Lademan

If you are doing a class cookbook for Mother's Day, here is a verse to go with it:

"Here are some favorites we like to cook
We tell you how in this little book.
We carefully measured and mixed each dish
And send this to you with a
Happy Mother's Day wish!"

Here are some starters for child dictated cards for Mother or Father's Day:

1. "To Mother on her special day This is what I want to say:......."
   
2. "Thank you Mom, for all you do Today it's my turn to help you! (Make a list)"
   
3. "Here are some things I'm going to do For Mommy because I love you! (List)"
   
   

Refrigerator Magnets
You need clothespins
Magnetic tape
Fun foam
Cut flower shapes from the fun foam and glue at the top of ther clothespin. Cut stem, leaves from fun foam and glue beneath the flower. Put the magnetic tape on back. This will be a note holder. I think I will duplicate a "Mother" poem to go with it. Mom can put the poem up with the note holder and replace later if she wants to.

Mother's Day Apron
I buy white cook's bib aprons from a restaurant supply house. You can find one in your yellow pages. I buy 20 and they cost about 2.30 each. If you don't have the funds, parents will be happy to pay for these as they are really cool.

I get two bottles of fabric paint, one lavendar and one magenta or pink. I use pie tins for printing pads. I put round pieces of damp felt in the pie tins and pour the fabric paint on and spread it into the felt with a paint brush. (If somebody is absent, just cover this with seran wrap and use it when they return).

I put the apron on the table and cover the center of it with a piece of mat board so they won't print there. I put the pie tin print pads on the mat board. The kid puts their hands back and forth between the print pad and the apron and stamps their hand prints all around the border and on the bib.

The next day, they draw a picture they think their mom will like on the large space in the middle of the apron that was covered by the mat board the day before.

I use fabric crayon or fabric pens to draw the picture. In addition, a companion gift goes with the apron. Each child draws a picture of their mom with a thin crayola black marker. Then I ask each child to tell me what's special and important about their mom. Then I ask them to tell me what their mom likes to cook and how she cooks it. I type these up , reduce the pictures and copy enough for the whole class.

The children make a book cover, usually a printing activity on construction paper. So the book is called, "The Important Book about Moms and What They've Got Cookin" Each book contains everyone's text and drawings.

We then make a simple dessert: oreo cookie crunched on the bottom of little pie tins filled with chocolate pudding mixed with coolwhip - kind of a simple chocolate mousse. We have a "Mother's tea" which is a brown bag lunch with dessert served to the mom's by the children who also at this time give their gifts of the aprons and the books. The children also sing songs for the mothers. One of the songs we sing is this: It's a very old song my grandmother taught me but they have it in the library.

M is for the million things she gave me
O means only that she's growing old
T is for the tears she shed to save me
H is for her heart of purest gold
E is for her eyes with love light shining
R means right and right she'll always be
Put them all together they spell Mother,
A word that means the world to me
We also sing, "You are the One Your Mommy Loves"

PASTA NECKLACE FOR MOM
Use various pasta shapes Wheels Straight Pasta with holes Hearts Bow Ties (tie on with pretty ribbon) Other shapes w/holes to string Dye pasta w/food color & alcohol. I use a small amount of alcohol (1/2 cup or less). Use about 1/2 bottle of food color in the rubbing alcohol. Add the pasta & drain. I do a small amount of pasta at a time & use a slotted spoon to drain the pasta. I keep using the colored alcohol. The pasta drys quickly.I use all kinds of bright colors. When dry let the children string the pasta on pretty ribbon. Tie on the bow tie shapes. This really is cute & fun for the kids. My mom's were proud to wear these beautiful creations that their child made.

Mom's' Day Bouquet

For a Mother's Day gift cut out flower petals from fun foam, have children paint craft sticks green. When sticks are dry children glue flower petals onto the sticks. On one of the flowers glue a picture of the child in the center of the flower. Get 3" clay pots and let children paint these ,add clay or old playdoh to bottom of pot, stick flowers in clay and add moss if you want. Our moms last year really loved these.

We've also planted flowers, the other old stand-by. Later, we'll have the kids decorate "flower-pots". Last year we made plaster flowers using a cookie stamp, and glued them onto clothespins the kids had painted green, and glued magnet strips on so they'd be refrig. note-holders, but as Tiana said, these type of things are not creative for the kids. A sure tip-off -- if done "right" they all look the same!! They are also a lot of work for the teachers!

One of my sons once made me a plaster handprint which he'd arranged sea shells around, so it was somewhat creative. Another idea is to take photos of each child and have them decorate a photo frame with collage materials. I think the nicest thing is to dictate what they love about their mom and let them decorate a card. These are always "keepers".

One thing we do for our mothers on the Friday before Mother's day is provide them with a tissue corsage to take to work with them. We generally have our 4 and 5 year olds and school kids make the flowers. We buy the colored facial tissue that is 2 ply. Fold the tissues in a fan, tie yarn around the middle and fluff them up. I like to round the edges to make them prettier!!!

I just remembered a real cute easy Mothers day/Grandma's day gift. You need a tuna fish can. take the paper off and make sure it isn't sharp anywhere. You can hammer the inside rim a bit or ask people with that new kind of can opener (the kind that takes the whole top off and it isn't sharp) to do you can saving for you. You want the kids to put elbow shaped macaroni all over the outside of the can. There are big elbow shapes and small ones...either one is ok, or use both. . You can dye the mac before you glue it on, or I've also spray painted it gold and it looks real nice. Depending on the age of the child, and how messy they like to get their fingers, either let them dip the mac into the glue and stick it on, or put glue on a small area at a time, (spread around with your fingers) and let them stick the macaroni on. The craft glue or non washable kind works best, with much supervision, although I have used regular washable school glue and it's ok. Then cut a piece of felt (child's choice of color) to fit inside bottom of can and it make a darling "thing holder" ....for this thing or that thing....coins, jewelry, buttons...whatever.

Care Package
I recently went to a class for parents and providers and the speaker gave everyone a little baggie with a slip of paper in it. On it was written:

A STICK OF GUM - to remind you to stick with it.
A CANDLE - to give you light when you feel burned out.
A CHOCOLATE KISS - to remind you that someone cares.
SMARTIES - to help you on days when you don't feel so smart.
LIFESAVER - to remind you that everyone needs help once in a while.
A SNICKER - to remind you to see the funny side -- there is one!
A ROSE - to remind you to take time to smell the flowers.
CONFETTI - to help you celebrate the good times.
A PENNY - with thanks for sharing your thoughts.
A BAG - to help you keep it all together.
In the bag were all the items mentioned, the candle was a little birthday candle, the confetti was the glittzy stuff you spread on a table, the rose was one of a bunch you can buy at craft stores - very tiny, the smarties are those little candies that come in a roll. " A Care Package To Help You Do ..."Whatever It Takes"

Picture Frames
We made craft stick frames, and glued buttons all around them, and the words "cute as a button!" then glued pics of the kids in them, and paper to the back and wrote Happy Mother's (Father's, Grandparent's) Day! the date and the kids name. Then we glued magnets to the back so they could hang on the fridge.

Votive Candle Holders
One baby food jar per child
Different colored tissue paper
Watered down glue
Paint brush
Votive candle or tealight
Rip paper into pieces paint on tissue paper with watered down glue allow to dry drop in a candle or tealight they look stained glass. we also did these one year on salad dressing bottles for a bud vase.

Clear Plastic Pencil Holder
This craft has also been done by my daughter, with favorable response. Purchase clear plastic disposable cups (not opaque, clear). The first thing you have to do is make a pattern from construction paper by cutting it until it fits along the inside of a plastic cup. (This may take you a few tries by trial and error. The finished product will look a little bit like a "U" or a semi-circle.) Once you have the pattern created, allow your child to draw, paint, glue pictures, etc. to the pattern. When dried and finished, place the artwork inside a plastic cup, then another cup inside the cup. Use a glue that dries clear to seal the cups together, taking care not to drip the glue inside the cups. My daughter drew pictures of herself and the recipient of the pencil holder, and used stickers as well as those tiny pictures often a part of the portrait packages.

Tin Can Pencil Holder
This is a craft I made years ago, and it is still a cherished memento of my childhood. Begin with a clean, dry empty can of any size. Have your child cover the can with any of the following: cancelled stamps (what mine is made of), tissue paper, stickers, etc. Or you may wish to cut a piece of construction paper to cover the can and allow your child to decorate it as desired.

Picture Frame
For Mothers day my dck are making a picture frame made out of Tongue depressors. I make the frame and then they decorate it with jelly beans and then i take a picture of each of the kids and put it in the frame from the back. We are going to make wrapping paper with there hand prints on it and we also made cards for the moms! They love the idea of eating the jelly beans while doing the project!

Brooches
They turned out really nice! You take a pill bottle (the small plastic kind) and put some crayon shavings in it. Put it in the oven and let it melt down. Hot glue a broach(sp?) pin to the back. The kids thought it was really cool to watch the bottle shrink and the crayons melt! Mom's were very impressed too!

Pin Cushions
Take a small babyfood jar. The older children used a nail & made 5 or 6 holes in the lids. Wash the jars & remove the labels & all the glue. The children filled the jars with porpourri & put on the lids. I cut a circle that is about 6 1/2 diameter using fabric with a tiny print.I cut about 10 different types of fabric designs so my kids could pick the fabric that they wanted. I did the same w/the ribbon.I cut my fabric circle using pinking shears. After the jar is filled I let the children pick a fabric circle. They took a small handful of poly-fil & put it in the middle of the fabric circle. The child applys some tacky glue to the outside of the jar lid. I then put the fabric w/the poly-fil over the jar & secure it on the jar w/a rubberband. You want to put the rubberband over the lid or just under it on the rim of the glass.Now you can adjust the fabric. I let my older kids tie on the ribbon over the rubberband. I also let the children put 4 pins into the fabric top. I wrote on the bottom of the jar w/permanent marker name of the child.

Bird Baths
One year we made bird baths. You take a small clay pot and turn upside down and the saucer is placed on top of the pot with the basin up. Hot glue together. The kids painted the inside of the saucer blue and if you want to get fancy you can buy textured paint to paint the outside with. We then glued a little bird to edge of the bird bath and glued moss and ivy and little flowers inside one edge and around the bottom of bird bath. Turned out real cute.

Potpourri Gel Jars
I think this would work GREAT in smaller baby food jars decorated with lace, flowers and ribbons!
2 cups distilled water
4 pkgs Knox Gelatin
50 drops essential oil
Heat one cup water in saucepan. Add gelatin, stirring to dissolve. Remove from heat, add remaining 1 cup of liquid and stir until dissolved. Put drops of essential oil into jars then add gelatin mixture. Place in fridge for approximately 2 hours. Remove, cover with plastic wrap or lid if you have one, and store at room temperature. To release the scent simply remove the lid... and when you are finished make sure you recover so all the scent doesn't evaporate. This recipe makes four gel jars..aprox. 4 oz each. To decorate for gifts, tie ribbon or lace around the neck of the jar!

Tile Trivets
One of the nicest gifts we've ever made were tile trivets. Go to your local tile store and buy some 12x12 ceramic tiles. Then you will need to go to a craft store and purchase paints that you will then use on the tiles AND bake in the oven to set. That is the key...mine are somewhere in that mess I call a playroom...you have to have the kind that bake in the oven to set the paint. Anyway, hand prints or foot prints on these are darling (you can add a cute little border and personalize with the child's name and the date) or just let the kids free-paint or sponge. Then, you will bake in the oven. After they are cooled, add little feet or some felt to the bottom of the tile and you have a really nice trivet/hot pad FOREVER. Now...the easier way > - if you have Michael's or MJDesigns around you - see if they have a bisque dept. You can set up a time to take your kids in, purchase their trivets (from .99 - $5.00) and they supply everything else at no additional cost (paint, brushes, sponges, aprons, CLEAN-UP...everything!). The price of the bisque includes everything including the firing in the kiln. I can't tell you how nice these turn out (homemade or from MJD) - we have them for all the seasonsof the year and it's a nice way to look back and remember.

Bookmark For A Special Mom
Let your children take a nature walk to collect such things as pretty leaves, flowers, blossoms, unusual weeds, etc. Be sure everything collected can be flattened. Provide pieces of posterboard or card stock for the children to glue their finds onto. When dry, cover each side with clear contact paper or laminate. Trim and punch a hole on one end of each bookmark. Tie on ribbon to make a tassel.

Picture Magnet
Take a picture of each child and cut it to the size of a frozen juice lid. Glue the picture on the lid and decorate around it to make it a pretty lid. Put a magnet on the back and give it as a gift.

Mother's Day Recipe Card Holder
Small plastic plant pots
Silk flowers
Plastic forks
Plaster of paris
Stickers
Have the children decorate the pots using various stickers. Mix up a batch of plaster and fill each pot almost full. Let stand for a minute or two or until the silk flowers will stand up in the plaster, insert a fork, handle first. Let harden, place a favorite recipe in the fork. It makes a great recipe holder for your counter.

Soap Gifts
Per every 2 students:
1 bar of Dove soap cut into 10 small squares
1 tablespoon lemon peel
1 tablespoon orange peel
After you have pre cut the soap bars the children can grind them up in a small cheese shredder, and use a regular cheese grater to do the lemon and orange peels. Add ingredients for two children to a bowl and heat in a microwave for 30 seconds. It will look like a big puff. Let cool for a few seconds, divide the puff for two children and the children can then form them into a shape. Let stand overnight.

Mother's Day Sachet
Glue
Cotton Balls
Perfume
Lace Doilies
Thread
Plastic Sewing Needles
Saturate cotton balls with perfume. Place doilies together, back to back and sew with thread leaving a small opening. Insert cotton balls and tie thread to secure. Decorate as desired. Makes a wonderful sachet for mom.

Fingerplays

Mother's Day
Five flower baskets sitting on the floor.
One will go to....................'s mom,
Then there will be four.
Four flower baskets, pretty as can be.
One will go to ...................'s mom,
Then there will be three.
Three flower baskets with flowers red and blue.
One will go to....................'s mom,
Then there will be two.
Two flower baskets, bright as the sun.
One will go to....................'s mom,
Then there will be one.
One flower basket, oh, it's sure to go.
To your very own mother, who is the Nicest one you know.
Talk with the children about what mother's do and what their mother does for them.

We Love Mothers,
Tune to: Frere Jacques
We love mothers.
We love mothers.
Yes we do
Yes we do.
Mothers are for hugging (hug self)
Mothers are for kissing (blow kiss)
WE love you
Yes, we do.

Thank you, mothers.
Thank you, mothers.
For your love,
For your love.
Mothers are for hugging, (hug self)
Mothers are for kissing (blow kiss)
We love you;
yes, we do.

I'll pick some flowers for my Mom.
To make a nice bouquet (pick flowers)
I'll give her a smile (smile)
And say, Happy Mother's Day.

I LOVE FAMILY
(tune: Frerer Jacques)
I love Mommy,
I love Mommy.
Yes I do
yes I do
And my mommy loves me
Yes,my mommy loves me
Loves me too
loves me too.

MOTHER'S DAY
Sung to tune of "This Old Man"
Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Is a very special day.
Here's a great big hug
And lots of kisses too.
Each one says that I love you!

I Love My Mommy
Sing to tune of "Up on the Housetop"
I love my mommy, Yessiree!
She is very good to me!
She makes me cookies and yummy treats,
That's my mom and she's real neat!
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't know,
Oh, oh, oh, who wouldn't know,
I love my mommy and she loves me,
That's the way it's supposed to be!
Five Pretty Mommies
Sing to tune of "Five Little Ducks"
Five pretty mommies I once knew,\par Fat ones, skinny ones, tall ones, too,
But the one in the middle that belongs to me...
I love her and she loves me!
Down to the grocery we did go,
Wibble - wobble, wibble - wobble, to and fro,
But the one in the middle that belongs to me,
I love her and she loves me!

Mother's Day Song
(Melody:You are my sunshine)
I love you mommy
My dearest mommy
You make me happy
When I am sad
I want to tell you
I really love you!
When I'm with you I am so glad!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

My dirty little fingerprints,
I've left on every wall.
And on the drawers and table tops.
I've really marked them all.
But here is one that won't rub off.
I'm giving it to you.
Because I'm thankful,
For a mother just like you!


Another Poem
I laugh I dance I nap and play at Miss ( your name)'s
but home is where I love to be
With Mommy right there next to me.
To hold and hug and kiss and say
"I love you mom,
Happy Mother's Day "

Sign Language Flower
Here is a unique flower for children to make and give to their moms on Mother's Day (or Father's Day. The hand forms a sign language symbol for "I love you."

Construction paper
Burlap or felt
Plaster of Paris
Polyester or cotton batting (is using fabric
) Tagboard
Water
Ice Cream Stick or thin dowel
Colored paper drinking cup
Scissors
Glue
Pencil or felt-tip pen
Newspapers
Container for plaster
Have children trace around their hands on tagboard with a pencil to make a handprint. Cut out pattern and place on folded construction paper, burlap or felt. Trace around pattern with pencil or pen and carefully cut out pieces. Insert end of stick or dowel between handprint cutouts. Dot dowel with glue to secure. Glue hands together by lining edges with glue. Let dry. Bend middle and ring fingers down and glue to palm, thumb out. Cover work area with newspapers. Mix and quickly pour plaster into cup. Insert flower and secure until set and dry. Paper or felt leaves may be glued to stem of flower.

Love Box
You use a small box like a jewelry box or make one out of box board or cut a small piece of wood. Have each child wrap it in paper or fabric Tie a ribbon with a bow around it. And attach this poem:
This is a very special gift
That you can never see.
The reason its so special is
Its just for you from me
You can never unwrap it,
Please leave the ribbon tied.
Just hold the box close to your heart,
Its filled with love inside.
childs name and the date

A BERRY TART FOR MOM
PREPARED with a ready-made crust and whole strawberries, this foolproof fruit tart meets two important requirements for any Mother's Day dessert: It is both elegant and edible.
SHELL
1 9-inch frozen piecrust
FILLING
1 8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
TOPPING
3 cups whole strawberries, washed and hulled
GLAZE
3 tbsp. apricot jam
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Bake the piecrust according to the package directions and then set it aside to cool. In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, milk and vanilla extract until smooth. Spoon the filling into the cooled piecrust, spreading it evenly in the shell. Arrange the strawberries, bottoms up, on top of the filling.
Next, heat the apricot jam, sugar and vanilla extract together in a saucepan, stirring occasionally, until the mixture just begins to boil. Remove the pan from the stove and use a pastry brush to paint each berry with the glaze (a fun job for kids). Chill for 30 minutes before serving. Serves 6.