Every year Mother's Day has a way of sneaking up on teachers! Be ready this year with Mother's Day gifts that not only warm any mother's heart, but also use the curriculum standards as a super-duper bonus! Check out the great websites, projects and resources below, and help your students show their mom how very special they are!
Setting the Stage
A. Preparing students for their Mother's Day effort is half the fun. There are many Mother's Day books to read to students. My favorite is The Berenstain Bears and the Mama's Day Surprise, or The Berenstain Bears: Happy Mother's Day. Scout out your library and you'll find a bunch. When you are finished reading the book, ask students to make a four picture cartoon to show the most important events in the story. To make the paper for the cartoon, ask students to fold a sheet of paper in two, then fold it again to get four equal sections. For older students more sections can be added.
B. There are also many short videos for mother's day that students enjoy. (Again I love those Berenstain Bears!) If you do use a video, tell students you will be stopping the video at points throughout the presentation. When you stop it, the students are to jot down their prediction about what will happen next.
Now it's time for the gift!
Now it's time for the gift!
Websites
1. This Website has 25 great ideas to use as Mother's Day gifts. Bring in language arts by giving directions in writing. Put the directions on the board, or even a recipe card and tell students to follow the directions carefully. Make sure you have written the directions so that your students will understand each step. As you circulate the room, check to make sure students are understanding the directions.
25 Classroom Tested Mother's Day Ideas
2. This one is FULL of great ideas. Once students have made their gift for mom, ask them get into groups and write their own directions on how to complete the project. They can draw pictures to help their reader.
2. This one is FULL of great ideas. Once students have made their gift for mom, ask them get into groups and write their own directions on how to complete the project. They can draw pictures to help their reader.
Project Activities
1. If you are short on time (who isn't!) and only have time for students to make a card, combine that card with letter writing. Ask students to write a letter to his or her mom, telling her what they appreciate most about her. They could also write about the funniest thing mom ever did.
2. One of my favorite projects for Mom is the treasure box. It's made of popsicle sticks. You can get a box of popsicle sticks at your local craft store or on line. It takes a good bit of elmer's glue, and also needs a bead of some sort to glue on top for the handle. They last for YEARS! The directions are included in each link below. I've included both to include different ways of finishing them off, but honestly, just makeing the box with a bead for the handle is cute enough....and takes less time. Some years students put a letter to Mom in the box as a special surprise.
2. One of my favorite projects for Mom is the treasure box. It's made of popsicle sticks. You can get a box of popsicle sticks at your local craft store or on line. It takes a good bit of elmer's glue, and also needs a bead of some sort to glue on top for the handle. They last for YEARS! The directions are included in each link below. I've included both to include different ways of finishing them off, but honestly, just makeing the box with a bead for the handle is cute enough....and takes less time. Some years students put a letter to Mom in the box as a special surprise.
Resource
My Mother's Day resource, for sale in my store, is one I always had Moms thank me for. It makes them laugh, cry, and sometimes do both at the same time. It's a peek inside a child's head to see how they see their mom. Not only that, it includes LOTS of writing, drawing and thinking. To check out the Mother's Day Book, click below the picture.
