35 Mother’s Day ideas that’ll make Mom feel loved
Mother’s Day is a day reserved for Mom—or your grandma, stepmom, mother-in-law, the mother of your children, or any other maternal figure in your life. Whomever you’re celebrating this May, show how much you appreciate her with the greatest gift of all: a brand new memory made together.
From one-on-one brunches to Mother’s Day cocktail parties to virtual Mother’s Day ideas for long-distance celebrations, the list of things to do on Mother’s Day is as unique as your relationship. Find one that perfectly fits your maternal figure in this list of special Mother’s Day celebration ideas.
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Mother’s Day celebration ideas for Mom and you
Some celebrations are best when they’re between the two of you. Spend a memorable day together with our Mother’s Day ideas that are just for her and you.
1. Enjoy brunch together
Mother’s Day brunch is a tradition for a reason. It’s at a great time of day, it’s a good chance to catch up, and it often involves mimosas. But Mother’s Day brunch ideas don’t have to stop at an 11 a.m. reservation.
To make it more intimate and special, prepare a nice brunch at your place or hers, and either have it catered or play with some new recipes together.
2. Explore her hometown
Take a walk down Memory Lane this Mother’s Day with a trip to her hometown. See the old haunts you’ve only heard about in stories, and stroll through her childhood neighborhood for a nostalgic afternoon.
If you were raised in the same town as your mom, consider traveling to another place that was special to her as a child.
3. Take a garden walk
A trip to a local botanic garden is even better than a bouquet on her dining room table.
Not only will you both enjoy the spring sunshine as you walk through the budding blossoms, but you can have quiet, quality time with Mom at a place that could become a new favorite meeting spot. If there’s time, have a picnic after to finish off the day with some sweet treats.
4. Get some coffee
Some moms run on espresso. For the ultimate cool-mom experience, stop by a local coffee shop and have a chat over caffeinated beverages. Bonus points if there’s live music to enjoy at the shop—and double bonus points if the music is from Mom’s vintage collection.
5. Take a class together
Go back to school this Mother’s Day with a class you can take together. Whether it’s cooking, pottery, or economics, a class at a community college or learning annex is a great way to bond as students together over something you’re both interested in.
This idea may also stretch out for several weeks beyond Mother’s Day, making it a nice long-term celebration option.
6. See a play
- If the last play the two of you saw together was your elementary school pageant, make up for lost time this Mother’s Day. Choose a play you’re both interested in and buy some tickets so there’s a set date to go.
- For an adventurous afternoon, try a play neither of you has heard of and dress up for an unexpected evening at the theater.
7. Visit a relative
Spend time with Mom and a relative you’ve been meaning to visit this Mother’s Day. The two of you can make a road trip to visit a distant cousin, elderly aunt, or new baby in the family.
Grab some lunch together afterward—or better yet, bring lunch to the relative you’re visiting.
8. Go thrifting
Is there any better gift than finding vintage clothes for basement prices? Enjoy the thrill of a good deal with an afternoon of Mother’s Day thrifting.
If you don’t have local thrift stores in your town, take a day trip to a town with especially fabulous shopping options.
9. Bake something
Whether it’s your mom’s lemon meringue pie or a Mother’s Day dinner for the family, spend the day baking something special together. Ask her to show you how to make your favorite recipe or learn to make something new together.
If you feel like sharing, invite family members over to enjoy the spoils of your afternoon together.
10. Take photos together
Gone are the fuzzy glamor portraits of your youth. Book a photography session somewhere outdoors, such as a beach or scenic park, and take photos of the two of you together to replace those old photo studio shots.
She’ll see how beautiful she is at any age—and you can have a tangible memory of your day together.
11. Spa day
Pamper her this Mother’s Day with a trip to the spa. Massages, facials, pedicures—nothing’s off the table when it comes to relaxation.
Book a longer afternoon for a dip in the jacuzzi or stop in the sauna to loosen up before entering the real world again.
12. Go to a concert
Mother’s Day doesn’t have to be a quiet affair. Rock out at a concert by her favorite band—or a band you love together. If your mom is more of a classical music fan, get tickets for a symphony or opera that’s playing nearby.
13. Plant a garden
Springtime is both a celebration of Mom and a time for rebirth in the garden. Combine these two occasions with a gardening day at your house or hers.
Find plants, vegetables, or fruits you both love and get them in the ground in time for summer blooms or an autumn harvest. Then, plan to get back together and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
14. Take a hike
Some moms are happiest when they’re moving. Climb a mountain or traverse a meadow together on a Mother’s Day hike, complete with a picnic lunch at the end.
Choose a well-worn trail you both love or find a brand new area to explore. It could even become a tradition to try a new hike every year.
15. Finish a home project
Does your mom have an unfinished pantry or a porch that’s been broken since you were a kid? Get the toolbox out and fix up that project in her home—together.
It may not look much different when you’re done, but every time she walks past that spot in her house, she’ll remember how much you care.
16. Binge a new show
If your mom and you need a day to relax, spend Mother’s Day watching that show you’ve both heard is amazing, but neither of you has had time to watch. If you’re able to spend the whole day with her, plan an all-day watchfest of the new season before ordering takeout for dinner.
17. Create a photo album
Your family photos either live in a cardboard box in the garage or somewhere in the digital cloud—and you haven’t looked through them in years. Take an in-person or virtual afternoon to look through those memories with Mom and sort them into easily viewable albums, whether you’re gluing them into a book or ordering a printed book from a photo service.
18. Take a trip
Mother’s Day doesn’t have to take place over just one day. Schedule a weekend trip to a spot the two of you love to visit—or somewhere you’ve never been before.
Exploring new stomping grounds is a great bonding experience you’ll remember all year long.
19. Volunteer
Give back to your community with a Mother’s Day volunteering opportunity. Church events, park cleanups, handing out supplies to those in need—the possibilities to help out are endless.
Although you’ll be giving the gift of your time, you’ll receive the gift of making a lasting effect in your neighborhood with the most influential woman in your life by your side.
20. Visit an amusement park
Feel like a kid again on roller coasters and merry-go-rounds! Spend the day together at an amusement park and enjoy all the snacks, rides, and shows they have to offer.
Don’t forget to hit the shops and buy a souvenir to remember the best—and most thrilling—Mother’s Day ever.
Mother’s Day party ideas
For a mom whose magnificence takes over the room, a party is the only Mother’s Day option! Try out one of these party themes—complete with Mother’s Day invitation ideas—to celebrate your mother or a group of awesome maternal figures.
21. Have a Mother’s Day brunch party
Call your mom’s favorite restaurant well in advance and reserve the big table for your whole family. Send the “Hampton” invitation by Liberty to everyone who’s invited so they can save the date for this special event.
If the restaurant requires an exact headcount, you’ll have all the info at your fingertips on your Paperless Post tracking page.
22. Go wine tasting
- Whether it’s mom and the fam or your best mom friends, a trip to a winery is a fun and sophisticated way to spend Mother’s Day together. Send the “Wines Over Whines” Flyer to a few special guests, then book a tour with stops at multiple wineries. Or make your favorite winery the destination of the day.
23. Host a Mother’s Day picnic or barbecue
Beautiful spring weather practically demands an outdoor Mother’s Day celebration. After you send the pretty “Spring Pergola” invitation by Felix Doolittle, fire up the grill or spread out a picnic blanket for a sun-kissed afternoon with loved ones in the backyard or at a local park.
24. Enjoy a beach day
If you live close to the coast, Mother’s Day might be a “swell” opportunity to catch some waves and rays. Let Mom show off her new swimsuit with a beachy Mother’s Day to remember.
Invite all the kids and grandkids in the family, and bring some beachy cocktails or mocktails to celebrate in style.
25. Have a cocktail party
Moms or mom groups who prefer a boozy celebration won’t refuse a cocktail party in their honor. Invite guests to a wild Mother’s Day party with the “Margs for Mom” Flyer to set the tone, and let everyone know that little black dresses are encouraged.
26. Visit a zoo or aquarium
Remember holding Mom’s hand as you watched the penguins slip and slide around their habitat? Gather the family together this Mother’s Day to recreate this childhood flashback at a zoo or aquarium.
Grandkids in particular will enjoy this celebration idea as they make new memories with Grandma.
27. Host a tea party
For a dignified Mother’s Day party, invite the ladies to a traditional tea party with an invitation like “French Lavender” by Monique Lhuillier. No matter whether you host at a tea house or your own home every guest will enjoy the chance to sip (and dish) some tea.
28. Make it a “Mom’s favorite” theme
The guest of honor at your Mother’s Day party is truly unique—so her party should be one of a kind, too. Design the party theme around what she likes best, whether it’s her favorite book, movie, musician, or hobby.
If you can get guests to dress up as her favorite characters (any Elvis fans out there?), we can guarantee she’ll never forget this Mother’s Day celebration.
29. Attend a bingo night
Even if your mom isn’t a frequent bingo participant, stopping by a local bingo night is a fun way to bond—and make a little extra cash if you’re lucky. Grab a table for all the ladies or family members, pass out the bingo daubers, and get ready to party “B4” the night is over.
30. Enjoy a Moms’ Night Out
Every once in a while, a mom’s just got to let loose. Plan a night out with your mom and her friends—or if you’re a mom yourself, plan an evening for your mom friends at a club or bar away from the kids.
If Dad wants to know when the party’s over, we’ve got three words for him: Don’t wait up.
Virtual Mother’s Day celebration ideas
Sometimes, beyond our best efforts, we can’t be with our moms for Mother’s Day. But that doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate together! There are several things to do on Mother’s Day that don’t require you both to be in the same room.
31. Send a genuine Mother’s Day card
A beautiful Mother’s Day card never fails to put a smile on her face. Take a look through our Mother’s Day card ideas for a theme that fits your mom. Write a heartfelt message inside that shows how much she means to you so the card stands out.
Then, take a few extra seconds to schedule it to be sent on the actual holiday to ensure her gift lands in her inbox right when you want it to. (Paperless Post makes scheduling cards in advance super easy.)
32. Host a virtual open house
Families who live across different time zones often struggle to get together for Mother’s Day. Set up a virtual meeting for an extended time, and invite loved ones to drop in and give a toast to Mom when they can.
If sitting online for a long time is stressful for her, record the virtual toasts and let her watch it in her own time.
33. Create art together
Great minds think alike, no matter how physically far apart they are. Order the same art supplies for your mom and you and have them delivered to your respective homes. On Mother’s Day, use a guided painting video to create something together as you catch up over a virtual meeting. Reveal your masterpieces at the end of the call.
As a bonus, send each other your paintings as a keepsake.
34. Stream her favorite movie
There’s nothing like curling up on the couch and watching a classic movie, but streaming it together comes close. Find a streaming service that’s showing her favorite movie—heartthrobs optional—and watch it virtually together. Send her some specialty popcorn for an added treat.
35. Take a virtual tour
In the 21st century, we don’t even need to leave our homes to see the world. Take a virtual tour together this Mother’s Day to see priceless pieces of art, stunning wonders of nature, and historic accomplishments of mankind.
Start with tours from Google Arts and Culture before checking out the options at the National Park Foundation.
Wish her the best with Paperless Post
All your mom wants for Mother’s Day is time with you. But for an extra smile—or for those Mother’s Days when you can’t be together—Paperless Post has you covered.
Check out our Mother’s Day card message ideas for digital Mother’s Day cards, and add a Photo Gallery to any card with childhood pictures of you to highlight all the past memories you’ve shared. For the ultimate Mother’s Day surprise idea, add photos of the grandkids she hasn’t seen before. Mother’s Day memories are worth saving, and Paperless Post has the cards that turn them into special memories.
Put a smile on Mom’s face with customizable cards you can send now or schedule ahead.
