Easy Mother’s Day Gifts for Kids to Make

Of course it’s impossible to generalize what moms want for Mother’s Day (I have always said I wanted a nap), but I think it’s fair to say most moms would like getting a gift that their kid had a hand in making. Here are some easy Mother’s Day gifts that kids can make or help with, that can be made one kid or a group of kids at a time.

We’ve already covered the cuteness of handprint and fingerprint crafts for parents, but this fingerprint heart necklace from Rhythms of Play is another sweet take on that theme. You might not have these supplies on hand if you’re not a big jewelry maker but it should be pretty easy to find them at a big box craft store or online.

Another cute idea for a necklace or keychain is to have kids draw on shrink plastic and make that into a pendant or a keychain loop. This is a pretty quick and easy project and the drawing can have to do with Mother’s Day or not, it would still be special for a mom or grandparent. Get the instructions from Kindergarten Chaos.

Print a special photo and give mom a place to display it with this easy painted rock photo holder from Buggy and Buddy. Little kids can paint the rock and thread the beads while an adult assembles the holder, or older kids can do this whole project themselves.

How about an upcycled planter? These painted can plant holders from the Best Ideas for Kids are easy to make — just make sure the can doesn’t have any sharp bits before you give it to a kiddo to paint. (Of course an adult will need to drill the drain holes as well.)

Or how about a pretty painted Mason jar? Moms can always find a use for a jar. I have one my daughter painted with a handprint on it, or you can make this use jar votive holder from I Heart Arts and Crafts. The heart shape is super cute but you can do stripes or any other simple shape you like.

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Handprint and Fingerprint Crafts for Mother's Day

The celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is important throughout Mexico and other parts of the world. Her feast day is Dec. 12, and the celebrations honoring her appearance to Juan Diego in 1531 begin a few days before that.

Whether you celebrate yourself or just want to share about the celebration at home or in your classroom, Las Mañanitas: The Beautiful Celebration of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a good place to start. The book, by Ernesto Joel Vega Rosales and Jeanette Gonzalez Seneviratne, with illustrations by Dana Sanmar, tells the story of a family’s celebration of the feast day in both English and Spanish.

They prepare with a novena, which is nine days of prayers and preparations. The children, Lucia and Pablo, are given special outfits made by their grandmother that look like what Juan Diego might have worn when he saw Our Lady. The book describes the prayers that are made each day, such as a prayer for respect for life, for families and for the indigenous people of the Americas, to name a few.

As told in the book, Juan Diego was a native Mexican born near modern day Mexico City. His given name was Cuaauhtlatoatzin, which means “He who speaks like an eagle.” When he converted to Christianity his name was changed to Juan Diego, and as he walked to church he passed a hill called Tepeyac. One day he heard the birds singing especially beautifully and a voice called him to go to the top of the hill.

There he saw Our Lady of Guadalupe, who asked him to tell the bishop she wanted a chapel built in her name at the foot of the hill. The bishop asked for a sign that Juan Diego really saw her, and later she had him collect flowers that she blessed and take them to the bishop. When Juan Diego dropped the flowers, an image of Our Lady could be seen on his cloak, which is still on display in her basilica to this day.

The feast day is celebrated as mañanitas, which includes singing, indigenous music and dancing, and children presenting flowers to Our Lady. Juan Diego is remembered today as being humble, brave and faithful, and was the first indigenous American made a saint.

The book is colorful and tells the story in a clear way, and it’s fun to have it both in English and Spanish if you teach Spanish or speak Spanish at home or in the classroom. It’s a great way to learn the basics of the celebration and the story of Juan Diego and why he is still remembered today.

About the book: 40 pages, paperback, published 2024 by Loyola Press. Suggested retail price $14.99.

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