Celebrate the wonderful women in your students' lives with quick and easy Mother's Day gifts to make in the classroom! The ideas for the five craftivities featured in this post were shared by creative teachers in our Lucky 2nd Grade Teachers Facebook Group. Best of all, they are easy enough for 1st or 2nd graders to create independently, and the supplies needed won't break a teacher's bank!
Teacher Tip: Label Mother's and Father's Day gifts as “adult appreciation” since many students don’t have both parents and live with grandparents or other family members. Also, give students the option to create their gifts for an aunt, grandma, or any adult they look up to. Many students will make multiple gifts so they can thank another important adult in their life besides their moms if given the choice.
1. Profile Silhouettes
This one might require the most prep due to printing photos and cutting them out precisely. But, we promise, the extra prep is worth it! Parents love these! The finished product is adorable laminated on a white paper background, or modpodged to 4×4 tiles as a custom coaster.
View a demo in this video:
2. Mason Jar “Reasons I Love Mom” Flowers
This gift is super simple! Cut out printable flowers and glue them behind a paper mason jar. On the flower petals, have kids write reasons they love Mom.
Grab the mason jar template free HERE.
3. Kid Art Coasters
All you need are 4×4 white tiles, colorful permanent markers, Mod Podge, and tulle and felt (optional). Allow students to draw on white tiles with permanent markers. Mod Podge over the top and the next day, tie them together with tulle. So cute! Stick felt circles on the back, and voila – coasters! If your school has a spring open house or art show around Mother's Day, put them on desks for moms to take home.
4. Directed Drawing Display
Create directed drawings of a bouquet of flowers or some other sweet display moms would love. Wrap up a poetry or letter writing unit with kids writing a letter or poem for Mom. Glue both pages to a big sheet of construction paper & laminate to preserve as a treasured piece of wall art for years to come!
All Access member? Grab Directed Drawings here.
5. Keychain Shrinkydinks
Grab full white shrinkydink sheets, and cut each sheet in half. Draw blue lines and one red line down the side so it looks like notebook paper. (Also round the corners slightly before shrinking. Moms appreciate not having the corners poke things!) Have students write special notes to their moms with sharpie, punch a hole in the corner with a hole punch, and shrink them. Show kids how these work perfectly as keychain art for their moms' car keys!
These quick and easy Mother's Day gifts are sure to be treasured by moms for years!
Want easier planning? Grab our Spring Pack filled with 40 spring & end of year activities for 1st & 2nd grade!
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Leave a comment below with your favorite Mother's Day gift to make in the classroom!
Happy Mother's Day!
instead of all that work on making profiles, I sit the child down & use a lamp to make a shadow profile on the wall, where I have taped a black sheet of contruction paper & trace the outline of tgeir profile, then cut it out with fine sharp scissors, & paste it to white paper, & laminate it.