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10 Fun and Guilt Free Classroom Party Ideas

November 17, 2020 by Kelly 6 Comments

One time I tried to tell my students about a science experiment in which a mouse was given yellow food coloring. The scientists were monitoring the effect of food coloring on the brain. It did have an effect and I wanted to tell my kids all about it. How does this relate to classroom party ideas? Stick with me…I’m about to tell you!

Looking for fun classroom party ideas to celebrate the end of the school year? Here is a list of 10 fun and guilt free party ideas

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission. You can read more in my disclosure policy .

I had just started learning about preservatives and the impact they have on our bodies as well as the alarming rate in which they are included in foods we are eating every single day. I felt it was my righteous duty as a teacher to educate my 7-year-olds on this fact. (LOL)

And, I quickly realized they didn’t really care about this science experiment, the mice, or the importance of checking food labels for preservatives.

So I started thinking about what ways I had available to educate my students on this. I really started giving a critical eye to the parties we were having in our classrooms.

Part of our responsibility as teachers is to teach our students how to make healthy choices that will provide them with healthy bodies.

When we give them tons of sugary food options at celebrations, we are communicating to our students that the only way to celebrate is by consuming unhealthy foods . I think we are doing them a big disservice when we do that.

In this post, I am sharing 10 fun and guilt-free classroom party ideas that you can do any time of the year without feeling like you are loading up your kiddos with unnecessary sugar.

The last day of school before the end of the year (or a holiday break) is usually so chaotic with all the normal end-of-year to-dos (like packing up your classroom and planning for end of year student gifts ) but then throw in a classroom party with hyped up kids and parents taking up space in your room and you’ve really got yourself an overwhelming situation.

(Related: Thoughtful and Unique Teacher Gift Ideas )

You can use the classroom party ideas in this post for a party at the end of the year or in the middle of the year with a holiday party.

How to Celebrate with a Classroom Party

Before we get started, I’ll share a little bit of my heart behind this post. This post is not meant to be judgmental or shame anyone for the types of parties you have thrown in the past. However, I feel really strongly about what we teach our kids when it comes to healthy habits.

It seems like, within the school system, anytime we have something to celebrate we do so by involving food. And a lot of times that food is junk food.

Cupcakes for birthdays. Cookies, chips, brownies, and a veggie tray for parties. But really…how many kids pick much from the veggie tray? Not many.

Any time there is a school event, the majority of foods available for purchase are individual bags of chips and cookies, nachos, desserts. I never see any fruit at these events. (Not to mention all the waste that accompanies classroom parties.)

And it just makes me sad. As teachers, we are supposed to teach these kids. I also think that means teaching them about how to make healthy choices that will provide them with healthy bodies. When we give them tons of junk food options and celebrate the idea that junk food = fun, I think we are doing them a big disservice.

I want to encourage you to think outside of the boundaries of the “typical party food” and provide your students with some more healthy options that promote healthy choices.

When you look at the obesity rate in our country and the data that supports how negatively things like food dye and preservatives affect a child’s brain, I don’t understand how we can continue to feed our kids this junk!

This post (and podcast !) is meant to encourage you in that quest. I want to give you some practical classroom party ideas that allow you to feel good about how you are celebrating with your students and don’t break the bank either (cause I am not a big fan of spending a ton of money on your classroom or kids if it is not necessary.)

When you are planning a classroom party you need to think about things like what time the party will take place, if parents will attend, and will you be hosting the party or will a parent be?

Once you’ve figured out your classroom party guidelines, then you can use some of these ideas for activities to do during the party.

1. Create a Craft

Any type of craft will work for this and your kids will be engaged plus they will have a little something fun to take home and commemorate their year with you.

2. Yogurt Bar

One year during my time in the classroom we had a Healthy Eating Seminar in the last week of school and celebrated with a yogurt bar to show kids fun and different ways you could eat healthier options.

3. Host a Water Day

This is a fun way, especially for the littles, to celebrate the end of the year. Students bring their swimsuits and turn on sprinklers on the field. Physical movement + watering the grass = solid idea!

4. Movie and Popcorn Party

Who doesn’t love a good party and some popcorn to go along with it? But a little tip, try popping regular whole kernels in a brown paper sack instead of the pre-made stuff. Tell your kids what you are doing so they know there is an easy and healthy option to still enjoy a favorite snack!

Classroom Party ideas that are guilt free, fun, and easy.

5. Rainbow Food Party

A week or two before the end of the year, challenge your students to brainstorm fruits and vegetables that are all colors of the rainbows. Then have students bring in those items on the last day and celebrate by painting rainbows or creating some type of rainbow craft.

My online friend, Sarah Forst, has a fun activity where students create a rainbow colored project to celebrate each students uniqueness.

$Paper cloud with rainbow strips of paper. On the cloud is student name and the strips of paper contain \"I am\" statements.$

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6. Picnic On the Patio

Your students bring a picnic lunch, the teacher brings a picnic blanket. Easy peasy!

7. Outdoor Party

This was a favorite with my students! Pick up some kites, chalk, and bubbles from the dollar store. Tack this on to the picnic and you’ve got yourself a summer picnic event! I would also recommend asking for monetary or actual item donations from parents.

Classroom Parties don't have to be full of food and preservatives- this list is 10 fun and guilt free ways to celebrate the end of the year with your students!

Also, at the end of the day, I raffled off the items to kids to take home so I didn’t have to store them until next year.

8. Tie Dye Party

This one will take a little extra work but I STILL remember creating tie dye shirts when I was in school.

Have students bring a white shirt in and then have parents donate dye and squirt bottles. You could also do this as a team and use any remaining team money to purchase materials (may want to do this one a few days earlier and wear the shirts on the last day and let kids sign them)

Here is a tutorial I found on how to create tie dye shirts.

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9. Mustache Party

I did this once as a positive behavior incentive. I decorated the classroom with mustaches , we played mustache games (like pin the mustache on your teacher!) and my kids LOVED it!

10. Games, Snacks, and Crafts

Alternate between students doing crafts or completing an End of Year memory book (there are a TON of them on TPT), eating healthy snacks, and playing the games in Silly Sports and Goofy Games by Dr. Kagan. My students loved every single game we played out of there.

In conclusion,

There are a ton of fun ways to celebrate the holidays or the end of the school year without using a bunch of sugary food. If you want to listen to this episode on Simply Teach, click here!

Get classroom party ideas for distance learning or socially distanced classrooms by heading here.

If you are planning to celebrate the end of the year ( or even the holidays !) with a party, be sure you have your Classroom Management plan in control. Fun day – behavior management plan = disaster! Get some ideas here.

What fun and guilt-free parties have you thrown for your students at the end of the year? I’d love to hear them! Comment below and share your ideas!

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Until next time,

Found this post helpful? Just click the “Pin It” button to pin it to one of your boards and so other teachers can find it, too! 🙂

Reader Interactions

July 1, 2018 at 9:24 pm

Such a lovely party idea! specially cupcake decorating good idea for classroom parties.

May 28, 2019 at 5:03 am

The color pink font is difficult to read. Is it possible for you to use a darker color?

July 3, 2019 at 4:39 am

Thank you so much for these article. I have so many friends involved in youth groups, church based and not. I have linked them in for awesome games to play, without being ‘adult’.

August 2, 2019 at 1:50 am

I love board games too! Wonderfully done! Cheers!

Victoria Tegg

August 4, 2019 at 2:29 am

April 23, 2020 at 2:50 am

Such a lovely classroom party. Wow loving it

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Sweet for Kindergarten

Teaching resources, freebies, and ideas for the Kindergarten classroom

End of Year Class Party Ideas

The end of the year is quickly approaching and I know you may feel pressured to throw some elaborate end of year party or awards for your students! It doesn't have to be some crazy, expensive celebration for your students to remember it. Here are my ideas for an end of year class party!

This post contains Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small portion of sales, which goes to help run my blog, Sweet for Kindergarten. I only share products that I love!

Create a Slideshow

The end of year slideshow is always a HIT with my students and parents! I use iMovie (or Windows Movie Maker) to upload photos I've taken throughout the year. You do not have to be super knowledgeable in the technology department (I most certainly am not!) to create one. This program does the bulk of the work for you! I set the transitions to about 2 seconds per picture, which is plenty of time for parents to “ooh” and “aah”, and the students laugh and scream at themselves. Try to keep the slideshow to under 10 minutes. One year it was almost 17 minutes long and by the end, I was ready for it to be over and my students were getting restless!

I like to upload a few songs to play while the slideshow is playing. Some of my favorites include:

You've Got a Friend in Me- Randy Newman
Best Day of My Life- American Authors
Happy- Pharrell Williams
Can't Stop the Feeling!- Justin Timberlake
My Wish- Rascal Flatts

End of Year Candy Bar Awards

The end of the year is the perfect time to acknowledge all of your students and their special traits that you will always remember them by! I used to do various Candy Bar Awards, like the Skittles Award for most colorful student, but I found that it got to be very time consuming and expensive driving all around time trying to find different candy bars. Plus, I didn't want to worry about nut allergies with certain kinds of candy!

So, I created a new type of “Candy Bar Awards” using Hershey chocolate bars and picking a superlative for each student. I just look at the list, type in the student name next to the superlative I want to give them, then print the pages out. I wrap each award around the Hershey bar and ta-da! Easy candy bar awards! When I hand these awards out, I like to say a little something about each student. Then, I give them a hug, hand them their award, and any other certificates that the school may give them. They get to walk down a “red carpet” and just go crazy over that! It is so special and meaningful to celebrate each student!

You can find them in my TPT store here: End of the Year Candy Bar Awards

Photo Booth

Creating a photo booth is so much easier than it seems! This is something fun the parents can do with their students while waiting for the awards to begin or while they are eating their snacks, etc. I like to get one last big group picture of my students in the photo booth.

Here's how I set it up:

•Grab a big piece of butcher paper or wrapping paper and hang it to the wall. Using a bulletin board makes it super easy to hang up and then take down!

•Create props using clip art and long skewer sticks. I used Educlips Hollywood Clip Art to create mine! You can use any theme you want- summer, beach, or something that goes with your classroom theme. Another option is to just use things you find around your classroom, like big sunglasses, puppets, or feather boas.

Here's a fun summer themed photo booth prop kit from Amazon!

I have a class iPad I set up on a desk in “selfie mode” with the timer feature turned on. Students can just press the picture button and pose! Their parents will also take lots of photos with their phone.

Decorations

Depending on your theme, you can make decorations very inexpensively! I've done a Hollywood theme and a Hawaiian luau theme. I just head over to the Dollar Store or Target Dollar spot and usually I can get everything I need for under $10! I grab some cheap plastic table clothes to spruce up the tables and then create a red carpet using red butcher paper. How much you decorate is up to you!

Another thing I like to use for decorations is student work. I take some of their writing samples or we will do a craft to help “decorate” the room for summer. This Sunglasses bulletin board and writing craft is always fun and is perfect for summer! Students write about what they want to be when they grow up and take a picture wearing really big sunglasses (I found these on Amazon!)

You can find this activity in my TPT store here: Sunglasses Writing and Craftivity for End of the Year

Bring Snacks !

We can't forget about snacks! My go to is Dunkin Donuts munchkins or grocery store mini cookies. You can grab them with your hand and limit how many the students take. For drinks, I get a coffee traveler from Dunkin Donuts for the parents and then juice or lemonade pouches for the students. Easy and less mess than something like cupcakes!

I always keep all my end of year things in a bin so I can use them from year to year. If it is your first year teaching, I suggest to start small and add on each year. I used the same Hollywood theme for a few years, then switched it up to Hawaiian theme for a few years. The Dollar Store is your GO TO for this! You can always ask for donations from the parents to help supply your end of year party snack or sometimes your school may have a budget to help you out.

I hope this post helped you get a few ideas to plan an End of Year Awards/Party for your students! Make sure to check out this list of end of year books for Kindergarten here !

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PowerPoint Parties Are the Party Trend You Have to Try: Here's How to Host One

PowerPoint nights are the new fun way to party together. Try these clever PowerPoint party hosting tips and ideas for creating winning presentations.

Lauren is a former editor at Real Simple and currently serves as a senior digital editor for Better Homes & Gardens.

All get-togethers are great, but PowerPoint parties have been particularly popular for livening up both in-person and virtual parties over the past few years. PowerPoint nights give everyone something to contribute to the party's success (beyond a hostess gift ). And they're great for connecting with far-flung friends or family, as you can easily host it over Zoom or video chat.

And the cool thing: All you need is a computer, a screen, and your friends' creativity to host a PowerPoint night that'll leave everyone laughing (and likely, looking to host their own PowerPoint party in the not-so-distant future).

If you're ready to jump on the PowerPoint party trend, here's everything you need to know to host one of your own, plus a ton of ideas for PowerPoint presentations that will make you the hit of any party you attend.

What is a PowerPoint Party?

A PowerPoint party takes the meeting and school presentation staple—the Microsoft PowerPoint presentation or slideshow—and makes it something fun, playful, and party-appropriate. PowerPoint party attendees craft and give presentations on topics of their choice. Drinking, themed costumes, Q&As, and other fun add-ons may also be included.

A PowerPoint party can also be done with Google Slides, Keynote (the presentation software from Apple available on iOS devices), or any other presentation tool—Microsoft PowerPoint is not required.

First popularized in 2018 , the PowerPoint party is best kept to a small group of people—it's not an activity for a crowded rager—and can be enjoyed virtually or in person.

How to Host a PowerPoint Party

To plan and host your very own PowerPoint party, first gather a select group of people who you think will enjoy the party. PowerPoint parties aren't for everyone, or for every occasion—it's something best left for smaller groups of adults, young adults, and teens. If you want to include younger kids, consider pairing them with an adult or an older child with experience giving presentations who can give them a little help, and if you want to have larger groups, consider dividing them into teams to create presentations.

When you invite people, explain the expectations of the party. What's the time limit or slide limit on each presentation? What's the dress code? Is the PowerPoint party themed?

The Drink, Talk, Learn (DTL) PowerPoint party—in which everyone simply chooses a topic they're passionate about, with no themes or restrictions—is the classic option, but if you want to do a themed PowerPoint party, check out some clever PowerPoint night ideas below. If you're worried about people having the same topic, ask that everyone submit their topics to you ahead of time to avoid any duplicates.

If you're attending a PowerPoint party, your presentation can be whatever you want it to be. (Most PowerPoint parties should be goofy, either in the topic or presentation.)

Use PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote, fill your slideshow with images, charts, graphs, quotes, gifs, videos, and whatever else makes your point, and have fun with it. And don't be afraid to use all those weird effects that the apps offer that you never get to use in everyday work life. (Why not make that slide spin off into the ether?)

If you're hosting the party virtually , send around the link to join the video call early to avoid any technical difficulties. You can allow everyone to share their screen when they're presenting, or you can collect all the presentations and serve as the presenter.

Don't load up your slides with text. Use your slideshow for images, graphs, and keywords or phrases that help make your point. When you're presenting, don't just read what's on the screen; try to use notecards to make your argument. To ensure you rule at the PowerPoint party, take your presentation for a spin or two to fine tune what you want to say.

PowerPoint Night Hosting Ideas

To make your PowerPoint party even more fun or interesting, try adding some of these ideas to your gathering.

Turn the presentations into a drinking game

Have presenters take a sip of their drink every time they say "um" or another filler word, for example, or ask them to finish their drink in its entirety if their presentation extends beyond the allotted time. (Always drink responsibly, of course.) You could even pick an uncommon word or phrase—like pink umbrella, for example—and if anyone works it organically into their presentation, the whole party has to drink.

Create a dress code

Take the party up a notch by enforcing a themed dress code. If everyone is presenting about historical figures, have them dress up like their chosen figure. You could also ask everyone to wear business attire or dress entirely in one color.

Consider assigning topics

While it's fun to let them use their imagination and share a wide array of presentations at your PowerPoint night, assigning a topic theme or a specific topic can give your party more structure, and challenge your guests a little too. They'll have to work up a passion for their given topic, and you can laugh at their efforts to make their presentations entertaining. (Bonus points if you choose extremely obscure topics, like how staples are made or where sand comes from.)

Give out prizes

To get everyone invested in your PowerPoint party, make it competitive. Find a great prize and create a scoring sheet with points for the quality of presentation, the strength of argument, choice of images, outfit choice, adherence to the time limit, and whatever other details you think are important. Have everyone score their fellow presenters (all in jest) after their presentation. The winner at the end gets the prize.

There isn't just a single Oscar awarded, is there? Consider offering prizes in an array of categories at your PowerPoint party— the wildest use of PowerPoint effects, most dedicated presenter, best costume, etc.

25 PowerPoint Party Theme Ideas

Ready to host your very own themed PowerPoint party? Here are a few PowerPoint night ideas beyond the classic Drink, Talk, Learn party to get you started.

Drunk History

Presenters choose a historical figure or event and present about it. Have everyone dress like their figure or era, and encourage people to have a drink or two before their presentation to really make it interesting.

The Best [Whatever] of All Time

Every presenter picks a movie, TV show, video game, board game, fictional character, food, city, etc., and everyone makes the case that their pick is the best one of all time. Keep topic selections within the same genre to spark a little friendly competition.

Conspiracy Theories

Have everyone select a conspiracy theory and present it with the goal of convincing everyone that it could indeed be true.

Assigning Characters

All presenters pick a category—it could be dogs, foods, characters in a movie, TV show, or book, whatever—and explain who everyone would be in each group. (This is best done within a close-knit group of friends.) Presenters could explain which Harry Potter or The Office character everyone might be, or which type of pasta noodle they'd be. The opportunities are endless.

Who Survives?

Rate your friends on their survival skills in a number of dangerous events, such as The Hunger Games, a slasher movie, or a zombie apocalypse. Be sure to share how each pal at the PowerPoint party meets their bitter end, and who will survive the longest (and how).

Over/Underrated

Each guest shares their hot take on something that's overrated or underrated—and shares their reasoning behind it. It can be something from pop culture, foods, a beauty product, a fashion trend, or even a hobby.

Cast the Movie of Your Life

Who'd play your parents, your friends, your mate—and you! (Be sure to assign celebs for each of the attendees that you know, of course.)

Your Biggest Regrets

Reveal it all, from highlights-gone-wrong to spring break shenanigans to major parenting fails.

Rank dog breeds, highlight why lizards reign supreme, or go ahead and list the magical pets you'd love to have (hello, unicorns!).

How to Hacks

Share your skills! Take your friends step by step through concocting your signature cocktail, getting killer deals on travel, or crafting cool nail art.

The Perfect Undercover Names

Give every member of the crew their own secret agent moniker and highlight their spy-worthy skills, whether it's their next-level driving or ability to keep a (top) secret.

When Your Favorite Shows Jumped the Shark

Narrow it down to the key moment that the show in question started its decline in quality—and make your case for it.

Crystal Ball Prognostication

Imagine where you and your friends will be in five, 10, or 20 years from now. (The funnier your predictions, the better!)

Worst Gift Ever

Chronicle the weirdest gifts you (or people you know) received—and why they're bad. Don't forget photos!

Your Dream Wedding

Even if you're already paired off, pop in what you'd want to do to celebrate your wedding now if money was no object.

Bucket Lists

A PowerPoint party is the perfect opportunity to see which ones you share with your friends—and start making plans to cross them off together.

Guilty Pleasures

Share your favorite guilty pleasure(s), and lay out the argument why others should indulge as well.

Me in the Multiverse

Take a cue from Everything Everywhere All at Once and imagine what your alter egos are doing in alternate realities.

Junk Drawer Archaeology

Dive into the depths of your junk drawer and share the weirdest/smartest/oldest finds.

Confessions

Time to come clean on sins from your past or present, and plead your case for why it had to be done.

Friends Trivia

No, we're not talking about what the mail label says on Chandler Bing's TV Guide (though it's Chanandler Bong, if you need it for your next trivia night). Instead, quiz other guests to see how much they remember about each other.

Word to the Wise

Keep your friends from learning the hard way by sharing a life lesson you've learned.

Share your biggest (and ideally, weirdest) fears, and why you're not a fan.

Two Truths and a Lie

Turn the classic party game into a PowerPoint party presentation—and see who knows you best.

Share the tales (and ideally, photos!) of projects you envisioned, and how they went wrong.

8 End of Year Classroom Party Ideas

Aug 7, 2015 | Blog , Cozi Recommends

It’s time to start creating a memorable send off for all the kids in school! Warm weather is here, and kids (and parents and teachers!) are dreaming about summer vacation. End of the year class parties are a great way to close out the year with a bang!

If you’re looking for inspiration for your end of school year celebration, check out these ideas from Karen Bantuveris, founder & CEO of VolunteerSpot , an online tool that makes group party planning and parent volunteering easy with free online sign up sheets and scheduling.

Class Party Ideas for the End of the School Year

Think about creative themes that kids and teachers will remember well into summer!

Camping Party: Set up several tents as play stations inside and outside the classroom, prepare nature crafts, play horseshoes and animal charades. Serve hot dogs, s’mores (made with marshmallow spread) and popcorn.
Go Hawaiian Party: Play the limbo, hand out leis (or make your own as a classroom project,) create ‘Island’ snacks like pineapple skewers and coconut treats, and dig for beach finds in a sandbox-filled with shells.
Old Fashioned Picnic: Decorate with checkered table cloths, serve hoagies and root beer floats, and play field day outdoor games like egg and spoon, three-legged race and water relays.
Wet and Wild: Water, water and more water! Come up with as many outdoor water activities as you can think of. Water balloons, water shooters, sprinklers, a small kiddie pool, water baseball (soaking wet sponge ball,) bubble blowing and more! Choose snacks that are okay around water like apples, carrot and celery sticks and popsicles.
Recent Learning Fun: Ask your child’s teacher what they have been studying recently. If it’s animals, host a jungle or zoo themed party . If it’s American history, host a ‘colonial’ style party complete with old fashioned games kids played 200 years ago like hoops and jacks. Host several fun experiments and serve treats in test tubes for a science-themed party.
Show Time!: Host a mini talent show and ask each child to share a trick or talent with the rest of the class like a song, gymnastics trick, juggling, and even timeless kid skills like burping and knuckle-cracking on demand. Encourage everyone to participate and bring a joke book along for those who claim they don’t have a skill.
Autograph Fun: Kids love collecting each other’s autographs at the end of school. They can sign each other’s yearbooks, a titled piece of cardstock, e.g. “Ms. West’s 3rd Grade 2010-2011,” the back of a printed photo-collage of the year’s fun, or even a t-shirt (provide colorful permanent markers and alert parents ahead of time.) You can also include an autograph opportunity (card, poster, t-shirt) where kids can celebrate and thank their teacher.
Post Card Grab Bag: Keep kids in touch over the summer and encourage them to practice their writing! Each child writes their address on 3 post cards and drops them into a big cloth bag. One-by-one, kids choose 3 cards (not their own) and agree to mail their classmates silly summer news in the coming months.

Whatever your theme, the kids and your teacher will be sure to have a blast. Make an effort to include everyone, and be sensitive to your school’s rules about parties, snack and gifts.

Happy end of school!!

25 More End of the Year Slideshow Songs

Shared by Mary Catherine 47 Comments

Do you have any favorite end of the year slideshow songs ?

It’s that time of year again – the end of the school year! I’ve been busy finishing up the kiddos’ preschool portfolios and putting together photos for my students’ parents.

Last year, I shared 20 end of the year songs . I had such fun reading all of the suggestions from you, my awesome readers! So now I’m back with 25 more end of the year slideshow songs to add to your end of the school year playlist. I’ve included some of your ideas, along with other songs I think would work well!

Table of Contents

Which end of the year slideshow songs will you choose?

I tried to link directly to the individual songs when possible, but some go to an entire album.

Which end of the year slideshow songs are your favorites?

I’d love to hear more about how you create your end of the year slideshow? How do you go about designing the slideshow and choosing the music? How long does it usually run?

What kinds of pictures do you like to include? If you get the chance, please let me know your thoughts in the comments below! Thanks in advance. 🙂

Hands-On Preschool Materials

It is important that we keep our classrooms stocked with materials that will give our students the hands-on learning experiences that they love (and need!). There are a few specific things that I always keep on-hand in my classroom. Check them out in the list below.

I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

Safety scissors
Dramatic play items
Math manipulatives
Dry erase markers
Sensory items
Craft supplies
Playground balls
Music and movement tools
Books, books, and more books!

When it comes to preschool, this list is really just skims the surface of the wide variety of materials that can be used. The best thing about this age group is that they learn the most while playing. So, whether they’re playing on the playground, building with blocks, or creating a masterpiece, rest assured that the children are learning so many important skills, all while having fun!

Done-for-You Preschool Resources

Planning meaningful lessons for students week after week, all while balancing other teaching responsibilities and a personal life, can be a daunting task. That’s where Preschool Teacher 101 comes in to save you time!

Preschool Teacher 101 is excited to share with you some amazing lesson plans, activity packs, and much more! We offer a wide variety of themes that are frequently used in preschool classrooms, as well as some less common (but super interesting) themes. Click on the image below to learn more about our summer-themed resources!

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Join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today for exclusive access to our amazing products. And we even have three different membership options to suit your needs!

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Community Helpers Nurse Theme for Preschool

Community Helpers Nurse Preschool Theme! Nurses are trained men or women who help us stay healthy. They are trained in health and healing and doctors depend on nurses to help them to do their jobs.

Nurses are an important part of a community helper theme. This theme page is filled with preschool activities and ideas for all areas of your classroom.

You'll find more themes to help you with your planning on my preschool themes page .

Let the Theme Planning Begin!

You can either scroll down through this page to see all of the preschool activities for your theme or click the link below to go to specific preschool activity types you are looking for.

Click here for more Community Helpers Pages!

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Art

Community Helpers Nurse Preschool Theme Art Activity

Nurse's Hat

I know this is "old fashioned", but classic!

Materials Needed: Cut white paper to measure 12" X 14" wide. Draw a 6 1/2" diagonal line extending from the two top corners toward the center.

Provide scissors, staplers and bobbie pins.

The children cut on the two pencil lines. This is the back of the hat.

Make a 2 1/2" fold across the entire front of the hat. The hat will measure 9 1/2" X 14".

Bring the outside points together at the center and staple.

Secure to head with bobbie pins.

The children can decorate the hats with crayons or markers.

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Community Helpers Nurse Theme Block Ideas

Provide medical staff puppets or little people to this area.

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Circle Ideas

Circle Time is such a great time for children to learn the social skills of being together as a large group AND to learn more about your theme!

Ask A Nurse

Ask a nurse to visit your classroom. It would be great if he or she could bring some instruments they use.

The nurse can answer questions the children have and also ask questions and make suggestions to the children about habits to stay healthy.

You might find this resource helpful when teaching about germs, handwashing, tooth brushing and more!

Snack Recipe Ideas to Cook Up for Your Community Helpers Nurse Theme!

Cooking with children helps develop their math skills and helps them to learn how to follow directions. It also allows for some great conversation! Ask many questions while cooking with your children to encourage conversation! Be sure to ask specific themed questions while making these fun snacks!

Plan A Healthy Snack

Talk with the children about healthy snacks and then vote on their favorites.

Provide those snacks one day. Have the children help you to wash and dry the snack (if fruit or vegetable) and as much of the prep work as they can help you with.

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Ideas for Your Dramatic Play Area!

Triage Center

Materials: Provide clipboards, pencils, blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, etc. and a table and 2 chairs for the nurses to do their intake of patients.

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Ideas for Your Easel--More Than Painting Although that is always THE favorite in our classroom!

Provide paint cups with water in them. Stir table salt into warm water in the cups; black construction paper and sidewalk chalk. The result of this when dried is sparkly!

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Large Group Games to Help Your Preschoolers Build Their Muscles While They Have Fun Together!

Cotton Ball Race

Provide cotton balls and straws. Tape a START line at one end of the room and a FINISH line at the other end.

The children use the straws to blow the cotton balls to the other end of the room.

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Ideas for Your Library Area

Book Suggestions for the Library

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Math Activities to Help Your Preschoolers Develop Their Math Skills and the Small Muscles in Their Hands!

How Tall Are You?

Materials: Provide tape measures for the children to measure each other with.

Cotton Ball Sorting

Materials: Colored cotton balls or pom poms, cupcake tins, plastic tongs

The children use the tongs to move cotton balls from a large bowl into the individual tins.

You can program the tins by taping a color on the bottom of each tin and the children sort by color or

You can tape a number on the bottom of each tin for the children to count that specific number of cotton balls into each tin.

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Music and Movement Activities to Get Your Preschoolers Movin' & Groovin'!

NO ACTIVITIES HERE YET!

CLICK HERE to send ideas for this section! Be sure to state in your note that your ideas are for the Nurse Theme!

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Activities for Your Sand and Water Table!

CLICK HERE to send ideas for this section! Be sure to state in your note that your ideas are for the Nurse Theme!

Community Helpers Nurse Theme Science Activities-- For Your Preschool Scientists in Training!

Color Lab Mixing!

Materials: Provide watered down tempura paint in various colors, pipettes, one clear cup half filled with water, a pitcher of water and a large empty container

The children drop colors of paint into their clear cup of water to create new colors.

Use the empty container to empty their cups in when they want to start over.

Writing Activity Ideas for Your Theme

Community Helpers Nurse Preschool Theme Writing Activity

Get Well Cards

Thanks for this idea, Misty! Get Well cards would be a great activity for a writing center!

Provide supplies such as blank postcards and markers, misc. arts/craft supplies and glue or glue sticks.

Have children create Get Well cards.

These can be sent to local hospitals or you can save them in your classroom and send them out if a child or teacher is out sick or if you find that a child's family member is sick!

Miscellaneous Activities For Your Theme!

Field Trips

Visit a hospital or clinic!

Classroom Visitors

Of course, invite a nurse to visit your classroom. Check with parents to see if you have any in this profession!

They can explain his or her profession, show and demonstrate using different medical instruments such as a stethoscope or otoscope, etc.

Hand Washing

We had a chart in the bathroom with hands made out of foam. There were three sets of foam hands labeled "Front", "Back", "In-Between"

We chanted "Front, back, in-between, that's how we keep our hands so clean." Sing this two times while doing what you sing to have clean hands!

Go to the main Community Helpers Page for more ideas!

Go to the main THEMES PAGE for more theme ideas!

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20 Mother’s Day Activity Ideas for Preschoolers

Mother’s Day is a special occasion that provides an opportunity for preschoolers to express their love and appreciation for their moms.

As a preschool teacher, it can be challenging to come up with creative and engaging Mother’s Day activities that cater to the needs of young children.

In this blog post, we’ve put together 20 Mother’s Day Activity Ideas for Preschoolers.

These activities are age-appropriate and promote learning in various areas such as cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development.

Mother’s Day Card Making

20 Mother's Day Activity Ideas for Preschoolers

One of the most popular Mother’s Day activities for preschoolers is making Mother’s Day cards. Provide the children with construction paper, scissors, glue, stickers, markers, and other art materials. Encourage them to create personalized cards for their moms, using their imagination and creativity.

Handprint Crafts

Handprint crafts are another great way to celebrate Mother’s Day. Help the children make handprint crafts using non-toxic paints or ink pads. You can make handprint flowers, butterflies, or any other designs that the children come up with.

Flower Pot Painting

Provide the children with small flower pots and acrylic paints. Encourage them to paint the pots in bright colors and decorate them with stickers and other materials. You can also provide them with small plants or flowers to plant in the pots.

Mother’s Day Bracelets

Help the children make bracelets for their moms using beads and elastic string. You can also provide them with stickers or other decorations to personalize the bracelets.

Mother’s Day Songs

Teach the children Mother’s Day songs, such as “I Love You, Mommy,” “You Are My Sunshine,” or “You Are the Best Mom in the World.” Encourage them to sing the songs for their moms or perform them during a Mother’s Day celebration.

Mother’s Day Collages

Provide the children with magazines, scissors, and glue. Encourage them to cut out pictures of things that remind them of their moms and glue them onto a piece of construction paper. You can also provide them with stickers, markers, or other decorations to enhance their collages.

Mother’s Day Coupons

Help the children create Mother’s Day coupons that they can give to their moms as gifts. The coupons can include things like “One Free Hug,” “One Free Kiss,” or “One Free Chore.” Encourage the children to be creative and come up with their own ideas.

Mother’s Day Puzzles

Create Mother’s Day puzzles for the children to complete. You can print out pictures of flowers, hearts, or other designs and cut them into puzzle pieces. Encourage the children to work together to complete the puzzles.

Mother’s Day Photo Frames

Provide the children with plain wooden photo frames and non-toxic paints or markers. Encourage them to paint or decorate the frames and add a picture of themselves with their moms.

Mother’s Day Story Time

Read books about Mother’s Day or stories that celebrate the love between a mother and child. Encourage the children to share their own stories or memories of their moms.

Mother’s Day Tea Party

Host a Mother’s Day tea party for the preschoolers and their moms. Encourage the children to prepare simple snacks and drinks for their moms, and help them set up a cozy space with blankets, pillows, and decorations.

Mother’s Day Memory Game

Create a memory game using pictures of mothers and children. Cut out the pictures and mix them up, then encourage the children to match the pictures to their corresponding pairs.

Mother’s Day Dance Party

Host a dance party for the preschoolers and their moms, with fun and upbeat music. Encourage the children to dance with their moms and have fun together.

Mother’s Day Handmade Gifts

Help the children make handmade gifts for their moms, such as painted flower pots, decorated picture frames, or homemade soaps. Encourage them to be creative and make something unique for their moms.

Mother’s Day Sensory Play

Set up a sensory play area with different materials such as rice, sand, or water. Add small flowers or other items that the children can use to create sensory trays for their moms.

Mother’s Day Baking

Host a simple baking activity with the preschoolers, where they can make easy treats such as cookies or cupcakes for their moms. Encourage them to decorate the treats with frosting and other decorations.

Mother’s Day Yoga

Host a yoga session for the preschoolers and their moms, with simple yoga, poses that they can do together. This activity can promote relaxation, mindfulness, and bonding between the children and their moms.

Mother’s Day Charades

Create a game of charades using Mother’s Day-related topics, such as flowers, hugs, or kisses. Encourage the children to act out the topics and guess each other’s clues.

Mother’s Day Gratitude Journals

Help the children create gratitude journals for their moms, where they can write down things they are thankful for and appreciate about their moms. Encourage them to draw pictures or decorate the journals with stickers and markers.

Mother’s Day Nature Walk

Take the preschoolers and their moms on a nature walk, where they can collect flowers, leaves, or other natural materials to create Mother’s Day crafts later on. This activity can promote outdoor exploration, creativity, and bonding between the children and their moms.

Related: 20 Teaching Respect Activities for Kids

Related: 20 Preschool Activities About Family

In conclusion, celebrating Mother’s Day with preschoolers can be a fun and educational experience for both the children and their moms.

By engaging in various activities that promote cognitive, social, emotional, and physical development, preschoolers can learn about the importance of showing love and appreciation for their moms.

From handmade gifts to nature walks, dance parties to gratitude journals, there are countless creative and engaging activities that can make Mother’s Day a special and memorable occasion for preschoolers and their moms.

Ayesha Zeeshan

Ayesha Zeeshan is a dedicated Early Childhood Expert with a focus on holistic development in young children. She advocates for early childhood education's lifelong impact, holding a diploma degree from SZABIST and having 3+ years of teaching and curriculum development experience.

Mother’s Day Celebration With Preschoolers

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Mother’s Day is just around the corner, and I would like to offer you ideas and free printables for a fun and educational Mother’s Day Celebration with your preschoolers. Since I love to use any theme to tie all domains for a comprehensive learning process, here are some ideas for all of them. These activities could be done in the classroom or at home.

Circle Time

Circle Time is a very important part of any preschool day, not just because children learn social skills like respecting each other space as a large group, but also because you can introduce the theme, review letters, numbers, etc., and allow a conversation period where children can express their ideas and opinions.

I will suggest preparing a different activity to do during circle time, to take advantage of this important part of the day. These are some ideas you can use for your Mother’s Day Celebration:

Read a book

One way to introduce your theme is by reading a Mother’s Day-related book such as “ Are You My Mother ” by P.D. Eastman. Then you can start a conversation by asking questions such as:

Who wants to tell me the name of your mom?
Can you describe your mom?
Do you have a special name for your mom?
What do you love most about your mom?
What is your mom’s favorite meal or dessert?
Do you have a grandmother?
What is her name?

Let the children talk about their mothers and grandmothers. This is a great activity to encourage conversation, language development, and social skills.

Extension activities : you can make a graph with the attributes of your children’s mothers using the color of their hair and eyes, for example.

Another thing you can do is ask the children what is their mother’s name, write it on a piece of chart paper , and use it to review the beginning letter and sound of each name, that way you can tie literacy to the activity.

Do a Group Story

After introducing the Mother’s Day theme for the week, you can invite them to write a group story. First, make you have a piece of chart paper to take dictation of the children’s sentences, as they start developing the story.

You can start with a line like: “When day a mom went to…”. Or “Once upon a time, there was a mom who….”. Or “My mom likes to…”. You get the idea. From there, just let children take turns telling you a sentence they want to add to the story, while you write the sentences in their own words. Do not change anything. Have them come up with a title for their story.

Extension activity : When the story is finished, type it, print it, and divide it into sentences. Provide sheets of paper cut in half, and have some children paste each sentence on one of the pages, some of them illustrate those pages and the rest of the group create a cover for the story. When all the pages are dry, make copies and send a copy of the book home to each of the families. Laminate the original to keep it in the library.

Present a Flower

Bring different real or silk flowers to circle time. Talk about Mother’s Day and how we sometimes give flowers to our mothers that day. Ask the children if they know which is their mother’s favorite flower, to encourage a conversation. Then you can introduce one of the fingerplays below:

Mother’s Day Fingerplay

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.

Five Flower Baskets Five flower baskets sitting on the floor. One will go to………………..’s mom, Four flower baskets pretty as can be. One will go to ……………….’s mom, Then there will be three. Three flower baskets with flowers in 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.

Extension : you can follow up this activity by having the children make a bouquet of coffee filter flowers as an art project and gift for their moms. (See the instructions below).

There are very important skills children can develop through literacy. Some of those are:

• Listening to a story • To teach letters, letter sounds, and beginning sounds. • Recognizing letters and words. • Using pictures to develop pre-reading skills • Using letters or words to develop pre-writing skills.

Mama’s Portraits

Read the story “ Is Your Mama a Llama? ” By Deborah Guarino. This book uses riddle rhymes and six lovable baby animals to help Lloyd the llama discover just what kind of animal his mama is. Deborah Guarino’s whimsical verse and Steven Kellogg’s endearing illustrations will charm and amuse every child who loves riddles, animals, and good fun! After reading the story, ask the children to talk about what their “mamas” look like and what makes them special.

Extension : have them draw their mama’s portraits. To set up the activity you will need to provide the children with crayons , markers, colored pencils , and a printable of a frame, using one of the FREE printables I created for you.

This resource comes with seven different portraits, four with the title “My Mother Is…” and three without the title, which you can find below. Just click on the bottom for an immediate download.

Encourage the children to write any words they used to describe their mamas, even using invented spelling. After they are finished you can take dictation of their descriptions and write them on their printable.

Extension : you can use the story to introduce words, beginning letters, and/or sounds. Another thing you can do is introduce or review rhyming words using words from the story, such as a dog (pug, frog, log); bear (hair, fair, chair); cat (hat, cat, pat); seal (meal, deal, peel); fish (dish, Trish, squish); and skunk (bunk, trunk, junk).

Mother’s Day Word Wall Cards

These Mother’s Day Celebrations Word Wall Cards can be used as a small group activity, during circle time, as a take-home practice, and quiet area option. They just need to be printed on white cardstock and laminated to make them last longer.

Place them on your wall where the preschoolers can see them during the entire month. You can add them to your writing center, where the children can copy them, trace the words on top, or match the letters with plastic , wooden, or foam ones.

Extension Activities :

To extend this activity you can use the word wall cards to:

Introduce the name or sound of the beginning letter of each word.
As a spelling activity.
As a matching activity, where the students can match the picture with the written word.

I’ve created two sets, one in English and one in Spanish, and both include two pages with 4 words each, for a total of 8 vocabulary words. They are yours for FREE by just clicking on the links below.

Library Ideas

Gather fiction and non-fiction books about Spring, bugs, baby animals, plants, flowers, weather, and others to support the theme. There are tons of beautiful ones you can use, which could be found at your local library, in a used bookstore, or on Amazon. These are just some of my favorites. My affiliate links embedded in the titles can take you directly the the right page.

“ Llama Llama Mother’s Day Present ” by Anna Dewdney talks about how Llama Llama is determined to make Mother’s Day as special as possible for his mama.

“ The Night Before Mother’s Day ” by Natasha Wing. It’s the night before Mother’s Day, and Dad and the kids are determined to show Mom just how much they love her. They whip up a cake from scratch, and offer a special coupon for a day at the spa, right in their kitchen! Kids and moms will love reading this sweet story aloud together for a fun way to celebrate Mother’s Day.

“ Are You My Mother? ” by P.D. Eastman, is the story of a baby bird who goes in search of his mother, but not knowing what she looks like makes it a challenge. The timeless message of the bond between mother and child makes this precious book a treasure.

“ Clifford’s Happy Mother’s Day ” by Norman Bridwell talks about how Emily Elizabeth is gathering together some surprises for her mom: candy, flowers, and a card she’ll make herself for Mother’s Day, and how Clifford accidentally knocks over the ink and tracks pawprints over the card and Emily’s sweater!

“ T. Rex and the Mother’s Day Hug ” by Lois G. Grambling. Mother’s Day is here, and T. Rex wants to plan something extra special for his mama. He wants to do something instead of just giving something. T. Rex is sure he has a perfect gift idea, but will Mama Rex love it, too?

I love Science. I found it interesting and fun and keeps preschoolers engaged. Unfortunately, many preschool teachers and parents feel a little intimidated by it, but it is as important as Literacy and Math. Here are a couple of easy activities you can do for Mother’s Day Celebration, from Preschool Plan It .

Footprint Stepping Stones!

Materials : a bag of cement , water, small toys ( little bugs , toy cars , frogs , fish , butterflies , etc.), and a 9″ round cake pan (disposable).

Mix cement as instructed.
Pour into the round pans. Let sit until it is firm enough for a print to stay in it.
Press the child’s foot into it (not too hard though!)
Trace the child’s initials and date into it.
The child presses some small toys around the footprint.
Let set. Most cement needs to be “cured” by covering it with water. Read directions and do this.
Let set until hard (a few days) and then remove the stones from the pans.

They are great stones for a home garden, on a deck, end of a driveway!

Heart-Shaped Grass!

Have the children fill a planting pot with potting soil until just about full. Place a heart-shaped cookie cutter on the soil. Cover the inside of the cookie cutter with a thin layer of grass seeds . Cover the seeds with more soil , water the pot , and remove the cookie cutter . The grass will grow into a heart shape!

Extension : Before planting, have the children decorate the outside of the pot with markers , stickers , etc., and then glue a picture of the child to the pot. Add your favorite Mother’s Day poem to a heart-shaped paper . Hole punch the heart and tie around the pot with ribbon !

Since everything is connected to Math, we must help our preschoolers establish a base for the mathematical operations they will learn in the future. Here are a couple of easy activities you can do with your children, during the Mother’s Day celebration.

Family Members Graft

During circle time invite the children to say how many family members are in their family (dads, moms, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers). Children can help you count how many of each there are. Then you can make a graft with their answers.

Mother’s Day Math Puzzles

These FREE puzzles for Mother’s Day Celebration are great to strengthen the children’s number recognition, counting, seriation knowledge, concentration, one-to-one correspondence, and set creation skills. You can use these in the Math or manipulatives centers, as a small group activity, take-home game, or quiet area option.

If your preschoolers are familiar with different number seriations, they are probably going to be able to work independently. However, new students or children who are having difficulties counting or recognizing numbers may need your guidance.

Print each page using white cardstock . Then cut out each strip and laminate them to protect them and make them last longer. At the end of May, you can put your puzzles in small Ziploc bags , and store them in a box for the following year, so you can have them ready for many Mother’s Days in the future.

I recommend using these activities individually. That way you can monitor and take notes about what type of seriation each of your preschoolers know, to be able to build upon that and help the ones that don’t recognize all of them.

Extension Activities

To give your preschoolers more options, you can use these Math puzzles for other uses. Some of the activities that I can think of are:

Provide copies of the pages and have your preschoolers cut out the strips and glue them on a piece of construction or white paper.
Have the children trace or copy the numbers.
Match each number with magnetic plastic numbers or the same amount of objects.
Draw the pictures.

This printable includes 10 different puzzles with different numeral seriations, and you can download it by just clicking on the link below.

Social Studies

Even when preschoolers might not have the concept or understand that there are other countries outside the United States, it is good to talk to them about other cultures to give them an overall idea about the world around them. Mother’s Day is a good opportunity to do just that, because, unlike Thanksgiving and the 4 th of July which are purely American holidays, Mother’s Day is celebrated in other countries as well, but could be done a little differently than what we do here in America.

Keep it simple, but talk to your children a little bit about those differences. I will not recommend including all the countries I mention below, but I will suggest taking into consideration the countries that your children come from. You can even invite some of your children’s mothers from other cultures to come and talk to them about their traditions for Mother’s Day.

They celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May like in America, and traditionally they give out flowers like carnations, but they especially give Chrysanthemums, since mothers are called Mum in Australia. Many organizations also use the opportunity to raise money for women’s causes.

They celebrate this special day on the second Sunday in May and they like to gather in church and have children perform for their mothers, finishing up with barbecues where the entire family gets together. Mother’s Day is also the second-most commercial holiday after Christmas.

Chinese people are very traditional and this celebration is fairly new for them since it is imported and not part of their culture. They celebrate the day with gifts and festivities.

Dominican Republic

One of the biggest islands in the Caribbean (and my own country), celebrates Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday of May. We normally give cards, flowers, and presents to our mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, and take them out for a nice lunch or dinner. It is a family celebration.

It is not an official holiday, but they use March 21, the first day of spring to celebrate Mother’s Day by giving gifts and celebrating, nonetheless.

Mother’s Day is part of the Antrosht festival dedicated to mothers, and it is celebrated at the end of the fall rainy season. Family members come back home and have a large feast, that includes singing and dancing. What I found interesting in this particular celebration is that, traditionally, the components of the feast are specifically divided between daughters and sons. In Ethiopia, daughters bring vegetables, butter, spices, and cheese, while sons bring different types of meat, including lamb or bull.

They also celebrate Mother’s Day on the fourth Sunday of May, but sometimes it is pushed back a week when overlaps Pentecost celebration. They also celebrate Mother’s Day with cards, flowers, and family dinners, and normally is a day when moms relax and their children do the chores.

In this country, Mother’s Day is called Muttertag and takes place on the second Sunday in May, or the first one if it falls on Pentecost. They are big in giving cards, they award medals in gold, silver, or bronze based on how many children they have. Germans also give gifts and flowers and have family meals.

This country is very culturally diverse, and the celebrations may vary according to their traditions, but everybody celebrates the love that mothers have to offer and the honor they deserve for all they do for their families. Mother’s Day is a new and imported holiday, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of May, giving flowers, cards, and gifts to moms, but what is really traditional for Hindus is the 10-day celebration of their goddess Durga, or Divine Mother in October, which is called Durga Puja. This celebration includes gifts given to friends and family, as well as feasts.

Mothers are revered in Japanese culture, and Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May, showing their mothers gifts, especially flowers such as carnations, which represent mothers’ gentle strength. On this day children take over the household chores, draw their mothers in school as we do, and have a special family meal.

Mexico takes Mother’s Day very seriously. Flowers are the number one gift, but they also celebrate with music, food, parties, and a morning serenade with mariachi singers, using one of the most traditional songs, “Las Mañanitas”.

Peru also celebrates Mother’s Day second Sunday of May with handmade gifts, chocolates, and family meals, but the indigenous Andean population, however, also celebrates the gifts of Mother Earth or Pachamama, their beloved ancient mythological goddess, in early August. According to the Andean people, this goddess is the cause of earthquakes and a bringer of fertility.

United Kingdom

Traditionally, the U.K. celebrates Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday of Lent. This day families go to church together to worship the Virgin Mary. Normally, on this day children give flowers to their mothers and bake special cakes called Mothering Cakes. In recent years with the importation of Hallmark cards, the U.K. celebrates like the American people, giving flowers, gifts, and cards to their mothers, and celebrating family meals.

When Russia was still the Soviet Union, they honored mothers on March 8 th , International Women’s Day, when women and gender equality are honored. After 1998, when the Soviet Union disappeared, Russia started celebrating Mother’s Day on the last Sunday of November. Nevertheless, Russian people mainly give gifts to mothers in March still.

This country celebrates their mothers and the spirit of the family for three days in December, mixed up with Children’s Day and Father’s Day, each holiday celebrated on consecutive Sundays, with curious traditions. The first Sunday is Children’s Day. Children are tied up and they stay like that until they agree to behave. The second Sunday is Mother’s Day, and the mothers are also tied up and stay like that until they supply small gifts and treats to their children. Finally, the last Sunday is Father’s Day. Fathers are also tied up with rope until they provide Christmas gifts to their families. After all, this is done, everybody celebrates with big feasts.

The holiday has two intentions, celebrate Mother’s Day and honor Queen Sirikit’s birthday on August 12, with special ceremonies and parades. As a tradition, they mainly give jasmine to mothers.

Every mom will adore a craft done as a gift by her little preschooler during celebrations Mother’s Day Celebration. I know I treasured every single one of those little gifts, no matter how ugly they turned out (don’t tell my children I said that!). These two ideas are always a big success.

Teapot Card

This is one of my favorite crafts for preschoolers. It is effortless to make and the moms seem to like it.

The children decorate the teapot template any way they like using crayons or markers . Then is cut out and pasted into a folded sheet of colored cardstock or construction paper . Since preschoolers cannot write yet, you can cut out a little Mother’s Day poem, they can sign their names, and add a bag of tea inside.

The bag of tea doesn’t have to have a label, because it’s just to make the card more special, but you can send the rest of the teabag box in a special wrapping paper decorated by each child as a gift.

Here are some examples of poems you can use, from unknown authors:

A cup of tea to say thank you For all the things you’ve done And wishes that the day will bring Your happiness and fun. Happy Mother’s Day.

*****************************************

I’m not always just perfect, Even though I try. Sometimes when I’m not so great, You give a little sigh!

On days like that, I wish I could give you cause to smile And have you put your feet up, To rest a little while.

So the next time you’re tired, And it’s because of me, Please sit down and relax for a while, And have a cup of tea!

Here’s a gift for Mother’s Day: With this gift, I’m trying to say Thanks for all you do for me, Relax and have a cup of tea!

I’ve created a FREE printable that contains two different teapots (two per page) and four pages with different poems, to offer you a variety and the opportunity to choose your favorite.

This is another type of craft I’ve done with my preschoolers, and is fairly inexpensive, especially if you buy the clay pots at Dollar Tree.

Offer the children different colors of tempera paint . Have them paint the outside of a clay flower pot . When the pot dries, present to them a selection of stickers , foam pieces , gems , tissue paper squares , and ribbon , and have them decorate the outside of the pots in any way want. When dry, the children can put some soil in their pots, and plant a small flower plant if they want. Finish the project helping them tie a ribbon of their color choice outside the pot, and put it inside a gift bag with a handmade card. A perfect Mother’s Day gift!

Mother’s Day Coffee Filter Flowers

What woman doesn’t like flowers, right? It’s always nice to receive them, but, as a mom, I can say that no flower was more beautiful than the ones my children made for me. One of the easiest ways to have your preschoolers make a flower or a bouquet is by using coffee Filters .

First, you need to dilute different colors of tempera paint with a little bit of water. Then the children use eye droppers , to pick their favorite colors of paint (could be just one or more) and then drop water on them. The diluted paint will spread through the filter, turning the combined colors into a different one…they look beautiful!

Let the flowers dry well before having your children fold the filters in thirds or fourths to make a flower shape. Finally, they have to pinch the bottom of each flower, place a green pipe cleaner in it to make a stem, and secure it with a piece of floral tape . As a final touch, the children can wrap the bouquet in a piece of tissue paper with a bow . I can guarantee their moms will LOVE this bouquet!

Music and Movement

One of the activities children love the most is music and movement. It is excellent to help them develop their gross muscles, social skills, and a love for music in general. I found this website, childfun.com , which has a lot of songs, poems, and fingerplays, and I wanted to include them here, to give you plenty of ideas to use.

Mother’s Day Songs

We Love Mothers ( Sung to the tune of “Frere Jacques”) We love mothers. We love mothers. Yes, we do; yes we do. Mothers are for hugging (hugging self) Mothers are for kissing (blow kiss) We love you; yes, we do. Thank you, Mother. Thank you, Mother. For your love, for your love. Mothers are for hugging, (hug self) Mothers are for kissing (blow kiss) We love you; yes, we do.

Mother’s Day ( Sung to the tune of “This Old Man”) Mother’s Day, Mother’s Day It 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 the 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! 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 really 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 the tune of “Five Little Ducks”) Five pretty mommies, I once knew, 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!

I Love You Mommy ( Sung to the tune of “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!

Mother My Dear ( Sung to the tune of Rock-A-Bye Baby) Mother my darling Mother my dear I love you, I love you Each day of the year You are so sweet And you are so kind And I am so glad-ad That you are mine

Mommy ( Sung to the tune of Bingo) I love her and she loves me, And Mommy is her name-o, M-O-M-M-Y M-O-M-M-Y M-O-M-M-Y And Mommy is her name-O

On Mother’s Day ( Sung to the tune of O’ Christmas Tree) On Mother’s Day On Mother’s Day Oh how I love you, Mom… On Mother’s Day On Mother’s Day Oh, how I love you, Mom… You give me joy and happiness I give you love – a hug and kiss On Mother’s Day On Mother’s Day Oh how I love you, Mom

When I was Very Small Sometimes I might upset you Just because I’m small By leaving fingerprints of mine On a table, chair, or wall. But every day I grow a bit And I’ll be big one day When all my tiny fingerprints Have long been cleaned away So keep these prints of my two hands To help you to recall Just how big my fingers were That time when I was small.

These Little Hands These little hands can give a hug Pat-a-cake or throw a ball They put smudges on the wall Because I’m only just so tall They love to clap or hold your hand Whenever you can play But when I’m grown and far away These little hands with you will stay

Handprint Poem Make a handprint 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 Since you 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 handprint plaque That’s hanging on your wall. And memories will come back of me, When I was very small

Inspired by this last poem, I wanted to create another FREE printable for you to use. I know handprints might be considered too simple for preschoolers, but I thought to offer you different poems for you to use, in case you wanted to use this idea as a Mother’s Day gift from your children to their moms.

Sensory Activity

We should never forget about sensory activities. They are important to develop the nerve connections in the brain, which will develop the children’s ability to complete learning tasks, such as language development, fine and gross motor skills, problem-solving, cognitive growth, and social interaction.

On this occasion, I wanted to offer you an idea of a sensory activity that is a little different than the typical sand and water activities, especially because we are in the Spring season, and children can help their mothers in their gardens.

Planting Flowers

Have the children choose a mini plant , take it out of the container that it comes in, and replant it in the pot or flower bed. Show them how to press the soil to avoid air bubbles. Then have them wet their plants.

This could be a great Science/Math activity if you follow up by having the children draw the changes in their plants as they grow and measuring them to see how much they have grown.

Dramatic Play

Think about the occupation of your preschoolers’ mothers, and add items that they can use to pretend to be their mothers, such as purses, shoes, necklaces, glasses, dishes, mirrors, makeup, dresses, scarves, wigs, aprons, baby dolls, diapers, doctor’s set, gardening tools, dishes, broom and dustpan, and any other item you might think about.

Writing Area

Preschoolers must develop pre-writing skills. Acquiring these skills will set the necessary foundation to be able to write and form letters later on.

When children put into practice the use of their hands drawing, building puzzles, coloring, ripping paper, pasting, using playdough, etc., they are not only exercising the small muscles of their fingers and hands to make them stronger but they are also working on their hand-eye coordination, visual perception, and pencil grasp technique.

With this in mind, I created two FREE printables. The first one is for them to practice the basic strokes that make up all the letters and numbers. It includes nine pages with different types of strokes, including: I, \, /, o, ^, square, X, and two more.

You can grab this FREE printable at the link below.

The second printable is to practice the first letters and the vocabulary words that I chose for this theme and can be used in coordination with the Word Wall Cards I also created for you. You can grab this FREE printable at the link below.

Fine Motor Ideas

It is important to give children plenty of opportunities to use the small muscles on their hands, fingers, and thumbs, because, without the development of fine motor skills, children will not be able to perform important tasks like grasping, buttoning, zipping, tying, feeding themselves, drawing, copying, using scissors, writing, and so much more.

There are an incredible amount of activities that help children develop those skills. These are just a few ideas that you can use during your Mother’s Day celebration.

Mother’s Day Collage

Offer children family magazines, safety scissors , glue sticks , and construction paper . Invite them to look through the magazines and either rip or cut out their favorite pictures. Have them glue the pictures on construction paper in the color they want to make a collage, to take home. Use the opportunity to ask them questions about the pictures they are choosing, to encourage vocabulary development.

Mom Match

In advance ask your preschoolers’ mothers to bring you a picture of themselves as a baby and a current one. Don’t forget to tell them that the picture might not be returned to them. Write the name of each mom on the back of her pictures and laminate them. Then invite the children to find their mothers’ current pictures and try to match them with their mom’s baby pictures.

Sculpting Family Members

Provide playdough and invite the children to sculpt their family members. Make sure to establish a conversation with your children asking them who they are sculpting, what their name is, what they do during the day, etc., to encourage language development.

Gross Motor / Outdoor Ideas

Any activity that involves the use of large muscles is a gross motor activity. Some examples are: running, jumping, walking, etc., and a good way to help children develop their muscles is by playing games. Even when gross motor activities can be done inside the classroom such as dancing, I like to plan those activities for outdoor time. A good way to start is by using games.

Mother, May I? game

The steps to play this game are very easy to follow.

Start by showing the children how to play it, acting as “mother” first.
Then select one child to be “Mother”.
Line up old players one next to the other.
The player who is “Mother” stands in front of the others.
The mother then calls on a child by name and gives them instructions on what to do. For example, “Rachel, jump forward two times.”
The child who is called on must then say, “Mother, may I?”
The mother then responds either “Yes”, and the child can jump forward, or “No” and the child has to stay in the line.
If a child makes a move and forgets to ask, “Mother, may I?” then must go back to the starting line.
If another child takes the steps out of turn, they must also go back to the starting line.
The first child to reach Mother wins!

“Mom, Mom, Grandma” game

This is a modified version of the game “Duck, Duck, Goose”. To play it, a child is selected to be It . All the players sit in a circle. The child calls It walks around the circle, tapping each player on the head, saying “mom” each time he taps somebody until he says “grandma” when taps a player. Then that player becomes the grandma and runs after It, trying to tag him before It can sit. If It sits in “grandma’s place before he is tagged, the grandma is the new It .

Block Center

In advance, ask your moms for individual pictures of their family members. Laminate them and tape them to blocks. Children can combine the “family blocks” with dollhouses, vehicles, and other props to build their house or their neighborhood.

One of the activities that are fun and educational is cooking because it helps preschoolers develop math skills by measuring the ingredients, concentration, and focus to be able to follow instructions and language development. Mother’s Day celebration is the perfect opportunity to put this into practice, and instead of buying muffins, you can have the children make them celebrate “Muffins with Mom” in the classroom.

These are some easy recipes that you can use for this purpose:

Orange Muffins

This recipe is from everydayannie.com . The muffins are not too sweet and they have a delicious orange flavor and a hint of sour cream.

Bakery Style Banana Muffins

A very easy banana bread muffin recipe from thefirstyearsomethingsweet.com , that can be made using just one bowl and a handful of ingredients.

Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins

A muffin done by thesaltymashmallow.com , with a simple batter and amazing vanilla and spices flavor, that tastes like an old-fashioned donut rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Amazing!

Invite your preschoolers’ mom to celebrate Mother’s Day with a special breakfast, using any of these handmade muffins and some juice. To remember the occasion, give each mom a laminated “ Muffins with Mom ” poem.

Since I like to tie the activities together, I normally read them the book “ If You Give a Mom a Muffin ” the day before. The next day you can add a copy of the poem to any present the children did for their moms. To help you with this task, I created this FREE printable that contains the “ If You Give a Mom a Muffin ” poem using 20 different backgrounds and two versions.

The first version presents one poem on each sheet of paper. You can print it out and laminate it or frame it, and give it to your children’s mothers during the “Muffins With Mom” celebration as a gift. To grab this version, just click on the link below.

The second version presents the same poems but two different ones placed on one sheet of paper, to save some ink and paper. Just click on the link below to download them, and use your favorites.

Decorations

You cannot forget to add decorations during your Mother’s Day celebration, to make the space more inviting.

Inspirational Wall Art

You can display this Mother’s Day inspirational art in your classroom or home, or simply frame your favorites and give them to your preschooler’s moms, grandmothers, friends, etc., as a gift. They come in two versions, English and Spanish. They are completely FREE for you to use, and you can get your favorite version by simply clicking on one of the links below.

Mother’s Day Banner

Another idea I can offer you is to display a banner at the entrance of your classroom or home, to welcome the moms that are coming to your celebration. I created this FREE banner to say “Happy Mother’s Day”, but since the letters come one on each page, you probably can play with them to create another message of your preference. Just click on the link below to get it.

There are many other decorations that you can use for Mother’s Day. These are some ideas you can find on Amazon.

Last Thoughts

Undoubtful, mothers, caregivers, grandmothers, and aunts are very important figures in everybody’s life, especially for children, but I would like to include teachers as well, because, in this complicated world where everybody has to work, children spend most of their time with their teachers, from infant years until they graduate from high school.

All of these maternal figures have an important role in the overall growth and development of people because they teach us, take care of us, support us, encourage us, and are always present in every aspect of our lives, no matter how old we are. So, this Mother’s Day, let us take a moment to honor, celebrate, and demonstrate appreciation and love not only to our birth mothers but also to all of these other amazing women who have been there for us and who have made our lives better.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you! I hope you enjoy your special day with your family.

Be happy, safe, and creative. I wish you well.

P.D. Please let me know if you like any of these ideas worked for you, or if you think I need to add or replace something. My goal is to help you in any way I can and I don’t like anything better than to post something that you might find useful. Also, if you came up with different ideas and want to share them, I would love to post them as well.

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10 Fun and Guilt Free Classroom Party Ideas

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(Related: Thoughtful and Unique Teacher Gift Ideas )

How to Celebrate with a Classroom Party

1. Create a Craft

2. Yogurt Bar

3. Host a Water Day

4. Movie and Popcorn Party

5. Rainbow Food Party

9 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TIPS

6. Picnic On the Patio

7. Outdoor Party

8. Tie Dye Party

9. Mustache Party

10. Games, Snacks, and Crafts

In conclusion,

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