The 10 Best Mothers Day Games and Activities

Mom-isms

Every mother has a saying she uses all the time. Maybe it’s a catch phrase like “Holy Guacamole!” Perhaps it’s the trademark statement of moms everywhere, “Because I said so.” Or, maybe, there is a saying Mom uses that is unique to your family. Whatever the phrase may be, have a little fun with Mom by challenging her to refrain from saying it—for an hour, a few hours, or even the whole day. Keep track of how often she slips up and says it, and score a point for each offense.

The idea is to see how long she can go without uttering her favorite phrase. If she makes it through without saying it, award her a prize. If she doesn't earn any points, award her a prize anyway, because you love her just the way she is.

Mother's Day Awards Ceremony

On Mother’s Day, get dressed up and hold a ceremony in honor of Mom. If you are having a large family gathering to celebrate the holiday, have family members make up their awards ahead of time and bring them to the party. Awards can be anything from homemade trophies to printable certificates made with your home computer.

You can use some ideas from this academy awards party to make the whole day center around the theme of the Mommy Awards. At some point in the day, gather everyone to one room to announce the awards and their recipients. Ask the moms to give thank you speeches and toast them with champagne flutes filled with kid-friendly beverages.

Breakfast in Bed Relay Race

This game is a fun idea for a large group that has gathered to celebrate Mother’s Day. Divide the group into two teams made up of moms and their children. Place a blanket for each team on the floor where they will line up for the race. At the other end of the racing course, place a collection of items that would be used to serve breakfast in bed, such as a plate, coffee mug, napkin, utensils and flower vase.

Hand each team a serving tray. Each player must race to place an item on the tray and bring it back to the blanket (the bed). The first team to have all of their items set up on the tray and placed on the bed wins the race.

Another variation of this game is to have each mom sit on a blanket while her children race to serve her the “breakfast in bed.”

Know Your Mom

If you’re celebrating with a large group of moms and their kids, this game is a fun, mom-themed activity for guests. Each mother and her kids form a team. The moms then leave the room while someone asks each group of kids to answer questions about their mothers.

Question Ideas

• What is your mom’s favorite flower?
• What is her hobby?
• What is mom afraid of?
• What is mom’s favorite room in the home?
• What is mom’s signature meal to cook?

The kids write their answers on a card that is placed face down when the moms return to the room. The moms are then asked to answer the same questions. After the moms answer, their kids’ cards are turned over to reveal their answers. Every time the answers match, a point is scored. The team with the most points at the end of play wins the game.

What's in Mom's Purse?

This game is best played with a large group of moms and their children. Gather the children into the middle of the room. Line up a row of chairs that contains one fewer chair than you have children.

Start the game by calling out an item that might be found in a mom’s purse, such as a comb, a package of tissues, a tube of lipstick or a driver’s license. The kids must go to their mom and retrieve the item. Kids can also go to grandma, aunts or big sisters—anyone who may have a purse on hand.

When a child returns with the requested item, they take a seat in one of the chairs. The last kid to return has no place to sit and therefore is out of the game. Another chair is then removed and another item is requested. Play continues in this way until only one player remains. That player is the winner.

Karaoke

She belts out those tunes in the shower and behind the wheel of the car—now it’s time to challenge Mom to show off her vocal skills with the help of a microphone and some karaoke equipment. You can use a karaoke machine, or play a sing-along game on your home gaming system. Bring in a few pop-idol costume props and watch mom shine like the rock star she is, or gather together to perform like a musical family.

Balloon Stomp

Before the Mother’s Day party, write down several things you will do for Mom in the upcoming days or weeks. Kids can write things like set the table, help fold the laundry, or give mom extra hugs and kisses. Fold the papers with the things written on them into small pieces. Insert each paper into a balloon before inflating. Scatter the balloons one the floor in the party space.

To play, set a timer for one minute and have Mom stomp as many balloons as she can before time runs out. Once time is up, mom collects the papers from the popped balloons and keeps them as rewards to claim whenever she wants.

Whose Mom Is It Anyway?

To play this game, give each mom a piece of paper and a pen. Ask her to list three things she did before having kids. For instance, a mom’s list could read something like this:

• I once worked in a museum.
• I once dyed my hair pink.
• I was a cheerleader in high school.

When the moms have finished their lists, one person will read each list out loud. The kids must guess which list belongs to their own mom. The kids who guess correctly win a small prize.

Mommy Bingo

Personalize the traditional game of Bingo to suit your mom's personality with homemade Bingo cards. Simply place the word “Mommy” across the top of a Bingo card and fill in the boxes with things about Mom such as her favorite color, food, or song.

More Ideas for Space Fillers

• Mom’s middle name.
• Mom’s most-used saying.
• Mom’s dream vacation.
• Mom’s birth date and the birth dates of her children.

You can get creative and make your Bingo game anything from sentimental to silly—as long as it is all about Mom. Print several extra Bingo cards and cut out the individual boxes. Place the cut out boxes in a bowl, and mix them up to use as the calling pieces to play the game. Use something like Mom’s favorite small candies as the Bingo card markers.

Mother's Day Photo Shoot

Professional photos for Mother’s Day are always a hit, but imagine the fun you can have while staging some family photos of your own. Grab a camera, Mom, the kids, and some props and let them enjoy a little time being silly and posing for their own, personal, backyard photo shoot. A tripod and the timer on the camera allows the person taking the photos to step out from behind the lens and join in on the fun, too!

Use some of the ideas from this photo booth party to enhance the celebration.