The Empowered Educator

Inspiring ideas, training and resources for early learning.

Mother’s Day Gifts Children will Enjoy Making!

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If you have left it a little later than usual to help children make their Mother's Day gifts you are certainly not alone - but you don't need to turn it into a stressful event if you keep projects simple and mainly child led.

I've put together a collection of ideas to inspire you and ensure that the children's mother's day gifts are not only special but also EASY!

Easy Mother's Day Gifts Children Can Make

Recently I had fun with my daughters making some simple soap balls to package up as a handmade gift for Grandmas - if you are running out of time, try this playful sensory experience suitable for multi age groups.

Soap Balls - A Simple Mother's Day Gift for Children to Make

What Do You Need?

  • 2 Cups Lux Soap Flakes or you can grate some 'Sunlight' soap. You can use less if you like.
  • A little warm water in a jug easy to pour (I haven't put a measurement as you will just pour a little in until you get the right consistency and this can vary depending on how much soap you are using!)
  • Few drops of essential oils (optional - we used a winter rescue blend and calming lavender)
  • Spoons for children who don't like messy hands.
  • Bowls for mixing & a tray or board to place soap balls to dry out a little.
  • Lavender, Chamomile flowers or whatever you have in the garden (optional) - we used some rosemary leaves. You could also use fragrant dry tea leaves or leave out all together and keep your soap plain!
  • Hessian and a little ribbon for tying if you want to package as gifts. Mason Jars work well too.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

What Do You Do?

  • If using block soap you will need to help children grate the soap or use a food processor (you want to ideally use a pure soap like Lux, Sunlight or Castile) Add to a bowl once grated.
  • If using flakes add a few cups to a bowl - you can always add more or less depending on how many children are participating and how many soap balls you want to end up with!
  • Use a mortar and pestle or fingertips, rolling pins or mallets to squash and grind leaves or flowers to help release their fragrance. This can be difficult for little hands to do, so don't expect them to keep going (or to take over) until you get a nicely ground mix - it's more about the action and doesn't matter if you end up with whole leaves in your soap balls like we did. I think it adds to the homemade charm don't you?
  • Help children use small jugs to gradually pour a little warm water into their soap flakes - then begin mixing and kneading with hands. For some children with sensory challenges the stickiness might be too much so let them use spoons instead.
  • At this stage you can add a few drops of essential oil if you choose to do so - mix well.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

What Do You Do?

  • Lay out on a tray or board to dry out and firm up a little.
  • Wrap in some hessian with twine or add a few to a mason jar and add a colourful ribbon around the lid if you want to give to someone special as  gift. Make sure to keep some for yourself though as they smell lovely and leave hands feeling soft!
  • We have used them for handwashing and also dropped into a bath for an all over soak.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Scroll Down for More Ideas

For more Mother's Day Gift ideas (or anytime gifts really!) take a look at the collection of ideas below - some are suitable for younger children and some for older children but all are simple so you are sure to find a project that suits your children!

Easy Child Made Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Bath Salts

I love DIY Bath Salts because they are one of the easiest gifts that children of all ages can have fun making for a special someone – perfect for Mother’s Day!

When children are creating their bath salts they are also engaging in some wonderful sensory and fine motor play. We recently made some bath salts to share as gifts and although we have now done this activity many times it is just as much fun each time and simple enough to do whether you are creating with just a few children or a large group! 

Get my simple recipe HERE.

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Painted Flower Cards

Debbie from our Empowered Educator Facebook Group shared this fun Mother's Day flower craft idea with us recently. 

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Decorated Mugs

Sandra from our Facebook group shared how her children decorated their mugs. You can get instructions about how to make these with Sharpies HERE.

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Child Decorated Tea Towels

If you've ever received one of these decorated tea towels you know what a great gift they are! There are a few different ways to make them and we love these two ideas:

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Flowers & Vase

Who needs real flowers when children can make their own flowers & vases. I love these ideas because the first one re purposes children's paintings to make a cute vase of flowers, and the second one upcycles plastic bottles. 

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Egg Carton Gifts

If you have a collection of egg cartons to use up why not show children how to turn them into these simple gift ideas. 

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Eco Friendly Gifts

Try one of these ideas to incorporate a little sustainability into children's gift giving projects!

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.
Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Picture Frames

A handmade picture frame is always a great Mother's Day gift idea and you can pair it with a photo of the child or one of their drawings or paintings. These two ideas are fun!  

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Special Rocks

There are many ways children can turn stones and pebbles into unique handmade gifts - try one of these projects....

Instead of spending money, why not help children create something special with one of these easy Mother's Day gift projects.

Have fun making those special Mother's Day Gifts and memories!

Join our Empowered Educator Facebook Group for more inspiration and easy early learning ideas. 

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mother's day activity ideas

A Little About Me

Jodie Clarke is an early childhood professional supporting educators who want and need to stay passionate about the work they do! She has 30 years hands-on experience in the early childhood and human services sectors across many different roles.


Jodie is mum to 3 in Australia and has already helped thousands of educators with their work through her popular blog posts, activity ideas, online training and e-books.

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