Engage your children's ministry kids in honoring moms on
Mother's Day with these fun crafts and games.
Bearing Fruit
Give each child a packet of fruit or vegetable seeds and a sheet
of construction paper. Ask a child to read aloud Galatians 5:22-23 about the fruit of the
Spirit. Talk about these Scriptures as the children fold their
papers in half to make cards.
On the front page of the cards, have children write the words,
"Mom, you plant the seeds. . . " Inside the cards on the right-hand
side, have children glue their seed packets and write, ". . .
that'll help me bear fruit for Jesus." On the inside left-hand page
of each card, have kids write the words from Galatians 5:22-23. Then have children sign
their cards. Mothers will treasure this encouraging card.
Hats Off
If you're like us, you have a lot of moms who volunteer to teach
in your Sunday school and give all they can in their ministries at
home and church. They need your love, support, and encouragement as
they struggle to balance the demands of all the hats they wear.
This year, have a Hats Off to You luncheon for this special
group of volunteers. Ask your church's men's group or men in your
church to serve the food and provide child care.
Before the event, collect enough big colorful hats for each
teacher to wear one. Plan the menu and pray for an afternoon of
affirmation and encouragement. Serve each mother a sandwich, a bag
of chips, and a canned soft drink in a plastic hat (available at
party supply stores). Dessert can be a cake in the shape of a hat
with iced flowers and decorations all over it. During the meal,
remind these mothers that God sees all they do to touch the lives
of children with Christ's love through the many hats they wear.
Song: My Mother Is So Special
Teach children this song to the tune of Oscar Mayer's "The
Bologna Song." Have children sing this song to their moms during
your worship service.
My mother is so special,
she means so much to me.
She's patient, understanding,
and as gentle as can be.
She's lots of fun to be with
And she's always there for me.
That's why she's a great example
of J-E-S-U-S to me.
Mother's Day Hats
For Mother's Day, our kids made a special craft for their
mothers.
I purchased different styles and sizes of straw hats for $1
each. (I made sure I had enough hats for each mom represented in my
class.) I asked ladies for donations of spare ribbons, silk
flowers, buttons, fabric, and any other sewing notions that could
be used to decorate a hat.
Our children each carefully chose from the decorations to design
a hat for their mom. Many of them chose the flowers and colors
their moms liked best. Once children decided where they wanted each
item placed, they took the hats to one of the four "glue stations"
where an adult secured the items with a hot-glue gun.
We added a card to each hat that said, "Hats off to you, Mom!"
This activity was a hit with our moms and kids.
Dawn Coleman
Brea, California
Give Mom A Hand
Theme: Mother's Day Text: Proverbs 31:28-31
Preparation: In a box or paper sack, place
different kinds of gloves. You'll also need a Bible.
The Message: (Read the Scripture.)
What does this verse tell us to do? God tells us to praise our
moms and say great things about them so everyone will know how
terrific they are! Today, we'll give our moms a special hand.
Gloves are good for lots of things. Let's see how these gloves help
us. (Give each child at least one glove.) Hold up your glove and
tell how it reminds you of things your mom does. Our moms sure do a
lot of different things! (Collect the gloves.)
Let's pray. Dear God, thanks for our moms who work, play, clean,
cook, and love us with their hands. Show us how to honor them every
day. Amen.
Now, let's use our hands to praise our moms! (Lead kids in
applauding for their mothers.)
Confetti Sun-catcher
Your preschoolers will enjoy making these special cards for
Mother's Day or Father's Day.
Help children fold a sheet of construction paper widthwise to
make a card. With the card folded, draw a heart in the center of
the card and help children cut out the heart shape through both
thicknesses. Have children each unfold their card to reveal a
heart-shaped "window" on each half.
With the inside of the open card face up, have children outline
each window with a line of glue and cover each window with a square
of wax paper cut slightly larger than the heart opening.
Have children cut or tear colored tissue paper into tiny chips
or strips and carefully lay them on top of one of their windows. Do
not glue the tissue paper to the wax paper.
Once more, have the children carefully outline one heart with
glue. Keeping the tissue chips inside the window, help them each
fold the top half of their card onto the glued half and seal the
two halves together.
Punch two holes in the top of each card and thread an 8-inch
length of yarn through the holes. Tie knots in each end of the yarn
toward the back of the card. On the front of the completed confetti
sun-catchers, help children write messages to their parents, such
as "I love you. Happy Mother's Day!"
Parents can hang their cards in front of a window to catch the
sunlight.
Deborah Mann
Sedalia, Missouri
Flowers For Someone Special
Preschoolers will take pleasure in giving these flowers for
Mother's Day.
You'll need large macrame beads, small silk flowers and
Play-Doh.
Have children each select a bead and silk flowers. Then help
them each fill their beads with Play-Doh. Afterward, help them
stick their flowers' stems into the Play-Doh in their beads.
The bead becomes the vase for the flowers. Encourage children
each to give their gift to Mom for Mother's Day.
Paula Jo Logan
New Stanton, Pennsylvania
