10 Stay-at-Home Ideas for Mother’s Day Gifts

Given the current situation and guidelines for sheltering in place, some families might need to get creative with Mother’s Day gifts this year. If you can’t take the matriarch in your household out for dinner and haven’t found any perfect mom gifts, we’ve got you covered. Following are 10 ways to celebrate while social distancing.

1. Serve breakfast in bed.

It doesn’t have to be fancy. Even toast and orange juice will send the message, especially if the children are the ones to prepare and serve it. If you feel like upping the ante, grab a favorite cookbook like Good Food from Mrs. Sundberg’s Kitchen, and make some eye-opening dish like baked apple pancakes or bacon cornbread.

2. Clean the house.

As far as Mother’s Day gifts go, this doesn’t need much explanation. Let Mom rest, relax, and pamper herself while the rest of the family takes care of all the cleaning. That means folding the laundry too!

3. Give her a homemade gift.

Have the kids make something special. Write a poem. Draw a picture. Color a coloring page. Build a LEGO creation. These tend to be the best mom gifts, even when we’re not staying home for the holiday.

4. Have a backyard picnic.

If you served breakfast in bed and are planning something special for dinner, a simple lunch sounds lovely. Cold-cut sandwiches and chips never taste better than when you’re sitting outside, enjoying a family picnic. Grilled hot dogs work too. Serve with homemade lemonade (8 cups water, 1 3/4 cups sugar, and 1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice).

5. Take a family walk.

Some of the best Mother’s Day gifts are simply time spent together. Make time to go on a walk and enjoy a bit more of your neighborhood’s fresh air and splendid sights. Bring a bird-watching guide and go birding for added entertainment.

6. Go on a bicycle ride.

If Mom wants to be outside even longer and venture a bit farther, you can hop on your bicycles after or instead of your family walk.

7. Cook her favorite dinner.

You know what she likes best. Planning and preparing her favorite meal ranks high on the list of mom gifts. At our house, it’s grilled chicken kabobs.

8. Rent her favorite movie.

The digital age makes it pretty easy to rent movies online. Gather around the TV, and let Mom pick a movie to watch together.

9. Go stargazing.

This makes for a very special memory if it’s something you don’t often do, so it’s a perfect finale for your Mother’s Day gifts. After dark, bring that picnic blanket back outside. Lie down together and look at the stars and the moon. With a little prep work—or a copy of Night Sky in hand—you can even identify a few constellations, such as Ursa Major and Leo. Venus will also shine brightly, halfway up the western sky.

10. Hug her . . . a lot.

It may not be the Mother’s Day any of us were planning, but where would we be during this crazy time without the love and support of Mom? Take time to give her plenty of hugs throughout the day. She deserves them.