Materials
Lots of Moms by Shelley Rotner
sentence strips or 4" x 6" index cards
construction paper
crayons or markers
collage materials
yarn in black, brown, red, and yellow
glue
scissors
Sculpey (or other modeling clay) in a variety of colors
wooden skewers
ribbon
oven
Instructions
* Mother's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday of May.
1. Read Lots of Moms by Shelley Rotner. Ask the children to tell something
about their own mothers (or grandmothers, stepmothers, and so on) and
record what they say on sentence strips or index cards.
2. Ask the children to draw a picture of their mothers (or other special
person) using crayons or markers. Provide yarn, buttons, small jewels, and
other craft items along with scissors and glue for children to use to
embellish their drawings. Encourage them to create hair, earrings, and
other accessories. Set aside to dry.
3. Help each child make several small round beads with Sculpey (or other
modeling clay). Show them how to roll and squish it between their
fingers. Encourage them to mix colors if they wish, or make beads in
different shapes. Note: Make sure the children wash their hands
thoroughly after using the clay.
4. Push each child's beads onto separate wooden skewers. Make sure the
skewer is through the center of the beads. This creates the hole which
the children will later use to thread the beads. Make sure you keep track
of which beads belong to which child.
5. Bake the beads according to the package instructions. You may want to
ask a parent volunteer to do this step at home, as Sculpey does create a
slight odor when baking.
6. After the beads have cooled, place each child's beads in a zipper-lock
bag. Give each child her own bag and a length of yarn or ribbon. Help
the children string their beads on the ribbon or yarn.
7. Poke a small hole on either side of the neck of the mother figure that
each child created. Thread each child's necklace through the holes in her
picture and tie in the back. The mother in the drawing "wears" the
necklace.
8. Create a bulletin board entitled "All About Mom." Post the children's
pictures on the board with their descriptive sentences posted under
each picture.
9. Allow the mothers to take their picture and necklace surprise home on
the Friday before Mother's Day.
More to do Have a simple Mother's Day Tea on the Friday before Mother's Day. If
possible, let the children help bake and decorate simple sugar cookies and
make iced tea and lemonade. Let the children help make a simple
invitation for their mothers (or other special person) letting them know the
time and day of the tea. Have the children use craft materials to decorate
the room and tables for the tea. Remember to keep things simple and
short, as parties often overwhelm young children.
Related poem I Love My Mom by Virginia Jean Herrod
I love my Mom and she loves me, (point outward, then point to self )
I love her this much as you can see. (spread arms wide)
I love my Mom and I'll tell you why, (shake finger at audience)
She's like a diamond in the sky. (make a diamond shape with forefingers and
thumbs and hold above head)
I love my Mom and she loves me, (point outward then point to self )
I love her this much as you can see. (spread arms wide)
