20 Ways to Surprise Mom on Mother’s Day

You’ve likely given Mom chocolate, flowers, jewelry or another special gift, but there are countless unique and creative ways you can show her how much she’s appreciated.

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Put Your Best Foot Forward for Mom

Do Your Homework. Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, so why not get your homework out of the way early in the weekend so you can spend Sunday with Mom?
With some planning, you can dedicate a good grade in school to Mom. Work extra hard on a school project or paper or tell her you earned that good grade for all the help she’s given you.
Clean your room. She’s nagged you and nagged you. Make the chore part of your gift to Mom on Mother’s Day.
Mom’s Day Off. Plan a Mother’s Day in which Mom is completely off the hook. If you’re old enough to drive, be her chauffer for the day. If she normally does housework on Sunday, take over the chores for her special day.
Wash and detail Mom’s car. Scrub the exterior and vacuum the interior for a unique and impromptu Mother’s Day gift.
Give her car a tune-up. If you’re an older child with driving privileges, take Mom’s care for an oil-change.

Help Mom Relax and De-Stress

Set Mom’s mood with candles. In the morning light an aromatherapy candle in her bedroom or bathroom. In the evening light a richly scented candle in the kitchen or living room.
In addition to candles, why not urge Mom to take time for a personal Bubble Bath? Don’t interrupt her with chores or questions about dinner, but deliver her a good book, a cozy robe and run a hot bath, complete with candles and her favorite bath oils, salts or bubble bath.

Create a Special Homemade Gift

Draw or paint Mom a picture. Whether it’s a kindergarten crayon drawing or a college art studio object d’art, Mom will proudly display your work.
Plan a Skit. Get siblings together and plan and act out a short humorous skit that honors Mom. Playfully re-enact a memorable family event, a funny camping trip, or a time when Mom did something especially caring or courageous. A comic sketch can tactfully and light-heartedly poke fun at Mom’s quirky traits while letting her know how much you enjoy and appreciate her as a Mother.
Play Mom your own Music. If you play an instrument, love to sing, write your own songs or even play other peoples’ songs, then consider performing for Mom on Mother’s Day. Whether you’re studying for the conservatory, or simply like to jam with a local garage band, Mom will be touched by the effort you’ve devoted to composing and practicing a piece in her honor.

Use Food to Win Her Heart

Fix Mom a fresh Mother’s Day smoothie. Choose a simple smoothie recipe and surprise Mom with an early morning fruit rush. For simpler fruit fare, squeeze fresh oranges for an elegant morning juice glass.
Bake a cake. Does Mom like fancy desserts? Choose a cake recipe that will surprise her—not your average run of the mill yellow box cake, either.

Show Her How Much She’s Loved

Balloon Poetry. Hang balloons around the house with personal, thoughtful messages written on them. Be specific. Think of Mom’s positive characteristics, and the nice things she does for you. TIP: Instead of writing something generic like “Happy Mother’s Day,” try something like “Thank you for being there at our baseball games” or “We love the delicious dinners you cook for us.”
Free Mom to spend time with Dad. Older siblings—take your younger sisters and brothers out to a movie, walk in the park, or on an extended day trip so that Mom and Dad can enjoy quality time together on Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day Essay. Write about what Mom means to you, what she does for you, and what makes her a great Mother.
Tell Mom something nice about her. Did someone say something nice about Mom? Whether it was a neighbor, friend or even a family member, let her know about it.
Give Mom a Mother’s Day hug. You can’t get much simpler or sincere than this.

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Put messages in balloons or sticky notes around the house, telling mom to look in certain hiding places for little surprises (Thanks Chloe!)

From a Distance:

Call Mom and spend more than your perfunctory couple of minutes with her. She’s wanted to know all about you, so share your week’s exploits, highlights of your job, boss gripes, favorite wines, good movies, favorite coffee shop, current date, etc. She’s dying to know.
Write Mom a thoughtful handwritten letter. Tell her all the same you’d tell her over the phone, but choose a pretty piece of notepaper or a card and write it yourself. The handwritten note is fast becoming a rare gift.