Ministry-To-Children.com » Mother’s Day Ideas

10 Gifts that Kids Can Make for Mother’s Day

Kristin Charles — Fri, 04 May 2012 13:00:17 +0000

Nothing says, “I love you” like a personal handmade gift from a child. Whether it is a scribbled note, an abstract painting, or simple words of affirmation, kids delight in having something to give. Depending on which gift you choose for your students to make, these gifts can be either treasured keepsakes or ultra practical.

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, here are some gift ideas that kids can make. These gifts are simple, take little time to prepare, and are budget conscious. They are perfect for a children’s ministry setting. Most kids will make their gift for their mom, but be conscious and sensitive to those children without moms in the picture. Give other options like grandma, aunt, teacher, stepmom, etc.

Have fun creating, encouraging, and blessing the special women in your children’s lives. For more ideas, check out our idea board on Pinterest.

10 Mother’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make

1. A Unique Flower Pot: Recycle a can, a tissue box, a plastic bottle, or whatever you have on hand. Have the children decoupage scrapbook paper, newspaper, magazine scraps, tissue paper pieces, or fabric scraps to the pot. Plant a flower inside or attach a seed packet with a fancy ribbon or twine.

2. A Framed Hand Print: Obtain a hand print from each child. Frame the hand print in a dollar store frame. If budget conscious, construct a frame from cardboard and have the children paint it, decoupage it, or decorate it with buttons or spray painted puzzle pieces, or ribbons. You could also make your own simple mat for the print for parents to frame on their own. For an alternate activity, have the students create flowers or flower bouquets out of their fingerprints in bright-colored ink and draw simple green stems and leaves.

3. A Jar with Ready Made Dessert Mix: Have an assembly line ready to go with ingredients from a favorite cookie, brownie, hot cocoa or chai, or other dessert mix. Help the children to add the correct amount of ingredients and attach the recipe to the jar. For an added touch, have the students personalize an inexpensive wooden spoon with a sharpie and attach that too.

4. A Decorated Journal: Any simple notebook can be made into a gorgeous decorated journal. Have the students decoupage the journal with assorted paper or fabric supplies. If the notebook is a spiral one, have them tie on small pieces of assorted ribbon to the spiral to jazz it up. Have older students personalize the journal with a note in the front.

5. Homemade Beauty Products: All moms need a chance to sit back and relax! What better way to make them feel pampered than to be given a natural beauty product. Have the students create a sugar scrub, bubble bath, homemade soap, face mask, or bath salts. Recycle small jars for the products if budget conscious. (Art teachers generally have an endless supply of such things!)

6. Framed Photo of Their Child: Have someone familiar with photography take a unique picture of the child. The child can be holding up a cute sign that says something like, “You make me smile!” The child can do the sign language sign for, “I Love You!” Or, the child can be holding flowers out as if giving them away. Have the pictures printed and framed. (See above suggestions for frames.)

7. A Coupon Booklet: Either have older students create their own simple booklet of five coupons or print out coupon templates for younger children to color. The coupons can be redeemable for a breakfast in bed, a clean room, a big hug, time spent together, simple chores, “a prayer for you”, etc.

8. An Interview: If you have the capability, make an audio or video recording of the child asking them specific, guided questions about their mom. If not, write out these questions and answers and frame them. You could ask about special things they do together, what they love most about their mom, how their mom makes them laugh, their favorite time together, their favorite meal that mom makes, etc. Make sure to prepare the students first and have them brainstorm before the interview.

9. Homemade Cards: Simple white card stock can be sized, cut, and folded to create a small package of handmade cards. Have the students decorate just the top of the cards with crayons, markers, or colored pencils. On the back, write “Created with Love by” and have the student sign their name or initials. Give each mom a pack of three to five cards, with envelopes, and tie them together to make a finished product.

10. Munch Mix: Moms seem to be on the go often! Create a munch mix for them to eat on the run. Have the students create a personalized mix for their mom, including: M&M’s, salted, chocolate, or yogurt pretzels, a variety of nuts, raisins, chocolate chips, sesame sticks, Cheez Its, graham snacks, Chex cereal, etc. Enclose in a plastic bag with a bow, a small brown paper bag, or clear jars or containers.

What are some of your favorite ideas for kids to make their moms? Share your ideas in the comment section below.

3 Mother’s Day Children’s Church Lessons

Mimi Bullock — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 01:50:22 +0000

Mothers hold a special place in our hearts and teaching kids to honor her is profitable for all. It’s hardly necessary to instruct children to love their mothers – that comes naturally! However, learning to respect and obey, as God expects, is a necessary part of a minister’s duties. Lean on the scriptures to bring kids a reliable, nurturing “word” from God’s written treasure chest.

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land, that the Lord your God is giving you.”

Tell kids: Many explorers have traveled the world looking for the “fountain of youth,” a place where they can live forever. As Christians, we don’t need a magic formula for a long life – we have the promises of God! Did you know that God promises you long life when you honor your mother? That’s right! How do you do it? Speak to your mother with a kind voice and respect. Don’t disobey her or lie to her. Be a person who brings her honor.

Proverbs 29:15 “The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.”

Tell kids: You know, it is fun do whatever you want – isn’t it? Sleep when you want. Eat what you want. Do what you want. Right? That’s not what God says! He says if we refuse to accept wisdom and instruction from our mother, we will make her feel ashamed. Make Mom feel proud! Listen to her when she teaches you important lessons like how to keep your room tidy or how to be a good friend.

James 1:17 “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Tell kids: Gifts don’t always come in boxes, especially gifts from God. The gifts God gives are often in the shape of people. He gives us special people, like Moms, to love us and raise us with kindness. (Show kids a gift box with a lid. Place a picture of a Mom in the box.) Do you see this box? Inside it is a gift more valuable than gold and silver. More expensive than jewels or a fast car. No gift is better than this gift. (Open the box and show the picture.) This is my Mom! She’s a nice lady who loves God and taught me all about Him. She is more precious than any gift I have ever received.

Teaching kids a Mother’s Day lesson in your children’s church helps build happier homes and stronger children. Learning what God says about mothers helps children find a place of blessing with God.

Read more from Mimi by visiting her blog at Encouragement for Christians.

Optional Ideas: Browse our collection of free mother’s day coloring pages or Sunday School lesson for mother’s day and mother’s day craft ideas.

Mother’s Day Coloring Sheets (with Diversity)

Mandy Groce — Tue, 03 May 2011 02:28:16 +0000

Directions: To download this coloring sheet, simply click on the image above to download the picture as a printable PDF file. We’ve also uploaded a higher resolution jpeg image for advanced editing.

There is a little bit of background behind this coloring sheet. It was only last mother’s day we posted our first free coloring pages on this website. They were a logical next step to better serve you as you minister to kids. We now have well over 60 free Bible coloring pages including that first set of Mother’s Day coloring pages. You might also enjoy our printable Mother’s Day Sunday School crafts.

Update: We’ve created a new version of this picture that says “Mum” instead of “Mother” to account for regional variations. Click here to download it as a jpeg.

Since then, I’ve heard from many readers asking us to include more people of color in our printables. This is not always easy with cartoon characters. We did not want to exaggerate physical features and create anything offensive. At the same time, we believe that God makes all different types of beautiful people.

So here is our attempt at a mother’s day African-American coloring page. Please leave a comment below for Mandy if you appreciate her work. We would like to know what you think and be more inclusive in future efforts.

Ruth Bible Lesson for Children

Felicia Mollohan — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:47:27 +0000

Click above to download a free Ruth Coloring Page

This free Children’s Church lesson plan was first written for elementary aged students. It covers the story of Ruth. This material could also be used as the Ruth Bible story lesson for children’s Sunday school.

Be sure to consider your own ministry context and modify it as needed. We’ve tried to include enough activities to allow some choice in your lesson planning. Look for additional teaching ideas and resources linked at the bottom of this page. Click here to browse all our children’s Bible lessons.

Bible Story: God takes care of Ruth & Naomi
Scripture: Ruth
Target Age Group: Kindergarten – 5th grade
Learning Context: Children’s Church
Target Time Frame: 40 minutes
Printer Friendly Bible Lesson: Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
You Can Help: Please share your feedback and suggestions to improve this kids Bible lesson. Click here to respond

Learning Objectives: After this lesson, the children will demonstrate an understanding of the story by drawing a picture to explain what happened in the story.

Items Needed:

Bible: Ruth 1:3-18. There is a detailed explanation below to help bring out some of the important parts of the story.
9 index cards – write words on Bible Verse on cards (1 word per card) and then cut them in half (like a puzzle)
Paper, markers/crayons
Optional: You can use this Ruth coloring page as a teaching illustration or a class activity.

Worship: Use Family Songs (click here to print) to lead the children to sing before the Bible lesson.

Teaching Plan: Ruth

Welcome Activity
Welcome activities are things to have out for the children to do as they are arriving for class. These activities will get them engaged as soon as they arrive and will help the transition from their parents.

Family Portrait – have the children draw their family on a piece of paper

Worship: Family Songs

Bible Lesson Introduction

Put the children in groups and have them discuss their Family Portraits from the Welcome Activity.
Then get together as a class and discuss the differences in families.

Bible Lesson

What part of the Bible is Ruth in? The Old Testament
What book of the Old Testament is Ruth? #8

Read Ruth 1:3-18 (NIRV) aloud to the children. For younger children you can use our printable story booklet about Ruth.

3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. So she was left with her two sons. 4 They got married to women from Moab. One was named Orpah. The other was named Ruth. Naomi’s family lived in Moab for about ten years. 5 Then Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.
6 While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. 7 She left the place where she had been living. Her two daughters-in-law went with her. They started out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.
8 Naomi spoke to her two daughters-in-law. “Both of you go back,” she said. “Each of you go to your own mother’s home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. 9 May he help each of you find a secure place in the home of another husband. May he give you peace and rest.”
Then she kissed them good-by. They broke down and sobbed loudly. 10 They said to her, “We’ll go back to your people with you.”
11 But Naomi said, “Go home, my daughters. Why would you want to come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands?
12 “Go home, my daughters. I’m too old to have another husband. Suppose I thought there was still some hope for me. Suppose I got married to a man tonight. And later I had sons by him. 13 Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single until you could get married to them? No, my daughters. My life is more bitter than yours. The Lord’s powerful hand has been against me!”
14 When they heard that, they broke down and sobbed again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by. But Ruth held on to her.
15 “Look,” said Naomi. “Your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17 Where you die I’ll die. And there my body will be buried. I won’t let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly.”
18 Naomi realized that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her. So she stopped trying to make her go back.

Discuss Bible Lesson
3 Naomi’s husband Elimelech died. So she was left with her two sons. 4 They got married to women from Moab. One was named Orpah. The other was named Ruth. Naomi’s family lived in Moab for about ten years. 5 Then Mahlon and Kilion also died. So Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

In those days, women didn’t have jobs. They depended solely on their husband and sons.
Naomi’s husband and sons were all dead.
She was left with nothing.

6 While Naomi was in Moab, she heard that the Lord had helped his people. He had begun to provide food for them again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law prepared to go from Moab back to her home. 7 She left the place where she had been living. Her two daughters-in-law went with her. They started out on the road that would take them back to the land of Judah.

Naomi was from Bethlehem.
She needed to eat…so she decided to go back to her hometown.
Her 2 daughters-in-law went with her.

8 Naomi spoke to her two daughters-in-law. “Both of you go back,” she said. “Each of you go to your own mother’s home. You were kind to your husbands, who have died. You have also been kind to me. So may the Lord be just as kind to you. 9 May he help each of you find a secure place in the home of another husband. May he give you peace and rest.”
Then she kissed them good-by. They broke down and sobbed loudly.

Naomi didn’t want to take her daughters-in-law away from their families.
She gave them her blessing to find another husband.

10 They said to her, “We’ll go back to your people with you.”
11 But Naomi said, “Go home, my daughters. Why would you want to come with me? Am I going to have any more sons who could become your husbands?
12 “Go home, my daughters. I’m too old to have another husband. Suppose I thought there was still some hope for me. Suppose I got married to a man tonight. And later I had sons by him. 13 Would you wait until they grew up? Would you stay single until you could get married to them? No, my daughters. My life is more bitter than yours. The Lord’s powerful hand has been against me!”

They don’t want to go back to their families.
They are devoted to Naomi – she is their family now.
Naomi tries to talk common sense to the girls. Even if she got married tonight – and had a child – they would be waiting a long time to marry him.
Naomi is also feeling sorry for herself because her husband and two sons have died. “My life is more bitter than yours.”

14 When they heard that, they broke down and sobbed again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by. But Ruth held on to her.
15 “Look,” said Naomi. “Your sister-in-law is going back to her people and her gods. Go back with her.”
16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t try to make me leave you and go back. Where you go I’ll go. Where you stay I’ll stay. Your people will be my people. Your God will be my God. 17 Where you die I’ll die. And there my body will be buried. I won’t let anything except death separate you from me. If I do, may the Lord punish me greatly.”
18 Naomi realized that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her. So she stopped trying to make her go back.

Orpah goes back.
Ruth stays with Naomi.
She is very devoted to Naomi and wants to make the One True God her God.

Bible Lesson Activities

Activity: Follow the Leader

Play “Follow the Leader” with the children
Try to have different children be the leader
Talk to the children about following Godly leaders and not just following anyone

Activity: Bible Verse Memorization
“Where you go I’ll go. Your God will be my God.” Ruth 1:16

Where you go: point to someone else
I’ll go: point to yourself
Your God will be: point to the ceiling
My God: point to yourself
Ruth 1: hold up 1 finger
16: hold up 10 fingers and then 6 fingers

Do this a few times with the children. Make it fun for them to do the motions and say the words. Involving them in active learning is essential for memorization.

Activity: Missing Halves

Give each child a piece of the Bible Verse
Have the children find their “missing half”
Once the children have put their words together, have the group put the Bible Verse in order

Evaluation: Have the children draw a picture of what happened in the story.

Free Mother’s Day Coloring Pages

Mandy Groce — Thu, 06 May 2010 13:49:46 +0000

Download and print off these coloring sheets to use with your children around Mother’s Day. They were created by Mandy Groce, an artist from Louisville, KY. Over the coming months you will see a lot more from her. You can leave a comment below to encourage Mandy for her work.

Directions: Click on the image to the right to download this resource as a printer friendly PDF file. Alternately, you can download the image as a jpeg image file (496K) if you want to resize or paste it into a Word Document.

The first coloring page features a mother and her son along with the prayer, “God, I am thankful for Mommy!” The scene is framed by a large heart shape. This is subtle religious message will allow you to teach kids about God’s high valuation of Christian motherhood.

New for 2011: We have just added a new coloring sheet for mother’s day that offers more racial diversity. Many readers were asking for this resource and we hope you enjoy it in your ministry. Click here to preview and download that image.

We’ve created versions of this coloring page that use the word “mummy” instead of “mother.” Here are those links for the boy version and the girl version.

Bonus Version: Mandy has also prepared another version of this coloring page that includes a daughter and her mom. To download as a printer friendly PDF file simply click on the image to the right. If you prefer, you can download the image as a jpeg image file (525K) to work into your own projects.

Mother’s Day is a holiday that honors moms. The date varies in different countries, but in the United States is held on the second Sunday in May. Some Christians recoil at the commercialization of the celebration, but most church make a point to honor moms. My church usually plans a Baby Dedication ceremony for that same Sunday.

On our website, you can find free materials for Mother’s Day. These includes songs, crafts, and Sunday School lessons. The kids in your Sunday School class will enjoy this Mother’s Day coloring picture. Otherwise, this Mother’s Day coloring sheet would also work well in children’s church as a follow-up to a Bible lesson about Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day Lesson & Craft “A Fragrant Offering”

Amy Brown — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:21:17 +0000

You can use this lesson plan and craft in your church around Mother’s Day. It helps kids understand how they can show God’s and be a blessing to their mothers.

The text for this lesson is Ephesians 5:1-2 which refers to all believers as ‘beloved children’. This lesson includes a Mother’s Day craft idea that draws from the lesson. You might also enjoy our printable Mother’s Day coloring sheets.

Bible Passage: Ephesians 5:1-2
Bible Story Title: A Fragrant Offering on Mother’s Day
Target Age Group: K – 5^th grade
Target Time Frame: 25 – 35 minutes (lesson + craft)
Original Teaching Context: Children’s Church
Printer Friendly Bible Lesson: Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
You Can Help: Please leave your feedback and suggestions for this lesson plan. Others will benefit from your ideas. Click here to respond

Learning Objective: The children will understand how being an imitator of God and walking in love is a fragrant offering which can be lived out practically toward their mothers.

Materials Needed: Craft Sticks, Markers (black and green), Yellow Construction Paper, copies of flower petal template on white paper, and glue.

Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

For an easy craft idea to accompany this lesson, check out our Mother’s Day Coloring Pages in an easy to print format. These are perfect for kids to color in for their moms this weekend. They include a simple prayer, “God, I am thankful for Mommy!”

Hook:

The teacher calls up one student to play a game of “Copycat” in which the child will copy/imitate whatever the teacher does. The teacher can do a series of active movements and silly faces.
The teacher asks, “What is child’s name doing?” “They are copying me or imitating me!”
Did you know God wants us to imitate Him?”

Book:

“Open your Bibles to Ephesians 5. Let’s read verses 1-2.”
“Verse 1 says we should be imitators of God, so we should copy what God does or who God is.”
Brainstorm with the children making a list on the front board of how we should imitate/copy God.
“One way verse 2 says we can imitate God is to “walk in love”. When we walk in love we are a fragrant offering to God.”
“What does walk in love mean?”
“What does fragrant mean?”
“What does offering mean?”

Look:

“Today is a special holiday. It is Mother’s Day! Did you know you can imitate God and be a fragrant offering to Him by how you act toward your mother?”
“What are some ways you can imitate God and be a fragrant offering for Him toward your mother?”
Make another list on the board using ideas from the children.

Took:

“To remember what you have learned today you are going to make a flower for your mother because flowers are fragrant!”
Children will make Mother’s Day Flower Craft as a reminder for how they can be a fragrant offering for God toward their mothers.

Mother’s Day Flower Craft

Craft Objective: To be used with lesson on Ephesians 5:1-2 and given to mothers as a Mother’s Day gift.

Materials Needed:

Craft Sticks
Markers (green and black)
Glue
Yellow Construction Papers cut in circles
Copies of Petal Template on white paper for a daisy
Green construction paper for leaves

Procedure:

Color the craft stick green. This will be the stem of the flower.
Write along the craft stick in black ink “fragrant offering”.
Glue the yellow circle on one end of the craft stick as the flower’s center.
Cut out five white petals.
On each petal write one promise of how you will be a fragrant offering for God toward your mother. You should have five promises all together.
Glue the white petals along the edge of the yellow circle.
If time, the children can cut out and glue two green leaves onto the craft stick.

Tips:

For K-2, have promises pre-printed on the petals so children only need to choose and glue the petals. This will save time with writing.
K-2 children may also need assistance writing “fragrant offering” along their craft stick.
Use large craft sticks as this will make for easier writing and gluing. Plus the bigger the flower, the bigger the smile on mom’s face.

Mother’s Day & Kids Who Have Lost Their Mom

Kristin Charles — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 13:01:21 +0000

As we plan our lessons for Mother’s Day, it is vital that we approach the day with wisdom. Some of the children in our classrooms may not have a mother present in the home due to death, abandonment, military service, incarceration, custody issues, or various other circumstances.

Parents can also be dealing with Mother’s Day grief, especially for those who have lost a child or their own mother recently. These feelings often will affect all the children in the family.

So how can we approach the day with compassion? That answer is going to look different for all of us in children’s ministry, but here are some thoughts to consider:

1. Know your students. Know their unique family dynamics. If a child has lost a mom due to illness, inform the other family members in advance about your plans for the day. Ask them for suggestions. Give them the freedom to celebrate and honor the mom on their terms.

If a child has a mom in the military, bombard her with letters and a care package. If the mom is in prison, keep the knowledge confidential, but still celebrate her as a person. Have the children draw pictures and write out their favorite verses for “someone who could use a little encouragement.” Noone else has to know where the letters are going.

In the event that the child never knew their real mom, invite them to honor and thank God for a special woman in their life – someone who has meant a lot to them.

2. Support the family. Communication is essential when a child is dealing with feelings of grief and/or loss. Get to know the other family members. Be available. Allow them to talk. Help in practical ways, with wisdom and discretion. Recommend resources such as pastoral services, counselors, books, retreats, CD’s, etc.

3. Encourage the child. Let the child know that you value them and everything that is important to them. Do not ignore the loss. Do not bombard the child with questions about their grief either. Allow the processing to be on their terms. Some children will express grief through talking. Others will communicate more through artwork, playing, humor, music, sports, or dance. Attend the events that mean a lot to them. Send a random funny postcard in the mail. Give a gift. Rally the church and classmates to encourage the child and their family also.

4. Be familiar with grief and loss. Research children’s developmental stages of grief. Ask for a counselor’s advice. Attend classes and seminars. Realize that children do not get over loss quickly. Sometimes they will display resilience, adapting to a new way of life quickly, but they may still be experiencing loss and its accompanying fears/anxieties. Their sense of loss is most likely to come and go. Sometimes they will revisit the loss and its devastating effects. Other times they will escape into a world of play and fantasy. Also be aware of any guilt or blame the child is placing on himself/herself because of the situation. Challenge those thoughts.

5. Make adaptations in your lessons. In some cases, the grief that a child is experiencing may be too recent. In this case, forgo a Mother’s Day Lesson altogether. Another option might be talking about “Women of Virtue or Godliness.” If a craft is involved, have the children make it for a “special lady in their lives,” such as a mom, aunt, grandmother, teacher, or neighbor.

6. Love for the long haul. Consistently encourage children, even years after a loss. Pray for them on Mother’s Day and throughout the year, as you see them or remember them. Let them know that you care. Celebrate big events in their lives as they mature. Be persistent in your compassion for them, whether they acknowledge your support or not.

7. Focus on Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for a broken world. It’s hope for children forging through life without a mom. Jesus redeems pain and somehow forges something beautiful from it. In your lessons and interactions with children and their families, focus on Christ by prizing His word. Invite students to say along with you, “Surely, God is my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.” (Isaiah 12:2)

As always, this is not an all-exhaustive list. Please share suggestions and/or comments at the bottom of this post. Whatever you end up doing for Mother’s Day, my prayer is that we will all show sensitivity, compassion, hope, and a spirit of gentleness to children who are hurting.

Need More Ideas? We also have a post about Father’s Day and Children who have lost their dad. Many of those suggestions are relevant for Mother’s Day too. You should also read our article “How to Comfort a Bereaved Child.”

Learning from Moms: A Children’s Bible Lesson

Kristin Charles — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 18:26:02 +0000

This free Mother’s Day Bible lesson for children is intended for Mother’s Day, but could be adapted and utilized at any point of the year. It was first prepared for a Children’s Church setting but would work well as a Sunday School lesson also. Through it, children will learn about mothers referenced in the Bible. They will also learn practical ways to honor their own mothers. This lesson plan also includes a game and card making activity. You can also download our free coloring pages for Mother’s Day.

Bible Passage: Deuteronomy 5:16 and multiple other references
Bible Story Title: Learning from Moms
Target Age Group: 1^st – 6^th grade
Target Time Frame: 45 min – 1 hr
Original Teaching Context: Children’s Church
Printer Friendly Bible Lesson: Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. this lesson plan
You Can Help: Please leave your feedback and suggestions for this lesson plan. Others will benefit from your ideas. Click here to respond

Supply List: Bibles, short summaries of Biblical moms, paper, pencils, chalkboard/whiteboard/large paper with a jeopardy format, cardstock and art supplies such as stamps, stickers, foam pieces, markers, etc.

Learning Goal: After this lesson, students will demonstrate a knowledge of Biblical mothers. They will also identify ways that they can honor their own mothers.

Learning Indicator: Students will play a game of Jeopardy to assess their understanding.

Suggested Learning Activities

Have students brainstorm ways they can honor their moms.
Have students work in pairs/teams to learn and teach about Biblical moms.
Have students work together in a team to answer questions in a Jeopardy game.

Test: Have students recall facts in a question and answer game. Have them demonstrate honor by making a card for their moms.

Bible Lesson “Learning from Moms”

1. Ask the students to brainstorm things that their moms like to say. For example, “You may not be finished with dinner until you eat your vegetables” or “I’m not going to tell you again” or “Get your fingers out of your nose!”

2. Tell the students that Mother’s Day is approaching on May 9^th. Explain a brief history of the holiday. It was started in 1914 with an act of Congress. President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the 2^nd Sunday in May as Mother’s Day. It was a time to publicly express our love and honor for the moms in our country.

3. Ask the students to brainstorm things they can give their moms for Mother’s Day: cards, flowers, coupon books, cleaning their room, obedience, etc. Tell them that you have the “best gift ever” for Mother’s Day. The best thing they can give their mom is honor. Honor is showing respect for your mom in your own home and outside of your home where everyone can see. Read Deuteronomy 5:16. How can we do that? Invite suggestions. (Talk highly of your mom, thank her for what she does, listen, give respect, gifts, time, surprise her, pray for her, etc!)

4. “Today we’re going to learn about some moms in the Bible. Some followed God. Some didn’t. They all made mistakes. Some were remembered for them. Others were remembered for their love for God, their children, and others. Let’s see what we can learn from these moms!”

5. Divide the students into small teams of 2 or 3, depending on the size of your group. Distribute brief summaries of each mom, along with a scripture passage. Have them read about their Biblical mom so that they can answer the following questions. (Each team will be “teaching” about their mom upon completion of the assignment.) Allot 5-7 minutes.

What mom did you have? Who was/were her child/children?
Did she follow God?
What will she be remembered for?

SHORT SUMMARIES OF BIBLICAL MOMS (with Scripture references):

Eve: Eve was the first wife and mom. She shared a special relationship with God until she sinned. We have been born with a “sin nature” because of Eve. Read Genesis 3:1-6 and Genesis 3: 20.

Hannah: Hannah was the mom of Samuel, a judge of Israel. She was unable to have children for many years, but called out to God and God heard her prayer. She promised to give Samuel to God for his whole life and she did. Read 1 Samuel 1:10-11 and 1 Samuel 1:27-28.

Mary: Mary was the mother of Jesus. She was chosen by God to have Jesus because God saw something special in her. She was an ordinary girl, but she obeyed God in extraordinary circumstances. She knew the Word of God well. Read Luke 1:35-38.

Jochebed: Jochebed was the mother of Moses. When she gave birth to Moses, there was an order to kill all of the Hebrew baby boys. In faith, she didn’t kill her son, but hid him for three months. Pharaoh’s daughter found Moses in the river. Years later, he became the hero who led the Israelites out of Egypt into freedom. Read Exodus 2:1-4.

Sarah: Sarah became Isaac’s mom when she was over 100. She was Abraham’s wife, who laughed at the promise that she would have a child. Before Isaac was born, she got impatient to have a baby and tried to take matters into her own hands. She caused a lot of problems by doing that. Read Genesis 21:1-3 and Genesis 21:6-7.

Elizabeth: Elizabeth was the mother of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for Jesus. The angel Gabriel told her husband Zechariah that she would have a baby at a very old age. He didn’t believe this at first, but it was true. Elizabeth was a woman who followed God. Read Luke 1:39-45.

Rebekah: Rebekah was Isaac’s wife and Esau and Jacob’s mom. She was a beautiful woman who was first noticed because she served others unselfishly. She was a hard worker. Rebekah followed God, but did make Jacob her favorite son. Because of that, she convinced him to steal his brother’s blessing. This caused a lot of problems. Read Genesis 24:45-46 and Genesis 27:5-11

Naomi: Naomi was the mother in law of Ruth. Naomi had two sons, but they both passed away and left her very sad and bitter. Because Ruth wanted Naomi’s God to be her God, she travelled to Naomi’s homeland to live. It was there that Naomi helped Ruth find her husband, Boaz. Read Ruth 1:3 and Ruth 1:15-18.

6. Prepare the students to listen to each response by telling them about the Jeopardy game coming up. Have each team take turns teaching about their mom by answering the three questions they have prepared.

7. Once all of the moms have been introduced, briefly summarize. “As you can tell, some of the Biblical moms did what was right in God’s eyes. They prayed, were hard working, beautiful, faithful, and strong – like your moms maybe. But each of them had their moments. We have read that they were sometimes sneaky, disobedient, and impatient – like your moms also. But wait – could that describe us too? (YES!) We all sin. Thankfully, because of Jesus, we don’t have to live in that sin. We can be forgiven and do what is right. How will you be known? As someone who follows Jesus? Or as someone who doesn’t really care. Let’s each be remembered for following God!”

8. Play a game of Jeopardy with the students. Divide students into two teams. Allow individuals from each team to take turns picking a category and amount. (Erase amount when done.) Read each clue. The students should individually respond in Jeopardy format. For example, if the answer is Hannah, they should say, “Who is Hannah?” Reward correct answers with the specified amount. Incorrect answers are not penalized. Daily doubles can be used whenever. (It will be helpful to have a scorekeeper only keeping track of each team’s amount.) A final jeopardy question will end the game. Allow each team to write down their wager and turn it in before you give the clue. Answering the final jeopardy question should be a team effort.

JEOPARDY

WHO’S WHO?

100: She had an angel appear to her. (Mary)
200: She was probably the oldest mom to ever have a baby. (Sarah)
300: She was the mother of John the Baptist and Mary’s cousin. (Elizabeth)
400: She was Samuel’s mom. (Hannah)
500: She was first noticed because she was giving camels drinks! (Rebekah)

OH NO MOM!

100: She was tempted into sin by a snake and fell for it. (Eve)
200: Her husband died and then both her sons died. Life was bitter for her! (Naomi)
300: She had a favorite son named Jacob and she helped him steal the blessing. (Rebekah)
400: She didn’t think she would have a son at her old age so she came up with another way. (Sarah)
500: She followed God instead of Pharaoh, even though it could have cost her her life! (Jochebed)

FAMOUS MOMMA WORDS

100: Eat your ______________ (vegetables).
200: Don’t pick your ______ (nose).
300: I’m not going to ______________ (ask you again).
400: Please clean your ________ (room).
500: You will always be my _________ (baby).

UP TO US!

100: Deuteronomy 5:16 says to honor your father and your ________ (mother).
200: The “best gift ever” for Mother’s Day is to give your mom _________ (honor).
300: Honor is showing __________ to your mom inside and outside your home (respect).
400: Our moms aren’t perfect. We’re not either because of ______ (sin).
500: Thankfully, _________ came to save us from our sin and create in us a clean heart. (Jesus!)

THE HOLIDAY

100: It’s a day when we celebrate our moms. (Mother’s Day)
200: The country that started Mother’s Day. (The United States)
300: Mother’s Day is always on this day. (The 2^nd Sunday in May)
400: The President who established the holiday. (Woodrow Wilson)
500: The year that began the celebration. (1914)

THE FINAL JEOPARDY QUESTION:

List 5 ways that you can show honor to your mom for Mother’s Day and all year round! (Thankfulness, listening, giving respect, gifts, time, surprising her, obeying, praying, talking highly of her, etc!)

9. Distribute cardstock and art supplies such as stamps, stickers, foam pieces, markers, etc. Have students write a Mother’s Day card, thanking their moms for specific things that they do or writing down favorite times with their mom. Emphasize that this card should honor them.

10. Close in prayer, thanking God for the truths we can learn from the Biblical moms. Thank God for the moms that God has given each person present.

Need More Ideas? We also have a Mother’s Day Sunday School lesson, a long list of Bible quotes about mothers, some preschool songs for mother’s day, and several craft ideas for mother’s day.

Song about Mom for Mother’s Day (Go Fish Mom Song)

Tony Kummer — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 18:10:06 +0000

I just found this great song on the Go Fish Guys YouTube channel. It’s a kid friendly song about moms. It might be something to show in kids church for mother’s day – or you can just send it to another mom in your life.

The Mom Song Lyrics

Verse 1
If you have a stroller
But you’re still a rock and roller
You’re a mom
If you’re tired of doing dishes
And you know who Elmo’s fish is
You’re a mom
If you have a lot of fun
But your work is never done
You’re a mom

Chorus
You’re the boss, the driver
The ultimate survivor
A doctor, a cooker
Your man thinks you’re a looker
If you work all day
But you never get paid
You’re a mom

Verse 2
If you need a sick day
But instead you’re gonna play
You’re a mom
If your first occupation
Sounds like a sweet vacation
You’re a mom
If your living room floor
Looks like a toy store
You’re a mom
Chorus

Verse 3
If you mean the whole world
To a little boy or girl
You’re a mom
The Bible that you hold
Can shape these little souls
You’re a mom
If you have the most important job in the world
Then you’re a mom

You might also like the “Mom Song” video from Anita Renfroe. You can also check out the official Guys Guys Website.

Mother’s Day Sunday School Lesson

Tony Kummer — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:36:52 +0000

This is a simple lesson plan I’ve written for our kids church on Mother’s Day. My target length is about 20 minutes during the children’s church service. It can also be used for a Mother’s Day Sunday school lesson. I’ll list additional resources at the end of the lesson plan.

Learning Objectives / Indicators: After this lesson, children will . . .

Demonstrate an understanding of what it means to honor their mother, by choosing from potential responses the ones that will most honor their mother.
Demonstrate an attitude of appreciation toward their mother by writing a “what I like about you” letter.

Key Points:

Parents are gifts from God to help kids.
God expects us to have right attitudes and actions toward our parents.
We should be thankful for our parents.
Even parents need Jesus to forgive them, we must love parents even when they are not perfect.

Target Age Group: 5 – 10 years old {U.S. Kindergarten – 3rd Grade}

Bible Story: Ephesians 6:1-3 ESV Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. (2) “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), (3) “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

Teaching Setting: This lesson was first taught in our children’s church on Sunday morning to about 25 children. Before the lesson, the children participated in several songs and group Bible memory exercises. Target length of this lesson is 20 minutes.

Items Needed:

Print out this lesson plan. Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.
Special parchment or premium paper cut in half sheets. (Regular paper will do in a pinch.) Pencils, crayons or markers
Optional: Polaroid film and camera, or digital camera with the ability to print immediately.
Display of Ephesians 6:1-3, this can be on a poster, marker board, or PowerPoint. If possible, have it on a format where you can underline the action verbs while discussing the passage. See “Review Action Words” below.

New! We just posted some original Mother’s Day Coloring Pages in an easy to print format. These are perfect for kids to color in for their moms this weekend. They include a simple prayer, “God, I am thankful for Mommy!”

Explanation: This lesson is designed to be used in Children’s Church or Sunday School on mother’s day. It has two learning objectives. First, I wanted the kids to understand what it really means to honor their mothers. Second, I wanted to help them develop an attitude of appreciation for their mothers.

Special care should be taken for children who do not have mothers in their life. In such cases, be sure to emphasize these truth apply to any parent or guardian that God has put in the child’s life.

Related Resource Links: Here are links to other websites that feature free lessons plans and learning activities realated to Mother’s Day: Bible Verses About Mothers | Craft Projects fror Mother’s Day | Preschool Mother’s Day Songs| Mother’s Day on MSS Crafts| Kid’s Sunday School Place | DLTK Mother’s Day | Mother’s Day events | Sunday School Ideas for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day Sunday School Lesson

Teaching Plan: Honor Your Mother
(a special children’s church lesson for mother’s day)

Introduction / Hook: Ask the children to close their eyes and try to picture the person you describe. Say, “Think of a woman in your life that has spent more time helping you than any other person.” Allow several volunteers to answer. If needed, ask follow up questions to help them see that their mom is a very important person in their life.

Say, “Today, we are going to learn what kind of attitude God wants us to have toward our parents. This is true for moms and dads, or foster parents, or grandparents who take care of you. But we are going to talk a lot about moms today because it is mother’s day.”

Active Listening: Say, “In just a minute we are going to read a Bible verse that teaches us how God wants us to treat our parents. While we read it, I want you to listen for any action words (verbs) that you hear. Then we’ll review to see how many you could find.”

Bible Passage: Display Ephesians 6:1-3 or have the children look it up in their Bibles. Read the Bible verses to the class; be sure to emphasize the action words discussed below. Then read it a second time to give the children a “second chance” to hear the action words.

Say It: Ask the children to repeat the Bible verse after you several times.

Review Action Words: Ask volunteers to explain which action words they heard in the passage. For each response, ask the children to explain what the word means. They may need help from the class. After each word, clarify what the word means. Here are the words they should have heard, with meaning in italics.

Obey – Doing what a person wants you to do
Honor – Heart attitude about a person’s importance
Go well – Living a good life
Live (NIV says “enjoy long life”) – Staying alive a long time

{Objective #1} Is This Honoring Your Mother? Say, “Honoring means having a right attitude about someone and showing their importance in how you act.” Read the following statements, and have the children agree or disagree. If the statement is something that honors your mother, the children should stand up. If the statement is not honoring, the children should sit with arms crossed.

Doing what mom says right away {True}
Throwing a fit if you don’t get what you want {False}
Eating your dinner with thankfulness {True}
Complaining about what mom cooked for dinner {False}
Telling your mom that you love her {True}
Praying for your mom {True}
Telling other people your mom is not nice {False}

{Objective #2} What I like about you . . . Have the children write and decorate a letter to their mother (or caretaker) that answers this question. If you have many younger children present, they will need help writing. Encourage them to draw a picture that goes along with what they like. It may be helpful to write common words or phrases on a marker board to help the children write their letters. Some possible examples:

I like the way you read to me
I like the way you help me when I’m hurt
I like it when you pray for me at bedtime
I like it when you hug me
I like it when you take me shopping

Share It: Ask for several volunteers to share what they wrote to their mother.

Optional: You can add a picture of the child to the card using a Polaroid camera or digital camera.

Optional: Show the Ruth Story video clip from Jelly Telly and talk about how it relates to mothers.

Closing: Lead the children in prayer …

Improve This Lesson: If you notice any typing errors, or think of a way to improve this lesson plan – please leave a comment below. Your help is important and makes this website more useful for everyone.