No one sacrifices more of their own time caring for others than a mother. Christian moms especially tend to go above and beyond, because they understand Biblical servant hood and put it into practice. However, young children sometimes don’t realize just how much their mom does for them. They’re so used to her doing what she does, they don’t even realize just how special she is.
As Sunday school teachers, we can use Mother’s Day as a great opportunity to show kids how to honor Mom. Cards and crafts are great, but an even more important lesson is one of serving Mom. The Bible commands all of us in the Ten Commandments to “honor your father and mother” and these Mother’s Day activities for your Sunday school class will teach kids how to do just that.
Mother’s Day Tea
One way to learn to serve mom is to, well, actually serve her! Consider setting up a Mother’s Day tea in your classroom. It doesn’t have to really be tea- you can serve juice or milk- the point is to get the kids involved. Start preparing with your class a week or two in advance. Plan out the “menu” with them. Make some simple decorations (placemats, paper chains, etc.), and prepare some invitations. Go over some easy table manners and how the kids will serve. For younger children, you may want to set up the tea buffet-style and assign each child a station. One child can open the door. One can hand out napkins; one can spoon out fruit, while another can put doughnuts on the plates (you can pour the drinks!) Older kids can actually carry food to the table and personally serve their mom.
On the morning of the tea, decorate your classroom with a tablecloth and the decorations the kids made. You might also consider having the kids sing a song or recite a poem or Bible verse. No matter what you and your class plan, the moms will love it and be touched by the gesture, and the kids will learn a lesson in serving others.
Mother’s Day Extreme Coupons
Another great activity for teaching servanthood is making some Mother’s Day Extreme Coupons. For this activity, you will need some card stock (any color), and markers. Help the kids write, “For an Extremely Great Mom” on the front. On the back, write “For”, “From”, and “Exp.”. Help the kids brainstorm what special thing they can do for mom (paint her nails, make her breakfast) or a chore they can do for her (dishes, trash) and fill in the “For” line. Have them sign their names where it says “From”, of course, and next to “Exp.” write “NEVER!“. Tell the kids to present Mom with her coupon on Mother’s Day and she can redeem it whenever she wants.
Unfortunately, not every kid is blessed with a mom. If that is the case with some kids in your class, let them choose another special lady in their life (grandmom, step mom, aunt) to invite to the tea or make coupons for. Remind them that everyone’s family is made up of different people, but they are all made up of love.