Mother's Day ideas for OSHC
32 DIY activities for a mother's day at before and after school care or vacation care, usually run around Father's Day (first Sunday in September) or May. Pick and mix, or build a balanced day in one click.
Bottle Cap Keyrings
Children decorate metal bottle caps with pictures or paint and attach them to keyrings as gifts for special people.
National Families Week · Clay and Pottery Day · Mother's Day +2Clay Family Figures
Children model their family members, pets or special people from playdough or clay to share who is important to them.
Gardening Day · Craft Day · Mother's Day +3Decorate a Planter
Children paint a wooden or recycled planter and pot a small succulent to take home and care for.
Mother's Day · Father's Day · Grandparents Day +2Decorated Gift Candles
Children decorate pillar candles or battery candles with tissue paper and glue to create a special gift.
National Families Week · Grandparents Day · Culture Celebration Day +2Family Tree Art
Children draw and decorate their family tree with names, drawings and photos of the people who matter to them.
Pamper and Zen Day · Science Day · Science Week +1Fizzy Bath Bomb Making
Children mix bicarb soda, citric acid and colour, then press the mix into moulds to make fizzing bath bombs. Part science, part pamper.
Music Festival Day · Spring Fair · Fairy Tale Day +3Flower Crowns
Children twist pipe cleaners and add fresh or paper flowers to make festival flower crowns.
Gardening Day · Autumn Leaves · Nature Play Day +3Flower Pressing
Children collect flowers and leaves, press them in heavy books and later use them to make cards or pictures.
Messy Play Day · Craft Day · Mother's Day +2Gem Art Photo Frames
Children decorate cardboard photo frames with gems, sequins and patterns to display a photo or drawing.
Grandparents Day · National Families Week · Mother's Day +2Handprint Family Tree
Children make a tree using painted handprints as leaves, with each leaf naming a special person in their life.
Mother's Day · Yarn Day · Craft Day +1Heart String Art
Children wind string around pins in a heart shape to create a colourful string art picture.
Father's Day · Mother's Day · Grandparents Day +1Helpful Jobs Coupon Book
Children make a booklet of vouchers for helpful jobs they can do for a special person.
Gardening Day · Farm to Table Day · Cooking Day +2Herb Planting
Children decorate a pot and plant a herb seedling to take home, learning how herbs are grown and used.
Craft Day · Fashion Day · Mother's Day +1Jewellery Making
Children thread beads into bracelets, necklaces and keyrings to wear or give.
Pamper and Zen Day · Mother's Day · Father's Day +2Melt-and-Pour Soap
Children add colour and scent to melted soap base and pour it into moulds to set. A simple handmade gift that feels special.
Aquatic Adventure · Under the Sea · Science Week +3Ocean Fizz Bath Bombs
Older children mix and mould blue fizzing bath bombs with a small sea creature toy hidden inside, exploring a simple acid and base reaction.
National Families Week · Paper Crafts Day · Friendship Day +1Paper Doll Family Chain
Children cut and decorate a folded paper-doll chain, with each figure representing a family member.
Paper Crafts Day · Craft Day · Budding Artists +1Paper Quilling Designs
Children roll thin paper strips into coils and shapes, then glue them into colourful patterns. A calm, detailed craft for older children.
Father's Day · Rock and Gem Day · Pet Day +1Pet Rock Paperweights
Children paint smooth rocks into characters or patterns to give as desk buddies.
Paper Crafts Day · Craft Day · Mother's Day +2Pop-up Cards
Children cut and fold card to make pop-up greeting cards for someone special. A little bit of engineering in a craft.
Mother's Day · Father's Day · Grandparents Day +2Pop-Up Heart Card
Children fold and cut card to make a greeting card with a heart that pops up when it opens.
Gardening Day · Craft Day · Mother's Day +2Pot Painting
Children decorate terracotta pots with acrylic paint to use for planting or as gifts.
International Day of Peace · Gardening Day · Book Week +2Pressed Flower Bookmarks
Children arrange pressed flowers and leaves on card and laminate them into bookmarks to keep or give.
Mother's Day · Father's Day · Grandparents Day +2Salt Dough Pendant Necklaces
Children shape salt dough pendants, bake and paint them, then thread them onto cord as a keepsake gift.
Woodwork Day · Craft Day · Mother's Day +2Sanding and Painting Wood Shapes
Children sand rough wooden shapes until smooth, then paint and decorate them as ornaments or gifts.
Mother's Day · Gardening Day · Sustainable Superstars +1Seed Tape Gift
Children glue seeds at spaced intervals along paper tape to make an easy-to-plant garden gift.
Pamper and Zen Day · Science Day · Sensory Day +1Simple Bath Bombs
Children combine citric acid and bicarb soda with a little oil to shape bath bombs. A sensory, hands-on chemistry activity.
Mother's Day · Father's Day · Grandparents Day +1Special Person Interview Card
Children answer fun questions about their mum, carer or special person, creating a heartfelt card full of their own words.
Art Attack Day · Budding Artists · Mother's Day +2Step-by-Step Canvas Painting
Children follow guided step-by-step instructions to paint a simple scene on canvas, learning layering and brush techniques.
Pamper and Zen Day · Mother's Day · Christmas +2Supervised Candle Pouring
Older children pour melted soy wax into jars to make simple candles. An educator handles all heating and children work at a calm, supervised station.
Budding Artists · Art Attack Day · Mother's Day +2Tape Resist Painting
Children stick masking tape onto paper, paint over it, then peel the tape away to reveal crisp white shapes.
Book Week · Craft Day · Paper Crafts Day +2Tasselled Bookmark Making
Children design and decorate their own bookmarks with ribbon tassels, encouraging them to keep reading.