Our Favourite Mother’s Day Gift Created 3 Different Ways

May 10, 2023

The week leading up to Mother’s Day gives us permission to get the students to create something special for someone very important in their lives.

But, we get it. Sometimes creative juices for these special projects can be lacking because a teacher’s to-do list is a mile long (at the best of times). So let us share with you the most THOUGHTFUL and MEMORABLE gift we have ever created with our students for Mother’s Day (and one of the best parts is that it is super inclusive and can be made for any special person in a child’s life).

Introducing our LOVE JARS!

Teachers love these Mother’s Day Love jars because:

It gets the class writing!
It embraces student choice and creativity.
It can be completed in one lesson or short lessons in the week.
It can be given to ANY special person (not everyone has a mum to celebrate on Mother’s Day).
AND… it’s guaranteed to bring the biggest smile (and a tear or two) to the receiver of the love jar.

These jars look flashy, but they really are so simple to put together and, depending on the age of your students, can be done almost independently.

You don’t even need to use jars if you are short on time or supplies.

Here are 3 ways we have created these gorgeous, homemade Mother’s Day gifts in the past (and all have been a success).

Easy Mother’s Day crafts?

1. Recycled jars

Ask students to bring in recycled jars to fill with messages. This means all the jars will be different and unique, just like the kiddos in your classroom.

If you like the jar but don’t have time to request recycled jars, you can purchase packs of jars cheaply from Kmart or go for one of the other ideas below.

2. Love Gift bags

Purchase canvas bags (we got these from Kmart and they work out to be 70c per bag) and fill with messages of appreciation. These still look great and don’t cost a lot.

We have even seen teachers create them using paper bags or envelopes that the students decorate and then fill with love messages.

3. Short on time option

Make a paper version! The only prep you need for this option is to photocopy the templates ahead of the lesson. A paper version is also a great alternative to a card.

Note: A paper version of the Love Jar is included in the resource.

Note to teachers: The first year we did this, we let the kids create messages freestyle. Then we created some prompts to scaffold it and the process was a lot easier and of a higher quality!

The Mothers, Grandmothers, Stepmothers, Aunts or any other special person in your student’s lives are going to love this special gift from the heart.

To find the prompts, tags and paper jar, click here.

What educators are saying:

”My students love writing their responses to the sentence starters abou teh special person in their life!” Callan K. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

”My students used this purchase to make Mother’s Day gift. It was perfect for my fourth graders and the mothers really liked them.” Kristine B. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Other Ways to Use The Love Jars When It’s Not Mum

For a teacher or student who’s leaving.
Literacy rotations or free time. Students choose to create a love jar for someone special to them.
A Thank you gift to a parent helper or teacher assistant
End of year gift for specialist teachers or the principal + deputy
Make it a class ritual. One student is picked, and throughout the week, the class adds notes for that student, which are given to them on Friday. (Make sure you double-check the notes being dropped in the jar by the class.)
Similar to the last suggestion, choose one phrase, and students complete it for a student. For example, if you were a cupcake, you’d be….. because…. This activity is a great way to encourage complex sentence writing with rich vocabulary.

Looking for another great Mother’s Day craft activity to do with your class. Check out our 3D Mother’s Day Flowers. Your students can create a personalised 3D flower filled with lovely messages. We have included two versions so students can make a flower for their Mum/Mom, Grandmother, Stepmother, Aunt or any other special personal in their life. Click on the images below for the link to this activity.