Mother's Day Gift Ideas: Craft Activities For Infant Room Teachers

Though babies aren't developmentally able to make projects for parents on their own, daycare teachers can use creative infant Mother's Day gift craft ideas to help their students celebrate the holiday. Babies can participate in making these three Mother's Day art projects:

Teacher prep materials:

small wicker baskets with handles (one for each mom)

construction paper in pastel colors (blue, pink, yellow, purple)

pencil for tracing

scissors

glue

colored marker

gift tags with ribbons

Project steps:

1) Taking turns with each baby, trace one of the baby's hands onto a piece of construction paper. Cut out the hand shape and use it as a template to make more paper handprints in various colors. Separate each baby's handprints into piles.

2) Glue the handprint "flowers" to the inside bottoms and edges of the wicker baskets. Alternate the colors to form bright and cheerful patterns.

3) Write "Happy Mother's Day! Love, (baby's name)" with marker on each gift tag, and tie the tags onto the basket handles.

Teacher prep materials:

white Model Magic

rolling pin

light-colored craft paint

paintbrush

marker

yarn

Project steps:

1) Roll a handful of Model Magic flat with a rolling pin until the surface is smooth and the shape is circular or oval. Repeat process with as many handfuls of Model Magic as there are babies in the class.

2) Taking turns with each baby, press one of the baby's bare feet into the Model Magic until a foot impression is formed. Wash and dry the baby's foot afterward.

3) Using the end of a paintbrush, push a small hole through the top of each Model Magic circle/oval. Allow all of the projects to harden.

4) Using light-colored paint, such as pastel pink for girls and pastel blue for boys, paint the hardened wall hangings. If desired, the foot impression can be a different color than the outer section of the wall hanging. Allow paint to dry.

5) Thread a piece of yarn through the hole in each project, and tie the yarn into a loop so that the craft can be displayed on a wall. In marker, write "Happy Mother's Day" with each baby's name and the date on the back of the wall hanging.

Teacher prep materials:

small photo albums with plain covers (one per mom)

calligraphy marker (in a bright color)

photographs of babies at daycare (5 to 10 per baby)

photograph of baby with mom (provided by parent)

construction paper (cut into flower and heart shapes)

glue

Project steps:

1) Write "My First Mother's Day Gift To You" with a calligraphy marker on the cover of each photo album.

2) Fill each book with individual pictures of baby enjoying school (laughing, interacting, eating, etc.). End each book with a picture of mother and baby. Underneath the last picture, write a caption that reads "Enjoy these pictures of me at play. I love you Mommy, Happy Mother's Day."

3) Decorate the cover and pages of each book with glued-on paper hearts and flowers.

Infant Mother's Day gift craft ideas such as the ones above allow daycare teachers to involve their infant students in creating keepsakes for their moms. These special and lovely Mother's Day crafts can be cherished as babies grow.