Celebrate Mother's Day
Mother's Day is this Sunday, May 10 and is right around the corner! One thing that I love to do to celebrate the day and help the moms I work with feel special is to complete a Mother's Day craft activity during my sessions. What mom doesn't love getting a cute personalized little craft from their child??! The crafts always go over so well and the moms love it because it's something that their little one helped to construct!
The key word with early intervention Mother's Day crafts is: SIMPLE! Keep it simple. Many of the children I work with struggle with both cognitive and communication delays, plus they are very young, so I like the crafts to be trouble-free; therefore the child can participate easily and it is truly their work.
Here are some crafting ideas I have used:
- Little Hand Prints! Anything with a child's handprint on it is usually a hit! Having the imprint of a child's hand is like a snapshot in time; they will never be that tiny again. Some of the tools I use to make this activity are a pretty paper plate or a bright piece of construction paper. Have the child dip their hands in paint and then press onto desired surface. Next, you could have the child shake some glitter on top (optional). Lastly, help them write HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! LOVE, (child's name) on the craft. Simple and fun for both mom and child!!
- Mother's Day Crafty Cards! Have the child chose their favorite color of construction paper. Decide whether you want to present it in full size 8 x 11 or do you want to make it more like a card and present it folded in half. Either way is fine. The next step is to provide the child with fun stamps and paint to decorate the card. Stamps such as hearts, flowers, stars, etc. are all good options to show mom love. Lastly, help the child write a simple but sweet note such as, "I LOVE YOU MOM! LOVE, (child's name)".
With any activity, make sure the child presents it to their mom and practices appropriate communication, i.e. good eye contact. These are some very simple ideas that only take a few moments of your therapy session, yet I feel the message it sends to both the child and the mom is immeasurable. The child recognizes that it is important to express love to their mother, as well as practice communicating using pictures and words. In addition, it demonstrates to the mother that you value and celebrate the role of MOM that is uniquely theirs.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there who devote their
time, energy and love to children with special needs!!