MOTHER’S DAY AND FATHER’S DAY ACTIVITIES: AKA PARENT APPRECIATION DAY

Our Mother’s Day Activity and Father’s Day Activity are a great way to say we sure APPRECIATE YOU!  We call this day PARENT APPRECIATION DAY!

So, every year, we invite our moms and dads to our classroom to say, “Thank you for a wonderful year together!”  We started off with just our moms, but when my youngest son was in first grade, he asked why we didn’t invite the dads.  So, the tradition changed, and I’m so glad it did!

We decorate our sweet little classroom, and set up two different times for parents to come so that we can accommodate everyone.  Students create a book for mom and a book for dad.  We also do a small craft for mom (the flower with their cute little thumb prints as bees) and we (I) create a video of our year together for dad.  I always make extra DVDs for families that are no longer together, so that mom will get a DVD as well.  Obviously the DVD is treasured for many, many years.  I show a shortened version (about 8 minutes) during the actual time with the parents, but I give them the extended version (usually about 30-45 minutes long).  This video covers our entire year together, and it’s so hard to cut anything out.

HOW IT WORKS:

The parents come in and the students direct them to their spot.  They they read their special little book to their mom and then to their dad.  The poster board/portfolio (on their chair) is full of their writings throughout the year.

Students and parents go through their portfolio as well – looking at all of their fabulous work.

Then students serve their parents punch and snacks (usually mini-muffins), while parents enjoy our classroom video.  **TIP… show the video SEVERAL times to the students before this day – or else they will be shouting out something about EVERY.SINGLE.PICTURE!  (I learned that the hard way!  Anyway – they just can’t contain their excitement.

Here are some photos of what the classroom looks like!

Last year we did flowers, but this year, we are going to do a candle inside a mason jar with their thumb prints in yellow – we will attach a saying, “You light up my life.”

CRAFTIVITY:

Here’s the craftivity that we create for our bulletin boards and wall.  Because this is a keepsake for such a long time, make sure you go over their final copies – one of my sweeties decided to change up the wording on their final copy – need I say more?

I’ve also changed up the faces – one of my students colored in dad’s teeth – check that out!  I didn’t realize that until the child’s mom brought it to my attention MANY years later.  YIKES!!

This has now been updated to a flipbook with different images at the top! I think this is my new favorite!  READ MORE ABOUT IT HERE!

FIVE PAGE BOOKET

Here’s the other thing that we do!  MANY moons ago, we did a 10-page book!  HAHA – I still laugh when I think about that!  We are now down to 5 pages, and I’m sure a few co-workers would love for it to be “The 3 Best Things…”  Even though our book takes a while to do, I know that this is a keepsake for many years to come.  I still have mine!

Another example to show me that parents really treasure this gift – I had a student whose home burned, and the lost everything (I want to say he was in middle school when this happened).  The mom came to school and asked me if I had a copy of her son’s book.  Broke my heart!

Anyway, this booklet has a cover, then a poem for the inside cover (a poem for a girl to give her dad, a poem for a girl to give her mom, a poem for a boy to give to mom, and a poem for a boy to give to dad). There’s also a back cover that has some funny things to write about mom and dad.  (height, favorite foods, weight…)  Yep, weight is on there, and that’s always PRICELESS!

Mother’s Day Activity and Father’s Day Activity

I always love this day!  I feel it is a great way to close out the year with my students and my parents.  It takes a team to make this work, and I love showing the parents how much we appreciate them.  As always… We are Better Together!

Till next time!

Shanon Juneau