News!: I’m now a special contributor to CityLine.ca.
This month I’m sharing an easy family activity…Get Mom In The Picture This Mother’s Day!
Is Mom the family paparazzi? Is there any photographic evidence, at all, that she was present at the school recitals, birthday parties or family vacations? Forever behind the camera and never in front? Get Mom in the picture for Mother’s Day!
This is an easy, inexpensive family activity you can do at home. Break out the digital camera, group yourself together and set the self-timer (why didn’t we think of this before?!). Or give your smartphone to your spouse, friend or neighbour and have them snap some family pictures.
Family pictures don’t have to be the traditional ‘parents-sit-on-chairs-kids-stand-at-the-sides-now-everyone-SMILE’ pictures. Unconventional family photos can be great keepsakes. Consider these untraditional family photo-ops:
- Sitting on the bleachers at your local outdoor field
- Lying on a picnic blanket at the park
- Cuddling together on the couch
- Reading a story together
- Sitting together on the front steps
The beauty of taking your own digital family pictures is that is it low-cost (you can always delete the fuzzy ones).
Switch Up!
Give the kids an activity (to keep them busy while Mom relaxes on Mother’s Day!) with a MOM, I LOVE YOU mat.
You will need:
- Construction paper (any colour)
- Markers
- Glue
- Printed photographs
- Clear contact paper (available at hardware stores)
- Scissors
Have the kids arrange and glue their favourite pictures of Mom on construction paper. Using markers, have them write a special note to Mom (I love you, World’s Greatest Mom, Happy Mother’s Day…whatever they like). Be sure the child writes his/her name on the artwork!
Using scissors, cut contact paper (it comes in a roll) to the size of the construction paper. Peel the paper backing off of the contact paper revealing the adhesive. Line the contact paper up with the art-laden construction paper and lay it down, flattening the contact paper to eliminate any bubbles.
Mom can take the MOM, I LOVE YOU mat to the office and pin it to her corkboard. She could use it at home as her kitchen table place mat. It’s so light and flat, she could even pack it in her overnight bag on her next trip!
Moms are the family memory keepers. This Mother’s Day…make something memorable for her to keep.
Caroline Fernandez shares family friendly activities and tips on her site Parent Club.