How to Surprise Your Mom on Mother's Day

Co-authored by Malori Maeva

Last Updated: January 31, 2023 Approved

Mother's Day is coming up, and you want to make your mom feel appreciated. You can give her a gift, make her a meal, help out around the house, write her a note, or take her on a day trip. The important thing is that your surprise comes from the heart. It does not need to be expensive or complicated, but it should be thoughtful. Think about what your mom would appreciate.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Surprising Her with a Gift

1
Buy her a gift. Buy her something that you know she's always wanted, or find something that you know she will like. Try to buy something special that she wouldn't necessarily buy for herself. You don't need to break the bank with an expensive gold necklace. The important thing is that your gift is thoughtful and makes her feel appreciated.
- If you can't think of a specific item that she wants or needs, try to think of something that plays on her interests. If she likes to garden, give her a packet of seeds, or buy her a potted plant that she can replant in her garden. If she likes dark chocolate, buy her a bar of quality chocolate.
- If you don't want to buy her one expensive gift, try putting together a small gift basket of her favorite things. A bottle of wine, a bar of chocolate, a bouquet of flowers. Even if the individual items aren't very expensive, she will appreciate the thought that you put into choosing her favorite things.
2
Make her a gift. Paint her a painting, write her a poem, carve her something out of wood, or arrange photos of the two of you together into a collage. You won't have to spend much money, and she will appreciate your gift all the more if you make it specifically for her. Don't be afraid to get creative.^{[1]
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- Make her a mix-CD. Make her a card. Make her a thoughtful video and post it to YouTube or Facebook. Make her a picture-frame, a flip-book, a t-shirt, or a portrait.
- Make her a found-object sculpture that she can put in her garden. Make her a coffee mug, a bowl, or a vase out of fired clay. Carve and polish a cutting board out of a unique piece of wood. If she loves the beach, give her a mason jar full of shells that you collected.
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3
Make a special Mother's Day meal. Cook her favorite foods for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Consider serving her breakfast in bed for a classic Mother's Day treat. Make the meal, set the table, and clean up afterward.
- If you aren't confident in the kitchen, look up recipes online. Ask a sibling, a friend, or another family member for help.
- Consider making her sweet treats. Cookies, brownies, muffins—whatever she likes. Make a nice basket with a Mother's Day card. Consider decorating the treats with her favorite things. If she loves the beach, for example, you might decorate cupcakes with ocean-themed frosting: crabs, palm trees, dolphins, starfish.
- If you don't live with her, you can invite her over to your house for dinner. It might not be a surprise, but she will appreciate it. Consider taking her out to her favorite restaurant.
4
Pamper her with a luxury spa treatment. Pay for a massage, a facial, a manicure, a pedicure, or all of the above. Show that you appreciate her by spoiling her for the day. She may appreciate the chance to lay back, relax, and let someone else take care of her for a change.
5
Buy her flowers. If you know what kind of flowers she likes, buy her a bouquet from a flower shop. She will appreciate flowers no matter which type you give her, but there's a good chance that she has a favorite. Many grocery stores and drugstores also sell flowers. Pick the flowers yourself, if you can find them, and your mom will appreciate the effort.
- You can buy a wrapped-up bouquet and simply give it to her, or you can put the flowers into a vase that's filled with a few inches of water. Your mom will probably want to put the flowers into a vase or jar to preserve them, so she may appreciate the thought involved in giving her a vase.
- If you don't know what type of flowers she likes, consider just asking her. Commit this to memory and use it in the future. She will appreciate that you remembered. If you don’t know what kind of flowers she likes, lilies, tulips, and roses are all excellent choices!
- If you can't give her the flowers in person, consider using a flower delivery service. Most florists will deliver flowers for you, and some may even have a special deal for Mother's Day. This is a simple process: you just need to call the florist or order from their website.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Telling Her How Much You Care

1
Take some time to think about your favorite memories with your mom. Find photos, souvenirs, and other mementos, if possible. On Mother’s Day, reminisce with your mom about those special moments. Tell her how much those memories have impacted your life, and make sure she knows that you value your time together.
2
Hang balloons around the house with personal, thoughtful messages written on them. Be specific. Think of your mom’s best qualities and think of all the things that she does for you. Instead of writing something generic like “Happy Mother’s Day,” try something like “Thank you for being there at our baseball games” or “We love the delicious dinners you cook for us.”
3
Write her a thoughtful note. You can hand-write a note, you can make or buy a Mother's Day card, or you can print out a typed letter. It doesn't need to be wordy or complicated. Simply wish her a happy Mother's Day, tell her you love her, and list a few reasons that you appreciate her so much. Give her the note with flowers or another gift. If you can't give her a note in person, send her a thoughtful email or e-card, or post something sweet on her Facebook wall.
- Try writing several short, thoughtful notes and putting them around the house where she will see them. Put a note on the coffee pot, on her computer screen, on the front door, on the bathroom mirror. Write notes as simple as "Happy Mother's Day! <3", or write specific notes that describe her best qualities: for instance, adorn the refrigerator that says "You are the world's greatest chef! Thank you for cooking delicious dinners and making sure that we never go hungry."
- Consider mailing her a letter. If you don't live with your mom, and you won't be around to spend time with her on Mother's Day—even if you will—try sending her a heartfelt letter in the mail. Look up average mail-delivery times from your area to hers (or use priority mail) and try to time it so that the letter arrives on or just before Mother's Day.
4
Try making her a custom fortune cookie. Simply remove the fortune from an existing fortune cookie without cracking the shell, then slip in your own Mother's Day message. She will be surprised, and she will be impressed at your creativity.
5
Make her a video to show her how much she is loved. Record her children, siblings, husband, and other special loved ones saying things that they love about her. Post the video to YouTube or another video-sharing website; post it to her Facebook wall; or, if she is not so into public displays of affection, simply save the video file to your computer and send it to her in an email. Your mom likely won't expect a heartfelt video that has been made especially for her.
6
Write a Mother's Day essay. Write about what your mom means to you, what she does for you, and what makes her a great mother. It does not need to be long, and it does not need to be in a formal style; but if you are writing an essay and not a letter, it will probably not be addressing her directly.
7
Consider saving any good news for Mother's Day. She will be a proud mom when you tell her about the A that you got on your test, the exciting new job that you were just offered, or your successful proposal to your now-fiancee. Don't make the day about yourself, but tell her things that will make her proud to be a mother.
8
Act out a Mother's Day skit. Bring your siblings together to plan and act out a short, funny skit that honors your mom. Playfully re-enact a memorable family event, a funny camping trip, or a time when Mom did something especially caring or courageous. A comedic sketch can be a great way to lightheartedly poke fun at your mom's quirky traits while still showing her how deeply you care.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Surprising Her with a Gesture

1
Come to visit her. If you don't live in the same area as your mom, consider surprising her with a Mother's Day visit if you can afford the trip. Drive, rideshare, fly, or take a train. Do not tell her that you're going to come, then show up at her door with flowers and her favorite treat. Plan it out beforehand: speak with siblings, relatives, or your other parent to make sure that your mom is going to be around when you arrive.
- Try further setting up the surprise by making up a story about how you can't come. Tell her you have an exam, or a meeting, and that you are very sorry that you aren't able to make it. She will be even more surprised if she specifically expects you not to come!
- You don't need to show up on Mother's Day, specifically. You can come on Friday or Saturday and spend the whole weekend. If you do plan to stay the whole weekend, make sure that your mom has space for you to stay.
2
Set the day aside to spend with her. Take care of all your homework, projects, and other obligations before Sunday rolls around. Don't make plans with friends or arrange to be out of town. Tell her that you want to spend the day hanging out with her, then take her out for a hike, to a show, or to dinner. She will appreciate the gesture, and she will love the chance to spend quality time with you.
- Be present. Set aside your phone, and don't spend your day on the Internet. Make the time to be there for your mom and give her your undivided attention.
- If you think that your mom would rather spend Mother's Day reading in bed or being pampered at a spa, then arrange it so. If you think that she'd like to spend the day with you, then take the time to make that happen.
3
Give her a call. If you aren't living with her, and you can't pay her a visit for Mother's Day, surprise her with a phone call. Wish her a happy Mother's Day, tell her you love her, ask her how she's doing, and tell her what you're up to. Life can get busy, and she will appreciate hearing from you. The simplest gestures can be the most powerful.
4
Plan a party for her. Invite her friends and family, book her favorite band, and make sure that there are plenty of refreshments. Ask a sibling, your father, or other family members for help. Bear in mind that if you hold the party on Mother's Day, many of the guests may be busy with their own Mother's Day plans—so plan accordingly.
- You know your own mother best. If she is a social butterfly, then a party might be the perfect Mother's Day surprise. However, if she is less prone to partying, she might prefer to spend a more intimate day with you and your family.
5
Help out around the house. Stay up late the night before Mother's Day, wake up early in the morning, or simply tell her that you're going to do her chores for her that day. Do the things that she's been planning to do: fix the leaky pipe, mow the lawn, do the laundry, clean the kitchen. Show your love with your actions.^{[2]
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- She will surely appreciate your help with the regular chores, such as laundry, yard work, and dishes, but she may be even more surprised if you take the initiative to begin a big project that she's been planning. Help her install a new flowerbed, wash her car, or trim the hedge. Do something rare and special.
- Bear in mind that while she will surely appreciate the thought and effort on your part, she may prefer to spend the day with you rather than laying around while you work.
6
Take her out. Bring her to her favorite restaurant, take her to the movies, or take her for a hike. Think about what your mom likes to do, and plan a day that allows the two of you to do that thing together. If you have siblings, be sure to plan something that you can all enjoy, or schedule with them ahead of time: for instance, you can agree that you will take your mom for a hike, but your brother will take her out to dinner.^{[3]
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- Although it can be great to surprise your mom, you may want to tell her about these plans in advance. If she doesn't know that you plan to take her out to dinner, she might make other plans for the evening. You can still surprise her in advance by telling her about the plans you've made.
- She will be especially surprised if you plan out an unexpected excursion. If her favorite band or play is coming to town, buy tickets for the two of you (and, perhaps the rest of your family) to go. She may not even have been aware of the show, but there's a good chance that she will appreciate the gesture.

Community Q&A

Question

How can I make it a special, memorable, day for my mom without spending money?

Community Answer

Whatever she has done for you in life, reciprocate by loving her, making food for her, doing all the household chores, and making her a card. Wake up in the morning before your mom wakes up and surprise her with all these things as soon as she wakes up. Spend time with your mom and she will love her special Mother's Day.
Question

Would it be good to make a little party with a cake, stay up late to do chores, and buy my mom a basket with chocolate and roses?

Community Answer

That is a great idea. Most of all, she would probably love that you care, especially about the chores.
Question

How can I decorate the house for Mother's Day?

Community Answer

Buy Mother's Day bunting, get balloons with messages inside saying why you love her and put flowers everywhere.