Mother's Day activities
Looking for ways to treat mum? Surprise her with one of these fun foodie activities, from homemade afternoon tea to UK spa breaks for food lovers
Organising a fun Mother's Day activity is a great way to spend quality time with mum. Take the hassle out of hosting by taking her to a luxury afternoon tea, or spoil her with a relaxing wellness getaway. Looking for affordable ways to entertain at home? Prepare a decadent brunch to enjoy together or join forces and make one of mum's favourite bakes.
Take inspiration from our round-up of Mothering Sunday activities, then see our ultimate Mother's Day collection for recipe inspiration. We also have our Mother's Day cupcake recipes, vegan Mother's Day recipes and healthy Mother's Day recipes.
Looking for ways to get the kids involved? See our top 10 Mother's Day baking projects for kids, Mother's Day craft ideas and Mother's Day hamper ideas.
If you're looking for foodie-themed gifts see our guides on the best Mother's Day gift recipes, last-minute Mother's Day gifts and Mother's Day gifts you can post.
1. Attend afternoon tea
Treat the pair of you to a day you'll always remember with a luxury afternoon tea. Check out our guides to the best afternoon tea in London and best afternoon teas in the UK to help you choose with confidence.
2. Book a wellness getaway
Is mum in need of some downtime? Spoil her with a spa break. Pick your favourite from our selection of ultra-indulgent spa breaks, where the food is as fabulous as the picture-perfect backdrop and the treatments are simply divine.
Discover even more foodie travel tips, local restaurant guides and must-try international dishes by visiting our travel hub.
3. Throw a picnic
If the forecast is predicting sunny weather, spread out the picnic blanket for a day of delicious sandwiches and sweet treats. These Mother's Day picnic ideas will set you up for a feast to remember, with something for everyone: expect everyone's sandwich favourites, quick and easy salads and portable bakes.
For more picnic ideas see our ultimate collection of picnic recipes and al fresco recipes.
4. Bake up a storm together
If mum is partial to a spot of baking, why not join forces in kitchen and create one of her favourite bakes? Squidgy cinnamon rolls drizzled in icing might be just the ticket if you're after something easy and well-paired with coffee. Find more bakes in our collection of Mother's Day baking recipes, from lovely and light lemon cakes to chai caramel brownies.
5. Pizza making
Pizza making makes for proper bonding time, and the rewards are delicious no matter how basic your skills are. See all of the best pizza recipes to get you in the mood, or check out these kids' pizza recipes if little ones are getting involved.
For topping inspiration, see our top 10 pizza topping ideas, then read our tips on how to throw a fabulous pizza bash.
6. Movie night with snacks
Mother's Day is a lovely excuse to watch mum's favourite film and cosy up with the tastiest snacks. Buckets of popcorn, bacon nachos, homemade slushies and s'mores are not essential, but strongly advised. A night in with family can be one of life's simple pleasures if you do a little prep to make it an occasion.
See our guide to throwing the ultimate family film night, as well as our best family film recipes.
7. Prepare and host an afternoon tea
If you're looking for an activity with a wholesome feel, you can't go wrong with hosting afternoon tea. Making the brews and treats yourself adds a wonderful homemade touch to proceedings, and mum is bound to enjoy sipping her favourite beverage out of fancy china and snacking on her favourite finger food. You'll need a teapot, teacups, cutlery and cake slicers for serving – charity shops are a good source for reasonably priced chintzy chinaware, to get that authentic old-school tearoom look.
Hosting afternoon tea at home means you can control the budget, making it a more affordable option than going out. If you want to try something a bit different, get creative with our afternoon tea recipes with a twist – these rhubarb & custard scones are a nod to spring's anticipated arrival, featuring a generous dollop of clotted cream and a tart rhubarb compote.
8. Rustle up brunch
Homemade brunch makes a fabulous kickstart to Mother's Day festivities (or, depending on mum's preference, breakfast in bed). Serve up her favourite mid-morning dish to lift the spirits – is she partial to a stack of thick American pancakes, drizzled in a chery-berry syrup? Or does this epic blueberry & lemon croissant bake sound more up her street?
If you're up for learning a new skill, turn your hand to these homemade crumpets, delicious served with a light topping of summer fruits, fresh ricotta and honey. Don't forget to serve with her favourite beverage, or try something a bit different with a stylish dalgona coffee. If mum's more into the savoury variety, turn your hand to these cheesy paprika-flavoured waffles, or go for a reliable classic eggs benedict.
See our best Mother's day brunch and breakfast recipes to get you started.
9. Try your hand at pasta making
Pasta is surprisingly easy to make, plus making it from scratch gives mum the chance to eat her favourite pasta dish. Follow our guide on how to make pasta to get you started, including how to make two types of dough, the two most widely used in Italy – an egg dough, and a flour and water dough.
Once you've both made your pasta, see our best pasta recipes and vegetarian pasta recipes for sauce inspiration.
10. Take her on a UK city break
If a getaway for mum is long overdue, Mother's Day is a great excuse to escape day-to-day and discover a new city. Our best UK city breaks for food lovers gives 12 recommendations for travellers with a penchant for the good stuff: artisan bakeries, small plates, street food and top-notch coffees.
If mum is more the outdoorsy type, see our guide to the best UK gourmet glamping sites.
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