Happy Mother's Day

5 great ways to celebrate moms.

DID YOU KNOW?
Mother's Day wasn't dreamed up by greeting card companies to sell more cards. Here are the facts:

Julia Ward Howe, writer of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," first suggested Mother's Day as a day of peace shortly after the Civil War, but the celebration as we know it is credited to Anna Jarvis of Philadelphia. In 1907, she asked a church in Grafton, West Virginia, to hold a special Mother's Day service on the second anniversary of her mother's death. Seven years later, on May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

CARNATION ART
Wearing a carnation is a Mother's Day tradition. A white carnation honors a mother who's died. A red one honors a living mother.

WORDS MOMS LIKE TO HEAR
Please.
Thank you.
May I clear the table?
I'm going to do my homework now.
I love you, Mom!

HONOR YOUR MOTHER
On Mother's Day, help kids honor Mom or a special woman in their life by doing something for her!

• Plan a Mother's Day Brunch in each class. Have kids use Marvy Uchida Craft Punchers to create a place mat for Mom. Kids can punch out a border and glue the punch-outs to the center of a large sheet of card stock. Have kids write messages to their mothers. Cover both sides of the place mat with clear adhesive-backed plastic. Then invite moms in near the end of the class time for juice and muffins. (Marvy Uchida Craft Punchers are available for $5. Call 800-541-5877.)
• Create a banner that honors mothers for your worship area. Print "Mothers Are a Gift From God" in the middle of a sheet of mural paper. Have children each cut out a package shape from pretty gift wrap and write their mother's name on the package. Then have them glue their package on the mural and attach a self-stick bow.

A GIFT FOR MOM
Objective: Kids will express their love to their mom or a special woman.
Stuff you'll need: clear 35 mm film canister for each child (available from photo processors), 1-inch-wide ribbon or fabric strips, narrow ribbon or rickrack, fabric paints, yarn, sequins or beads, tacky glue, scissors, paintbrush, egg carton, poster board, and a bag of small candies.

Tell kids to:

• Work with the open end of the canister up. Glue the wide ribbon or fabric strip around the bottom half of the film canister. Then glue narrow ribbon or rickrack along the top edge of the wide ribbon.
• Remove the canister's cap and set it aside. Paint a face on the canister with fabric paint. Cut and unravel yarn pieces and glue them around the back and sides of the canister for hair. Add sequins or beads for earrings.
• Cut and paint an egg carton section to make a hat. When the paint is dry, bend up a brim around the edge and add ribbons or sequins to decorate it.
• Cut a 3-inch-diameter circle from poster board. Print "God fills Moms with LOVE!" around the outside edge of the circle. Glue the film canister to the middle of the circle. Fill the canister with small candies and replace the cap. Put the hat on and give it to Mom!