30 Fun Ways to Celebrate Mom for Mother's Day, Even If You're Quarantined

Make an elaborate meal for mom by attending a virtual cooking class. Mom can either get in on the fun, or she can enjoy the cooking shenanigans from the comfort of the couch. There are a number of virtual cooking classes available — start by checking out MasterClass, Craftsy, and Airbnb Online Experiences.

If the mom in your life is a budding artist, she'll surely enjoy a virtual painting class on Mother's Day. Like virtual cooking classes, there are a slew of virtual painting classes that will allow mom to tap into her inner Monet safely. You can find online painting classes at Craftsy, Skillshare, and Paint & Sip Live, or simply stock up on supplies and tune into one of YouTube's many painting tutorials.

An oldie but a goodie, breakfast in bed is a great way for mom to kickstart her Mother's Day celebration. Make breakfast as a family while mom sleeps, then present it to her along with her Mother's Day gifts and a funny Mother's Day card to truly make her day a special one.

Be it the existing gender wage gap or the motherhood penalty or pervasive pregnancy discrimination, women are often punished for wanting to or having to be working moms, and that has to change. This is especially true of moms who take time off work to focus on parenting, then attempt to re-enter the workforce and are asked to explain the gap in their employment.

A card and a gift is nice, but to show mom that you really value all that she does — both for you and for herself — consider introducing her to HeyMama, the fastest growing online private community for working and entrepreneurial moms. Give her time to apply to become a member today and soon she will be part of a group of mamas looking out for one another.

Just because you might not be able to safely celebrate Mother's Day via a large in-person celebration, doesn't mean that you or the moms in your life have to miss out on all the fun. You can host a virtual Mother's Day event via Zoom or Skype and bring the party to mom. You can play a fun game on Zoom, ask attendees to bake or buy a Mother's Day cake beforehand, and have Mom open up her Mother's Day presents in front of everyone.

If mom is bummed that she can't visit her favorite museum sans a mask or without feeling anxious, take her on a virtual tour. Whether it's the Louvre, the National Museum of Natural History, or the Museum of Modern Art, mom can enjoy her favorite museums and all they have to offer from the comfort of her home.

Let's be real: If you actually want to celebrate mom this year, you'll take something off her never-ending to-do list.

Prior to the pandemic — even though more moms were working outside the home than ever before — moms still shouldered the majority of household and parenting responsibilities. And as a result of the pandemic, nearly 3 million women have been pushed out of the workforce due, in no small part, to existing inequities inside the home.

A great Mother's Day quarantine activity is simply cleaning, cooking, doing laundry, and handling any of the chores mom usually takes on herself. Even better? Continue doing the work that helps the home run after Mother's Day ends.

If Mom is a little on the competitive side, she's sure to enjoy a board game. Get the entire family involved and try your hand at more than one game. You can even keep score on paper, a dry erase board, or a chalk board and assign the loser dish-duty or another chore to really up the ante.

May is the perfect month for Mom to start prepping her garden for summer. Get in on the action and help mom clean up her flower beds, plant seeds, and spruce up bushes. She'll no doubt appreciate you making some vegetable suggestions as well, knowing they'll end up on a dinner plate in the near future.

A crafting session will not only help you and mom tap into your creative side, but it can double as a DIY gift making moment. You can have mom pick out which DIY Mother's Day gift she would like, then make it with her, making the gift even more special.

If mom enjoys getting her fitness on, join in on the action and attend a "mom and me" workout class. Due to the ongoing pandemic forcing gyms to close, a new fitness trend of virtual classes and at-home workouts has emerged. Whether it's yoga, pilates, spin classes, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, there are a number of virtual workout classes to choose from that will help Mom get her sweat on.

A backyard barbecue doesn't have to be a massive party for it to be an absolute blast. Weather permitting, pull out the grill and create an elaborate spread featuring some of your mom's favorite grilled vegetable recipes and hot dog recipes.

If the weather shuts down the chances of a small outdoor BBQ, consider rolling up your sleeves and enjoying an interactive indoor meal. Fondue night is a great way to get the whole family in on the cooking fun in a way that's simple and, let's face it, not as messy. Since this is a shared meal, make sure it's an event limited just to those living in your household. There are more than a few recipes to choose from, just don't forget to look over some chocolate fondue recipes for dessert!

If your mom is more of a baker than a chef, sign her up for a virtual baking class on or around Mother's Day. You can either join in on the fun, or give mom the space for her to zen out and enjoy some baking "me time." You search for online baking classes at CozyMeal or MasterClass, or order Mom a baking subscription box from Whisk Takers.

Yes, the majority of people share and house their photographs online or digitally, but nothing beats the feeling of opening up an old scrapbook and basking in the nostalgia of it all. Buy an empty scrapbook, print off some photographs of a family trip or just a few favorites you know your mom loves, then get to work. Not only will she enjoy the keepsake, but she'll definitely love reminiscing over a cherished family vacation, a birth, or a simple family moment that, in the big scheme of things, means the absolute most.

Maybe Mom hasn't been able to visit the hair salon due to Covid-related restrictions. Maybe there has always been one bright, wild hair color your mom has wanted to try out. Or perhaps she just wants to break up the monotony of pandemic life with a new look.

Regardless, encourage mom to change things up with an at-home hair dying station. You can use permanent or semi-permanent colors, depending on Mom's comfort level, and take turns dying one another's hair. It's fun, it's interactive, and your mom will feel brand new.

If Mom isn't ready to change up her hair just yet, but wants to relax and focus on some self-care, set up an at-home spa and tell her to indulge. Be it a bath, an elaborate skincare routine, or a massage, mom can relax in a spa-like environment from the safety and comfort of her own home.

If mom is itching for an adventure, set up an elaborate indoor or outdoor scavenger hunt. Whether it's to find her Mother's Day gifts, her Mother's Day cards, or another beloved item, she'll enjoy using a map and clues to eventually unearth what's at the finish line.

There's nothing quite like that feeling of accomplishment that accompanies finally completing an elaborate puzzle. Purchase a large puzzle and work together as a family to complete it. Even if you don't finish the puzzle on Mother's Day, your mom will enjoy having a family project that you can revisit over and over again. If you do complete the puzzle, consider framing it and giving it to Mom as a keepsake she's sure to treasure forever.

If your mom loves to read and has missed the camaraderie of an in-person book club, consider signing her up for a virtual or online book club. There are more than a few to choose from, and any of them will give mom the space to connect with others over her favorite (or not so favorite) novels.

If your mom is a bit of a cinephile, she'll love a Mother's Day inspired movie marathon. Pop the popcorn, snag some of mom's favorite movie snacks, and queue up a few Mother's Day movies that the entire family will enjoy. Just make sure you have the tissues nearby, as more than a few of them are real tear-jerkers.

If Mom hasn't been able to visit the nail salon in the past year due to the pandemic, she'll definitely appreciate a makeshift at-home nail salon. Brush up on the latest manicure tips and tricks, select some of your mom's favorite nail polishes, then treat mom to a manicure and a fresh coat of paint.

Why stop at just fingernails, right? Show mom some TLC by giving her the perfect at-home pedicure. Purchase a foot mask from Amazon's list of best sellers, refine your at-home massage skills, then let mom relax while you clean up her cuticles and trim and paint her toenails. No way she won't walk away feeling refreshed when you're finished.

Who says you have to venture off into the wilderness in order to enjoy a good camping night? Set up a tent in your living room, perhaps string some lights along the ceiling, and enjoy a campout from the comfort and safety of your home. You can even go so far as to purchase a star projector night light that will instantly transform your living room ceiling to a marvelous star-filled sky.

Does your mom deserve a parade after the dumpster fire that was 2020? Absolutely. Is that nearly impossible to pull off? You bet. Thankfully, the next best thing to a parade is a carnival, and hosting a backyard carnival for mom on Mother's Day is not impossible in the slightest.

You can purchase an affordable face painting set, brush up on the latest face painting ideas, buy a cheap helium balloon tank and balloons, and look up some food on-a-stick recipes to really bring the carnival vibe to the safety of your backyard.

Bread baking took off in a big way during the onset of the pandemic, and for good reason. Not only is it a fun hands-on activity, but at the end of it you get to enjoy a delicious loaf of bread.

Check out the latest and greatest bread baking recipes, like this blueberry quick-bread recipe, this muffuletta bread recipe, or this lemon and dried fruit bread recipe, and get to baking!

There's bound to be an at-home fixer-upper project that's been ignored or avoided over the past year. Well, now is the time to finish it and give mom yet another break!

Whether it's hanging a picture frame, fixing a wonky cabinet drawer, or re-painting a chair, showing mom that you're here to make things easier for her while she relaxes is the gift that truly keeps on giving.

Be real: Mom is usually the one behind the camera instead of in front of it. Well, change it up and take pictures of mom on her special day. She is sure to cherish photos of you and her together, as well as her posing with any other siblings or her partner. Make sure to take some photos of mom by herself, too. After all, she's more than just a mom.

You don't have to break the bank when gifting mom a beautiful Mother's Day bouquet. Sign up for a virtual bouquet making class and learn, along with Mom, how to create beautiful displays filled with her favorite flowers. As a bonus, the DIY bouquet will double as a gorgeous Mother's Day dinner centerpiece for the table.

Mask up, grab the hand sanitizer, and take a walk. Just leave Mom behind.

Because after a year of solitude, when she has been working from home while caring for you as well as any other household responsibilities, what Mom really wants and arguably needs right now, is some splendid peace and quiet. Give the gift of some well-needed alone time and she'll know that you really value all she has done for you.

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