Muffins with Moms Ideas and Activities - Teaching in the Tongass (2024)

Mother’s Day is always the second Sunday in May. If you’re looking for something other than your average Mother’s Day handprint craft, have you ever thought about hosting a Muffins with Moms event? It’s honestly one of my favorite special events and just overall a really memorable experience. It’s just a great way to celebrate the caregiver in your students’ lives and enjoy some yummy food (the real purpose is just for fun and to increase family engagement). It doesn’t have to be a “mom” or even a woman for that matter. If you’d rather hold a “Pastries with Parents” or “Donuts with Grownups,” that would do the trick as well. Whatever you call it, I’ve got some tips from my own experiences to share. Grab a coffee or whatever your favorite drink is and read on!

Host Your Event Close to Mother’s Day

Muffins with Moms can really be held at any point in the year, but I recommend you host your event the Friday before Mother’s Day. It is a great way to celebrate the holiday, and if you live close to your own mom/grandma/aunt, be sure to invite her as well (my mom comes every year). You can even make a little gift like these Muffins Crafts to attach the Muffin with Mom invitation to (the writing pages are editable so you can type any prompt you want).

Make It Clear That Grandmas, Aunts, Sisters, etc. Can Come

I make it very clear that any and all women (and really, any caregiver in their life) are invited to Muffins with Moms. Not all moms will be able to make it. Some are working and can’t take the time off. Others are busy at home, in prison, passed away, working abroad or live too far away. Some will end up sick and you’ll definitely want them to skip your event. I have this honest conversation with my students. We come to the conclusion that if it’s not your actual “mom” that comes in, no biggie. You can invite grandma, or auntie, or your neighbor lady that lets you jump on her trampoline in the summer. That right there, is one of the of the biggest reasons I made my Muffins with Moms Invitation EDITABLE. Which leads me to my next tip.

Arrange for a Few Volunteers to Cover Any Absent Parents

Even parents with the best of intentions can fail (I’ll be the first to admit, I am most definitely not supermom). Sometimes we forget important events. Plan on someone not coming. Plan on a few no-shows and you’ll be happy you asked for more volunteers. Ask your nearby high school if they have any students looking for volunteer hours (cheerleaders, sports teams, health and government classes sometimes require these volunteer hours). Ask your school staff if they can take an hour (your principal might be totally on board with this–my principals have always shown an interest) to come and support any students that didn’t have an adult. And if it’s not 1-1, don’t worry. Students can share any volunteers if need be.

Give Plenty of Notice So Parents Can Ask for the Time Off Work

Most adults will need at least a week’s notice in advance. If you can let them know as soon as you’ve put it on your school schedule (check with your admin to make sure there are no other events at the same time!), you’ll get a better turnout. You’ll also likely get more people that want to help if they have time to plan ahead. Also, make sure you remind them of the date as it draws near. I like to print any super important things on bright paper so it’s not as easy to miss and I can refer to it to students later (“Did you show your caregiver the pink paper?”). Reminder bracelets work like magic.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

I always ask parents to help! Most moms love to help out with events like these, and this is a great opportunity for them to feel like they are supporting their kiddo. I like to provide the coffee and cups (I buy paper travel cups w/lids) and ask parents to bring in the rest. If you communicate through email, ask parents to “reply all” so they will know what is already taken or you’ll get 500 muffins and no orange juice…or vice versa. Or, if you’re even more of a tech savvy teacher, a google doc will work great for sign-ups, too.

Plan a Variety of Activities

Make sure there is plenty of activities to do so the adults aren’t staring at you wondering what they should be doing. You can find a craftivity, photo prop frame, editable muffins with moms invitation and MORE here.

You can also score these muffin and donut coloring pages in my Free Resource Library by signing up for my newsletter below.

So, there you have it. A few tips to get you started. So, tell me, have you hosted a Muffins with Moms event before? What tips do you have to share? Comment below!

Use code FAMILY to get $1 off the bundle.

P.S. If you’re already thinking, “What about the Dads?!” you might be interested in this Donuts with Dads event kit.