“Grow” Your Mom a Bit of Sunshine for Mother's Day

Moms love to receive flowers for Mother’s Day, so you may want to think about how you can ‘grow’ mom a bit of sunshine this year instead of hoping that the day is sunny. This is a craft idea that even young children can do to honor mom and brighten up her special day.

First they’ll need to find a planter if the weather isn’t such that the flowers can be planted directly into the ground. Of course, the seeds will take a while to grow very large, but you may want to consider how large the plant will get if you plan on leaving it the planter.

Look for a beautiful planter to grow sunflowers in. They may want to find something that’s as bright as a sunflower. Make sure the planter is large enough and heavy enough to hold a large flower unless you plan on transplanting it later.


Buy a large terra cotta planter and let your children paint it with any design they like. They can create a design of their own, find a design they like and use that, or they can paint the planter a solid color and then paint a message on it.

Go to your local garden center or department store to find sunflower seeds. They’re not expensive and you can find a number of varieties in different colors.

If you’re planning on letting the children start the seeds in smaller pots and then transplanting them, you may want to pick up the other needed items while you’re there. You’ll need a peat pot or another container that allows for drainage, potting soil, or seed starter mix.

If you don’t want the children to get terribly dirty, you may want to provide an apron or over-shirt for each child while you’re getting the sunflower seeds planted. Then let the children fill each container with the potting soil or starter mix. Have them gently push one or two sunflower seeds down into the center of the soil. Next they’ll lightly water or mist the soil and then set the planters into a warm, sunny window.

As the seeds begin to grow, don’t forget to check the planters each day. You want to keep the soil moist but not wet. The seeds don’t take that long to be visible above ground; usually they germinate in 7-10 days. Once that happens, be sure that the plants get plenty of sun each day.

The day before Mother’s Day, tie a pretty ribbon around the planter and attach a card or poem. Mom will love the thought of being given a piece of sunshine that her child helped grow especially for her. Of course, the best part is that mother and child can enjoy watching the sunflower grow all summer and remember the reason why the plant was given.

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