Outdoor Adventures to Make Mother's Day Special
With Mother's Day falling on the 30th March this year—just as the weather is starting to warm up—it’s the perfect time to celebrate the occasion with outdoor adventures.
From planning an adventurous trip to an exciting part of the UK to thanking your mum with a day out at a National Trust venue, here are some inspiring ideas to help you mark the occasion and make memories as a family.
Celebrating a Special Tradition
Mother's Day isn't just about cards and chocolates—it's about recognising the constant love, care, and dedication that mothers provide throughout the year. Before you plan any activities or presents to mark the occasion, it’s important to explain to children why the celebration matters. Perhaps start with sharing the origins of Mother’s Day which date back to the 17th century. The custom developed when people started to be afforded a rare day off, on the fourth Sunday of Lent, to visit parents with gifts of fruit cake and attend their ‘mother church’.
Today, while it’s still important to think about the meaning of the tradition, it also matters that young children, partners and family members, and even employers recognise and show an appreciation for what being a mother entails. With the 24/7 routine of washing, nursery drop offs, shopping and endless meal preparations, there’s plenty to be grateful to mums for.
Enjoying Nature and Games in the Fresh Air
Remember, active play isn't just for children—it's a wonderful way for the whole family to enjoy spending time together in the fresh air. From playing classic games like hide-and-seek, tag, or organising exciting treasure hunts in the garden to bubble-chasing games with very young children.
For sports-loving families of various ages, it’s also fun to join in activities that mum loves. This could be anything from a round of golf and investing in practice aids to signing the family up for a padel session or booking a group lesson at your local swimming pool.
Like sport, a shared enjoyment of nature can also run in families. Forestry England has some amazing woodland discovery days. Their centres have excellent facilities, including sensory trails and playgrounds for energetic toddlers, while many offer wildlife spotting guides that are specially designed for youngsters.
Planning Educational and Fun Adventures
A Mother’s Day walk can quickly become something special if you arrange to visit somewhere you haven’t been to before as a family. For long-lasting memories, choose a scenic route through woodlands, explore forest paths and spot the early signs of Spring’s daffodils. For toddlers and preschoolers, encouraging them to get involved in the planning side of days out is a great way of explaining how such outings are healthy, enjoyable and thoughtful.
Meanwhile, on a visit to the countryside, foraging can add another intriguing and educational dimension to a day out. You can teach inquisitive little ones about local nature, such as how to identify wild garlic, see dandelion leaves and name different trees that are native to the UK. Activities in natural settings can be made extra fun with a simple scavenger hunt where your kids might love looking out for signs of rabbits and squirrels, or hearing the sounds of birds, ducks and farm animals.
Likewise, a trip to mum’s favourite beach is always a winner whether you’re splashing in puddles together or exploring rock pools on coastal paths. Such walks offer something interesting for family members of every age as toddlers can paddle about in shallow pools, collect shells, and there might be well-earned fish and chips to enjoy after plenty of rejuvenating exercise in the fresh air.
Planting Spring Flowers Together
During Spring, with the dry weather and more sunshine, there’s nothing better than spending time together in the garden. Rather than shop-bought flowers, you might prefer to go a step further and design a child-friendly garden as a joint outdoor project. Teach youngsters about seasonal flowers and plant seeds like sweet peas with young children, or visit your local garden centre for ready-to-plant options that are perfect for little ones.
Alternatively, your outdoor spaces are fun zones where you can decorate terracotta pots as a family with handprints or painted designs to make personalised Mother’s Day gifts. For indoor spaces or balconies, you can grow a windowsill garden with your mum using herbs or flowers. Gardening together encourages you all to watch flowers, plants, and vegetable patches thrive for months to come.
Organising Family-Friendly Trips
From farm visits to seeing historic sights in your local area, organising an exciting trip to a National Trust Garden to mark Mother's Day is a fantastic day for the whole family. Little ones can delight in meeting Spring lambs and other baby animals, while older children can participate in feeding sessions. Many UK farms offer special Mother's Day events with cream teas or special guided tours. Facilities like changing stations and accessible paths make these venues ideal even for families with infants.
Places like WWT wetland centres offer specially designed discovery areas for young children that often provide discounts for mothers on their special day. Spring is a fantastic time to watch nesting birds and wildlife, while accessible hides and designated trails ensure everyone from babies to grandparents can participate in spotting the season's natural wonders together.
If you share a love of history, Spring is the perfect time for a family tour to an undiscovered destination. You can tick off all those historic attractions you’ve always wanted to see and, if you’re lucky, many castle gardens will be coming into bloom and have child-friendly trails. National Trust parks and English Heritage sites also provide buggy-friendly paths and dedicated family activities making them ideal for celebrating with grandmothers.
Whether this is going to be your first Mother’s Day and you’re discovering what it means to be a new mum or you’re a grandparent with an extended family, you’ll know the joy that comes from being appreciated. Being a busy mother is the best job in the world but can be hard work at times so, ahead of this annual celebration of motherhood, give mothers what they treasure most—quality time spent with loved ones.