When my youngest was three, I was invited to a Mother’s Day Spa at CEFA Early Learning schools, in his classroom. When I arrived, all the children had their own basin with warm water where they each soaked their moms’ feet, a little towel which they used to dry them, and then nail polish of every imaginable colour to paint our nails with. I left with one nail of every colour, toes and hands, and with a son so proud for having given me the best manicure and pedicure ever (according to him and his choice of colours), that I never forgot that Mother’s Day present. I loved every minute of it, and so did my son. He loved having the chance to do something for me, and to make me feel beautiful, and I loved seeing how much he enjoyed it.
This activity is very easy, as all you need is nail polish and a little hand moisturizer (or if you made the bath bombs I posted, you can use the sweet almond oil you have). You can complete it with a shoulder massage (teach your child how to do it) along with a cup of mint tea and you have a full spa day! This will be a nice treat for Mother’s Day, or any day for that matter (after all, spa days are always welcome!).
Best Ages for This Activity
2 to 5 years (or older). If your child is younger, you might need nail polish remover as mom’s toes and feet will most likely also be painted – still working on fine motor skills!
How to Make It
You will need:
- A basin or Tupperware to soak mom’s feet in
- A small towel
- Nail polish (see if you can find a variety of colours for your child to choose from)
- Hand moisturizer, or you can use sweet almond oil or grapeseed oil
- Nail polish remover
- Flower petals (these are optional, but you can get them next time you go out on a walk, to add to the warm water)
Let’s get started!
- Fill a large bowl, a basin or a Tupperware with warm water, and add flower petals to it
- Put the towel beside it (to dry mom’s feet)
- Your child can invite mom to soak her feet, then dry them, then choose a nail polish colour (or several) to give mom a pedicure (and a manicure if they like)
- While the polish dries, your child can give mom a back rub, using the moisturizer
- Partners or siblings can help your child bring mom a hot cup of mint tea or a glass of champagne if she prefers – I know what I would prefer!
- Mom can relax after her spa – best Mother’s Day ever!
Learning Opportunities
This is a great activity to help your child think of others, namely: their mother. This helps your child develop empathy. Also, painting nails is an excellent fine motor skills, a precursor to writing!
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