Of course, mothers should be appreciated every day of the year, but it doesn’t hurt to remind everyone to make a full stop and say, “Hey mom — you’re great!” NYC provides lots of way to celebrate everything moms do all year round, no matter what their individual style. Have a special mother-child crafting session, bask in some upscale glam and glitz, or just enjoy a day out in the sun with the whole family. We’ve cherry-picked the best NYC Mother’s Day events happening this year. Check them out below and find your mom day match!

Design Pillows and Make Bouquets at CMOM

Children's Museum of Manhattan

Nothing shows appreciation better than a handmade item. Join the CMOM for a celebration of mothers through special crafts made just with mom in mind.

Drop in on workshops to create heart-shaped seed pods from 1 - 2:45 p.m., or make fizzy bath pods from 10 a.m. to 12:15 and 2:15-4 p.m.

Children six and older can take it a step further by designing and sewing a unique pillow out of fabric, markers, and stuffing. As an extra-special treat, kids can include a hidden message for mom inside their personalized pillow. Due to the popularity of this event, it requires advanced registration. Head to the lobby one hour before the event to sign up and be granted entry.

Sat., May 11 & Sun., 12
Free with museum admission
Children’s Museum of Manhattan
212 W. 83rd St.
Upper West Side
Online: cmom.org

Make a Masterpiece for Mom at Muse Paint Bar

Muse Paint Bar

Hey dad! Sneak out with the kids and paint a picture mom will love at Muse Paint Bar. There are lots of designs to choose from, and plenty of dates so you can complete your masterpiece before the big day.

(Tribeca not convenient? Check out these additional kid-friendly "Paint and Sip" studios where you can create a similar gift!)

Muse Paint Bar
329 Greenwich St.
Tribeca
646-760-6100
Online: musepaintbar.com

Make Some Tea and Scones Together

Taste Buds Kitchen

Head to Taste Buds Kitchen for a Mother's Day Tea Party. Parent and child will make blueberry scones with a lemony glaze and brew some refreshing sun tea. Designed for ages two to eight; fee is for one child and one caregiver. 

Sun., May 12, 9 - 10 a.m.
Tickets: $45
Taste Buds Kitchen
109 W. 27th St. 10th Fl. 
Chelsea
212-242-2248
Online: tastebudskitchen.com

 

Go on a Stylish Shopping Spree with FAD's NYCxDESIGN Market

FAD Market

FAD Market, a traveling pop-up of fashion, art, and design vendors, brings a special NYCxDESIGN edition to Boerum Hill's Invisible Dog Art Center. (NYC is celebrating stellar design throughout the city that week.) Over 50 cutting-edge designers and makers who are pushing the boundaries of home furnishing, tableware, apparel, jewelry and will be on hand, with both local and "imported" makers represented. Get something uncommon for the singular mom in your life—you! 

Sat.-Sun., May 11 & 12
11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Free
The Invisible Dog Art Center
51 Bergen St.
Boerum Hill
Online: fadmarket.co

Catch Terminator 2 at Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg

Hamm B. via Yelp

Celebrate one major mother, Sarah Conner, by enjoying brunch and taking in the thrilling Terminator 2. (Obviously an option for parents with older kids, but you'll be the coolest mom out there!)

Sun., May 12, 10:45 a.m.
Nitehawk Cinema Williamsburg
136 Metropolitan Ave. 
Williamsburg
Online: nitehawkcinema.com

Take a Garden Stroll with the New York Botanical Garden

New York Botanical Garden

Enjoy a full day of fun in the sun at the annual New York Botanical Garden Mother's Day weekend celebration. Visit the garden for a weekend packed with events like games and outdoor events on Daffodil Hill, live music for families from 2-3:30 p.m. and guided tours and walks around the garden grounds. This event is a popular event; we recommend buying tickets ahead of time. 

Sat., May 11 & Sun., May 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tickets: $28/adults; $12/ages 2-12; free/kids under 2
New York Botanic Garden
2900 Southern Blvd.
Bronx
718-817-8700
Online: nybg.org

Join the Wild Side at the Central Park Zoo

A super animal mom at Central Park Zoo, via Facebook

Have an extra special mom-themed morning at the Central Park Zoo at this Mother's Day event. Meet and treat some animal moms (and their adorable babies), go on a scavenger hunt, and make a Mother's Day craft to take home. This event is recommended for kids ages 2-10, and includes a snack and a surprise animal guest.

Sun., May 12
9-10:30 a.m. 
$75 for 1 adult and 1 child
Central Park Zoo
E. 64th St. & 5th Ave.
Online: wcs.org

Have Brunch, Make Art & Go on a Nature Walk at Wave Hill

Jason P. via Yelp

A lot is going on at Wave Hill for Mother's Day. A family art project from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. (free with admission) allows visitors to create a story mobile of their favorite nature spot using natural materials and paper cut-outs, while considering how we can restore Mother Earth. Kids 10 and older can go along on a Spring Birding outing at 9:30 a.m., and a family nature walk is at 1 p.m. For an extra-special weekend, make reservations for Mother's Day brunch at Wave Hill ($60/adults; $35/seniors and kids five and up, free/kids under five. Call 718-549-3200 x 395 or email wavehillreservations@greatperformances.com by Noon May 8 for reservations.) Or bring your own packed lunch—or pre-order one from The Cafe at Wave Hill—and enjoy a picnic on the grounds

Sun., May 12, 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. (Brunch seatings at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.)
Tickets: $12/adults; $4/ages 6 - 18, free/ages six and under
Wave Hill
West 249th St. & Independence Ave.
Hudson Hill
718-549-3200 
Online: wavehill.com  

Brunch on High at One World Observatory

One World Observatory

Take in one of NYC's biggest tourist attractions, incredible 360-views, and a chef-prepared a la carte brunch at ONE DINE, One World Observatory's dining destination. Tickets include express lanes to the elevators (both up and down), access to all observation floors, the See Forever Theater, Sky Portal, and City Pulse. (For more on One World and what's there, click here.) For more stuff to do in FiDi, click here. 

What's for brunch? House Baked Buttermilk Biscuits & Jalapeño Cornbread, Chicken and Waffles, Lobster Roll, Steak and Eggs, Seasonal French Macaroons and Paris-Brest with Praline Cream, plus a complimentary mimosa, bellini, or bloody mary. Click here to make a timed reservation

Sun., May 12, Noon- 4p.m.
Tickets: $125/adults; $75/youth; $120/seniors; free/kids five and under
One World Trade Center (entrance on the West Plaza alongside West Street near Vesey)
844-696-1776
Online: oneworldobservatory.com

Eat on the Open Seas with Bateaux

Bateaux New York via Yelp

For a really memorable treat, have your brunch on board a ship! Bateaux is offering Mother's Day special brunch cruises, with a three-course menu, unlimited coffee, soda, and teas, and bottomless mimosas (for the grown-ups). The cruise takes you on a 2.5 hour trip with gorgeous views of the NYC Skyline, music courtesy of a live band, and room to dance it up while you sail. For a more sophisticated experience, opt for the no-kids-allowed plated dinner cruise for a nice getaway.

Brunch:

Sun., May 12
12-2:30 p.m. (boarding time is 11:30)
Starting at $99.90/adult, $74.90/kids, free/three and under 

Dinner:

Sun., May 12
7-10 p.m. (boarding time is 6:15)
Starting at 149.90
Departs from Chelsea Piers
Online: bateauxnewyork.com

Have a Gospel Brunch in Harlem

Yellz M. via Yelp

Head to Red Rooster Harlem for a spirited Gospel Brunch featuring Vy Higginsen's Sing Harlem Choir and chef Marcus Samuelsson's soul food. (Head downstairs to Ginny's Supper Club, where the action happens, and there's music every day of the week!) This will sell out, so make your reservation now! (Can't get in? It's every Sunday, so you can come back.) 

Red Rooster Harlem/Ginny's Supper Club
310 Lenox Ave. 
Harlem
212-792-9001
Online: redroosterharlem.com

Dine at One of Our Favorite Spots for Brunch with Kids in NYC

Nancy N. via Yelp

We head out and try brunch with kids to see if they really are a go. Here's our latest Red Tricycle-approved spots! 

Eat Brunch, Take a Family Photo & Design a Bouquet at the Queens Botanical Garden

Kathy X. via Yelp

Visit the Queens Botanical Garden over Mother's Day Weekend for some real treats for mom. Pay the garden a visit on Saturday for a special lesson on flower arrangement and create a wonderful and personalized gift for mom with her own special bouquet. Also on Saturday, you can get a mini photo session in the garden with professional family photographer Eryn Hatzithomas. (You'll get six photos for $150; reservations are required.)

Or visit on Sunday to enjoy brunch in the garden, catered by local food vendors and featuring fresh hot food, delectable desserts, coffees and teas, and a complimentary glass of wine (for mom, not the kids of course!). Advanced registration is required for both.

Floral Design Workshop:

Sat., May 11
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. p.m.
$30 (does not include garden admission)

Photo Sessions:

Sat., May 11, 9 - 11 a.m. Reservations required; click here.
$150
($20 drop-ins may also be available) 

Brunch:

Sun., May 12
Seatings at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
$65/Adult, $30/Child (includes garden admission); free/kids three & under 
Queens Botanical Garden
43-50 Main St.
Flushing
718-886-3800
Online: queensbotanica.org

Get Pampered with a Spa-cation at The Peninsula

The Peninsula Hotel Spa

The Peninsula Spa has a super-relaxing luxurious spa experience for moms. (Gift it now, and she can use it in the weeks to come.) This five-star spa resort will provide mothers with a luxurious experience a choice or massage or anti-aging facial, as well as additional pampering. She'll enjoy a Naturally Peninsula lunch poolside, and have access to the pool, fitness center, sun terrace, and group fitness classes. Plus: a $30 gift certificate to buy a treat for herself on the way out. Cost: $295

Hot tip: Looking for more (less budget-busting) massage options? Check out our favorite spots for prenatal massages—which also do massages for people who aren't expecting!

The Peninsula
700 Fifth Ave. at 55th St., 21st Fl.
Midtown
212-903-3910
Online: newyork.peninsula.com

—Yuliya Geikhman

featured image via Burst 

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