A great Mother’s Day gift could be a simple and spontaneous as a fun outing. Some ideas if you’re stumped:

Twin Cities Model Railroad Museum – FREE FOR MOM | St. Paul

Moms score FREE admission all day on Mother’s Day (open noon – 5pm). Use discount promo code MOMSFREE. Kids 4 and under are also free. Everyone else is $10.00. Discounts for families of 3 or larger.

Color Me Mine – Mother’s Day in the Studio

Reserve a time slot for painting, muffins, coffee and juice. Studio Fee $12/person; mom is free.  Pottery to paint is an additional fee and is priced by the piece. This would make a great Mother’s Day gift and activity to do together! Sunday, May 9. 9am-11am, 11:30am – 1:30pm, 2pm – 4pm. Reservations required. Call 651-454-4099 Eagan; 651-717-5663 Woodbury.

Take a Mom Fishing Weekend

Mothers who are residents of Minnesota can fish without a license for species that have open fishing seasons. (Kids under 16 can fish without a license all the time). Dad will still need a license to fish (unless you choose a State Park). Find our list of the best fishing holes for families in the Twin Cities.

Visit the St Paul Farmer’s Market

One of the few local farmer’s markets to openly invite families with children back. Check out the new free kids’ “Farmers’ Market Bingo Cookbook Club” . Go with a recipe in mind for a special Mother’s Day dinner, shop for fresh produce and cook together! A tasty gift indeed. May 8, 7am-1pm & May 9, 8am-1pm.

Nature Center Without WallS

Take Mom on a nature outing! Program may include animal interactions, outdoor displays, nature challenges and checking out free exploration materials. Held at EASTMAN NATURE CENTER (Maple Grove), MISSISSIPPI GATEWAY REGIONAL PARK (Brooklyn Park), LOWRY NATURE CENTER (Victoria) & RICHARDSON NATURE CENTER (Bloomington). Saturday & Sunday, May 8-9, 11am-2pm. FREE.

Outdoor Fun & Art at Silverwood Park

Silverwood’s naturalists present Puppet Adventures around the park followed by a nature themed make-and-take craft. Take some time to explore the park’s sculpture trail. Take May 9, 1-3pm. FREE.

Pick out a sweet treat for Mom

Most Moms I know have a sweet tooth in there somewhere. Treat yours to a trip to one of our favorite independent candy stores. We love the retro-flavored Blue Sun Soda & Sweets Shop (Spring Lake Park & Richfield) and the goodies are endless at Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store (Jordan).

Go Out of This World with a planetarium show | Bell Museum

Four intriguing shows to choose from, plus the museum to explore. Our kids love the made-over Bell Museum – have you checked it out yet? Learn more about taking kids here. You can bundle a show with the museum or purchase tickets separately. All weekend, $6-$17/pp. Reserve yours in advance.

Celebrate Migration at Springbrook Nature Center | Fridley

Celebrate the return of migrating birds with this FREE outdoor event at Springbrook. Take a birding hike, try bird arts and crafts, and see some live raptors. May 8, 9am-12pm.

Take a Wildflower Walk or Birding Stroll

ELOISE BUTLER WILDFLOWER GARDEN & BIRD SANCTUARY in Minneapolis has opened its trails for the season. This would be a beautiful, peaceful place to take a hike with Mom. Print out and bring along this scavenger hunt!
P.S. We LOVE scavenger hunts! So much, in fact, that we’ve collected a big list of the best ones across parks in the Twin Cities!

Take Mom on a Bike Ride

I asked my tween daughter what SHE would choose to do on Mother’s Day and she picked a bike ride. Great idea! We have compiled a list of the Best Bike Trails for Families in Minneapolis & a version of St Paul’s Best Bike Trails for Families as well.