I want to play together on Mother’s Day! A collection of games the whole family can enjoy
The second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day.
Many people give their mom a gift every year on Mother’s Day.
In households with small children, even if everyone wants to do something together, some may be unsure what exactly to do.
So in this article, we’ve gathered games and activities that everyone can enjoy while expressing everyday gratitude to Mom.
These ideas aren’t just for Mother’s Day—they’re also great for Mom’s birthday and other occasions.
Use them as inspiration whenever you want to show your appreciation to your mother.
- [For Seniors] Recommended Recreational Activities for Mother's Day
- A collection of simple indoor recreational games
- [For Seniors] Songs to Hum Together on Mother’s Day: A Collection of Classics that Convey Gratitude
- [Children’s Day Hand-Play Songs] A Collection of Nursery Rhymes & Traditional Children’s Songs for Parents and Kids to Enjoy Together
- [Thank You] A Collection of Vocaloid Songs to Listen to on Mother's Day [Touching]
- Games and activities everyone can enjoy together. A collection of fun play ideas.
- Mother's Day Song Ranking [2026]
- [Elementary School] Quick and Easy! Indoor Recreational Activities Perfect for Lower Grades
- Team-based recreational activities for adults that are fun even with large groups
- [Songs for May] Tracks that suit fresh greenery and driving & Mother's Day songs
- Games you can play with just conversation. Classic and popular activities you can enjoy without any props!
- Thank you as always. Songs I want to give on Mother’s Day. Recommended gratitude songs.
- Have Fun with Your Kids! A Roundup of Board Games Recommended for Parents and Children
I want to play together on Mother’s Day! A collection of games that the whole family will enjoy (1–10)
Three-letter shiritori
Shiritori is a word game where you take the last character of a word and connect it to the next word.
If you add the rule “only three-letter words,” the difficulty suddenly increases.
It also sounds fun to raise the limit to only four-letter words, only five-letter words, and so on.
Flag-raising game
It’s a game where each person holds a red and a white flag and raises or lowers the flag of the color that’s called out.
At first, you just practice with simple raise-and-lower instructions, and later you can add feints or speed things up.
Depending on your ideas, the difficulty changes—making it a fun indoor activity.
Mother’s Day Spot-the-Difference Quiz
How about doing a spot-the-difference game on Mother’s Day to get everyone’s brains buzzing? If you’re enjoying it as a Mother’s Day event or recreation, we recommend Mother’s Day-themed subjects, like illustrations featuring carnations or scenes of family togetherness.
In spot-the-difference, finding the differences as quickly as possible is key.
But as you gaze at the warm, heartfelt illustrations, you might find yourself recalling all sorts of days spent with your child and becoming filled with nostalgia.
I want to play together on Mother’s Day! A collection of games that the whole family can enjoy (11–20)
beanbags
Otedama are small beanbags made by filling cloth pouches with adzuki beans.
You play by tossing them like juggling balls—throwing them in rhythm while singing, or tossing them high and catching them.
With a bit of creativity, there are many ways to enjoy them.
If you search online, you’ll also find plenty of traditional ways to play.
Karuta showdown
How about enjoying a friendly family game of karuta for Mother’s Day, just like you do at New Year’s? You can use a regular karuta set you have at home, but making a homemade set is also recommended.
You can fill the cards with words related to Mom, or turn them into items she wants and give her the item as a gift if you win that card—there are lots of ways to have fun.
You could also raise the difficulty by reading out only descriptions of the pictures instead of initial letters, so players have to deduce which card it is.
Spend a warm, cheerful time together as a family!
balloon volleyball
This is a game that treats a balloon like a volleyball.
Split into two teams and rally the balloon so it doesn’t touch the ground.
Regular balloons work fine, but using a large balloon like in the video looks fun too.
Give it a try with a big group!
Karaoke Showdown
This is a head-to-head game where you use the karaoke scoring feature to compete for the highest score.
The key is whether you can pick songs that tend to score high.
Think carefully and choose your setlist.
Since it’s Mother’s Day, it might also help Mom blow off some steam!