Let’s face it—you work hard. You put up with tantrums, tears and toilet training. You’re patient, giving and forgiving. So give yourself a pat on the back and treat yourself to a super-special Mother’s Day. You deserve it!
Click here to see our fave spots for Mother’s Day brunch, and here to nab a last-minute gift! Note that many of these events offer free admission to moms, not the whole family.
May 4-5
Load the kids in the car and head to the Imagine That!!! museum in Florham Park for a special handmade craft: a handprint Mother’s Day card.
$2/kid
May 11-12
Mother’s Day Tea in the Garden
Settle in for a garden tea party at Paws Discovery Farm in Mount Laurel, where admission includes a craft, hot and cold tea, finger sandwiches and dessert. After, take a stroll around the farm and visit the animals.
$12-20
Mother’s Day Wine Trail Weekend
Princeton’s Terhune Orchards is a primo destination for a chill Mother’s Day. Moms can sip spirits from Garden State wineries (without breaking out the wallet), then try samples from Terhune’s bakery.
Free
May 12
This Mother’s Day, moms can ride and eat for free at iPlay America in Freehold. You’ll get a free iRide Plus Band with unlimited rides on the bumper cars, spinning coaster, carousel and more. Hit the Game Time Bar and Grill afterwards for a free entree and mimosa.
Free for moms
Morey’s Piers Mother’s Day Celebration
Skip down the Wildwood Boardwalk for free rides at Mariner’s and Surfside Piers (moms ride free). Dig into complementary cookies, biscotti and biscuits at afternoon tea at Mariner’s Pier, then take the kids to make personalized sugar cookies for mom at the Tea Cup ride. Hit Jumbo’s Grub & Pub for a special brunch with classic spirits. Don’t forget to snap Mother’s Day photos at the Parents Pavillion, which’ll have signs and props for optimally cute family pics.
Free
Want to give mom more than just a bouquet this year? At the Sayen Botanical Gardens in Hamilton, she can marvel over more than 250,000 booming bulbs, dogwoods, rhododendrons and, of course, azaleas. There’ll also be craft and food vendors, plus musical entertainment and kids activities.
Free admission
Moms get free admission at Monmouth Park Racetrack’s celebration, plus the first 1,000 moms to enter get a free flower. Hit brunch at the dining terrace, drop by the champagne bar and enter giveaways (hello, Ariana Grande tickets). Kids can visit clowns, get their faces painted, a pony ride or go wild in the bounce house.
Free admission
Spend an afternoon at Valenzano Family Winery in Shamong, where wine tastings, food trucks, live music and crafters come together to create a relaxing, festive day.
$10-15
With its 42 acres of outdoor sculptures and six indoor galleries, there’s no shortage of reasons to hit Grounds for Sculpture. Spend the day walking around with your kids, take in art, make memories and snap cute photos. Tickets only available online.
$20/person, free/ages 5 and under
Leave the kids at home and celebrate with your mom, squad or SO at Alba Vineyard in Milford. Listen to jazz music while you indulge in wine flights and fresh foods like wood-fired pizza, caprese salad, paninis, lobster rolls and charcuterie.
$15-25/person for flights, $10/admission without wine tasting
Grab a lunch box filled with goodies (a gourmet sandwich, lemon square, chips and drink) at Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Upper Montclair and picnic by the garden’s porch, where a live jazz concert will be in full swing. Bring a blanket or nab a lawn chair before hitting the Bloom Room and plant sale.
$20
All ages are invited to build a fairy house out of natural materials. After, the kids can listen to a story on fairy etiquette and tour their new block of fairy homes. Registration required.
$8/ages 3 and up
Mother’s Day Tea at Reeves-Reed Arboretum
Treat yourself to afternoon high tea, featuring scones, tea sandwiches and desserts at the Reeves-Reed Arboretum in Summit. Follow up with a guided stroll through the spring gardens alongside the arboretum’s director of horticulture.
$35/members, $50/non-members
Stop by the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum & Bird Sanctuary in Short Hills for a 45-minute hike. The Conservations Corps will help you spot plants and animals hidden beneath the brush and help you discover your inner “citizen scientist.”
$5/members, $8/non-members