Have the preschooler trace his hand on a piece of white or orange construction paper, then cut it out with safety scissors. Help the student roll the palm of the hand into a cone, taping it closed. Cut a white or yellow chenille stem into a small segment, then fold it into a "V" shape (for the lily's center). Insert the bottom of the "V" into a drinking straw, securing it with tape. Insert the bottom of the straw through the hole in the lily, securing it with tape if necessary, then curl the lily's "petals" by wrapping the paper around a pencil. Make enough lilies for a bouquet. DLTK's Growing Together recommends adding a gift tag that says, "This isn't just a lily, as you can plainly see. I made it with my hand, which God made a part of me. It comes with lots of love especially to say, I hope you have a very special Mother's Day!" Lilies, frequently used in churches at Easter, symbolize virtue, purity and royalty.
Show preschoolers that Mary isn't the only mother mentioned in the Bible. Arrange the students in a circle, and read them children's stories about Sarah (the mother of Isaac), Jochabed (Moses's mother), and Hannah (Samuel's mother). Illustrate how these women were influential in parenting. Show them pictures of these mothers. Give the preschoolers coloring pages featuring these important female figures and have them color the pages to give to their mothers.
Let the preschoolers use watercolor paints and a small paint brush to apply drops of color to a large coffee filter. Choose cheery flower colors such as yellow, red, pink and purple. When the filter dries, have the students cut the filter into a flower shape with distinct petals. Glue the coffee filter onto a large piece of construction paper, then have the preschoolers draw a stem and leaves with a marker. With the teacher's help, the preschoolers can write on each petal things that they love about their mother. Somewhere on the construction paper, add an inspirational religious quote about mothers, such as: "If you have a mom, there is nowhere you are likely to go where a prayer has not already been" (Robert Brault).
Show preschoolers a list of Bible verses that mention mothers (see Resources). Use these verses on Mother's Day greeting cards or crafts. Choose a special verse about mothers and write the verse in large letters on a sheet of poster board, leaving blanks for some of the verse's main words. Print (or write) the missing words separately on pieces of colored construction paper (pink would work well), then hide the words all over the Bible study or preschool classroom. Have the preschoolers go on a "scavenger hunt" to find the missing words, then have them figure out where they go in the verse. Tape the words where they belong.