When you’re considering what to get mom (or what to help your kids get you) for Mother’s Day, you may want to keep Mother Earth in mind by opting for “experience gifts”. This weeks post was inspired by one of our nonprofit partners, CoolMom, which focuses on sharing information about global warming and recycling so that we can all continue to enjoy the beautiful bounty of plants and wildlife that populate the globe. With that goal in mind, we’ve created list of fun things to do to surprise the “Cool Moms” in your life. And if you liked to learn more about our nonprofit partner CoolMom, be sure to check back next week when we feature them in an upcoming post.

Find a hiking trail or wildlife reserve and spend some quality time with mom. Not only does the family benefit from healthy exercise, but you can also discuss local conservation efforts and what it means for your family and your community. Some local conservation centers even offer walking tours that will introduce the family to the local fauna and flora and detail their efforts to protect green spaces.

Help Mom tend the garden. Keep her flowers blooming and her vegetables growing. Planting and tending a garden together is a great way to learn about how we can nourish the earth and how it can nourish us. Potted plants are also a wonderful gift as they’ll last longer than a bouquet and can be kept indoors or outside. Even consider a potted herb to add a little spice to Mom’s life.

Cook Together. Try a new recipe or prepare a meal together as a family. Investigate the local foods at the farmer’s market and have everyone pitch in to help get it prepared for the communal table. It’s amazing to see the variety of produce grown locally and to meet the people who have put in time and love to grow the crops that nourish and sustain us.

If you’re still planning on going the traditional card and flower and breakfast in bed route (which we love), consider selecting a card made from recycled paper, organically grown flowers and locally produced food from the farmer’s market. Here at Modern Kids Design, we know it can be hard to find that perfect gift. Hopefully these earth-friendly Mother’s Day gift ideas can help you wow Mom.  Not only is Mom worth it, but so is Mother Earth. Thanks for reading and, of course, Happy Mother’s Day!