Mother's Day Brunch Ideas Kids Can Help Make

From bandaging boo-boos to making special meals and snacks to reading favorite bedtime stories over and over again, moms spend countless hours taking care of their families, so we all know that they deserve to be pampered by the entire family on their special day.

How about giving mom some time to sleep in, catch up on her reading or spend some uninterrupted time pampering and treating her to her favorite drink or breakfast in bed? Brunch is easy to prepare and has "jobs" that even little ones can do with a little fatherly-supervision.

First, make a list of everything you’ll need. Locate ingredients and items like a tray, vase and pans beforehand so mom won’t be disturbed by clanking cupboards on Sunday morning.

Then, if you’re missing something, you still have time to pick it up before you’ve already started cooking. While you’re at the store, you can score bonus points by stocking up on shelf-stable Sneakz to cut down on her grocery trips. Note that it’s not quite as nice and as much of a surprise if you have mom do the shopping.

Being prepared is sure to help things go a bit smoother and quieter, and it can also mean less mess. And, speaking of messes, we hope that we don’t need to tell you that mom shouldn’t be the one cleaning up this time.

If you’re up to the task, we’ve rounded up some delicious recipes that are tailor-made for letting the kids help out:

• Sneakz Brunch Recipes: Moms need to eat their veggies too! Show them you care by sneaking some veggie nutrition into delicious recipes like hot chocolate, smoothies, organic berry waffles and banana pancakes.
• Pretend Breakfast in Bed: We love Melissa and Doug’s idea for allowing kids to use their imaginations to serve mom up the perfect breakfast without the mess. Dads could complement this idea by picking up her favorite restaurant meal or treating her to a romantic dinner after the kids are asleep.
• Make-Ahead Mother’s Day Tips and Recipes for Breakfast or Brunch from Whole Foods Market: These recipes are notable for their ease and elegance, plus make-ahead tips and suggestions for letting kids help out.
• Mother's Day Breakfasts Kids Can Actually Make: These ideas from Parents Magazine are also not too simple or too ambitious and allow little ones to get involved.
• Mother’s Day Brunch Projects for Kids: This yummy, dad and child-friendly brunch recipes will keep the kids busy with some messy fun while mom sleeps in.
• A Mother's Day Breakfast in Bed: Dads and kids who have a bit more experience in the kitchen and fancy themselves Top Chefs might want to tackle this three-course breakfast menu from Epicurious.