9 Mother Daughter Activities Treasured by Real Moms

This list of mother-daughter activities keeps getting better as we each add our own ideas, suggestions & tips for things to do with our girls!

The years really do fly by, so let’s help each other make the most of them by sharing the big and little ways we make special time for our daughters. From small daily rituals to mother daughter dates or big annual traditions, share your ideas for any fun mom and daughter activities you’ve come to treasure over the years.

Remember that these can also make great mother/son, father/son or father/daughter activities!


 

    Mani Pedis

    Alexandra F.:  It's a special treat to go out to the salon to get your nails done, but my daughter and I both actually prefer those times when we carve out an hour or so to do our nails together at home. The nails don't look quite as nice, but we spend lots more time chatting and laughing!

    Bake Cookies

    Alexandra F.:  My daughter has been my most consistent baking partner over the years, and I can always count on her to join me in baking a batch of cookies. We'll sometimes venture out and make other things together, but cookies is what we almost always come back to - they're so easy and delicious, and perfect as a standalone treat or to enjoy along with another mom and daughter activity!

    Watch a TV Series

    Alexandra F.:  I've loved picking a different TV series to watch alongside my daughter over the years. It's a fun and relaxing activity we both enjoy, and also results in plenty of fun conversations when we're not watching it! As she's gotten older, it's been especially cool to start watching shows with her that I've long loved, or to discover new favorite shows to binge watch together.

    Movie Date

    Alexandra F.:  A pretty standard activity for moms and daughters, and for good reason! It's easy and enjoyable, and you can go out or stay in depending on your preference.

    Volunteer

    Alexandra F.:  We did a little volunteering as a family when my daughter was younger, but as she's gotten older, it's been really special to be able to volunteer more regularly in support of causes and organizations that we both really care about. It's by far one of my favorite mother daughter activities that we do together.

    Hotel Sleepover

    Alexandra F.:  One of my good friends has a really sweet mother daughter tradition that I keep meaning to adopt - as a birthday treat each year, they spend the night at a hotel in the city close to where they live, and enjoy a day and night out on the town together. I love that you can adapt what you do depending on age and interests each year, so it's a special tradition that can be enjoyed indefinitely!

    Bookstore Cafe

    Alexandra F.:  My daughter and I are both avid readers, and since she was very young, one of our favorite things to do was to head to a nearby bookstore, spend a long time browsing the books, then buying a special one to read together at the bookstore cafe. This is a mother daughter tradition that ages well, too - only now, we each read our own book!

    Exercise

    Alexandra F.:  Whether it's a walk around the block, a dance party, or some mommy and me yoga, being active together is a great mom and daughter activity! As she's gotten older, my daughter often joins me when I find time for exercise videos (we love blogilates on YouTube!), or my favorite, going for a jog.

    Shopping Excursion

    Alexandra F.:  No one in our family really enjoys shopping, but there are times when it must be done. When my daughter is the one who needs something, we've usually been able to turn the occasion into a fun and casual mother daughter date. Of course, it helps that we always get lunch or a special treat while we're out!

Primary photo:   Kamaji Ogino on Pexels

Upparent collects community-submitted recommendations and reviews, and any ideas that are shared reflect the opinions of individual contributors.