12 Mother-Daughter Activities for Bonding (2024)

Mom and child doing makeup

In our fast-paced world, it is crucial to slow down and spend quality time with our children. Planning special mother-and-daughter dates is the perfect way to bond with your daughter. We’ve compiled a dozen mother-daughter activities as inspiration for your perfect mother-daughter day!

Mother-Daughter Activities

1. Go to an Ice Cream Date

An ice cream date is a tasty and fun mother-daughter activity. Sitting inside the ice cream shop and talking while you enjoy your sweet treat is the perfect way to spend quality time or cap off a 

mother-daughter day. Talk about the books you’re reading, what music she’s into or the latest movie you’ve seen!

2. Take a Road Trip to a New City

Traveling is an excellent bonding experience; when you travel with only your daughter, you have built-in mother-daughter bonding time. Choose a city within driving distance and together plan some activities ahead of time. For example, visit a unique museum or eat at a famous restaurant you’ve always wanted to try. 

3. Let Her Pick a Recipe to Make Together

Cooking is fun and educational and is a delightful mother-daughter activity. Break out Grandma’s cookbook or let her search online for a new recipe to try. Extend the activity by shopping for the ingredients together. If it is a family recipe, share a story or two related to the dish. If your child is younger, use measuring and counting to introduce math concepts. 

4. Have a Spa Day

A spa day is a perfect activity for a mother and teenage daughter. Enjoy a day of relaxation and pampering with massages, facials, manicures, and maybe even a new haircut. You can chat with your daughter while you sit back and revel in a day of spa treatments. Cap the day off with dinner together!

5. Take Your Daugther to Work Day

One popular mother-daughter bonding idea is to take your daughter to work with you. If she is old enough, you can give her a few tasks and pay her some cash to help out. Your daughter will likely feel closer to you once she has the chance to see what you do all day! 

6. Do a Fashion Show

If you are searching for things to do with mom and daughter, try out a home fashion show! Most girls love trying on mom’s clothes, or you can play dress up and create wild and crazy outfits with costume pieces and props. 

7. Visit an Animal Shelter

Visiting an animal shelter is a unique mom-daughter idea. Many shelters welcome volunteers, which is the perfect activity for animal lovers. Shelters often need people to help pick up supplies, bathe and socialize with the animals, or take them for walks. You could also organize a donation drive with your daughter to collect supplies for a local organization.

 8. Go to a Trampoline Park

Trampoline parks aren’t just for kids; they offer many fun activities for mom and daughter to do together! In addition to jumping and bouncing around, many trampoline parks have arcades, rock-clinging structures, and activity courses. Not only are trampoline parks a lot of fun, but it’s an active activity that promotes physical health!

9. Look Through Family Photos

Look through family photos to strengthen your mother-daughter bond. Your daughter will enjoy hearing stories about her family from the past, particularly if you have older photos. In addition, teens and young adult daughters will have fun reminiscing about their childhood with their moms. You may also be able to tell stories from her youth she doesn’t remember.

10. Take Photos of Each Other

Taking photos of each other is an activity for mom and daughter that produces a lasting keepsake. A photography session is perfect for the budding photographer or artist. Choose a scenic locale or create a set in your home with a backdrop and props. If you’re not particularly camera savvy taking silly selfies can be a lot of fun!

11. Do a Silly Questions Contest 

A silly question contest is a mom-and-daughter game that produces laughs and is fun. Asking your daughter silly questions will make her laugh and promote language and problem-solving skills. For example, “What would you do if you had four arms?” or “What is the best food to use in a food fight and why?” will have her giggling and thinking! You can search online for silly question prompts. 

12. Do Each Other’s Hair

Doing each other’s hair is among the most popular mommy-and-daughter activities. Many people find it soothing to have someone else brush or style their hair. Don’t worry if you’re not creative when it comes to hairstyling; bonding time is what is important! If your daughter is young, she may get a kick out of styling mommy’s hair with her barrettes and bows. 

L. Elizabeth Forry

L. Elizabeth Forry

L. Elizabeth Forry is an Early Childhood Educator with fifteen years of classroom teaching experience. She earned a Master of Science in Early Childhood Education from The University of North Dakota and has a Bachelor of Arts in English and one in Music from Lebanon Valley College. She has taught children in Japan, Washington D.C., Chicago, and suburban Maryland. She is trained as a reading therapist, has a TEFL certification, and has done extensive work with children regarding mental health, social-emotional development, and gender development. She has written curriculum for children and educators and has led training sessions for parents and educators on various topics on early childhood development. She is the mother of two boys and resides outside of Annapolis, Maryland.

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