How to Celebrate May, the Month of Mary

How to Celebrate the Month of Mary with Children

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May is the Month of Mary, a beautiful time in the Church when we honor Our Blessed Mother in a special way. It’s the perfect opportunity to bring children into the traditions of Marian devotion through prayer, music, gardening, and fun food! Here are some simple, joyful ideas for celebrating Mary with little ones all month long.

Make a Mary Garden Printable 

If you’re looking for an easy indoor activity, our Mary Garden Printable is perfect for little hands. It comes in both a colored version (just print and go!) and a coloring page version for kids to decorate themselves.

Plant a Real Mary Garden (Big or Small)

If you want to take it a step further, you can create an outdoor Mary garden! Visit your local nursery or garden center and let the kids help choose plants traditionally associated with Mary, like:

• Larkspur (Our Lady’s Tears)
• Lilies (The Annunciation) 
• Pansies (Our Lady’s Delight) 
• Petunias (Our Lady’s Praises) 
• Tulips (Mary’s Prayer)
• Jasmine (Mary’s Purity)
• Violets (Mary’s Humility) 
• Forget-me-nots (Mary’s Eyes) 

Add a small statue of Mary in the center or tucked in a cozy corner, and let your kids water and care for the garden as part of their devotion. Even a small pot with a few blooms and a mini statue makes a lovely prayer space if you’re short on room. The book A Catholic Gardener’s Spiritual Almanac by Margaret Rose Realy has been so inspiring to me. It beautifully explores the spiritual connections between flowers, herbs, Our Lady, and many other aspects of our Catholic faith.

Host a Marian Tea Party

Plan a sweet little tea party in honor of Our Lady! Keep the focus on blue and white—colors often associated with Mary. Here are a few themed food ideas:

• Blue Jell-O cups
• Butterfly pea flower tea (naturally blue and caffeine-free)
• White powdered donuts
• Angel food cake
• Meringues or marshmallows
• White frosted cupcakes

Let your children help decorate the table with Marian holy cards, flowers, or little statues. You can even crown a small Mary statue together during the tea party for a fun and meaningful May crowning

Need more ideas? Check out our other Marian Feast Day posts in this blog category for more themed food and crafts. Also check out our Amazon storefront for suggestions on tea time favorites. 

Pray the Rosary—Or Just a Decade

May is the perfect time to introduce or revisit the Rosary with your children. Don’t worry if a full Rosary feels like too much. Start small by praying just one decade together—maybe during bedtime or after a meal. Use child-friendly rosaries or finger rosaries to help little hands stay engaged.

You can also create a Rosary prayer jar where kids draw one mystery a day to focus on or use coloring pages for each mystery as a quiet activity during prayer.

Learn and Sing a Marian Hymn

Fill your home with Marian music this month! Choose a classic hymn and learn it together as a family. Some beautiful ones to start with:

• Salve Regina
• Regina Caeli (especially fitting during the Easter season!)
• O Sanctissima
• Immaculate Mary
• Hail Holy Queen Enthroned Above

Singing is a wonderful way to help children remember prayers and grow in affection for Mary.

Crown Mary with Flowers

This beloved May tradition is easy to do at home. Let your children gather flowers from the yard or even make a simple paper flower crown. Place it on a statue or image of Mary while playing soft music or singing a hymn together. You can make it a special moment after Mass, during your tea party, or at the end of the Rosary.

However you choose to celebrate, remember: the goal is to help children grow in love for Mary, and through her, to draw closer to Jesus. Even the smallest acts of love and devotion, done with joy, are precious in her eyes.