How to Celebrate the Month of Mary with Children
This post contains affiliate links. You can read more about that here.
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.
The Annunciation Tea Party we had in March.
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
- Mary Rice Crispy Treats
Mary Rice Crispy Treats for our May Crowning
Marian Rice Crispy Treats
Make this Mary-themed dessert for any of your Marian feast days!
Here’s how to make them:
1. Melt 1 cup of butter in a large pot
2. Stir in a 10 oz bag of marshmallows and melt until smooth
3. Remove the mixture from the heat and mix in 6 cups of crispy rice cereal
4. Fold in a handful of extra marshmallows at the end for that pillowy, heavenly texture ☁️ along with 1/4 cup of blue & white sprinkles (we used the Bettergoods brand from Walmart)
5. Press into a greased pan 9”x13” and let cool
Serves: 15–20
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
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 or silk flowers crown. I share a video of how I did this one pictured. 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. I share how we structured ours with a homeschool recitation group in this video.
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.
