1. Surround yourself with beautiful blooms. Multiple moms suggest hitting one of NYC's six botanical gardens: the New York Botanical Garden and Wave Hill in the Bronx, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Bay Ridge's smaller Narrows Botanical Gardens, the Queens Botanical Garden and Staten Island's Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden. On the holiday weekend, the NYBG is hosting a retro, two-day Mother's Day Weekend Garden Party with a stage full of entertainment, food trucks and space to picnic on Daffodil Hill, plus plenty of fun activities for the kids. If you can't make it to one of these green spaces on Mother's Day, all are tranquil destinations any day.
2. Have a catered picnic. "Usually picnics are a pain because mom has to do all the planning," says Shari. "But there's no work involved if you buy pre-made picnic boxes." Perfect Picnic NYC delivers to your home or even Central Park, and you'll find similar offerings at Chelsea Market and Blue Ribbon Bakery. All mom needs to do is pick her favorite NYC park.
3. Volunteer as a family. Natalie, our volunteering with kids guru, enjoys bonding with her family while giving back to the community. "There's a program called Pitch In, Pick Up and you can do it anytime—just stop by one of the Central Park Conservancy's visitors centers, and borrow a trash grabber or a sweeper."
4. Go hiking. You don't need to leave the city to go for a kid-friendly hike. "We often go for a walk at Fort Tilden in Rockaway," says Teri. Other great NYC hiking spots that feel particularly rural include the Staten Island Greenbelt and Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx.
5. See a show that's enjoyable for all ages. In other words, not a dinky children's show. Catch a performance of A Band of Angels, celebrating the Fisk Jubilee Singers at the New York Children's Theater. The revival is a captivating must-see! For more family-friendly picks all season long, see our spring theater preview.
6. Enjoy a spa day. Original? No. But lots of moms insist all they want is a spa day. And if you're looking for an all-ages option, Queens' Spa Castle, with its heated pools and kid-friendly lounges, is definitely a great destination for families. You could also opt for a mommy and me treatment at the new Milk & Cookies Spa and Salon on the Upper East Side.
7. Go boating in Central Park. Stephanie suggests renting one of the rowboats at The Loeb Boathouse. Don't want to do any work? You can sit back and relax on a Venetian gondola tour.
8. Take a trip to Medieval Times. Our LA editor, Roberta, enjoys "taking the kids to the Renaissance Faire, where all the men make a big fuss over the ladies." Unfortunately, the New York Renaissance Faire doesn't start until August. However, New Jersey's thematically similar Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament attraction is open year-round. It's also near the great small town of Nutley, which is worth a day trip.
9. Spend the day in Coney Island. The beach may be closed but as Katie points out, "everything else is open," including the rides at Luna Park and Deno's Wonder Wheel, the New York Aquarium, Nathan's and the Coney Island Circus Sideshow, which is kid-friendly during the day.
10. Do the downward dog. Anne likes taking a family yoga class. There are lots of kid-friendly yoga studios and many offer sessions for all ages.
11. Change up your style. It can be as tame as asking for glitter nail polish at your mani-pedi or as permanent as dyeing your hair any color of the rainbow at the salon at Patricia Field. My daughter and I also enjoy popping into MAC Cosmetics to try out funky makeup, and getting henna tattoos is on our must-try list.
12. Cheer on the horses. Meg says her family enjoys "spending the day at Belmont Park Racetrack. Last year we had a picnic while watching the ponies. This year we plan to watch from the dining room."
13. Or ride the horses. There are a number of horseback riding stables in NYC, and some offer drop-in trail rides or pony rides.
14. Run a race. Avid runner Sandy says, "I'd love to do a Mother's Day race with my mom, and have my husband and three boys cheer us on at the finish line."
15. Sing together now. Many karaoke clubs have kid-friendly hours during weekend afternoons. Nothing says I love you mom like the whole family belting out a chorus of the Spice Girls' "Mama."

So how do you plan to spend Mother's Day? Share your itineraries in the comments. You can find more fun seasonal activities in our Spring Fun Guide.