WEEKEND PICKS: Mother's Day Specials!

Make Some Mother's Day Memories with Brunches, Nature Walks, Teas, Free Admission, & More Happy Mother's Day!
Moms, you deserve a special outing away from your to-do lists where you can enjoy time with your family. Choose from one of the following events, and plan to make some memories.
-- Calendar Editor Carrie Wattu


Saturday, May 12
Mother's Day Picture Event. Auburn Mall. 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Kidgit Club members, get dressed up and have a special picture taken for your Mom. Make a gift at the craft table. Not a Kidgits member? Sign up today for a $5 annual fee. 508-832-2314. shopauburnmall.com .
Free Garden Admission for Moms. Tower Hill Botanical Gardens, Boylston. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stroll the gardens. Bring a picnic. A$8, Y $5, Free for 6 and under. 508-869-6111. towerhillbg.org . Also 5/13.
Mother's Day Tea. Willard House Clock Museum, North Grafton. 2 to 3 p.m. Treat your mother, daughter or granddaughter. Reminisce about the past and experience the slow pace of years gone by in the historic Willard House. Spend a leisurely afternoon in a quite country setting enjoying tea, coffee and pastries, and the sights and sounds of clocks. Daughters, 5 - 12, $9, Moms/Grandmoms $10 NM. Advance registration by 5/5: 508-839- 3500. willardhouse.org .
Mother's Day. Providence Children's Museum, Providence, RI. 1 to 3 p.m. Ages 3 - 8. Bring bears to share cookies and lemonade with moms and grandmoms. Listen to bear stories and make May baskets. $6.50pp. 401-273-KIDS childrenmuseum.org .
Mother's Day Craft Station. Heritage Museums & Gardens, 67 Grove St., Sandwich. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tour the gardens & buildings; stop by the craft table at the Art Museum to make a unique gift tag and a sachet of relaxing bath salts with the scent of your choice. Free w/admission: A$12, Y (6-16) $6, C 5 and under free. 508-888-3300. 508-888- 3300. heritagemuseum.org .
Mothering Sons Retreat. For mothers of all boy families. Held in Sudbury. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. What makes mothering sons unique? How do we honor the "feminine" in our households? Facilitated by Betsy Wisch M.A., LMHC. Call for fees. Registration: betsywisch@comcast.net or 978-394-6316.
Flowers for Mom. Broad Meadow Brook Wildlife Sanctuary, Worcester. 10 a.m. to noon. Take a gentle family hike to view the wildflowers in bloom. Then, sit and relax on the deck, while dad (or other adult) and kids make special gifts to present to moms. All ages. A$10, C$6 NM. Register: 508- 753-6087.

Sunday, May 13
Half-Price Admission for Mom. Discovery Museum, Acton. Mothers, Stepmothers, and grandmothers enjoy half-price admission. $8pp; Both museums $12pp. 978-264-4200. discoverymuseums.org .
26th Annual Duckling Day Parade. Boston Common (opposite the State House). Sign up at 11 a.m. Parade is at noon. Every Mother's Day, the tiny duckling sculptures inspired by the children's book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey come out of storage. They return in a parade, designed especially for children, that winds through the Boston Common and the Public Garden. Children dress as their favorite characters from the book and are led by the Harvard University Marching Band. After the parade, swan boats at the garden lake are available. Registered children receive ducky prizes and refreshments. Tickets: $25 per family. Advance tickets: Mail a check made payable to Friends of the Public Garden, 87 Mt. Vernon Street, Boston, MA 02108. Tickets also at the event. 617-723-8144, 617-766-5669 or email fopg@gis.net. friendsofthepublicgarden.org .
Mother's Day. Franklin Park Zoo, Boston and Stone Zoo, Stoneham. Enjoy scavenger hunts, zookeeper encounters and a special surprise unveiling. zoonewengland.com .
Free Garden Admission for Moms. Tower Hill Botanical Gardens, Boylston. See 5/12 listing for details. 508-869-6111. towerhillbg.org .
Mother's Day with A Splash of Blue. Concord Museum, Concord. 12 to 5 p.m. Bring your mothers (or mothers bring your families!) to enjoy the exhibition A Splash of Blue and a special guided tour (2 p.m.) of the Museum with a focus on some fascinating and accomplished women in Concord's history. Reservations: 978-369-9763.
Mother's Day Brunch. Verrill Farm, Concord. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Served outside under the tent. Live music. $20pp, C (Under 10) $10. Reservations and pre-payment by 5/11. 978-369-4494. verrillfarm.com .
Annual Mothers Day Brunch. Fruitlands Museum, Prospect Hill Rd., Harvard. A fun free day. 978- 456-3924 x 239. fruitlands.org .
Bring Your Mom(s) to DeCordova for Free. DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Lincoln. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Explore the 35-acre Sculpture Park and The 2007 DeCordova Annual Exhibition; dine in The Café, and more. Bring your family dog. A$9, Y (6-12)$6, C 5 and under free. 781-259- 8355. decordova.org .
30th Annual Birds and Breakfast. Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary, 280 Eliot St., Natick. 7 to 8:30 a.m. Learn bird identification tips from an expert during a 90-minute guided walk, then return to the nature center for homemade pancakes and real maple syrup from Natick Community Organic Farm. A $15, C$8 NM. Register: 508-655- 2296 or e-mail: broadmoor@massaudubon.org .
Mother's Day Brunch. Plymouth Plantation, Plimoth. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Brunch and hands-on workshop to create a handmade Mother's Day present, or simple memento of your visit to the museum. A $27.95; C $16.95 NM. RSVP by 5/5: 508-746-1622. plimoth.org .
Meet Our Moms Day. Roger Williams Park Zoo, Providence, RI. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. All mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers and honorary mothers for half price on Mother's Day, when accompanied by a child. Special activities planned. A$12, C (3-12) $6, Under 3 free. 401-785-3510. rogerwilliamsparkzoo.org .
Mother's Day. Providence Children's Museum, Providence, RI. Free admission for moms and grandmoms all day. Ages 3 - 11 can make special cards with creative materials from 1 to 3 p.m. 401-273-KIDS. childrenmuseum.org .
Moms are Free at Davis' Farmland. Sterling. 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Other admission: Ages 2 - 59 $12.95. Under 2 free. 978-422-MOOO. davisfarmland.com .
Mother's Day at Old Sturbridge Village. Sturbridge. Published 19th-century author Lydia Maria Child shares her advice to mothers upon the subject of child rearing and other domestic practices. Half-price admission for Mom. Heirloom bulbs in bloom in Village gardens and baby animals at the farm. A$20, C (3-17)$6, C under 3 free. 800- SEE-1830. osv.org .
A Mother's Day Tea in the mansion at Gore Place. 52 Gore St., Waltham. 3 p.m. Enjoy a traditional English tea in the beautiful surroundings of the Governor Gore estate in Waltham plus an assortment of sweets and savories served in the Great Hall and Oval Parlor of this beautiful 1806 mansion. Music by guitarist David Newsam. $20pp. Reservations: 781-894-2798. goreplace.org.