12 Sweet Ways to Surprise Your Daughter

If you ask any mom what her favorite part of parenting is, it’s likely that her answer (after the kisses and snuggles) is planning a surprise for her little one. Once we see the spark in our children’s eyes when they’re delighted by something that they weren’t expecting, it’s hard not get hooked. I remember putting up our Christmas tree when Ayva was only 2. I hung most of the ornaments, leaving a few for her to hang. Before I brought her into the living room, I turned on the tree lights, then I called her to come downstairs. She was concentrating on making it down the steps so it took a few moments before she noticed the tree. Once she did, though, she was completely still. Her eyes were huge, and slowly a huge grin spread across her face until she was laughing and screaming at the same time. “Look, Mommy! The tree!” For the rest of the evening she could only talk about how beautiful the lights were and how much she loved our tree.

Read 25 Ways to Empower Your Daughter 

That night was one of my most favorite motherhood memories. Not only will I never forget it, but I’ll spend the rest of my life working to evoke the type of joy that my baby girl had that night. Ayva still loves surprises, and I still love seeing her happy, so I’m always looking for ways to surprise her. I started a list of ideas of a few sweet ways to surprise my daughter, and want to share them with you so that you can surprise your girl, too!

12 Ways to Surprise Your Daughter

1. Decorate her bedroom door while she’s asleep or away at school. Extra points if you switch it out periodically for different seasons or holidays!
2. Pick her up early from school and take her on a Mommy / Daughter date to the movies or out to lunch.
3. Bring a blanket into her room and lay on the floor to read her bedtime story. That tiny little change will feel so special to her, and she won’t be expecting it.
4. Take her to work with you one day. Spring break is coming up. Instead of a babysitter or camp, take your daughter into your office with you. Don’t forget to treat her to lunch!
5. Set up a fancy manicure station at home and do her nails. The key to the surprise is setting it up without her knowing, calling her into the room, and then pretending you’re a chic manicurist.
6. Put something special in her lunchbox. It could be a note or a little trinket.
7. Have a slumber party with her and sleep in her room all night. Get matching pjs and don’t tell her until bedtime.
8. Make a fancy mini cake and eat it on party plates with ice cream just like it’s her birthday.
9. Cook all of her favorite foods for dinner. Even if it’s pancakes.
10. Send her a card via snail mail.
11. Make a photo book for her. I made a haiku poem book for Ayva when she was little that we love to read together now.
12. Start a Mommy & Me journal with her. Just take a notebook, write something in it to her, and tell her to write you back. Keep going back and forth until you’re out of paper. Put it on her pillow so she sees it when she goes into her bedroom.

Click to read: How to Make a Mommy & Me Journal