Celebrate Mother’s Day a little differently this year with these apps

Things are a little...different this year, to say the least, but that doesn't mean you can't still celebrate Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is approaching in just a few weeks, and while this year's celebrations may be a little...different, that doesn't mean that Mother's Day is ruined. We all have a mother, and they deserve to be celebrated, regardless of what's going on in the world right now. So grab your iPhones and iPads, and get ready to make mom feel special this year with these great apps to commemorate the occasion.

Felt

What would Mother's Day be without some greeting cards? Felt goes one step further though, and it allows you to handwrite your own messages, as if you were writing on paper with pen.

Felt lets you choose from a nice selection of original card designs, or you can even select a photo from your phone. Then, just write out your message on the front or back of the card with your finger or a stylus, like Apple Pencil. But if handwriting isn't your thing, you can also just type out a message with designer fonts. You can also attach cash or gift cards to your order, and Felt even supports delayed delivery so you can schedule it for later.

All Felt cards are printed on Felt's premium Mohawk card stock, and prices start at around $4 for a single card, and you can buy Felt credits to use on future purchases or even subscribe to send three cards at a time for $5.

Felt

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Felt lets you create beautiful handwritten greeting cards right from your iOS device. Don't forget the cash or gift cards too.

Learn How to Make Origami

If you want to impress your mom, or just have a fun activity to do with her while staying at home, then you can try the art of origami. With the Learn How to Make Origami app from Andreas Bauer, it's never been easier.

With the Learn How to Make Origami app, all you need are sheets of paper. The app includes 30 origami designs, and they all have detailed, step-by-step instructions complete with diagrams to show you how to make them. Additionally, there is a high-quality photo for each, so you can see what the finished product should look like.

If you try this app out and want to do even more origami with things like dollar bills (perfect for gifts), then make sure to check out the developer's other apps.

Learn How to Make Origami

$1 at App Store

This streamlined app helps you learn origami with detailed step-by-step instructions. It's never been easier!

Heads Up!

If you're looking for some fun entertainment this Mother's Day, make sure to have Heads Up! handy on someone's iPhone. This party game is a classic for groups and gatherings of all sizes.

In Heads Up, you choose from a deck of cards, which always have a theme for all the words associated in it. One player then takes the iPhone and puts it up on their forehead, with the screen facing outwards. The other people playing will need to act out the word that is on the screen, and the person with the phone needs to guess what the word is. If they guess correctly, tilt the phone forward to move on to the next. If they're stumped, then tilt it back to pass. Each person only has a minute to guess as many words as they can before passing the phone to someone else.

Heads Up! is a game that you'll often see while waiting in lines at places like Disneyland, but it can be enjoyed at home as well.

Heads Up!

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

How many cards can you guess correctly before time runs out?

Kitchen Stories Recipes

What better way to celebrate mom's day by cooking a delicious meal for her? Kitchen Stories Recipes is a nice app that helps you do just that.

In Kitchen Stories Recipes, you'll find a thousands of free recipes at your disposal, each of them with detailed step-by-step instructions, videos to show you what you need to do, and high quality photos. You can save each recipe into your own "cookbook" collection for reference later, and if you have a recipe you want to share, you can publish your own recipe to share with the community too (shhh, just don't give out any secret family recipes!) When it comes time to cook, you'll want to make sure to make use of the app's shopping list feature to make sure you get everything you need while at the store.

Kitchen Stories Recipes

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Browse thousands of recipes with detailed step-by-step instructions and videos. You can even publish your own recipes for others.

Design Home: House Renovation

Sometimes the best time to bond with mom is coming up with new renovations, even if it is in a game. With Design Home: House Renovation, you can unleash your inner designer with mom.

In Design Home: House Renovation, you can sharpen your decorating skills in daily Design Challenges, where you can stylize virtual 3D spaces with real, high-end furniture and decor brands.

Design Home: House Renovation

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Unleash your interior designer with access to real furniture from top decor brands.

Monument Valley 2

Speaking of mom, Monument Valley 2 is a must have, even if mom isn't usually a gamer.

In Monument Valley 2, you get a meditative and tranquil gaming experience that anyone can enjoy. The dialogue-less story of Monument Valley 2 also reveals the story about the selflessness of motherhood, making this a perfect game for you and your mom to experience together.

Monument Valley 2

$5 at App Store

Monument Valley 2 is a tranquil optical illusion puzzle game for everyone.

Trivia Crack 2

Somehow, trivia is a thing that can bring anyone together, even if you think you may not be good at it. Trivia Crack 2 is one such game that is sure to bring you and mom together.

Trivia Crack 2 brings thousands of trivia questions for you and mom to answer together, and you can see who knows more random facts than the other. You can even select certain categories and subjects so that there is a more narrow focus.

Trivia Crack 2

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Show off your trivia knowledge with mom with this fun game.

Jigsaws Puzzle Crash

Right now is the best time to piece together a jigsaw puzzle, but it may be hard to find a physical puzzle in the stores since everyone's buying them up. Fortunately, there is Jigsaw Puzzle Crash.

In Jigsaw Puzzle Crash, you and mom can work together to piece together classic jigsaw puzzles, and there are a ton of different puzzles to choose from, with as many as 840 pieces. Or, if you want to, you can create your own jigsaw puzzle using your own photos, giving it a more personal touch. No matter what you pick, this app will be sure to entertain.

Jigsaws Puzzle Crash

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Solve beautiful jigsaw puzzles up to 840 pieces together, and even make your own with photographs.

Peloton

With the shelter-in-place orders, it can be difficult to get your exercise in each day. But the Peloton app can help change that for you and mom.

The Peloton app offers thousands of on-demand fitness classes, and you can choose what fits you and your mom's needs the most. There is cycling, running, yoga, and even boot camp. There are about 10,000 classes with over 30 world-class instructors, so you and mom can stay active and fit together. All you need is an active membership.

Peloton - at home fitness

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Stay fit and active with over 10,000 classes with 30+ world-class instructors.

Givingli

Mother's Day means gifts for mom, but you may just not want to deal with the crowds at the grocery store for something simple like a gift card. Fortunately, Givingli can help.

Givingli lets you send virtual greetings to mom, so she gets it instantly, no waiting for snail mail. Plus, you can attach gift cards of varying amounts for things like Uber Eats, Sephora, Crate & Barrel, and more. All greetings can be personalized with stickers, text, drawings, and more. It's a fantastic way to quickly send mom a gift she'll appreciate.

Givingli

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Send virtual greetings with optional gift cards for various brands.

Marco Polo - Stay In Touch

Want a private place to keep in touch with mom? Then you should try Marco Polo, which combines the best of texting, social media, and video chats in one place.

Marco Polo is a private social app, where you can only connect with others if you know their phone number. The service does not collect or sell your data for advertising. The social part of it is like a social network without the likes or social comparisons — it's just an app for you and your family and close friends to share. You can also leave video messages so that there's no need to play phone tag, and you will know when your message is heard. It's also a multi-platform app, so you can communicate even if the other person is not an iPhone user.

Marco Polo - Stay In Touch

Free with in-app purchases at App Store

Marco Polo combines the best of texting, social, and video calls into one app.

Best Food Delivery Services

If you usually take mom out for a nice meal for Mother's Day, well, that's going to be impossible to do right now, sorry. I know, it sucks. But don't fret! You can actually still order food from your local restaurants and businesses if you want to, as many of them are delivering food directly to your homes, or even offering curbside pickup.

Just make sure to check that the place you want to order from is delivering through one of those services.

Best Food Delivery Services in 2020

Best Meal Delivery Services

Want to cook for mom but don't want to venture out to the grocery store right now? I mean, we can't blame you — it's madness. Fortunately, there are meal delivery services that will deliver fresh and delicious ingredients straight to your door, and they even give you the instructions on how to cook up an amazing meal for yourself, or mom, in this case.

The prices on each of these will vary, but they're all quite affordable and if you calculate the costs, each meal comes out cheaper than ordering takeout. Just know that you're going to have to do the work to prepare it into a meal!

Best Meal Delivery Services in 2020

Enjoy a video call

If you are unable to visit mom in person this year because of what's going on, then don't worry, there are alternatives. You can always make a video call to mom, and there are plenty of apps that let you do just that. When mom is using an iPhone or iPad, and you are too, then FaceTime is the easiest solution since it's built in. But other alternatives, like Skype, are also great and easy to use.

Best video conference call apps in 2020

Celebrate Mom every day

Mother's Day may be in May, but don't let that be the only time you do something nice for your mom, especially right now. Give her a video call every now and then to make sure that she's doing alright during all of this, and I'm sure she would appreciate a meal or two not on Mother's Day. And who wouldn't like a nice handwritten card these days?

How are you planning on celebrating Mother's Day this year? Let us know in the comments!