Mother’s Day activity: Making a beaded bracelet to remember your mum

March 2026

Our full circle partners at the charity Winston’s Wish have shared this activity to help bereaved children remember loved ones this Mother’s Day

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Significant days like Mother’s Day can be really difficult for children and young people who have been bereaved of a mum or mother figure. For some children and young people, this can be an opportunity to remember their mum or mother figure. Our friends at the childhood bereavement charity Winston’s Wish are sharing an activity that they do with grieving children to help them remember the person who has died – making a beaded bracelet.

A child or young person can make a beaded bracelet to remember their mum, to remind them of people around them now or to remember happy memories. 

This activity is not suitable for very young children. If you have younger children around, make sure an adult is keeping a close eye on them so they don’t pick up and swallow the beads. 

What you will need:

• A selection of different beads
• Suitable cord or beading elastic
• Scissors

How to make a beaded bracelet:

 1.          Encourage your child to think about the most important times they spent with the person who has died.

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2.         Ask them to choose a bead that reminds them of that time.

3.         If your child wants to (and you have letter beads), they could spell out their name with letter beads.

4.          On a piece of plain paper, help them write a bit about why they have chosen each bead and place the bead next to it.

5.         Take a picture of your child’s beads and what they have written so they have something to help them remember what each bead is for.

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6.         Take the cord and tie a random bead to the end – this is just to stop your child’s special beads slipping off as you thread them.

7.         Help them thread the beads onto the cord or elastic and then remove the random bead on the end.

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8.         Tie it to your child’s wrist. If you have made it with elastic, the knot can be a normal double knot. If you’ve used cord, you will need to do a sliding know so you can take the bracelet on and off.

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About Winston’s Wish

Winston’s Wish is a charity that helps children, teenagers and young adults (up to the age of 25) find their feet when their worlds are turned upside down by grief. 

If you’re an adult supporting a bereaved child or young person who is struggling with their grief, you can call Winston’s Wish on 08088 020 021, email ask@winstonswish.org or use the live chat on their website (all available 8am-8pm, weekdays). They will be able to offer guidance, information and support.