Mother’s Day Weekend Arts Retreat
Celebrate Mother’s Day with creativity and connection at Appel Farm!
Perfect for caregivers and kiddos who want to spend a weekend together creating art, sharing meals, warming up by the campfire, building relationships, and having fun!
May 8-10
Friday Check-In 7pm
Sunday Check-Out 10am
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center
457 Shirley Rd. • Elmer, NJ
All Families Welcome
Open to all mothers and others!
Caregivers and kiddos from Age 5 to Adult!
Workshops & More!
Arts activities of all kinds, campfires & lots of family fun
Prefer to explore more first? Request our Mother’s Day brochure and get all our info sent straight to your inbox.
What your weekend includes:
- Arts workshops in different disciplines including visual arts, music, writing, and movement
- Overnight accommodations in several bunk options (listed below)
- Saturday breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a special Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday
- Friday & Saturday Night campfires with s'mores; Enjoy the great outdoors
- Late night fun time and early morning activities for the night owls and early birds
Featured Workshops & Teaching Artists
Throughout the weekend, participants will have the opportunity to explore a variety of creative workshops led by Appel Farm teaching artists. Here are a few of the experiences planned for the retreat.
MAMMA NEEDS A MOMENT
A 90-minute kid-free creative awakening gathering caregivers who are always on – holding the snacks, the schedules, the feelings – a space to breathe, create, and tend to the parts of you that exist alongside caregiving.
Through intuitive collage-making, guided meditation, reflective writing, and gentle, music-led movement, participants will reconnect with what truly nourishes them and leave feeling more resourced, restored, and creatively lit up.
Handmade Junk Journals
In this workshop, we will create unique junk journals. A junk journal serves as a personalized place for storing, creating, and planning art. After constructing their journals, participants will explore a variety of materials to enhance them, including fabric, ephemera, paint, and recycled materials.
STAMPS & PRINTS
Explore the fun of simple printmaking techniques to create repeating patterns, textures, and handmade designs. Participants will experiment with stamps, inks, and found materials to create unique printed artwork.
PUPPETRY PLAYHOUSE
Bring puppets to life in this playful storytelling workshop! Together we’ll create unique puppet characters, practice giving them voices and personalities, and act out silly scenes and mini-adventures using our imaginations.
Let's Move and Groove
Get ready to move and groove! In this upbeat class we’ll explore fun dance moves, learn a short TikTok inspired routine together, and add our own creative flair to the choreography. No experience needed, just bring your energy and your best dance moves!
STRETCH & FLOW
Take a moment to slow down and move your body in a calm and mindful way. Through gentle stretching and simple flowing movements, we’ll loosen up our muscles, improve balance, and leave feeling relaxed, refreshed, and ready for the rest of the day.
TEACHING ARTIST
Liv Smith
Handmade Junk Journals
Stamps & Prints
TEACHING ARTIST
JJ Aponte
Puppetry Playhouse
Let’s Move and Groove
Stretch & Flow
TEACHING ARTIST
Kelli Jo Lillian
Mamma Needs a Moment
2026 Pricing Options
Shared Bunk - $175/person
Private Room for 2 - $400/pair
Cost per pair includes all meals, art supplies, activities, and accommodations. Private room has two twin beds. Building includes two shared bathrooms. Please note: Private rooms can accommodate only two guests.
Payment plan available: $100 deposit plus 6 payments of $50.00, paid every two weeks.
Private Bunk - $1200
Check-in begins at 7pm on Friday, May 8. Check out is Sunday, May 10 at 10 am. Private Bunk Package-up to 8 people
Want to bunk with friends or have a big family? SAVE with this package that guarantees a private bunk for up to 8, or extra space for a few, and includes all meals, art supplies, and activities. Private bunks feature twin bunk beds and a private bathroom.
Payment plan available: $250 deposit plus 12 payments of $73.07, paid weekly. Final payment of $73.16.
Day Pass - $65
A Creative Community since 1960
Appel Farm Arts & Music Center is a nonprofit arts education organization dedicated to the belief that creativity has the power to connect people, strengthen communities, and inspire personal growth.
For more than sixty-five years, Appel Farm has welcomed children, families, artists, and educators to experience the arts in a supportive and inclusive environment.
Our programs encourage curiosity, collaboration, and self-expression through hands-on creative experiences in visual art, music, movement, theater, writing, and more.
At Appel Farm, creativity isn’t about perfection — it’s about exploration, discovery, and connection.
The Mother’s Day Arts Retreat brings that spirit to a special weekend designed for families to create and connect together.