Elementary school celebrates Mother's Day in annual third grade kickball game

BOUNTIFUL — The third graders at Oak Hills Elementary School in Bountiful know how to celebrate moms, and the mother figures in their lives, the right way for Mother's Day. Per tradition, all the third graders play a game of kickball against their moms or other mother figures at the school on the Friday before Mother's Day every year. It's not just any kickball game; the moms wear ball gowns to play in the students vs. moms competitive kickball game. They call it the "Third Grade Mother's Day (kick)Ball".Henry, one of the third graders who played, said he loves playing against his mom because he wants his team to beat his mom's team. "I want the kids' team to win, but I think the moms will win," Henry said. "It's fun, and I like hanging out with her (his mom)." The principal of the elementary school, Cynthia Palmer, said this has always been a beloved tradition of the school and a sort of "right of passage" for the kids to finally be able to participate when they become third graders. "It's because of the relationships and the memory," Palmer said. "They get to be part of this day, and it's a big deal, right? We get to play kickball together. How many moms go out and play kickball with their kids?" In the classroom, before the games, you could feel the excitement from the students as they talk about how excited they were to win against their moms during the kickball game. "We've been practicing," the third graders yelled from inside the classroom as they got ready to run out onto the field. "We're going to win!" The students didn't seem to care if they won as the moms ran around in ball gowns and the kids cheered for their classmates while they went around the bases."I love watching the moms beat the kids every year." said third-grade teacher Stacey Stewart. "The kickball Mother's Day tradition has been around for about 14 years." It's a tradition that seems like it will continue for many years to come. "We want families to be part of the kids' education. We want them to see what goes on in schools," Palmer said. "I think sometimes this is the stuff that you don't see, but it's so important. Families connecting with their kids at school." [gallery ids="906889,906890,906899,906900"]

Don't want to play in a kickball game for Mother's Day? Here are 5 Mother's Day gift ideas better than a bouquet

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