Mother’s Day in the U.S. is on Sunday, May 14. The moms in your life may tell you that they don’t want a gift, but would they turn one down? Probably not. It’s important to recognize their around-the-clock efforts, so on this national day of recognition, give some of your time to a mom or moms who’d like to hear from you or see you, and maybe snag them a fun gift, too.
If you happen to be shopping online, we’ve put together this list of gift ideas that can arrive in a matter of days. It was developed thanks to suggestions from several Polygon staffers, some of whom know very cool moms who like anime and video games, which makes shopping for them super easy. But let’s be real: Most of our moms aren’t that simple to shop for. We hope that these ideas help you out a little bit.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
On one hand, Codenames is surprisingly simple to explain. On the other, it’s deceptively complex once you start playing and realize that you’ve never connected two words in your life. Come for the spy intrigue, stay for the bonkers associations you’ll have to pull out of your ass.
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Uncanny Brands Pokémon Waffle Maker
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Pikachu used “Make Waffle.” It’s Super Effective! The Uncanny Brands Pikachu Waffle Iron is engraved with the visage of everyone’s favorite yellow, electrified rodent. While it’s intended to produce waffles, the waffle iron can also be used to make eggs, cakes, or even quesadillas. And with an easy-to-clean Teflon surface, there’s no excuse not to experiment.
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Octopath Traveler 2 (Switch, PlayStation)
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Turn-based JRPGs may require a huge time investment, but Octopath Traveler 2 is among the easiest to pick up and put down, not to mention one of the most engaging and fun games of 2023 so far.
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Whisper of the Heart (Blu-ray + DVD)
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Whisper of the Heart evokes nostalgic feelings for a girlhood summer in 1995 Tokyo that you never thought you were capable of. Also, you’ll never listen to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” the same way again.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Suffer lukewarm beverages no longer. The Ember Mug is a wirelessly charging 14 ounce mug that can keep your drink of choice piping hot for up to 80 minutes. The Ember Mug app even allows you to set a specific temperature depending on your preference, with an LED indicating when your drink has reached the ideal temperature.
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Fujifilm Instax Mini Link 2 smartphone printer
Prices taken at time of publishing.
This wireless photo printer can print photos with effects from your phone via an app. It can also connect to your Nintendo Switch console to immortalize your favorite gaming moments.
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Uncanny Brands Star Wars Death Star Popcorn Maker
Prices taken at time of publishing.
You don’t need a popcorn maker to make popcorn, but the Empire didn’t technically need the Death Star to blow up Alderaan either. This popcorn maker produces the perfect amount to fill its removable bowl top and even features a built-in reservoir to melt butter.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
The Nintendo Switch OLED upgrades the handheld console with better audio, a 7-inch OLED display, and an improved kickstand.
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Mandalorian Grogu + Grogu Pram pet beds
Prices taken at time of publishing.
Listen, your pets don’t get to make the call when it comes to where they’ll sleep. If you want them to sleep inside of a Grogu head, or in Grogu’s Pram, then darn it, that’ll have to do.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Tune into your favorite music, podcasts, audiobooks, TV shows, or games while tuning out everything else thanks to the AirPods Pro 2’s effective noise cancellation.
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Official Complete Guide
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Learn all that there is to know about Animal Crossing: New Horizons for Nintendo Switch. This guide breaks down every collectible, making it a great companion while playing the game.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
This 756-piece Lego flower bouquet may not replace the real thing for some moms, but at least this arrangement can live forever once it’s assembled.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
There’s little that you can’t do with the iPad Mini. On this handy tablet, you can browse social media, watch TV shows and movies, and catch up on comics and manga.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
There’s nothing relaxing about the look of LectroFan’s white noise machine, but if you value the drone of serene nothingness (either to sleep or concentrate), it’ll quickly become a favorite item.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
I always imagined the Death Star smelled like the DMV, but now I know it smells like forged steel and leather. The Homesick Star Wars candle collection offers scents inspired by some of the most iconic locations in the galaxy far, far away. In addition to the Death Star, you can also find candles based on Tatooine (bergamot and sage), and Endor (wood and fern).
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Paying $70 will get you two bottles of wine per month, curated by experts. Eater is our sister site, focused on all things fine dining.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Sometimes, the right gift isn’t a thing, but instead an excuse to get out of town for a while. With an Airbnb gift card, let mom take some time to recharge.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Valve’s handheld PC can play loads of games from Steam, including Elden Ring, Cyberpunk 2077, and many more.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
With an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription, you can stream Xbox games over the cloud to a range of devices, like phones and tablets. All you need is a controller.
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Prices taken at time of publishing.
Compatible with PC, Steam Deck, Xbox, mobile (Android/iOS)
Update (April 26): As we get closer to Mother’s Day in the U.S., we have added four new fun kitchen products that Pokémon and Star Wars fans will enjoy.