Jill Berkley, of Lawrence, gets a hug from her son Ethan, 5, at the end of a tea party for the mothers of students at First Presbyterian Church Preschool. The young students shared snacks and various works of art Friday with their moms.

Preschoolers at First Presbyterian Church can’t be accused of forgetting Mother’s Day this year.

Their moms received their gifts more than a week early.

On Friday, moms followed their children through the halls of the church, where the fruits of semesterlong art projects adorned the walls and classrooms.

Tara Honeyman attended the annual Mother’s Tea and Art Show with her son, Carter.

“They’ve been talking about it for a long time,” she said.

Carter’s artwork included a heart painted with textured tempera paint.

Other students painted their version of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. They painted on a large sheet of paper while lying on their back to simulate what it must have been like for Michelangelo to do his work.

The event, according to art teacher Kathy Smith, was designed in part to teach the students the methods of renowned artists such as Vincent van Gogh and Jackson Pollock.

“They can build background knowledge for later on,” she said. “We don’t expect them to walk around saying their names, but later on if they see their work, they might be able to say, ‘Hey, I know that.'”

The art show is somewhat of a rite of passage for preschoolers at the church, 2415 Clinton Parkway.

“It’s been going on so long that nobody really knows how it got started,” said Jennifer Allen, director of the preschool.

Preschooler Jessica Reed was just happy to be part of the tradition.

Why?

“Because it’s fun,” she said.