Father’s Day Gifts Kids Can Make for Their Dads
Shandra Martinez
| 3 min read
As the calendar inches closer to Father’s Day on Sunday, June 20, children will be scurrying to put the finishing touches on their gifts and cards. Some kids know exactly what present they want to pick out for their dad. It might be something they buy at the mall or a local store. It could be an item their mother helps them pick out and pay for. But there are also a lot of gifts kids can make for their dads.
Handmade gifts and cards from children are things that really come from the heart. They are often kept and treasured by parents long after their kids are grown. Giving a handmade gift is a way to tell someone you care enough to spend your time on them and use your talents to create something unique. It’s an “I love you” in tangible form.
Making a homemade gift for Father’s Day doesn’t have to be time consuming or expensive. Especially for young children, most gifts can be made with just a few art and craft supplies, things most families already have in their homes.
Here are a couple examples for the youngest gift-givers.
Photo poster card. Even the smallest kids – with a little help – can make a posterboard-sized gift that is a cross between a giant card and a picture-perfect present. Children can pick their favorite color of poster board and use a glue stick to decorate it with pictures of their dad, or of their dad and them together for a “Me and My Dad” poster gift. If the kids are a little older, they can make a more complex “Adventures with Dad” poster that combines pictures with little notes about what fun things or places they have visited with their father.
Clay creations. Craft aisles are full of different brands and colors of air-dry clay. This art supply staple allows kids to create bowls or other containers which then harden into shape just by being left out to dry on a counter or tabletop. Kids can make containers for dads to keep their pocket change, or put their watches or keys. Once hardened, the containers can be decorated with paints or markers for a personal touch.
Homemade treats. Nothing says Happy Father’s Day like a sweet surprise made by little hands. Kids can make their dad’s favorite cookies, cupcakes or other treats to celebrate the day. Or they can start the day off with breakfast in bed, arranging their dad’s toast and fruit on a tray. Don’t have a tray? Drape a kitchen towel over a sturdy cookie sheet and arrange the dishes on top of that.
Older kids and teens may want to steer away from the handmade crafts for a little more of a Father’s Day adventure.
Plan a day outside. Build an adventure around spending time outside with dad, having kids pick an activity their dad either really likes, or would be game to try. This could mean a bike ride, renting kayaks for an hour or two, or playing golf or even disc golf. These activities are a great way to make memories.
Plan a picnic for lunch or dinner. While many families make restaurant reservations on Father’s Day, with a little planning you can create your own al fresco dining celebration to mark dad’s big day. This might be packing a fun picnic lunch and taking it to a nearby park, or just your backyard. It could be more elaborate, like grilling some meat at the beach and bringing all the fixings for a family meal.
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Photo credit: Getty Images
