Father’s Day falls on the first Sunday in September, and although a store-bought present is practical, a kid-made gift is priceless.
All ages can whip up something wonderful, and to help you help them, here are 5 creative Father’s Day gift ideas. Whether your child makes one, or makes them all, they’ll make Dad’s day!
1. Best Dad trophy
Fathers pour love and effort into parenting, and a kid-made trophy is a crafty way to give them the recognition they deserve.
Once you’ve cut a trophy shape out of sturdy cardboard and painted it black, it’s time for your mini-maker to flex their fine motor skills and add the adornments.
Glitter, pom poms, felt pieces, craft sticks and pipe cleaners can all be glued onto the ‘Best Dad’ trophy in award-winning ways, and this gift is definitely a keeper.
2. Pour painted paperweight
A colourful paperweight adds cheer to the working day, and a pour painted one introduces your child to a fab new art technique.
Instead of using a brush or fingers to apply paint to a smooth stone, they simply use gravity. Different paint colours are poured on one-by-one to create a groovy effect, and once the paperweight is dry, you can apply clear varnish to give it a professional sheen.
3. Pastel resist bookmark
Watercolour adds a wondrous touch to the basic bookmark gift, and pastel resist is another technique that will amaze and delight your young artiste.
To make a beautiful bookmark, simply tape down a long rectangle of watercolour paper and get your child to add a simple design in white oil pastel, pressing firmly (for example, ‘I [heart] Dad’).
Once they’ve brushed plain water across the paper, it’s time to add two or three different watercolour hues in splotches. Your child’s white design will spring from the swirl of colour, and all Dad needs now is a book as absorbing as his gift!
4. Scribble mug
A customised mug warms the cockles of caffeine fiends and hot chocolate aficionados alike.
To add your child’s mark, you’ll need a plain ceramic mug (washed and dried), some colourful paint pens, and stickers shaped like letters and stars.
Spell out ‘Dad’ on one side of the mug in stickers, add some stars, then pass your child a paint pen. It’s Junior’s job to scribble all over that side, and once they’re finished, you’re tasked with removing the stickers to reveal a clean, cut-away design.
Handwashing is recommended for this one-of-a-kind cup, but you can strengthen the colour by putting Dad’s mug in a cold oven, turning the temperature to 150°C, baking for 30 minutes, and leaving it to cool in situ before its debut on Father’s Day.
5. “Thanks for helping me grow” plant sculpture
A decorated plant pot is the perfect present for a budding gardener, but when it comes to Father’s Day ideas for kids to make, a plant sculpture takes your tyke’s thoughtfulness to a whole new level.
With a message of thanks written on each leaf, this crafty construction requires your child to think about the wonderful things Dad’s done for them, and practice writing, cutting, gluing and assembling.
Felt and paper leaves are attached to a pipe cleaner stem, then planted in a cardboard pot, and if the difficulty level is too high, your child can always say “Thanks” with flowers made of air-dry clay.
At child care, Father’s Day crafts for kids feature strongly, and every day brings opportunities for your under five to learn, grow, make and thrive.
To find an enriching centre for your little creative, look no further than Australia’s most trusted child care comparison site, Toddle.
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