Racking your brain to figure out what your tots should give their daddy for Father’s Day? Sports gear or a good book are perennial faves, but he’ll truly love personalized gifts from his wee ones. Your preschoolers will also enjoy flexing their creative muscles and tapping into their maturing motor skills while gaining a great sense of accomplishment.

With the annual patriarchal holiday being Sunday, June 21, you’ve got a few weeks to pull together one or all of these special treats for your super dad. Sure to make your Father’s Day celebration extra sweet, each craft will brighten up his space at home or work. All templates can be found on www.LittleRockFamily.com.

Cereal Box of Happy Thoughts

We all need a pick me up from time to time and dads are no exception. Decorate and personalize an empty Cheerios box or any other dry cereal box. Then fill it with sweet notes, inspirational quotes, compliments, scriptures or anything else to help brighten your dad’s day.

Materials:

  • Cereal box
  • Photos of children or family members
  • Magazine or newspaper cut outs
  • Craft/scrapbooking paper, gift wrap or contact paper
  • Glue
  • Scissors (adults only)
  • Craft safety scissors
  • Markers/crayons/pens
  • Clear contact paper

To Make:

  1. Cut paper of your choice to fit around and cover the box almost like a present, but leaving the top open.
  2. Paper for covering the box can either be taped secure, glued of self-adhesive contact paper.
  3. Glue photos and other decorations all over the box and label as you see fit.
  4. Cover the finished product with clear contact paper to preserve it.
  5. Write out sweet notes on different colored construction paper. Fold in half and place in the box. Make as many as possible to fill the box.

Thumbprint Tie

Ties get a bad rap for being the ultimate Father’s Day gift cliché. Think outside the tie box and create a one-of-a-kind tie for your one-of-a-kind pop! (Download and print this PDF to use as a tempate!)

Materials:

  • Construction paper in variety of colors (one piece for back drop and other(s) for making the tie)
  • Finger paints
  • Glue
  • Scissors (safety and adult)
  • Paint shirt and paper towels

To Make:

  1. Cut two narrow rectangles for sides of tie to represent the pieces that go around the neck. Cut one upside down modified triangle for the knot and one piece for the tie that hangs down.
  2. Glue all pieces in the shape of the tie onto the full sized piece of construction paper.
  3. Cover the pad of your child’s thumb with the chosen color of paint and have them press down on the tie in a polka dot pattern. Add paint to their thumb as needed to allow for good transfer onto the paper.
  4. Let dry. Then help children write a special message, their name and the year.

King for the Day Grocery Sack Crown

Give your dad the royal treatment on Father’s Day with his very own personalized crown to wear during your family’s festivities.

Materials:

  • Paper grocery sack
  • Art materials of choice
  • Stapler

To Make:

  1. Fold down the opening of the bag until it will fit your father’s head. You can make this estimation by comparing it to one of his hats. You may need to use a stapler to decrease the bag opening size just a little.
  2. Use paint, crayons, markers, glue and other art materials to decorate the hat. Be sure to write the date somewhere inside the hat.

“D” is for Dad Book

This idea comes straight from seasoned local preschool teacher Stacy Wingfield.

Materials:

  • Construction paper for book cover
  • Ribbon
  • Copy paper for inside pages
  • Pens, markers or crayons
  • Finger paint

To Make:

  1. Download (2.2 MB, 3 pages) and print out this PDF. Have your kiddo fill in the blanks on each page.
  2. Paint your child’s hand and carefully press in the middle of one of the construction paper sheets. Allow to fully dry. Write “D” is for Daddy and Happy Father’s Day on the cover page around your child’s hand print.
  3. Neatly gather all pages and covers together. Hole punch two holes on the left side of the book for the binding.
  4. Cut ribbon the length needed to string through the holes from back to front. Tie in a bow on the front for the book binding. Don’t forget to write the date on it.