Last minute Father’s Day gift ideas and children’s activities

Father’s Day is here, the one day a year when we celebrate the fathers in our lives! With little ones, you may be trying to think of a way to help your kids show their dad how much they love and care about him. Here are some fun, last minute ways in which you can help your kids celebrate Father’s Day!

Make a scrapbook

Set aside some pictures that your child can look through for his Father’s Day scrapbook. You can use a photo album or staple construction paper together to form a scrapbook. Pull out the glue sticks, glitter, scissors, and crayons and get to work. Let your child cut out fun shapes to put on the pages. You may consider adding fun stickers based on the hobbies in her father’s (or grandfather’s) life – whether it be golfing, fishing, sports, hunting, you name it!  Provide washable crayons and markers to your child to write messages or draw pictures in the scrapbook. A child’s drawings and messages will mean the world to her dad!  Wrap it up in a box with wrapping paper or place in a masculine colored gift bag with matching tissue paper.

Cook up breakfast

Who doesn’t love a homemade breakfast?  Father’s Day is the perfect opportunity for your child to come up with a breakfast for their dad or granddad. Depending on their age and skill level, they can make pancakes, eggs, or French toast. For younger children, it may be easier to have them prepare a special bowl of cereal and some toast and jam. Have your child invite their daddy to breakfast at the dining room table or help him take breakfast to dad in bed.

Make a Father’s Day dinner

What is his favorite meal?  Invite your child to go grocery shopping for the ingredients for his special dinner. When you prepare the meal, invite your child to help. It’s fun for kids to help out in the kitchen and it will be even more special if dad knows that his little guy helped prepare it for him!  Always supervise around fire, hot, or sharp objects. You can celebrate the Father’s Day Dinner with dad alone or invite family and other dads over for the special occasion.

Bake a Father’s Day Cake

My family loves cake, so we have a tendency to make cakes around special occasions like Father’s Day.  You can have your child help break eggs, add water, or mix the cake batter. Depending on the child’s age and skill level, you may want to pour the batter into the cake pans yourself. You can invite your child to help frost the cake or decorate it with sprinkles when it’s cooled off. Present the cake to dad after dinner and enjoy!

Shannon Steen-Larsen is the author of The Mommy-Files, a blog where she talks about motherhood, recipes and cooking, travel, product reviews, and giveaways. Shannon is a busy mommy of tjree boys living in California and experiencing the many joys and challenges of motherhood.

Mom Central