All right, mamas, this one’s for you! We’ve got to get ready to celebrate the dads in our lives. Finding another unique and sentimental gift to show our appreciation for all their hard work can feel overwhelming. Let’s be honest. Parenting is a lot of work. How can we find Father’s Day gifts that will convey how much we appreciate all the things a dad does. Here are some suggestions.
Picture Perfect
Let’s start with a simple craft: A decorated picture frame. This could be completely homemade by cutting a frame out of cardboard and setting your kiddo up with a smock, some paint and paintbrushes. You could even add glitter, stickers, puffy paint or even glue-puff balls as well. The options are limitless. Just let the kids go to town!
Or you could go for a more professional looking direction and have an excuse to hit the thrifts! Take your little one on a thrift store adventure to pick out the perfect frame to paint or decorate.
The second part of this activity is the photo itself. Maybe you’ve been saving a photo print to use as a gift. Or this could be a really fun opportunity to do a whole photoshoot with your kiddo! There are so many directions you could take this. Pick a theme that aligns with an interest of Dad’s. Does he love old western movies? Maybe he’s into WWE or the Great British Baking show! Find the interest and recreate the vibe with your kiddo. Not only is it a really good gift, but it’s a lot of fun to put together.
Car Cleanout
Another gift idea that also doubles as a fun activity for the day itself is a car clean out and wash! Kiddos definitely know how to mess up a clean and organized car. So why not flip that around for Father’s Day? You and the kids can grab some trash bags, tote bags (for all the abandoned toys that have fallen into the depths of the vehicle), and cleaning products.
Depending on your living situation, it might be you and kiddo cleaning out the inside and taking the car through a car wash. But if you have the resources to wash the car yourselves, that can be really fun too! Especially for the little ones. Getting to assist with the scrubbing and really the spraying of the water, can be not only a thoughtful gift. But, also a really fun and memorable activity!
Camera Ready
My next idea can be super simple or as complex or creative as you want to make it. Creating an “I love dad” or “why I love dad” video is a great way to provide a super sentimental gift that can be kept forever. Depending on your skill and technical ability, you could really do it up with this one. Or it can be as simple as sitting your kiddo down in a quiet location and simply asking them “what do you love about dad?”
Kids are naturally so funny and creative, you’ll have no idea what random memory or attribute about their dad that they’ll think to tell you. Depending on how much prep time you’ve given yourself for this idea, you can make it pretty long. You can include your kiddo’s grandparents and simply ask, “What do you love about seeing **insert dad’s name here** as a dad?”
Involve dad’s siblings or longtime friends. This is a great project if you’ve got some media skill. But even if all you have is a Macbook and iMovie, it can be the best possible way to pull at those heartstrings and remind the dad how his loved ones see him as a great father.
We all get a bit of that imposter syndrome. So, this can be a good idea for a first Father’s Day. Even though a newborn can’t talk. There are so many life changes that come along with becoming a parent. It can be extremely validating to show dad how much growth and life changes everyone around has seen in him.
I hope you find that one of these suggestions could make a really great personalized gift for the dad in your life! Good luck, and you’ve got this!
Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is three years old.
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