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A man cuddles a happy baby.

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.

 

Luminous removes the hassle of arranging for tuition vouchers and helps make childcare affordable. Vouchers can help ease your financial stress. Learn more about qualifying for HRA and ACS vouchers at our Bronx and Brooklyn centers. Payment can also be made by SEIU/1199 Child Care, check, credit card, and through the Luminous reimbursement program. Contact Luminous Early Childhood Learning Center at enrollment@luminouschildcare.org or call us at 929.228.1180.

Happy little African American boy in a pumpkin patch in autumn,

Hi, parents, and happy October! I’m so happy to celebrate my favorite season of the year. It's that time of year for fall fun with little ones. Here are some autumn- and Halloween-themed suggestions to keep your little one entertained.

As always, we are keeping these as simple as can be. Let’s get started! 

Squishy Fun

First is an activity that is great for our really tiny humans. If you plan to carve pumpkins, don’t throw away the guts of the pumpkin.

Instead, toss them in a gallon zip lock bag to create a super simple and squishy sensory activity for those 12-24-month-olds.

This way they are still involved in the pumpkin carving, but in a safe way. And this allows us parents to really focus on our own pumpkins, am I right? 

Pumpkin Washing

Another idea for our little littles is a pumpkin washing station. To keep it really simple, go for smaller pumpkins. You’ll need to grab a container, fill it with warm soapy water, and make sure there you’re set up in an area that is protected from the splashing or is OK to get wet.

Our three- and four-year-olds can really get involved in the activity by washing everyone’s pumpkins before the carving begins! 

With larger pumpkins, skip placing them in water. Instead, just give your little one a couple of washcloths and some warm soapy water. This way they can wipe down all the pumpkins, and get them nice and clean for carving. But you don’t have to find a giant tote to fill with water either. 

Sensory Bin

Another easy peasy sensory activity for our littles ones is a fall-themed sensory bin.

You could use multicolored dry pasta, pinecones, smooth acorns, or even some leaves. There is basically no mess when it comes to this activity since everything is pretty large and we parents love to hear that.

Give this one a try and let me know how it goes and how long your kiddo stayed engaged in the activity. 

Hunting for Decorations

This next one, I just did with my kiddo over the past weekend, and we had such a good time. I realized, I didn’t have any Autumn or Halloween decorations for our house! As such a huge fan of this time of year, that did not sit right with me. Lack of storage space keeps me from holding onto a lot of decorations, other than those we have for Christamas. 

So, I asked my kiddo if he wanted to go to the thrift store to pick out some decorations. Surprise, surprise, his response was “NOW?” It just so happened we had a few free hours before I had to go to work. So, I said “Sure!” and we were off. 

We headed over to our local Goodwill. I really tried to let him pick out the things he thought would be cute for our little home. He found some pumpkin string lights (LOVE), tealight candle holders (one black cat, a pumpkin, and a little ghost), a wooden pumpkin door hanger, and the cutest little stuffed pumpkin with a black top hat and black and white striped arms and legs. They are absolutely perfect.

Extra tip: Bring something to donate to the thrift store. Most thrift stores offer a coupon for making a donation. So not only was everything pretty cheap in the first place, we also got 20% off! We spent a total of only $10. And we had a great time doing it. 

But, the fun didn’t stop there. We still get to go home and decorate with our super fun finds. 

There you have it, friends! Easy peasy autumn activities to incorporate when you’ve got the time.

I hope they are just as much fun for you as they were for me. Let me know how it goes!

Sophie Hamel is a freelance writer and works as a crisis responder. Her son is a 3½-year-old preschooler.



Luminous removes the hassle of arranging for tuition vouchers and helps make childcare affordable. Vouchers can help ease your financial stress. Learn more about qualifying for HRA and ACS vouchers at our Bronx and Brooklyn centers. Payment can also be made by SEIU/1199 Child Care, check, credit card, and through the Luminous reimbursement program. Contact Luminous Early Childhood Learning Center at enrollment@luminouschildcare.orgor call us at 929.228.1180.