Happy Father's Day to all Dads Everywhere by Art Kettelhut Updated: 6/16/2005 |
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Make Dad's Day a special one, get everyone involved! Here's to ya Dad! "Clink" |
Here's wishing all Dads a happy day. And, below are some unusual ideas for Dad on his day that just might make him smile! :)
FATHER'S DAY IDEAS!
Happy
Father's Day! Sunday is Dad's special day. This page is dedicated to
Dad! There are ideas for gifts to make, activities to plan, and other
fun things!
Family Key Keeper
Help
Dad (and everyone else) keep track of his keys by making him this great
personalized key keeper! You'll need a 2 1/2 by 12" pine board, some
wooden paint stirrers (or flat wooden spoons), 2 picture hangers,
markers, glue, yarn and some screw-in hooks.
Attach
the picture hangers to the back of your board so that Dad can hang his
key keeper. Now, decorate the stirrers (or spoons), so that each one
resembles a member of your family. You can use the yarn for hair, and
decorate with things like googly eyes, buttons, pieces of felt, and
whatever else you can think of! Glue the handle of each spoon to the
back of the board, so that each "family member" is spaced evenly apart.
When the glue is dry, screw a hook into the board below each family member. Now, your key keeper is ready for use!
Special Key Chain
This
makes a great gift, and is both fun and easy! You'll need a clean meat
tray, permanent markers (Sharpies work great!), and a key ring. Cut the
curved sides off the tray. Now use the markers to make a special
design, or message for Dad. Make a hole in the tray close to the edge.
Place
the tray on a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and place in oven
at low temperature for 2- 5 minutes. Keep an eye on it! As the meat
tray heats up, it will shrink and get hard.
Allow to cool and add your key ring! A perfect gift for Dad!
Scented Soaps for Dad
Pour
Ivory Snow into a mixing bowl and add water until the mixture is a
stiff bread-dough consistency. Knead in some food coloring and add a
few drops of men's cologne. Pinch off a small piece of the mixture and
shape into a ball. Repeat the process until all the soap mixture has
been used. Allow the balls to dry for about four days. To give as a
gift, place the balls into a clear plastic cup. Wrap with colored
tissue paper and tie with a contrasting color ribbon. Add an original
gift tag to complete the package!
Dad's Cookie Jar
Or,
make it a muffin, or candy jar! Just take an empty jar or coffee can-
(make sure there are no sharp edges!). Wrap your container with
construction paper and decorate with markers, fabric, paper cutouts,
sequins, etc.
Now, make a batch of Dad's favorite cookies or other goodies. Line your container with colored tissue paper and fill!
Windchimes for Dad
Make
a wonderful windchime mobile for Dad out of some of his favorite
things- screws, nuts, and bolts! You can use a hanger or a piece of
wood for your base, and then hang a variety of screws, washers, nuts,
bolts, etc with string or fishing wire!
Hang the strings close together so that a slight breeze will make music!
Necktie Cake
Give
Dad a necktie that he'll really enjoy this Father's Day! One he can
sink his teeth into! Mix up a cake mix following the package
directions. Now pour batter into 1 cupcake holder, and the remainder
into a rectangular pan. Bake according to directions, and allow to cool.
Remove
the cake from the pan, and cut in half lengthwise. Lay the pieces end
to end on cardboard, or a cookie sheet. Place the cupcake at one end of
the cake. Cut the other end of the cake into a V-shape. Now frost the
cake and decorate with M & Ms or other goodies to look like a tie!
Recommended Father's Day books:
"A Perfect Father's Day" by Eve Bunting
"Just Like My Day" by Tricia Gardella
"Climbing Kansas Mountains" by George Shannon
"My Dad is Awesome" by Nick Butterworth
"Can I Help" by Marilyn Janovitz
Personalized Baseball Cap
Dad's
love hats, and yours is sure to especially love this one! Start with a
plain white or tan baseball hat. Use fabric paints or permanent felt
tip markers (be careful!) to write or draw on the hat. You can also pin
things on the hat that are special to your Dad- maybe a golf tee, a
baseball ticket stub, fishing lures, or a picture of you!
Footprint Craft & Poem
This
is a very popular and special craft to make for Dad. Just trace your
child's footprints on construction paper and cut out. Then either write
on the footprint, or on paper the following poem:
"Walk a little slower Daddy" said a child so small,
"I'm following in your footsteps and I don't want to fall.
Sometimes your steps are very fast,
Sometimes they're hard to see;
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For you are leading me.
Someday when I'm all grown up,
You're what I want to be;
Then I will have a little child
Who'll want to follow me.
And I would want to lead just right,
And know that I was true,
So walk a little slower, Daddy,
For I must follow you."
(author unknown)
Terrific T-shirts
Won't
Dad be proud to sport this "hand-some" t-shirt? Take a plain white
t-shirt in Dad's size, and put a piece of cardboard or folded newspaper
inside of it to make it a smooth surface. Now tape or pin a sheet of
construction paper over the center front of the shirt.
Pour
several colors of fabric paints into various pie pans, or similar
containers. Now press your child's hand into one of the colors and make
handprints randomly on the front of the shirt. Repeat this process with
other colors of paint.
When the paints have dried, remove the
construction paper from the shirt, and use a squeeze bottle of fabric
paint to write "The Best Dad- Hands Down!" in the open space. Allow the
paint to dry for a day or two.
Miniature Backyard Golf!
Here's
a fun game the whole family can enjoy on Father's Day! Part of the fun
is being creative, and setting up your special "course"! You can play
inside or outside!
You can make the "holes" by collecting cans
or pails and setting them on their side. You can add a little Ziplock
bag of sand or dirt to make them stay put. Make obstacles using
furniture, toys, or cardboard boxes with holes cut in them.
No
golf equipment? Use baseball bats, broomsticks or cardboard tubes for
clubs and ping-pong balls or even plums or apricots in lieu of golf
balls!
Father's Day Book
Help
your little one make a meaningful Father's Day gift that Dad will
treasure! Decorate the front of your book to look like a dress shirt!
You'll need a 12" x 18" piece of construction paper and some white copy
paper cut down to 7" x 9".
Fold the construction paper in half
to make a 12" x 9" card, with the fold on the top. Now cut a 4" slit on
both sides of the card about an inch down and parallel to the fold.
Take the resulting flaps and fold them down diagonally to make the
"collar" for the shirt. Glue the ends to the card securely.
Now,
use crayons, markers or fabric pieces to make the rest of your shirt
design. You can use construction paper or fabric to make a tie or a
pocket. (include a tissue in the pocket!) Draw stripes or polka dots.
Next,
staple a few 7" x 9" sheets of paper between the covers of your book.
On the front page write "I love my Dad because..." and draw a picture
of you & Dad. On each of the following pages, illustrate special
things about Dad and draw or cut out magazine pictures that depict
activities that you enjoy doing with Dad.
A Handful of Love for Dad
This
is an easy handmade card project! You need red construction paper and
white copy paper. First, trace your child's hand twice on the red
paper. Cut out the hand shapes and set aside.
Cut out a red
heart out of the construction paper, and a smaller heart out of the
white copy paper. On the white heart, draw a self-portrait and write
"ME" along with your Happy Father's Day message. Glue the white heart
to the middle of the red heart.
Now staple the hand cutouts to
the top of the heart so that the fingers intertwine and cover the
picture. On the top hand write "Look inside so you can see." Then on
the second hand cutout write "Who loves you best. Of course it is...".
When Dad opens it up, he'll see "ME!"
Have Fun!!