02 Jun Father’s Day Crafts for Kids

When you want the children in your life to express their love through Father’s Day crafts, clichés abound. How many necktie-shaped and handprint plates or ashtrays does a modern man need?

These craft ideas that put a fresh spin on tradition. Who knows, maybe we can get some of those stoic, tough-guy dads to actually shed a tear!

Below are a couple options that can be varied a little to suit a particular dad based on what his child sees in him.

Handprint Keepsakes (Two Variations)

We can’t always depart from tradition. This first pair of craft ideas includes the typical Father’s Day activity of handprint art. Dipping your hands in paint and pressing them on a surface can be fun. Make sure you use a location that can handle a few stray paint drips. A cleanup area with soap and water is also a good idea.

Have the kids wear grungy clothes, a painting apron, smock or old shirt. Set up stations for the kids with different items they can imprint. Depending on your budget, these might include blank t-shirts, kitchen aprons, posterboard or any other gift with a paint-friendly surface. Just make sure it is large enough for the handprint.

To decide which variation of the project kids want, ask whether they think their dad would rather grill a nice steak or watch a Star Wars movie. If they say both, ask them for his FAVORITE.

Grilling Partner Keepsake

Materials:

• A gift surface to print on, cardstock, posterboard, T-shirt or blank apron.
• The base grill image (see link above for a printable version) or a plan to make it quickly by using stencils or glue-on shapes.
• Orange, yellow and red (fire colors) paint. (You can get by with just orange.)

The activity link offers a printable starting page that you can use. You can also make a stencil in the grill shape. The grill base could also be an iron-on. Just make sure you reverse the image.

The base design goes on, then the kid play begins! Have the kids dip their hands once or twice in the fire color paint and use their hand prints to create the grill’s fire.

Yoda Best Dad Keepsake

For the kids who deemed their dads to be more of the geeky type, this design uses the print first and a little more detail work afterward. You could have half the group to set up the base grill image while the Yoda group is printing, then switch places and colors.

The Materials are similar:

• A gift surface to print on, cardstock, posterboard, T-shirt or blank apron.
• Light muted green and brown paint.
• Thin paint brushes for the detail work at the end.

To make the Yoda, you brush the light green on the kids’ palms and brown on the fingers. You press their hands a little below the center of the surface with their fingers pointing toward the bottom. That becomes Yoda’s robe.

Next, using a clean finger or brush, add Yoda’s ears with the same light green paint. Have the image handy for reference.

On either of the above, kids could also paint the words “Happy Father’s Day.” Set all the art in a safe place to dry. Make sure you have baby wipes or a clean-up area to wash hands afterward.

Sharpie Scribble Mug

These are simple Father’s Day crafts that go together quickly. Make sure the kids work in a safe area and have clean-up supplies like baby wipes handy. These are permanent markers!

Materials:

• Blank, solid, light color mugs
• Letter and star stickers
• Sharpie permanent markers or paint pens

Have the kids place the “Dad” and star stickers in an arrangement that they like. Then starting with the light color makers and moving toward the dark, have the kids scribble on the mug, allowing the stickers to block the message to their dads. Encourage the kids to be careful and thorough around the stickers to make sure the message comes through clearly.

Allow the marker art to dry a few minutes, while the kids wash up. Carefully peel off the stickers with clean, dry hands, to reveal the message!

My Dad Rocks! (Two Variations)

Tailor this concept according to the age group. The first one is fairly simple, while the second is more advanced.

Painted Rock

Materials:

• One smooth rock per kid.
• 1” foam paint brushes.
• Thin paint brushes or permanent markers.
• A selection of acrylic paint.

Choose a couple lighter colors for the base coat. Use the larger foam brushes to paint the rocks all over. It is OK if a couple colors mix together. Set the completed rocks aside to dry, and wash hands.

When dry, return with the darker colors and the thin brushes or markers. Have each child paint or draw a message to their dad. Have a few sample ideas on cards to show.

Set aside to dry again and clean-up with baby wipes or paper towels.

Rock Picture Frame

Materials:

• Wood picture frame.
• Acrylic paint; mixed gray and brown together to make a warm, gray base color.
• Paint brushes.
• Tacky glue.
• Decorative rocks.
• Decorative scrapbook paper at least the size of your frame.
• Markers.
• Brown paper bag.

This is more advanced and may require a couple sessions with time to dry. Have the kids paint the frame with the base coat of the warm gray color. Set aside to dry.

While it is drying, you can work on the insert. Have the kids pick out a piece of scrapbook paper and a piece of the paper bag material. You can have these pre-cut to work well inside the frames that you find.

Have the kids decorate the paper bag paper with markers. Then glue it on the scrapbook paper. Try not to use too much glue, so it dries fast and doesn’t soak through.

When the frame is dry, use tacky glue to adhere the rocks around the frame. Make sure the kids use enough glue to get good adhesion to the frame. Set aside to dry.

When everything is dry, assemble the art inside the frame!

Have Fun

Good preparation is important for successful Father’s Day crafts. If time is tight, the more you can prepare in advance will help the activity be completed. Encourage the kids to make each piece an individual expression to their dad! Browse the rest of our blog to learn how to make DIY cards and other crafts.

IMAGE: Manuka / CC0 Public Domain