“A father is a son’s first hero and a daughter’s first love”. Fathers are indeed special and it is the time of the year to celebrate them. Father’s Day 2020 is around the corner and falls on the third Sunday of June, i.e. 21st June.
Why am I not suggesting gifts but father’s day activities for kids? All grown up kids look for gifts for their dads and come up with some very thoughtful ideas. What about toddlers and preschoolers? They are too small to think and thus, father’s day activities for kids are a better idea to celebrate father’s day with them.
I remember, Little Miss A was one month old and it was the first father’s day for her and my husband. She had no clue what it was.a. I remember I got presents and cards from her side. I thought after some days, was it her father or mine and what relevance is my getting gifts for him.
From next year, we tried to do some fun father’s day activities for kids which she could do with her father or tried to prepare something.
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Why Father’s Day Activities for Kids and not Gifts
A small token as a gift is a good idea always, but that means nothing to the toddler. Like last year, she was 3. I took her to a store and asked her to choose cuff links because she insisted she wanted to give something with the card she had made for him. I shortlisted a few and she finally chose what we bought. The handmade card and the gift were far more precious than any other thing for her Papa.
Fathers are no more are the strict ones who only focus on earning the bread. Fathers are best buddies for their kids. You should read my post, Why New Age Fathers are the Best Buddies? Because kids share such a pure and beautiful bond with their dads, the celebrations have to be nothing but special.
At the end of the day, the kids cannot come up with ideas on their own and it becomes the work of the mom or an older sibling to help them. What we need to try is to involve them as much as possible.
Fun and Simple Father’s Day Activities for Kids
Personalized gifts are the best because they have the personal and emotional connection which most of the expensive gifts do not. For toddlers and preschoolers, it is a special day that should be about celebrating and spending the day with their heroes and love.
My husband is a penguin dad as I always say. Did you ask what is a penguin dad? Read my post, My Daughter has a Penguin Dad to know more. Coming back to the point, she spends a lot of time with him as well, and thus, sometimes it gets difficult to come up with new ideas.
For all the moms struggling to find some fun father’s day activities for kids to have a fabulous Father’s Day 2020, here are some ideas which will work for sure.
Make DIY Cards
Cards made by kids are the cutest and the best gift for a father. You do not have to be very creative. There are some very simple ideas on Google and Pinterest which can be used to create masterpieces by the little ones. Last year, we made a fish card using handprints and wrote a sweet simple message, “I am Hooked on To You Papa”. She loved doing it, there was a fun activity with no screen and the result was simple yet gorgeous. The smile it brought to her dad’s face was priceless. For more ideas you can see, some craft ideas by my friend, Kinshoo.
Quotes and Poems
If you Google, you will find plenty of cute and funny quotes or write-ups. If you cannot come up with something of your own, you can easily use these. Like for Father’s Day when she was 2. I gave her a choice of a few of her pictures with her dad and she chose one. We printed that on a paper along with a superhero write up (see pic, you can replace the pic or do some artwork with the child). Her dad is a superhero fan and he loved it. Now when she understands most of them, when we read it to her, she says, “Good job Mummy. My Papa is the Best”. This is nothing fancy, but a memory to cherish later.
Father’s Day Songs
There are many lovely Father’s Day songs that the kids can learn and perform for their fathers on the special day. There are songs like I Love My Daddy , Love my Daddy, Yes I Do and Daddy is Name 0. Make it fun by organizing a stage and make the dad sit and enjoy seeing his little one perform for him. The kids if cannot remember the song and sing, you can always play it for them and they can dance with some other songs or say a story or a message for their dad. Never force the kids if they are not willing.
Father’s Day Books
There are some amazing Father’ Day books available which are a gift for the dad and for the baby who loves to read. There is no better way to spend time with your child, than to read to him. My husband and daughter simply love reading together. Some books that I can suggest are:
- I Love Dad with the Very Hungry Caterpillar
- I Love You, Daddy Pig (For all the Peppa Pig fans)
- A Perfect Father’s Day
- The Night Before Father’s Day
- My Daddy is My Hero
- My Dad is the Best Playground
Bake a Cake
Baking a cake is a simple activity. You can either bake daddy’s favorite cake with your child and surprise him or make it a fun activity. Baking with dads is one of the best father’s day activities for kids. Get them to wear their aprons and make them chef hats using paper and they are all set to enjoy. (Just ensure you organize the ingredients and enjoy your TV show while they are busy.
Movie Date
Kids and dads love watching movies and when it is together, there can be nothing more fun. Choose a movie they both would love to watch, get some popcorns and wafers and maybe a sweet and a drink. (A beer for the daddy?). Trust me, they will have a blast.
Order in or Cook Their Favorite Food
Usually going out for a meal is a great way to celebrate father’s day. This year there might be restrictions due to COVID and thus, you can maybe cook something they both would love or order their favorite meal. If you want to make it fancier, create a restaurant experience for them or set up a table for them in the balcony or terrace and let them enjoy a date night. You can also make your child pamper the father in a restaurant and it will be a game for them and trust me, they will have a blast.
Printable and Questions
This a fun and one of the cutest father’s day activities for kids. There are many printable available on Google. These have some questions which you can ask your child and write the answers. I did this with Little Miss last year and her answers were so cute and adorable. My husband had a great time reading her replies. Another thing you could do is to make them write (or write for them) 5 Things They Love About Dad. Such activities bring out the creativity of the child and you will be amazed to see how their minds work.
Matching T-shirts
This is one of the best ideas. You can get them both matching t-shirts. Kids love to be in the same clothes as their fathers and when they spend the day together like this, they love it and they have a new connection with their fathers.
Plan the Day
Involving the child and planning father’s day activities for kids is also great. You can give them a choice or take their ideas and plan the day. You do not want to make it hectic for either of them so plan half a day and let them both enjoy their day at their pace doing things they love.
A Photobook
This will need more effort from the moms, but it is a memorable gift. You can make a photobook of the pictures of the father and kid and get it printed. There are many online places like Zoomin which can help you in creating a beautiful photobook. Everyone can sit together and look through it remembering all the good times.
Take the Weekend Off
Father’s Day is on a Sunday and June is usually the summer break. This year it might be tough, but taking the weekend off and going for a short vacation is a great idea. There is no work stress and everyone can enjoy their time. If not a hotel you can always go and meet the grandparents. Is that not a lovely holiday for everyone?
Pool Time
Summers and pool time are a sure shot fun combination and a great idea for father’s day activities for kids. Let the family or father and enjoy the day/evening at the pool. Water games and toys and some snacks on the poolside, for sure will work in making their day fun.
Book Him a Spa
With work and a tiring day with the kids (which they will love), the fathers can be sent for a spa. This activity does not involve the kids but is a great gift for the fathers to relax. They also deserve some pampering after all.
Collage
As a photobook, a collage is a great idea. You can collect some pictures of the kids and the dad and make a collage and get it printed. Another fun way is to take a paper and give your child prints of some pics and let them paint or color the base and then stick the pictures in their own way. It will be a great way to keep them busy and create a beautiful gift for their dads.
What Should I Do?
Father’s Day especially for toddlers and preschoolers is not about gifts and fancy dinners, it is about the time they spend with their fathers and the memories they create. Spending quality time with kids is important and these father’s day activities for kids are fun and simple and a great way to spend the day. There are many Things Dads do Better Than Moms and they deserve to be pampered and feel special on this day.
I have shared all the ideas I had for Father’s Day and now I am wondering what should I do? So please share your suggestions in the comments and give me ideas. Will look forward to hearing from you.
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