Draven Jackson
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With Father’s Day just around the corner, it can be hard for kids to decide on the perfect Father’s Day Gift – especially since the young ones don’t usually have easy access to money to buy their gifts. Luckily, most dads aren’t looking for expensive watches or top dollar presents from their little ones – they just want to see how much their kids love and appreciate them! Here are some of our favorite easy ways to make Father’s Day great for any dad!

Serve Him The Breakfast of Champions

Father’s Day is the perfect time to plan the old “breakfast in bed” appreciation gift. It’s an oldie but a goodie for two reasons: most dad’s I know receive loves as acts of service, and (as they say) “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”! So for Father’s Day, have your little ones help you in the kitchen while you make a meal fit for a king!

Even better, if you have older children that are ready to handle the responsibility of using sharp knives or handling the stove, have the kids take the initiative and plan the whole meal themselves! Do they go with the solid toast, eggs, and bacon? Or will they spice it up with specialty pancakes, omelets, and sausages fresh off the griddle? By giving them the opportunity to plan the meal, you allow them the chance to show dad just how much they care and appreciate him for everything he does for them.

Make A Delicious Cake

I feel like anyone can appreciate a good cake, especially when it’s one made just for them. Just like with the breakfast of champions, having your kids help plan and bake a delicious cake for Father’s Day would be a great way to encourage them to show their love without having to pay money they may not have. It’s also a great bonding experience between your children and yourself – all my memories of cooking with my family are incredibly important and deeply cherished ones.

For my dad, German Chocolate cake is the only conceivable option for any occasion. Trying to make one for him one year actually led to one of our funniest baking memories – when trying to make the coconut filling, I accidentally mistook mint extract for vanilla, creating a Thin Mint German Chocolate cake concoction. My dad was very gracious about it and even said he really liked it with the mint addition. In the end, it’s a story we still laugh at whenever we talk about making a cake for dad.

Watch His Favorite Movie

Another easy and free way to show appreciation for Dad on Father’s Day is by letting him pick the movies! I know it sounds overly simple, but hear me out: sometimes dads want to watch weird movies that no one else is really interested in. Whether it’s an action/sci-fi film or a buddy cop movie, Dads can sometimes have unique movie options.

And while usually we may pass over these suggestions to find movies the rest of the family wants to watch, Father’s Day is the perfect time to let Dad have full control over the remote. No whining or complaining from the kids that it’s not their choice – it’s time to show Dad that they love him by seeing what kinds of movies he would want to watch.

Plus, movies are a great opportunity to get to know more about dad and who he is as a person. What more of a reason do you need?

Design Easy Record Coasters As Gifts

To make Father’s Day really special, your kids may also want to make Dad a gift to show him how special he is to them. One easy and absolutely rad gift your kids could make is vinyl record coasters. For my dad, records are a huge passion, so I know all music-loving dads are going to feel the same.

For the materials, you’ll need four CDs, black acrylic paint and paintbrushes, colorful adhesive craft foam, scissors, and pens. First, you’ll paint the top of the CD entirely black. Then you’ll trace the CD on the back of the craft foam (on the white paper that protects the sticky side). In the middle of the traced CD circle, trace a smaller circle, about 5-6” in diameter all around.

Cut your circles out of the foam, and stick the big foam circle onto the back of the CD (the non-painted side). Put the smaller circle in the middle of the front of the CD. Then, let the kids write little notes to dad on the front of the coasters in the adhesive circles. These are sure to be Dad crowd-pleasers and are super fun and easy for all the kids to do!

Paint A “Dad Rocks” Rock Paperweight

This gift is both punny and handmade, making it the perfect Father’s Day gift for any Dad, anywhere. They’re also incredibly easy, so anyone in your family can make a “Dad Rocks” paperweight. Even better, task the kiddos with making rock paperweights of the whole family, so Dad can use his favorite catchphrase “Time to rock and roll!” when he leaves the paperweight family on his desk at work.

The only materials you need are rocks (you’ll want primarily large, smooth ones), black markers, and paint markers. However, you can also use washi tape, colorful cardstock, and glue to add a fashionable flair to your rock family. Have your kids use the black marker to draw each rock family member’s face, and then the paint markers can be used for hair, cheeks, makeup, etc. – anything with color.

If you want to bring out the washi tape and cardstock, use these to make cute little rock outfits to individualize the rock family members. Washi tape makes for the perfect tiny tie, while card stock is great for fun shirts and dresses. Finally, bring back the black marker to write a tiny message to dad on his rock family paperweights – and yes, you should include “Dad rocks.”

Draw (And Shrink) A Special Keychain Just For Him

We all love a good shrinky dink, but did you also know they make the coolest Father’s Day keychains for Dad? Shrinky Dinks are a great way to let your kids get creative with their Father’s Day gift, while also showing them something awesome and magical. I’ve seen a lot of keychains that are your baby’s feet or hands, which is a super cute and traditional gift.

For older kids, allow them to have some room for creativity. For the shrinky dink keychains, all you need is the shrinky dink paper, a hole punch, keychain rings, and colorful permanent markers (the sharpie type permanent markers work the best). Remind them that colors will darken as the paper bakes and shrinks, but also leave some room for magic as they marvel at the changes that happen from start to finish.

Have your kids draw on the paper, then punch a hole where you want the keychain hole to go. Bake on a cookie sheet covered with foil for 1-3 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit, then let cool for 30 seconds. Once they’re good and cooled, put the keychain ring on and you’re ready to go!

There are plenty of cute, easy ways to help your children show their dad how much they love and appreciate him this Father’s Day. It’s important to help them brainstorm some options, but ultimately you should let them decide how they want to say ‘thank you” to dad this year!

Do you know of other easy ways to make Father’s Day special for dad this year? Tell us in the comments!

About Draven Jackson

Draven is an avid writer and reader who enjoys sharing her opinions on movies, books, and music with the rest of the world. She will soon be working as a teacher in Japan and hopes to use her experience to connect with other teachers and students around the globe. Draven spends most of her time at home with her family, her dogs, and her ferret.

To see more, view all posts by Draven Jackson here.