One of the most heartwarming gifts a parent can receive is a custom craft their child made. That’s one reason why preschool teachers prioritize craft making, card creations, and fun holiday decorations. Because as the years pass on, parents continue to showcase their child’s crafts throughout the years as a sentimental touch that warms the home. In this post, Primary Beginnings, a 5 star preschool, is sharing 4 Father’s Day crafts for preschoolers that are both fun and easy. So take your child by the hand, gather up some craft supplies, and let’s get to creating something extra special for Dad this Father’s Day.
How to Celebrate Father’s Day
Celebrating Father’s Day can be as simplistic as taking a walk around a local park, such as Durant Nature Preserve, giving dad a Father’s Day gift, or creating a custom craft for dad. When it comes to Father’s Day crafts for preschoolers, your little one can’t take their father out to lunch (although this is a great family idea and certainly one that taken advantage of if your family enjoys going out for a nice meal). However, your preschooler is talented and has the ability to show their father how much love they have for dad by presenting a heartfelt card and simply spending time with their dad.
Father’s Day Crafts for Preschoolers and Toddlers
Now, it’s time to share a few Father’s Day crafts for preschoolers and toddlers that are sure to bring a big smile to their dad’s face this year. In the following sections, our Raleigh preschool teachers are sharing their favorite crafts that your little ones can make for their dad. We outline what craft supplies you’ll need and we walk you through all the steps so your little one can create the perfect gift for dad this year.
Popsicle Stick Roll-Up Card
We love this roll-up card made from jumbo popsicle sticks that feature 5 different reasons why your little one loves their dad. It’s the perfect way for your preschooler to share their favorite activities they do with their father and reasons they are a bonded pair. This popsicle stick roll-up card is perfect for hanging in Dad’s office or even keeping in a desk drawer so Dad can look at it during rough days. This craft is sure to brighten Dad’s mood!
Supplies needed:
- Jumbo popsicle sticks
- Markers for decorating
- A glue stick (an extra strength one if you have it)
- Construction paper or card stock
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ribbon
Instructions:
- Let your toddler decorate 8 wooden craft sticks with markers. Refer to the photo for inspiration on design and color details.
- Cut out card stock or construction paper around 4 inches x 5.5 inches.
- Ask your toddler what their five favorite things about dad are and write the answers on the construction paper.
- Line up the craft sticks in horizontal rows, add glue to the construction paper, and press the paper into the sticks.
- Roll up the card after the glue is dry and tie it with a ribbon.
Lego Building Memories Jar
This craft is more than a fun gift, it’s a great way to encourage time together and spike ideas for ways your little one and their dad can spend time together. If you’re ever unsure what to do on the weekend, simply reach your hand in this jar and do whatever activity is written on the lego. This is sure to be an exciting and fun way to spend a few hours.
Supplies needed:
- A Mason-style jar
- Lego bricks – the larger Duplo style works great
- A marker or Sharpie
- Printable label or cardstock with a hole punched through and ribbon.
Instructions:
- Ask your toddler what they love to do with Dad – storytime, Lego, movies, wagon rides, drawing.
- Write one activity on each Lego with the Sharpie
- Drop bricks in the jar
- Label the jar – you can print a label, “Building Memories with Dad,” use cardstock to print a note, or go simple and use construction paper that your toddler decorated.
Dad and your toddler can pick an activity out of the jar during free time together, and when it’s done, they can stack activities completed outside of the jar to show the memories built together!
A Handmade Picture Frame
Salt dough, a DIY modeling clay, is made of three simple ingredients: water, salt, and flour. In fact, you probably have all of these ingredients in your home right now! Salt dough is inexpensive, durable, and fun to work with. In this instance, we love using it to create a heart-shaped picture frame. Once you and your little one have created the frame, your child can add their handprint and you can write in the year to add some sentimental effects.
Supplies needed:
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 cup of salt
- 1 cup of water
- Paint (optional)
- Cookie cutter or something to cut a shape into the dough so you can add a photo
- A photo of your little one with dad
- Glue stick
Instructions:
- Mix salt, flour, and water into a dough – if it’s too sticky, add a bit more water. Ask your little one to help you with this process to enhance their development and learning skills. Then knead to create a dough that can be rolled out.
- Roll out the dough into a 9″x 6″ rectangle or other preferred shape that’s about 1/2″ thick. (This doesn’t need to be exact, you can customize it depending on hand size and picture size).
- On the right side, cut a hole for the picture using a cookie cutter or even a drinking glass.
- On the left side, have your child press down into the dough with their hand to create a handprint.
- Your child can paint the dough if they’d like.
- Bake the dough in the oven on its lowest setting for 2-3 hours.
- When it’s cool, seal it with either glue or a spray sealer.
- Add a picture and glue or tape the edges to the hardened frame.
Father’s Footsteps Card
A Father’s Day card is a must, and this crafty idea is sure to beat any store-bought card. Our Raleigh preschool teachers agree that this just might take the cake for the best Father’s Day card a preschooler can make!
Supplied needed:
- Dad’s shoe – one with tread works best
- Two colors of washable paint
- White card stock or poster board cut down to a preferred size
- Paintbrush
Instructions:
- Clean the bottom of the shoe so there’s no dirt, then, once it’s dry, paint it one of the colors of paint.
- Press the painted shoe directly onto the card stock or poster board and let it dry for a few minutes.
- Pour some paint onto a plate and have your toddler step into it, then help them place their foot in the center of the shoe print on the card.
- Write “Following in Daddy’s Footsteps” or something similar.
- Place in a frame once dry
- Don’t forget to wash off Dad’s shoe so he doesn’t have any unpleasant surprises!
Happy Father’s Day from Primary Beginnings
On behalf of all the teachers and staff at Primary Beginnings in Raleigh, we wish you and your father a very Happy Father’s Day! If you live in the greater Raleigh area and are looking for a learning environment where your child can participate in fun crafts, such as these, we invite you to take a tour of one of our three convenient locations. To contact us, fill out the form below, or call the location you’re interested in via the link above. We look forward to speaking with you.
