While the official Father’s Day holiday is only celebrated once a year, Fathers are dads all year around. Furthermore, teaching children how to appreciate their fathers can be taught every day of the year. The following craft ideas for showing gratitude on Father’s Day, or any other time of year, can be accomplished by anyone, even by someone who has no art training.
Father's Day Coloring Pages
For very young children, coloring pages make excellent gifts that are easy to personalize according to age and ability. Print out one or more coloring pages to decorate using markers, crayons, glitter, tissue paper, colored pencils, water colors, or any other art supplies you have on hand.
On the coloring page labeled “Create a Masterpiece from a Coloring Template,” glue a cut out photo of Dad in one space inside the heart. Inside the heart next to it, glue a cut out picture of your children. For multiple children, have them each design their own sheet or glue in a group photo of them next to the photo of Daddy on just one sheet that they design together.
For older children, help them to decorate the picture using textures, sequins, tissue paper, magazine cut-outs, feathers, or any other obscure items around the house such as gluing on cut ribbon, cereal, or dry pasta noodles.
Write a Note or Poem
Along with the decorated coloring pages, have your children come up with adjectives that describe their dad or their feelings about him. Assist your child in either placing these adjectives on a separate sheet of blank paper or write them in as an alternate to gluing family photos inside the hearts on the coloring page labeled “Create a Masterpiece from a Coloring Template.”
For older children, have them write a separate sentence for each descriptive word, linking them together to create a poem.
Create an Art Masterpiece
Lastly, these word art pieces, poems and multiple coloring pages may be pieced together to create an art packet. To begin the process, use heavier paper or cardstock instead of regular printer paper. After decorating the designs, frame them to be given as an art set.
Alternately, hole punch three holes in one side of the creations, and string a ribbon back and forth through the holes, tying it at one end to make into a book.
Coloring pages are an easy, inexpensive way to keep your child busy and give them a sense of accomplishment. Additionally, they may be used to help teach children how to express love and gratitude all year long.
Linda Hatton - Linda Hatton has a BFA in Acting from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Her work has appeared in Rainy Days, The Writing on the Wall, on ...
Join the Conversation