Homemade Father’s Day Gifts – Designed & Created by Kids

Hubby’s birthday was a couple of weeks ago. He received a gift that was so cool I thought it would make the perfect homemade Father’s Day gift. It came from one of the most creative kids I’ve ever met, my niece T. I thought about having her give you a step by step on how to make a cardboard barbecue, but decided that missed the point.

Hubby loves the barbecue because it was from T, it was thoughtful and meaningful because she knows her Uncle Chris. The gift was designed with him in mind… designed, created and delivered by her and her alone.

So today I want to share some ideas for how to inspire your own kids to design and create homemade Father’s Day gifts. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Set the Stage for Homemade Father’s Day Gifts

Your part in this gift is important. Guiding, asking questions, offering suggestions and of course providing materials will help this be a successful project.

Find Inspiration – Make a list (either written out or through conversation) of the things Dad loves. Walk through the house to get ideas. Ask questions as you go to get your kids thinking. “What does Dad like to do when he’s in the living room?” “When Dad is outside what objects does he use?” “What is Dad’s favorite tool in the garage?”

Talk about the sports he watches (or plays). What type of equipment is used for his favorite sport? What are some of his favorite foods? Does he have a special chair to sit in?

Provide Materials – If you have a creative table or a box of materials send the kids on over. If not, find out what materials they are thinking about. We love the cardboard from cereal, oatmeal or cracker boxes… I bet you have a cupboard full of those right now! Toilet paper rolls, paper towel rolls and wrapping paper rolls are awesome. Egg cartons, plastic containers and lids. The list could go on and on. (I think collecting materials is the fun part. 😉 )

Suggest Details – How cute is that little spatula? Often times it’s the extra details that really make a project shine. You can make suggestions without even saying a word. The paper towel golf club is great but what happens if you add tin foil to the table? What if you have fabric hidden away that would be perfect to mimic his favorite food? Find the box and set it up next to the creating that’s going on. It just might spark an idea even more exciting than the one you had!

Do you make or buy Father’s Day Gifts at your house? What’s he getting this year? I won’t tell!