10 Easy Father's Day Gifts - Katherine Learns Stuff!

Father’s Day is Coming!

It is hard to believe, but Father’s Day is just under 2-weeks away. In years past, I have planned the Father’s Day gift months in advance. I have made and purchased items for Father’s Day before Mother’s Day is even on the radar! This year I have dropped the ball on Father’s Day. There are less than 2-weeks, and so far, I have nothing. So I thought this would be the ideal time to put together a list of some easy Father’s Day gifts.

Easy Father’s Day Gifts From Kids

My kids are little, so they require help making most Father’s Day gifts. Below is a list of things I have helped my kids make/purchase for their dad in the past. They are all easy to repeat.

Homemade Card

Homemade cards always go over well. Depending on the age of your children, they can do most of the work by themselves. There are lots of different types of cards that your kids can make. Check out 5-easy cards to make here.

If you or your hubby are sentimental, keeping the cards will allow you to watch your kids’ skills progress over the years.

Drawings

This gift is easy to get accomplished. Sit your kids down and have them draw something for dad. It can be on regular 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper, or you can go bigger. Just remember, the larger the picture, the more time it will take for your child to complete it. This gift is always a hit as it comes from the heart.

Again, framing is optional.

Hand Prints in Paint

Making painted handprints is harder than it seems. And the younger your children are, the harder it is to get them to cooperate. All you need is some colored paints and glitter if you want. Framing it is optional.

Just pour some colored paint onto a paper plate. Then, either put your child’s hand directly into the paint or paint it with a paintbrush and squish it down onto paper.

This activity requires a bit of coordination on the mom’s part to make sure the handprints land on the paper, with fingers extended, so that it turns out half decent.

Younger kids need more help with making this turnout. I often had to attempt this several times when the kids were younger.

Hand Prints in Clay

Same idea as above but requires clay. Roll the clay out and squeeze your kid’s hand into it. I have tried lots of different salt dough recipes, and they never work out or last long. Go with clay, trust me. It needs a few days to dry, but Dad will be happy even if it is not entirely dry. Framing is optional. But if it is attached to a picture frame, it is less likely to get lost.

Painting

To me, painting is different than drawing for a few reasons:

It requires more time with preparations and drying,
It can be very messy depending on your kid’s age,
More adult supervision and interaction is required to keep things in check.

Using either paper or canvas, or even the back of a cardboard box, have your kids paint a picture for dad. My kids really like canvas, and it hangs nicely on the wall.

Buying Custom Shirt

Many places sell custom shirts, and Father’s Day is always a big seller. You can design your own and have it made, or depending on how crafty you are you can do it yourself. But this requires a bit of forethought, and the last minute may not always be the option.

I would buy matching shirts for the kids and their dad. For example, he would get Daddy Shark, and the kids would get a matching Baby Shark Shirt with their name on it. The kids loved wearing these shirts and any time they would see their dad wearing them later, they would run and change outfits to match.

Making a Homemade Shirt

Making a homemade shirt can be simple. I am not talking about a fancy custom shirt you can make with vinyl or silk screening. I am talking about a homemade shirt that your kids help to make.

All you need is:

A blank shirt from your local craft store
Fabric markers – these do not wash out, or
Fabric paint – I use acrylic as it doe not wash out.

Again, you can do handprints or footprints or let the kiddos draw or paint something on the shirt for their dad.

Framed Picture of Kids

This idea is simple enough. Set your kids up for a picture, take 1,000 pictures of them together in some cute setting, and hope one of them turns out. Frame it, and the gift is complete.

If you are not a photographer but you are looking to do this alone, here are some tips:

It is nearly impossible to get more than one child to smile in the picture. This is just the way it is. You have to have special talents to get several smiling faces looking at the camera in one shot.
Take individual pictures of each child and putting them into a frame with 2 or 3 or more picture slots works well. This way, all the children can be smiling.
If you are taking pictures yourself, remember this is going to be a workout. This activity is all mom and very little from the kids.

Growth Chart

A growth chart is an amazing thing to have. If your kids are young, this is a great idea, as you can watch them grown. If they are older, it is still a great idea, but it will get less use.

Again, lots of people sell these but they are simple to make. All you need is:

A piece of wood about 6ft x 1ft,
Stain, and,
Markers or paint – I find sharpies work great.

Mom does all the upfront work but then you have years of memories ready for you.

You will be hanging this board on a wall, so you do not need to start at 0 on the chart. Plan to start about 1.5-2 feet off the ground, so the bottom of your board needs to be adjusted accordingly.

If you have more than one child or plan to have more, a wider board is better so you can fit them all on one growth chart.

Silly Purchased Gift From Kids

In the past, I have taken the kids shopping. They select a toy for dad. A toy that dad and they will play with together. Set a price limit like $5 or $10 and have at it. My kids got a kick out of this, and they still play with those toys with dad years later.

This one is hard this year because of lockdown, but some areas are open, and some are opening up, or you could purchase online.

What I Have Learned Over the Years from Being a Mom

This one is hard this year because of lockdown, but some areas are open, and some are opening up, or you could purchase online. 😛

Was this List Helpful?

Did you find this list of 10 easy Father’s Day gifts helpful? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

If you liked this tutorial, be sure to check out my other post similar to this here.

Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletters! You’ll get inside tips on upcoming posts and additional behind the scenes details about what’s happening on the site!