* A Bookmark - a small bookmark-shaped strip of posterboard with the child's photo glued on one end and the words "I'll save your place, Dad" written on it. I don't have a laminating machine, so I just cover it (both sides) with clear contact paper. * A "Hug" - A close-up head-and-shoulders shot of the child, cut out and glued to a manila file folder (or posterboard), leaving a 2.5" base below the photo; tracings of both of the child's hands cut out of the same file folder material; a strip of construction paper approximately 18" x 2.5" with the words "I love you this much!" written on it. Glue a hand on each end and the photo in the center (extra material on the backside). Fold the ends in so that it looks like a child with his arms folded in front of him. When you open it out, the outstretched arms will let it stand on a desk or shelf. I hope I explained it well enough. It really is adorable. I've used it for both mom and dad. * Go to any store that sales ties........I would recomend a thrift store such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army or any store like those..........Buy white or off white ties. Have the children dip their hands in Fabric paint......and press onto the ties........Let dry......... * The children wanted to give Dad a lasting impression of their hands so we went & bought good watercolor paper. Then each child picked out acrylic paint in the color of their choice. Then we purchased a frame, glass & mat. I painted each childs hand with the paint using a foam brush then positioned their hand over the paper & pressed..........then I took a gold paint marker & made a bow on the index finger. Then in the upper corner in calligraphy I wrote......."Dad we have you wrapped around our fingers" *Father's Day Celebration! Poor dads....our school system is always closed for the year, and Dads very rarely were honored. To remedy that, I had a Dad's Day activity that went like this: Dads were invited to come, help their children make paper airplanes, and go outside and fly them with their child! I really didn't know how this would go, but it was a great success! Dads really got into making the airplanes, and their children helped to decorate them. It was really great to see Dads relax and have a good time with their children! We also had grandfathers, and uncles, and even a big brother come! I spoke with moms of the children who had no father in the home, privately, and told them that it was quite fine to invite grandfathers and any other significant male to participate. After the airplane activity, we all had a snack. It was a fun time for all! *Make dad a cookie jar...for those of you lucky enough to have access to a stove, or use candy to fill.... A small can (formula size) or you can use a coffee can.... wrap with consturction paper, add features wither cut or drawn...(if they draw, have them do it before you put paper around can) (make sure the add ears.....(cut out) just because it look really cute with them sticking out. Get some cellular shades from your local window treatment store...the garbage pieces that they've cut and will throw out. They are accordian pieces that you need to cut into 1 inch size. You use for legs, and glue in the front part of the can, so when it sits on the edge of the table, it looks like it's legs are dangling over the edge, Fill with cookies or candy or whatever. It's really cute. *Cut off curved sides from meat trays. Have children decorate using permanent markers (I know it's hard for the young ones to keep permanent markers off everything, so you may need to keep an eye on them.) With a black permanent marker write your message. I had the children write it with a pencil first and then trace with marker. We used the message Happy Fathers Day. With a sharp instrument make a hole in the meat tray close to the edge but not too close. Write the kids name and the date and any other special message also with permanent marker. Now the really neat stuff. Place the meat trays on a cookie sheet lined with foil and place in a low oven for 2-5 minutes.( Keep an eye on them as they tend to roll up and stick together) The meat trays heat up, shrink and get hard. I added a key ring in the hole and made key chains for Father's Day. The mother's in my class were very upset and jealous that the fathers were getting this. * Fill a latex examination glove with clean sand. I used it out of our school sandbox so I sifted it first. I will let the children do all of this. Fill the glove until it is very full. Then tie it in a knot. I will let the children decorate it with permanent markers>all colors. On the palm area write >To the best Dad,Hands Down! On the fingers add smile faces. : ) add hair etc...Write >I Love You down the fingers. Write>Happy Father's Day on the back palm area. Add fingernails>color them red. Add rings ....get creative. Now this blob hand is a great item to set on a desk. It's very unique. It can be posed. Add your rings to the fingers. It can hold small cards. Great stress reliever. You can lay it flat & press down on the palm area to make an indentation. It can hold small coins. I don't think many dad's have these. When I was experimenting with the gloves all my co-workers wanted one. Keep in mind that you want the glove to be full so that the fingers stand upright. You also need to squeeze out any air that is inside the glove so you don't have a bubble. It is very easy to do. *dad's a key holder for a Father's Day gift. Material for each project: one 2 X 5 inch rectangular shaped piece of 1 inch thick wood 2 or 3 screw in type cup hooks paint spray type varnish (for adult use onlly) saw tooth hanger Have children paint the wood as they'd like. Write their names on the back (adult can add the year, too). Screw in the cup hooks at the bottom section (the 2 inch side) of the rectangle. Attach saw tooth hanger to the top of the back for hanging on wall. When finished adult can give a quick spray of a finishing varnish to keep the paint from chipping or rubbing off the key holder. (Let the children wrap their key holders in wrapping paper they have made from newsprint stamped with fish shaped sponge painting (or car/truck sponge shapes). * Footprint picture made by tracing the foot or by letting the children step in paint and making prints. Print the following poem: "Walk a little slower, Daddy", Said a little child so small. "I'm following in your footsteps, And I don't want to fall. Sometimes your steps are very fast, Sometimes they're hard to see; So walk a little slower, Daddy, For you are leading me. Someday when I'm all grown up, You're what I want to be; Then I will have a little child Who'll want to follow me. And I would want to lead just right, And know that I was true; So, walk a little slower, Daddy, For I must follow you." *What Dad in the world doesn't love chocolate cake? Line a medium flower pot with aluminum foil, only make the bottom of the foil lining come about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the pot. Fill 3/4 of the way with chocolate cake mix, and bake until the cake springs up in the middle when touched. (You have to watch it closely) Frost with either brown or green frosting, and add a flower that you have made, either with a pipe cleaner stem, or popsicle stem. Add a little sign that says "From the flower in your garden of life. I have done this twice, and the dad's love it! *What about a rock paper weight, have your kids paint it any colors they want add those eye's that move, a felt nose, mouth, ears, tail etc. Put felt on the bottom of the rock and walla you have a paperweight. Good luck..... *Chef's hats. We decorated them with their dads favorite things..golf tees, fishing flies~rubber worns etc...they were too funny. *Father's Day Card Give your dad a special card for Father's Day. GATHER * construction paper * wrapping paper * 3 buttons * a photo or drawing of child 1. Fold a piece of construction paper in half. 2. Cut two strips of construction paper. Fold the top end down across the strip at a diagonal. Glue them to the middle of the folded edge of the paper to make a collar. 3. Cut a tie out of wrapping paper and glue to the "collar" of your card. 4. Glue two buttons on the collar, like buttons on a shirt. 5. Cut a square of construction paper bigger than the photo. Glue three edges of it to the right side of the card to make a pocket. Glue a button to the pocket. 6. When the glue is dry, stick the picture of yourself inside the pocket of the "shirt." Write a special message to Dad inside the card to remind him that you think he's terrific. *Fathers Day frame out of picture matting with seashells to decorate it. *Fathers Day frame that is a cut-out of child's hand. *Fathers Day coupons, chores, breakfast in bed, big kiss, etc. *Paper weights - paint rocks or do plaster of paris handprints *Card containing a poem from the child, dictate their answer to what do you like best about your father. *Father collage from pictures of men and children cut from magazines - have them dictate a story describing their choices and what they mean. *A desk blotter or mouse pad from pictures on construction paper that has been contact papered. *A pencil holder, decorate a strip of construction paper in any fashion then contact paper it around a can brought from home. *Decorate baby food jars for Dad to use in the garage to hold nuts, bolts, and screws. *Wind Chimes for Dad We make mobile (wind chimes) out of old screws , nuts , and bolts. I got old scraps of wood and used fishing line to connect the nuts and bolts to the old piece of wood. I went out today & asked for some nail aprons for the children to decorate 4 Father's Day.The big companies like Builders Square would not give me some.So I went to the small independent company & it worked! I now have 30 nail aprons for my kids to decorate & give to dad.I bought a bunch of permanent sharpie markers & some fabric paint.I'll let my kids put on a few handprints & use all those different colored markers. FATHER'S DAY On Father's Day I try to see How happy I can make Dad be; I try to be just extra good; And do each small thing as I should. I'm extra helpful, thoughtful too, And quick to see things I should do. Then Dad grins, happy as can be As he sits there and watches me. So I think it would be fun To make each day a happy one- Have Father's Day not once a year, But every day to hold it dear!!!! by Grayce Krogh Boller Poetry Place Anthology Love coupons are fun to give to parents for gifts. These coupons can be good for chores like washing the car, folding his socks, scratching dad's back, going for a walk, reading Dad a book, getting dad's slippers, etc. DADDY'S STEPS When Daddy walks along the street And hurries home to me, He takes the quickest, longest steps That ever I did see. But when I go to walk with him, He acts quite diff'rently, And takes the slowest, shortest ones To keep in step with me. by Margaret Brown Elms Poetry Place Anthology The children can put this poem on a piece of cardstock and make a footprint out of paint for a quick and easy gift for Dad. Our Toddler group is making Daddy a tee shirt that is personalized. Front of the shirts have printed "Rebecca's Daddy" Backs have a variety of different ones: thumb prints to make fish "Daddy's Fishing Buddy" thumb prints to make golf balls "Daddy'd Little Golfing Buddy" hand print decorated as a turkey "Daddy's Little Turkey" The teachers had a blast thinking up new ones to use! We did this for Mommy and she loved it! *Get a plain white or off white tie and different colors of fabric paint. Dip the children's hands into the paint and press onto the tie making handprints. Put hand prints all over the tie and let dry......... *Use a 9 inch paper plate. Draw a circle in the middle of the plate-the circle should include the "flat part" of the plate that is in the middle, but not the "ribbed part" of the outside of the plate. Make one cut through the plate in the ribbed area to get to the circle and then cut the circle out. You should now have a circle and a ring (the ring is the ribbed part). Draw the shape of a tie (the large diamond look) in the middle of the circle and cut out. Make sure the tie starts at one side of the circle and ends at the other side so your tie will be as long as possible. This cut out shape should look like the part of a tie you see laying on the front of a man's shirt when he is wearing the tie. Staple the tie shape to the ring shape. Place the staple on the opposite side of the cut you made through the ring shape. You should be able to slip the ring around your neck like a necklace and the tie shape should be resting on your chest just like a real tie. The ring around your neck is what holds the tie on. You may decorate your tie with crayons, markers, paint, glitter, buttons, sequins, or anything else you would like to add. You can also stamp or sponge paint your tie. * Father's Day Gift, how about Soap on a Rope! In a bowl pour approx. 3 cups of soap flakes. Add 1 to 1 1/2 cups of water with a few drops of food coloring added to it. With your hands mix the contents until it forms the consistency of playdough. To shape it, take a drop or two of vegetable oil and rub it between the palm of your hands. Then shape anyway you wish. If you want soap on a rope, cut a piece of string and tie the ends together. Push the knotted end gently into your finished shape. To help with the shapes, you could also use cookie cutters or playdough molds. Let soap dry and set over night.