Fatherhood - What to Give to Dad?

Fathers can be hard to buy for. Some are up for a new tie every year because they have a white collar job, but you CAN have too many ties. Most dads would never say to your face that they are unhappy with a gift or that they would have rather had something else, especially if the gift is from their child. Father's Day plaques? These are the things that start appearing when your children become 'tweens, until you have such a collection that you need a huge box just to put them in. Not only do you get them for Father's Day, but for every other annual celebration.

So, what do you suggest they get instead? You don't suggest they GET anything. You help them MAKE it! Older children can go online and find famous Father's Day quotes or poems, FREE printable cards and any number of more adult home-made gifts. Dad will appreciate them taking the time to find the perfect sentiment to put on that card or on a t-shirt, ball cap or license plate. Even a bowling towel or fishing hat can be personalized with something that will mean the world to Dad.

When it comes to gifts from the little ones in Dad's life, nothing beats home made with smudges, gobs of glue, wrinkles and all. When it comes to these gifts, you are only limited by your imagination, but everyone can use some help on ideas. They will, of course, probably bring home something from school, but it will have been made fairly quickly and that is not quite the same as making Dad stay out of the kitchen or out of your child's room while he or she makes him a surprise. I found a few sites that offer tons of ideas and instruction on how to make the perfect gift for Dad. And you don't need to just use them for Father's Day. Your kids can make them for birthdays, anniversaries, special occasions, Christmas...or just because. He will treasure them always and your children's hearts will swell with pride at their accomplishment. Another upside is the cost. Most of these gifts are big on heart but small on price.

The first site is familyfun.go.com, a Disney site. You can make luggage tags for the Dad that travels or pads and paperweights for the Dad that has an office. You can make a BBQ apron that is completely personalized with hand prints or a painted picture. You can even make a tie-tack out of Sculpey clay. And the cards....there are tons of card ideas for everyone from the youngest to the oldest and all of those kids in between. Don't know what to do with a rainy afternoon or bored kids when school is out for the summer? Go through these ideas and stock up on some of the supplies so that you always have ideas and craft materials on hand.

Another great site is crafts.kaboose.com, produced by KABOOSE™. Here you will find a bunch of Father's Day printable ideas. You can print on anything from cards to coffee cups to t-shirts and hats. Many of these printable pictures allow your children to color them in, making them even more personalized. The site features office crafts, sports & games crafts, wearable crafts and decorative home-made gifts. One word of advice: all of these sites have to use advertisers to stay up and running. This particular one has big-name advertisers that have a video commercial in the upper right hand corner. If it drives you nuts, you can just click on the "sound" icon at the bottom of the video box and the sound will be muted so that you don't have to hear it.

Finally, this site has so much more than just Father's Day gifts: artistshelpingchildren.org. There are coloring pages, how-to-draw tutorials, paper folding, murals and even crafts made from recyclables. Yes, you'll find plenty of ideas for Father's Day, like the Big Fish Pencil Holder or the Magazine Holder Rack, but there are also gifts for Mom, or other girls in your life, like sewing boxes, a recipe book or stationery holder. If you can't find something here, then you might want to go back to the original gift idea...a tie.

Dad will melt when faced with the proudly smiling face of one of his children presenting him with a homemade gift. The quality of these gifts is much higher than they will probably make at school and it can be a perfect time for some quality time with each of your children as you help them to craft that gift for Dad. That means both of you will have received a rare gift from your child, and though the cost will be minimal, the rewards will be priceless.