Father’s Day is just around the corner! With many of us still opting to maintain social distancing, it may be necessary to plan a Father’s Day celebration at home. There are many ideas for celebrating Father’s Day that can be enjoyable for the whole family, while at the same time, providing educational and creative value. From sports to crafts to performances, here are just some of the ideas that you can use to celebrate Dad and also enrich the minds of the kiddos!
Crafts and Cards
The first and most popular option for celebrating Father’s Day at home is to tap in to some of that creativity and allow children to make something for Dad. It could be something as simple as a card with an illustration. This would be a great exercise in letter writing, not to mention great fun with art and design. Have your child write to dad about how special he is and how much he is loved. Or you could paint and personalize a rock for a paperweight. Even better – get Dad involved! Provide all the necessary materials and let Dad and the kids have an afternoon of creativity together.
Write and Illustrate a Story or Poem
What would Dad love more than a story written by his children about him and his family? You could even bind it and make it into a book, allowing the kids to illustrate the story. It could be sweet, comical, or adventurous. Either way, it’s another great way for kids to practice their writing skills while, at the same time, making something that Dad will cherish for years to come. Children could also tap into their inner poet and write a poem for Dad. An acrostic poem with the word FATHER or DADDY would be perfect!
Make Breakfast
Want to really surprise Dad on Father’s Day? Make a yummy breakfast-in-bed for him. Whether you make pancakes, waffles, French toast, eggs, bacon, muffins, etc., get the kids involved and practice some math and science throughout the project. Allow kids to measure and count out ingredients in the recipe. Discuss reversible and irreversible changes in cooking. What a great way to make Dad happy while providing enrichment for the kids!
Game Night
If the honoree of your Father’s Day celebration loves board games, then do a family game night for Father’s Day. This can provide some fantastic, quality family time. But that’s not all! There is so much that the kids can learn from board games. Whether keeping score, adding up bills/rent, or counting money, many games provide the opportunity for practicing math skills. Kids can also learn many valuable skills with board games. Many games allow for planning, strategy, and problem solving, which can be very beneficial! Teamwork and good sportsmanship are also skills children can learn and practice when playing board games.
Sports Day
In order to have a healthy brain, a healthy body is necessary. So why not incorporate some physical activity for Father’s Day? Dad will love it! The kids will love it! And the benefits are both physical and educational. The children can plan and create a small mini-golf course in the backyard to play with Dad. They could also set up an obstacle course, a small soccer field, basketball court, or tee ball game. Kids can compete against Mom and Dad. Have the kiddos keep score for the math practice! Make some gold, silver, and bronze medals to award after all the scores have been tallied.
Plan a Performance
If your kids love to perform, allow them to create a performance for Dad. Maybe choose a book that would be great for Father’s Day and have the kids perform it as a reader’s theater. Or have the kids write a skit to perform for Dad. Are your kiddos musically inclined? Maybe they can perform a song and dance for Dad! Parents love seeing their kids perform, so this would make for a really special celebration!
Father’s Day Hike
Want to include a little more nature and physical activity in your Father’s Day celebration? Take a hike! While enjoying this special family time out in nature, take the time to allow the kids to collect leaves or look for insects. Maybe they could take pictures of the interesting things that find on the hike and then write about it in a journal when they get back. They could even use the things they collect on the walk to create a collage for Dad so he will always remember that special Father’s Day!
As you can see, incorporating some educationally enriching activities is so simple! Why not provide these opportunities for the kids in the process of celebrating Dad? These ideas are so fun that the kids (and Dad) won’t even realize they are learning at the same time.
