Because Dad Deserves a Day That’s Really About Him
Father’s Day is worth doing properly. Not because it needs to be expensive or elaborate, but because the dads, grandads, and father figures in our lives deserve to feel genuinely seen and celebrated. And honestly, some of the most meaningful gifts cost absolutely nothing.
The ideas in this post can be done by children on their own, or with a little help if they’re younger. And if you’re a grown-up reading this for your own dad, these work for you too.
I’ve also put together a free Father’s Day Activity Printable, where your child gets to interview Dad, draw his portrait, and tell him exactly why he’s brilliant. It’s simple, it’s sweet, and it will probably end up on the fridge for months. Download it at the bottom of this blog post.
1. Download the Free Father’s Day Interview Activity Printable
This one is close to my heart, so I’m putting it near the top.
The printable gives your child the chance to interview Dad — with questions like: what’s your favourite thing we do together? What’s something you’re really good at? What makes you laugh? There’s also space to draw a portrait of Dad and fill in prompts like ‘three words that describe my dad’ and ‘my favourite memory with my dad is…’
It’s free, it takes minutes to print, and the kids do all the work. Dad just gets to sit back and enjoy it.
Download the free Father’s Day Activity Printable at the bottom of this blog post.
2. Make the Meals Extra Special
They say love goes through the stomach — and Father’s Day is the perfect excuse to make food feel like a celebration. Think a proper breakfast in bed with a good lie in, a family picnic for lunch somewhere he loves, the older kids taking over the kitchen for dinner, or a film night with his favourite takeaway, fancy plates, and everyone on the sofa together. The rule: it’s his choice. Not the kids’ favourite or whatever’s easiest.
3. Make Him a Coupon Book
A coupon book is one of those gifts that keeps giving long after Father’s Day is over. Fill it with chores he hates doing, washing the car, doing the dishes, vacuum cleaning, taking the bins out, but also with things he loves, like a back massage, a cup of tea brought to him, or a proper hug on demand. Use this free printable template from Alice and Lois to get started — the kids can fill it in.
4. Crown Him King for the Day
Pick Dad’s favourite chair, or the comfiest one in the house, and let the kids go to town decorating it. Balloons tied to the back, a blanket draped over it, a paper crown, a handwritten sign that says something like ‘Dad’s Throne — Sit Here and Face the Consequences.’
Then, actually let him use it. He gets the best seat. He picks what’s on. Nobody nicks his spot. Assign someone as his official helper for the morning — drinks, snacks, whatever he needs, delivered without complaint. Kids absolutely love the drama of it, and dads love it more than they’ll admit.
5. Write Him a Love Letter (or a List)
Ask the kids to make a Father’s Day card and fill it with a list of all the reasons Dad is brilliant. Not ‘you’re the best dad’ — that’s too easy. Specific ones: ‘because you do the silly voices when you read to me,’ ‘because you always know how to fix things,’ ‘because you make the best pancakes even though they’re never round.’
Ready to celebrate your family exactly as you are?
6. Make a Dad Name Poem
An acrostic poem is one of those crafts that feels simple but produces something genuinely lovely. Write Dad’s name vertically down the page, and for each letter, write a word or a sentence that describes him.
So if Dad’s name is Mark, you might get:
Marvellous at fixing things
Always there when I need him
Really good at dad jokes
Kind, even on the hard days.
Frame it or stick it on the fridge. He’ll love it.
7. Make a Personalised Mug
This one is a proper keepsake, and it’s easier than it sounds. Buy a plain white mug (supermarkets and craft shops usually stock them cheaply) and some porcelain paint pens — widely available online and in craft stores. Let the kids draw, write, or decorate it however they like: their names, a portrait of Dad, an inside joke, a favourite phrase.
Once finished, bake the mug in the oven according to the paint pen instructions (usually around 160°C for 30 minutes) to set the design permanently. It’s dishwasher safe after that, and will last for years. Every morning when he makes his coffee, he’ll see it.
8. Make Him Beard Oil
If Dad has a beard, or even just a bit of stubble, this homemade beard oil is a brilliant gift. It conditions and softens facial hair, smells great, and is genuinely something he’ll use. Best of all, it’s really simple to make.
What you’ll need:
- 1 small amber glass bottle with a dropper (available cheaply online — glass is important as essential oils break down plastic)
- 2 tablespoons jojoba oil (the best base for beard oil — light and non-greasy)
- 1 tablespoon sweet almond oil
- 5 drops cedarwood essential oil (warm and woody — very ‘dad’)
- 3 drops tea tree essential oil (great for skin underneath the beard)
- Optional: 2 drops orange or lemon essential oil for a fresh lift
How to make it:
Pour the jojoba and sweet almond oil into the bottle. Add the essential oils. Put the dropper lid on and give it a gentle shake. That’s genuinely it. To use, Dad shakes the bottle, puts a few drops onto his fingertips, and massages it into his beard from root to tip.
The kids can decorate a little label for the bottle to make it feel extra special. Store in a cool, dark place and use within 6–12 months.
9. Organise a Family Sports Day
Let the kids plan a mini sports day in the garden or a local park, with Dad as either the star competitor or the referee (his choice). Think egg and spoon races, a penalty shootout, a long jump competition, a hula hoop challenge, or whatever sports Dad loves.
Make it official: handwritten certificates, a medal made from tin foil and ribbon, a victory lap around the garden. Silly, energetic, and genuinely one of those days everyone remembers.
10. Make a Photo or Video Collage
For a photo collage: the kids print out pictures of their favourite moments with Dad, stick them on a piece of card, and add words, drawings, or cut-outs of things he loves. You can also use
You can also use Canva to make a free digital version if you’d prefer something to display on screen or print professionally.
For a video: take turns recording a short message for Dad — a favourite memory, something you love about him, a joke that’s only funny to your family. Edit the clips together using iMovie (free on iPhone and iPad) or CapCut (free on Android and Windows). Add a song he loves and play it together on the TV. Fair warning: he will absolutely be moved by this.
11. A Dad Joke Competition
This one is peak Father’s Day energy. Everyone in the family writes down their best (worst?) dad joke, and Dad gets to rate them out of ten. Bonus points for delivery. Extra bonus points if Dad’s own jokes are objectively the worst ones there.
Why did the scarecrow win an award? Because he was outstanding in his field. (You’re welcome, Dad.)
12. Give Him His Hobby, Uninterrupted
Golf. Gaming. Reading. Cycling. Fishing. Pottering in the garden. Whatever his thing is, give him an afternoon of it, guilt-free, with no one asking when he’ll be back or what’s for tea.
This sounds small. For a lot of dads, it’s genuinely one of the greatest gifts on this list.
One More Idea: Get the Whole Family in the Frame
I lost my dad when I was very young. The photographs I have of him, and of us together, are among my most treasured possessions. They’re how I know him. They’re how I remember him. That’s not something I take lightly when I pick up a camera.
I also know that dads sometimes shy away from the idea of a family photo session, worried it might feel awkward, staged, or uncomfortable. But documentary family photography isn’t like that. There’s no posing, no ‘say cheese,’ no pretending. I simply spend time with your family and capture what’s already there: the way Dad roughhouses with the kids, the quiet moments, the laughter, the real stuff.
And those are the photos his children will hold onto. Not because they’re perfect, but because they’re meaningful.
If you’d like to give Dad (and your whole family) that gift this year, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch here and let’s talk about what a session could look like for your family.
