5 Meaningful Ways to Celebrate Dad on Father's Day

Father’s Day is a reoccurring tribute to dads—important for children and families. Recently, as I passed the gift section in Barnes & Noble, I was reminded of my favorite gift to my own father as a teenager—a handmade perpetual calendar. I wrote quips and quotes (specially selected for my dad) on blank index cards and meticulously decorated each one. Then I carefully laminated them with clear contact paper and mounted them on a Rolodex. It was fun for the first 198 days or so, but 365!

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Father's Day is an excellent day to honor dads without burning ourselves out or breaking our pocketbooks in the process. And in order to make Father’s Day meaningful, it takes some planning instead of running out the day before to grab something off the shelves at Target. Or worse yet, forgetting altogether!

Instead of buying Dad a new fishing pole or a tool for his shop, try sharing something more meaningful from your heart.

Here are some ideas that may be helpful to make the day memorable for you, your children, and the dads of your families.

Five Father’s Day Gifts He’s Sure to Love

1. Write your dad a real-life story sharing the most memorable time you’ve ever had with him.
2. Make a list of your dad’s ten qualities that you admire most and why.
3. Write a letter of appreciation for him. Date and sign it, because it will be a keepsake for sure!
4. Gather favorite photos of the children at different ages (this is a really fun project for children to do themselves) and paste them into a scrapbook. Then underneath, write a little blurb and describe each picture and what the experience meant from your perspective or your children’s, or include some funny anecdote that comes to mind.
5. If you or your children are artistic, draw a cartoon illustrating life in your family or write a poem about him.

I'm sure you can think of even more ideas. Be creative and see how you can make this special day meaningful.

Father’s Day is a wonderful time to remember just how much our fathers mean to us and how deeply they impact our lives. I’d love to hear how you celebrate Dad or all the creative ways your children show their love on this special day.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads across the globe, including my own beloved husband! And don’t just honor your fathers on one Sunday in June; make it a daily habit to show them respect and kindness all through the year.