Personalized Father's Day gifts kids can help make
Personalized Father's Day gifts kids can help make
Father's Day gifts to make with your kid at the kitchen table: a coupon book, a clay trophy, a handprint canvas, a playlist with their cover art, and a storybook built from their drawing of dad.
Pick one where your child does the making: a coupon book they word themselves, a clay "best dad" trophy, a handprint on canvas, a playlist with cover art they drew, or a storybook built from their drawing of dad. A 3-year-old can manage the handprint and dictate coupons. By 5 or 6, most kids can sculpt and draw on their own. Most cost little or nothing and need no shipping.
This is the make-it-together list. If your child already has a drawing and you want to compare printed formats and ordering deadlines, see Father's Day gifts from a child's drawing.
The gifts that land are the ones where the child's hand shows in the finished thing, not ones a parent picked and the child signed.
7 personalized Father's Day gifts kids can help make
1. A personalized storybook starring dad Your child draws dad, you upload a photo of the drawing to DoodleTale, and it builds an illustrated story with that character as the hero. Kids between 3 and 8 love being the one who drew the "character." You can see the character, read the full story, and see the cover free. The printed softcover is $29.99 and arrives in 4 to 10 calendar days, so this is the one gift on the list that needs planning ahead. For how this compares with other keepsake formats, see kids art book keepsakes.
2. A framed drawing Pick one of your child's drawings of the family and frame it. Framebridge takes either a digital upload or the mailed-in original and ships it framed. Or use a store-bought frame and let your child choose the color.
3. A coupon book Your kid dictates or writes the coupons: "One free hug," "I'll watch the game with you," "No complaining during your boring podcast." Staple them together. The ones kids word themselves are funnier than anything an adult would write.
4. A photo book the child picks Let your kid choose the photos, not you. Their picks will be unpredictable and right. Shutterfly builds the book from your phone, though it needs shipping time too.
5. A "best dad" trophy Air-dry clay from a craft store like Michaels costs well under $15. Kids sculpt the trophy, let it dry overnight, and paint it gold. It comes out lopsided, and that's why it stays on the shelf.
6. A handprint on canvas A small blank canvas and washable paint are all you need. Press the handprint, then write the year and the child's age underneath. Do one every Father's Day and the series becomes its own record of how they grew. For what to do with the rest of the artwork that piles up, see what to do with kids' drawings.
7. A playlist with cover art drawn by your kid Your child draws the cover, you photograph it and set it as the cover image of a playlist you made on Spotify, then fill it with dad's favorite songs. It costs nothing and can be finished on Father's Day morning.
How to turn your kid's drawing into a Father's Day storybook
Here's how DoodleTale works:
- Your child draws dad. Stick figures, superheroes, portraits, whatever they draw naturally.
- Upload the drawing. Take a photo with your phone and upload it to DoodleTale. No account is needed to start.
- Preview the character and story. DoodleTale turns the drawing into a character and writes an original story around it. The character, the full story, and the cover are free to preview. The page illustrations are made after you order.
- Order. The printed softcover ($29.99) ships free to the US and Canada in 4 to 10 calendar days. The digital PDF ($9.99) arrives instantly.
Father's Day is the third Sunday in June, so order the printed book at least 10 days ahead.
Frequently asked questions
Any age works. Three-year-olds can press a handprint or scribble a drawing. Five-year-olds can draw a full scene. The age doesn't matter. The participation does.
That's the whole point. A simple drawing made by your child means more to a dad than polished professional art. The imperfection is what makes it theirs.
Father's Day is the third Sunday in June. The make-at-home gifts here take an afternoon or less. A printed DoodleTale book takes 4 to 10 calendar days to arrive, so order it at least 10 days ahead. The $9.99 digital PDF arrives instantly.
DoodleTale is written for children ages 3 to 8, with three reading levels. The child creates, dad reads.
The best gift your kid can give is the one that proves dad was on their mind.
Try it yourself
Turn your child's drawing into a real storybook
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