Fathers and other caregivers are central figures—and oftentimes, role models—in our lives. They have taught us what we know, supported us, and cheered us up when we were down. Whether you have a father in the traditional sense or will be honoring another family member this Father's Day, take the time to think about and acknowledge what that person means to you.
Father's Day School Ideas
The five Father's Day activities for elementary students below are geared mostly toward K–5, though they can also be adapted for slightly younger and older students. As the school year winds down, use these activities as a fun way for your students to celebrate those who care about them!
1. Making Cards
Students can express gratitude and appreciation for the men or caregivers in their lives by making cards. This can also be an opportunity for students to get creative! You will need:
- Construction paper (various colors)
- Crayons, colored pencils, and/or markers
- Scissors
- Stickers, glitter, and anything else you can think of to make the cards colorful and fun!
The specific writing requirement attached to this Father's Day classroom activity will vary depending on the age group, but one idea is for middle schoolers to write one to two properly structured paragraphs. You may ask them to reveal the importance of their father or caregiver in their lives or to write a reflection on their favorite memory with this person.
2. Read Father’s Day Books
Picking up a Father’s Day book or one about fatherhood in general—and telling your dad or caregiver about it at the end of the day—is a great sentiment. For young students in Pre-K through elementary school, here are some wonderful reads illuminating fathers and the role they play in kids’ lives.
- I Love My Pirate Papa by Laura Leuck, Kyle M. Stone (Pre-K–K)
- Peek!: A Thai Hide-and-Seek by Minfong Ho, illustrated by Holly Meade (Pre-K–Grade 2)
- Girl Dad by Sean Williams, illustrated by Jay Davis (Pre-K–Grade 3)
- A Perfect Father’s Day by Eve Bunting, Susan Meddaugh (Pre-K–Grade 3)
- Because Your Daddy Loves You by Andrew Clements, R. W. Alley (Pre-K–Grade 3)
- Big Papa and the Time Machine by Daniel Bernstrom, illustrated by Shane W. Evans (Pre-K–Grade 3)
- Papa, Daddy, and Riley by Seamus Kirst, illustrated by Devon Holzwarth (K–Grade 2)
- My Papi Has a Motorcycle by Isabel Quintero (K–Grade 3)
- Weekends with Max and His Dad by Linda Urban, Katie Kath (Grades 1–4)
- Gone Fishing: A Novel in Verse by Tamera Will Wissenger, Matthew Cordell (Grades 1–4)
3. “Memories of Dad” Paragraph/Essay Assignment
In the week(s) leading up to Father’s Day, you can assign your upper elementary and middle school students a specific prompt—or have them choose from a list of writing prompts—related to their father or caregiver. Some possibilities include:
- The Most Important Lessons I Learned from My Dad/Caregiver
- My Favorite Memory with My Dad/Caregiver
- The Best Advice My Father/Caregiver Ever Gave Me
This can be a great opportunity for students to practice writing properly formatted paragraphs or full-length essays, depending on the age group. Students can even compile a response to a different prompt each day over a few days, and the end result is a heartfelt, touching book to give to their dad or a special person in their lives. They could even include images to give the project more pizzazz!
4. Father’s Day Collage
Have students bring in photos of their father or another caregiver—including some with themselves and other family members—that could be used on a collage. You will also need:
- Oak tag, poster board, or large construction paper
- Scissors for each student
- A variety of newspapers and magazines
- Glue or glue sticks
- Crayons, colored pencils, and/or markers
Have students cut words out of the newspapers and magazines that they feel best describe their father or another role model in their life. They can also search for images that depict their father or caregiver’s interests. Each student should create a collage that can include a variety of pictures, phrases, and drawings to give to someone special this Father’s Day.
5. And the Winner Is…
Children will use their artistic skills to create an award for their father or another role model in their life. You will need:
- Crayons, colored pencils, and/or markers
- Glue
- Scissors
- Colored construction paper
- Plain white paper or printable blank certificates (can be found online)
What to Do
- Briefly discuss with children how members of a family help and care for one another. Ask children to think of a time when their father (or another parent/caregiver) did something extra special for another member of the family or for the whole family.
- Divide the children into groups and let them share their ideas with their friends. As children are talking, explain that these special events could include anything that made the family happy or proud, such as a father taking the children on a special trip or fixing a broken toy.
- Explain to children that they are going to give someone in their family a Fabulous Family Member award. Each student can either design their own award on plain white paper, or you can print out and distribute blank certificates. Children can write the reason(s) for the award or draw a picture showing why the father/caregiver deserves it.
- After children have completed filling in and decorating their awards, encourage them to show the award to a friend and explain whom it is for.
- Have children bring the awards home and give them to their fabulous family member.
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Find more lesson plans and classroom resources on Shaped. You can also discover classroom activities for Mother’s Day.
This blog, originally published in 2019, has been updated for 2022.
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