16 Simple Father’s Day Crafts for Preschool Kids
In the US, Father’s Day falls on the third Sunday in June, and a handmade card or small gift is something even a 3-year-old can help make. These ideas use paint, paper, craft sticks and a few things from the kitchen, and most can be finished in one sitting.
Below are 16 Father’s Day crafts for preschoolers, each with what you need, how to make it and one practical note. Start a few days early, since paint, glue and salt dough need time to dry, and read the safety basics first.
Before you start
Do the adult steps yourself
Preschoolers can paint, glue, press and peel stickers, but many still need help with scissors, so precut shapes for younger children and use child-safe scissors. Hot glue, the oven, craft knives, cut cans, laminating machines and spray sealers are adult jobs: do those steps away from the table.
Keep small parts from young children
Buttons, beads, googly eyes, pom-poms and dry pasta are choking hazards for children under 3. The CPSC small parts rule bans toys for under-3s with pieces that fit inside a test cylinder about the size of a young child’s throat. If younger siblings are joining in, use paper shapes, stickers and drawn details instead.
Use paint made for children
Look for the ACMI AP seal on paint, glue and markers: it means a toxicologist has reviewed the product, and ACMI recommends AP-seal products for children in sixth grade and younger. For handprints and footprints, use washable paint, keep it off the face and broken skin, and wash it off with soap and water right after printing.
Give it time to dry
Start two or three days before Father’s Day. White glue on wood and thick paint are best left overnight, and salt dough needs a few hours in a low oven and time to cool before anyone paints it.
The 16 crafts at a glance
| Craft | Mess level | Adult job | Safety note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handprint tie card | High | Painting the hand | Washable paint, off the face |
| Salt dough handprint keepsake | Medium | Mixing, rolling and baking | Raw flour; keep from dogs |
| Paper tie | Low | Cutting for younger kids | Child-safe scissors |
| Popsicle stick photo frame | Medium | Hot glue, if used | Buttons: choking risk under 3 |
| Painted rock paperweight | Medium | Sealing | Spray sealer outdoors only |
| Fingerprint heart card | Medium | Writing the message | Washable paint |
| Tissue paper flower bouquet | Low | Folding pipe cleaner ends | Sharp wire ends |
| Best Dad cardboard medal | Low | Cutting cardboard | Ribbon loop is for Dad |
| Coupon book for Dad | Low | Writing the coupons | Tape over staples |
| Footprint animal art | High | Painting the foot | Painted feet are slippery |
| Decorated pencil holder | Medium | Checking the can rim | Sharp can edges |
| Pasta bead necklace | Medium | Painting pasta, tying the cord | Pasta: choking risk under 3 |
| Handmade bookmark | Low | Laminating, if used | Tape needs no heat |
| Paper plate superhero mask | Medium | Cutting eye holes | Stick handle, large eye holes |
| Handprint sun catcher | Low | Trimming contact paper | None |
| All About My Dad booklet | Low | Writing the answers | Tape over staples |
1. Handprint Tie Card
Fold a sheet of cardstock in half to make a card. Brush washable paint onto the child’s palm and fingers, keep the fingers together, and press the hand onto the front with the fingers pointing down, so the print forms the long part of a tie. Once it is dry, glue a small paper knot at the wrist end, add stripes or dots, and write a message inside. These summer handprint crafts use the same printing method.
Good to know: brush on a thin coat rather than dipping the hand, which blurs the fingers, and have a bowl of soapy water and a towel ready to wash the hand straight after the print.
2. Salt Dough Handprint Keepsake
An adult mixes 1 cup of flour, 1/2 cup of salt and 1/2 cup of water into a firm dough, the proportions Michigan State University Extension uses, kneads it and rolls out a thick round. Lay plastic wrap over the dough, have the child press a hand firmly through it, then peel the wrap off. Poke a hanging hole with a straw. Bake in a low oven until completely hard: MSU Extension’s recipe uses a 250°F oven. It usually takes a few hours, and thick pieces take longer. Paint it once cool.
Good to know: salt dough is not food or play dough. The FDA advises not letting children use raw dough for crafts, because raw flour can carry germs such as E. coli; the plastic wrap keeps little hands off the dough, but wash hands and surfaces with soap and water afterward. The ASPCA warns that salt dough can give dogs dangerous salt poisoning, so keep the dough and the finished piece out of their reach.
3. Paper Tie Craft
Draw a tie on construction paper or cardstock, about as long as the child’s forearm, or use a printed template. Children who can use child-safe scissors cut along a thick line; precut it for younger ones. Kids decorate it with crayons, stripes, dot stickers or a short message, then tape a loop of yarn or ribbon to the back of the knot so Dad can wear it over his shirt.
Good to know: cardstock holds up to being worn better than thin paper. The neck loop is for Dad, so put the tie away after the presentation rather than leaving it with toddlers.
4. Popsicle Stick Photo Frame
Glue four craft sticks into a square, overlapping at the corners, and add a second layer on top for strength. Once the glue is dry, kids paint the frame and decorate it with stickers or paper shapes. Tape a photo of the child, or of the child with Dad, to the back so it shows through the middle, and glue a stick to the back as a stand or add a ribbon loop for hanging.
Good to know: white glue takes a while to set on wood, so build the frame one day and paint it the next, or an adult can use hot glue away from the children. Buttons are a choking hazard for children under 3, so use stickers for them.
5. Painted Rock Paperweight
Choose a smooth, flat rock about the size of the child’s palm, scrub it and let it dry. Kids paint a base coat of acrylic paint, then add dots, stripes, a face or a word such as “Dad” with paint pens or a cotton swab once the base is dry. Finish with a clear brush-on sealer. For a design idea, try the painted rock turtle in these turtle painting ideas.
Good to know: acrylic paint stains clothes, so use a smock. If an adult uses a spray sealer instead, spray outdoors away from children and follow the label. Use rocks from your own yard or a craft store, since parks may not allow collecting.
6. Fingerprint Heart Card
Fold cardstock into a card and draw a large heart outline on the front in pencil. Kids dip a fingertip in washable paint and press prints along the outline, then fill in the middle if they like, wiping the finger before switching colors. Once dry, write a short message inside, such as “I love you, Dad”, and let the child sign it. These heart pattern painting ideas show more ways to fill a heart with color.
Good to know: put a small amount of each color on a paper plate and keep a damp cloth on the table for wiping fingers between colors, so the prints stay clean.
7. Tissue Paper Flower Bouquet
Stack three or four squares of tissue paper, fold them back and forth like a fan, and twist a green pipe cleaner around the middle. Gently pull the layers apart on each side to open the flower. Kids choose the colors and make three to five flowers, then gather the stems, tie them with ribbon and add a paper tag for Dad.
Good to know: pipe cleaners have a wire core, so an adult should fold over the cut ends, which can be sharp. Tissue tears easily, so show children how to pull each layer slowly toward the center.
8. Best Dad Cardboard Medal
An adult cuts a circle from thin cardboard, such as a cereal box. Kids paint it gold or yellow or cover it with foil, write “Best Dad” in the middle with your help, and add stars or stickers around the edge. Punch a hole at the top, thread a ribbon long enough to slip over Dad’s head, and knot the ends.
Good to know: the ribbon loop is for Dad; a loop around a young child’s neck can catch on things, so put the medal away after the presentation rather than leaving it with toddlers.
9. Coupon Book for Dad
Cut paper into small rectangles. On each one, write a coupon the child chooses, such as one big hug, a bedtime story, help washing the car or a walk to the park. Kids decorate each coupon with drawings, then stack them, add a cover that says “Dad’s Coupons” and staple along one end.
Good to know: children who can’t write yet can tell you what to put on each coupon; write their words exactly as they say them. Cover the staples with tape so they don’t scratch.
10. Footprint Animal Art
Brush washable paint onto the sole of the child’s foot and press it flat onto heavy paper while you hold the paper steady. Once dry, turn the print into an animal: turned sideways it becomes a fish, with an eye near the heel and a tail past the toes, or with the toes at the top it can be a bear with ears added. Write the child’s name and the date beside it.
Good to know: do footprints with the child sitting in a chair and wipe the foot clean before they stand up; painted feet are slippery on hard floors.
11. Decorated Pencil Holder
Use a cardboard tube with a cardboard base glued on, a small plastic tub, or a clean food can. Kids wrap it in colored paper or washi tape, then add stickers, drawings and their name. Fill it with a few pens or pencils for Dad’s desk.
Good to know: the cut rim of a can can be sharp, so an adult should check it and cover it with heavy tape, such as duct tape. With young children, a cardboard tube or plastic tub avoids the problem.
12. Pasta Bead Necklace
Ahead of time, paint large tube pasta, such as rigatoni or penne, with washable paint and let it dry. Wrap tape around one end of a length of yarn to make a stiff tip for threading. Kids thread the pasta in a color pattern or a free mix, then an adult ties the ends together, leaving the necklace long enough to slip over Dad’s head.
Good to know: dry pasta pieces are small enough to choke on, so this one is for older preschoolers; keep the bowl away from children under 3. Painted pasta is no longer food, and the necklace is for Dad to wear, not young children.
13. Handmade Bookmark
Cut a strip of cardstock about 2 inches wide and 6 inches long. Kids decorate both sides with drawings, stickers and a short message such as “Dad’s Bookmark”. Cover it with clear packing tape or a self-adhesive laminating sheet and trim the edges, then punch a hole at the top and tie on a ribbon or yarn tassel.
Good to know: tape and self-adhesive sheets need no heat; a laminating machine gets hot, so that part is an adult job. Round the corners with scissors so they don’t poke.
14. Paper Plate Superhero Mask
Cut a paper plate in half. Hold one half against the child’s face to mark the eyes, then an adult cuts two large eye holes. Kids paint or color the mask in bold colors and add a lightning bolt, a star or a letter for Dad’s hero name. Tape a craft stick to one side as a handle.
Good to know: a stick handle is easier for small hands than elastic, which can snap back toward the face. Make the eye holes big enough to see well, and save chasing games for after the mask comes down.
15. Handprint Sun Catcher
Cut two pieces of clear contact paper. Peel the backing off one and tape it sticky side up to the table. Trace the child’s hand on paper and slide it under the contact paper as a guide, then let the child press small squares of tissue paper inside the outline. Seal it with the second sheet, trim around the hand, and punch a hole for a string to hang it in a window.
Good to know: precut the tissue squares, and tape down the corners of the contact paper so it doesn’t curl up and stick to itself while the child works.
16. All About My Dad Booklet
Fold and staple a few sheets of paper into a booklet, and write a prompt at the top of each page, such as “My dad is good at…”, “My dad likes to eat…” and “I love my dad because…”. Ask the child each question, write the answer exactly as they say it, and let them draw a picture on each page and on the cover.
Good to know: write the child’s age and the year on the back; the answers are fun to compare if you make a new booklet next year. Tape over the staples so they don’t scratch.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Letting children knead, play with or taste raw salt dough.
- Leaving buttons, googly eyes or dry pasta where children under 3 can reach them.
- Handing a child a can with a sharp cut rim.
- Using hot glue, a laminating machine or spray sealer with children close by.
- Letting a child stand up on a hard floor with painted feet.
- Leaving salt dough, or the finished keepsake, where a dog can reach it.
Father’s Day craft FAQs
When is Father’s Day?
In the US, Father’s Day is the third Sunday in June. A federal law made it a permanent national observance in 1972.
Which crafts are easiest for 2- and 3-year-olds?
The fingerprint heart card, the handprint tie card, the handprint sun catcher and the All About My Dad booklet, with an adult doing the painting, cutting and writing.
How far ahead should we start?
Two or three days ahead gives paint and glue time to dry, and gives salt dough time to bake and cool before it is painted.
How do you keep handprint and footprint art looking good?
Let it dry flat, write the child’s name and the date on it, and store it flat in a folder or frame it out of direct sun.
