by Richard Hefty

Created on: June 04, 2008   Last Updated: April 20, 2012

Speaking as a father, I have to go on record as saying that toddler crafts are the best! Is it because of the intrinsic aesthetic appeal of said project? Ummm...no. Do we fathers have a secret hope that our little one will become the next Picasso, Da Vinci, or Martha Stewart. Heavens, no! Fathers find the appeal of toddler crafts a few weeks earlier as we put together gifts for Mother's Day. It's more or less a scouting trip for us to see what the little ones are capable of making.

As we send mom out on the Saturday before Mother's Day so that we can "spend some quality time with the kids", we use this time to find out what we're working with. Like any good contractor, we have a punch list. Can Junior use scissors properly? That would be a "no". (Note to self: Shave the rest of the cat so that the bald spot isn't as noticeable) Does he possess any discernible color coordination ability? Another "no". Sadly though, his ability matches our own. It's a guy thing. Is he ready for glue? As a craft aid...no. As an appetizer...yes.

While we make our notes, we silently weep at the gnarled mass of paper, glue, crayon shavings, and cat hair that sits on the table before us. How could this possibly be an acceptable gift? Unfortunately, due to time constraints we're forced to present this as our best effort. Then, on Mother's Day morning, we see the true beauty of a toddler craft. Mom closes her eyes, opens her hands, and when the gift is placed in her hands she opens her eyes and reacts as if she has just been given the Hope Diamond. "IT'S BEAUTIFUL! DID YOU MAKE THIS BY YOURSELF?!? I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!" That's the secret. Toddler crafts are impossible to mess up! That should give you moms peace of mind. No matter what our toddler children give us, we're going to love it. That being said, here are a couple suggestions that would be ideal for a toddler to give to dad.

1) Take a nap. Ok, I'm kidding. Kinda. In all honesty, a couple hours of quiet time on a Sunday afternoon is priceless to us dads.

2) Finger paint portraits. Moms, just please be sure to label the family members somehow. That way we can avoid the uncomfortable "Oh, is this Daddy? No, that's grandma." exchange.

3) Get Junior a baseball hat for dad's favorite team. While this isn't technically a gift FOR Dad, it's definitely a gift TO Dad. Nothing beats knowing that "your" team is now your child's team as well. This works equally well for little girls. As a matter of fact, if a dad thinks that his little girl is going to be a baseball fan...all will be right with the world.

4) Anything that has the child "sign" their name. When we look at the scribbles on the paper, we will begin to convince ourselves that the signature alone means our child is destined to be a doctor. This fantasy of having a child to support us in our later years will help us forget about the $47.32 that currently makes up our entire 401K.

These are just a few suggestions, but as I stated before, it is impossible to mess up a gift from a toddler. Disclaimer: The same rules do not apply when the child becomes a teenager with a job of their own. At that point, we will expect much, much more.

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