by Linda Alter

Created on: September 28, 2008   Last Updated: March 28, 2011

Father's Day is such a special day for Dads, especially if Dad is a first time father! Whether you work in a day care center, or you are a Mom, looking for a great craft project to work on with your child, I have some fantastic suggestions for you! Stay tuned for more!

FATHER'S DAY PAPERWEIGHT:

A simple and easy gift for preschoolers is a paperweight rock! It's fun for them to make, the Dads LOVE it! It makes a unique gift, especially when the kids write what THEY want to write on each of the rocks!

ITEMS NEEDED:

medium sized rock, about palm sized
paint
paint brush
glitter or glitter pens
markers if so desired
acrylic sealer spray

INSTRUCTIONS:

First of all, take the kids out for a walk, and pick a stone the size of the palm of your hand. It must be heavy enough to use as a paperweight, to hold papers down. After all, their dads will be using it as a paperweight, and you will be painting on it also! You will want it big enough to write letters on! The kids will have a BLAST looking for stones, and may collect EVERY stone in the vicinity! Use it as a science lesson, as you go for your walk, and let them collect as many rocks as they wish!

You will want to wash the rocks with warm soapy water, and then let them dry thoroughly before you proceed further. If they aren't dry, the paint won't stick! Wiping them off with a clean, dry paper towel will help them dry faster!

This is the part that is fun! The kids can paint the rock any color that they wish! If they want to paint them green, or purple, they can! It's their present to their dads, and the uniqueness will be special! Whatever they do, it has to dry well before proceeding any further.

Now, after the paint is dry, they can add their own artwork...write their names on it, write "I love you Dad", "Happy Father's Day" or whatever they wish to add to the stone. You can use glitter glue, markers or whatever the child wants to use at this point. Depending on the age of the child, they may need some help at this point to make it look neat and clean.

If you wish, at this point, you can also add a picture of the child, by glueing it onto the stone instead of writing anything on it. We will be sealing it later. Allow it to dry completely.

After the stone is completely dry, spray it completely with the sealant. This is something an adult should do, not a child. The stone is done, and it will last forever!

PEN AND PENCIL HOLDER:

One of the simplest, and most popular through the years, has been the pen and pencil

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