Sweet Kid-Made Gifts for Moms and Dads!
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A few years ago on Mother's Day, my husband and kids gave me what is perhaps my all-time favorite gift, a storybook they made in which I was "Superhero Mommy". This personalized story book would make an equally fantastic Father's Day gift or a gift for a grandparent or special friend!
With the help of my husband, the boys came up with a story called "Superhero Mommy". He asked them some leading questions to aid with the structure of the tale. You can use them to create one for the mom or dad (or grandparent or any special person) in your life!
- If Mom (or Dad) was a superhero, what kind of superpowers would she/he have?
- What kind of problems could she/he solve with these superpowers?
- How does she/he solve the problems?
My story takes place in a future where "a terrible thing started to happen. People were playing on the computer all the time." They stopped using their hands other than to type and "forgot about crafts". In fact "crafts almost became extinct....They used superglue to try to separate things, they used markers to cut paper, and they tried to use scissors to stick things together..." Oh my!
My husband printed out the text and the kids cut it up. He folded a stack of construction paper in half to make a book. The kids pasted each line to a page and added illustrations.
I loved it so much that I copied his idea and had the boys make him a "Superhero Daddy" book for Father's Day, though we drew it right onto a pre-made blank books. These blank board books from Bare Books are a favorite of mine for craft projects, party favors and gifts.
photo from Martha Stewart
Other favorite Mother and Father's Day gifts kids can help to create:
- Compliment walls: My husband had the kids write sweet words about me: "funny", "nice", "cuddly", on sticky notes and covered the kitchen in them.
- "Stained glass" windows of words: My husband had the kids write sweet messages all about me (similar to the sticky notes), each in a different piece of construction paper. He taped them all to our living room windows and when I came in, the light was streaming through the colored paper and made the room full of color....and love!
- Dad (or Mom) dates- I had each kid pick out a date they'd like to go in with their dad and got a gift certificates to make it happen. They made Father's Day cards with little pockets for the gift cards. One chose a trip to the movies and the other chose a 1/2 hour massage!
- Personalized checkbook and passport covers (see pic, above)- Slip kid's artwork into store-bought clear covers. I made these for Martha Stewart Living and you can find the how-to here!
- Kid art tote- Pick up some blank canvas totes at the craft store and have your child draw on them with fabric markers. (Heat set as needed per marker instructions). Or scan a favorite drawing and print it out onto heat transfer paper (as I did here), available at craft and office supply stores and iron it onto a bag.
By the way, Superhero Mommy was able to remind people that it was fun to talk to each other and use their hands for making things, therefore saving the world! "Then she ate her cheese crafts and it tasted good." (!)
Happy Mother and Father's Day to all the superheroes out there!