On Sunday, the 21st of June 2026, fathers around the UK will be celebrated and honoured through gifts and gestures from their children and loved ones. Planning and executing Father’s Day celebrations can be easier with older children, but what about with toddlers? A life with toddlers is filled with loud laughs and screams, bursts of energy and unpredictable moments that parents cherish.
For Father’s Day, these special traits can be used to create heartfelt gifts and experiences for Dad through toddler-friendly activities for Father's Day. From fun arts and crafts to make sentimental gifts for Dad to a relaxing reading session at the end of the day, we have provided a few simple Father’s Day ideas (and Father’s Day voucher codes to stay on budget) to get the little ones involved in making this day special.
- Father’s Day crafts
- Father’s Day breakfast and snacks
- Father’s Day outings
- Father’s Day at-home activities
- FAQs on toddler-inclusive Father's Day activities
Toddler Craft Activities for Father’s Day
One of the best ways to involve young children in the gifting experience is through arts and crafts. Arts and crafts activities are a great option since the toddlers can make something meaningful for Dad while also developing their fine motor skills.
The BBC says you don’t have to spend money to impress Dad, and this is true. For easy Father’s Day craft projects, you can use items you already have at home. If you do want to try out bigger projects and have to buy a few extra supplies, you can use one of many Stationery promo codes to keep your spending low.
1. Create art: Footprint art, handprint art and portraits
What you need:
- Paint
- Paper or cardboard
- Paintbrushes or sponges
- Pencils and crayons
The combination of toddlers and paint will be messy, but worth it when creating footprint and handprint art that Dad can cherish. There is no strict formula for tackling this project. The first and most important step would be to work in an area where you won’t mind the mess and have the little ones wear clothes that are paint-stain approved.
From there, using either paintbrushes or sponges, paint their hands and feet before stamping them on your chosen surface. Once that has been done, you can help them write sweet messages to Dad.
The paint, along with the pencils and crayons, can also be handy for portraits. Portraits can be particularly exciting for young children because they can get creative with expressing how they see their Dad and the whole family. This can also be heartwarming for Dad since he will get to see himself from the children’s creative perspectives.
2. Make a jar of love and appreciation
What you need:
- A clean jar or container
- Different coloured paper
- Pencils and crayons
For this project, you will need to cut the papers into strips that can be placed in the chosen jar or container. Older children may be able to write on the strips themselves, but for the younger ones, you can step in.
On each strip, write something the children love and appreciate about their Dad. They can also decorate the strips with hearts, flowers or anything their little hearts desire. These strips will be placed in the jar or container and gifted to Dad.
This is a heartfelt gift that he can keep on his desk at work or at home. Whenever he is having a difficult day or just wants a cheerful boost, he can randomly pick out a strip and remember what his children love and appreciate about him.
Preparing a Father’s Day Breakfast with Toddlers
A Father’s Day Sunday breakfast is the perfect way to kick off the day, and you can involve the little ones in the process to make it extra special for everyone. Just like the painting project, this will also be messy but worth it in the end.
Depending on the children’s ages, there would be little to no access to the stove or sharp utensils such as knives, but they can help with:
- Stirring pancake batter
- Beating eggs
- Pouring juice or a smoothie
- Pouring milk for cereal
- Spreading butter, jam or peanut butter on toast
- Decorating the plate with fruit
If the mess that comes with preparing a Father’s Day breakfast is too much to handle, you can opt for a fun and simple snack platter. This could involve taking the children along to the supermarket and tasking them with picking out their Dad’s favourite snacks, or you can order groceries online with verified Supermarket discount codes. The final step is letting them get creative with the arrangement and presentation of the snacks.
Spending Father’s Day Out
A day out can be fun and enjoyable for the whole family. A scavenger hunt is a fun activity that will wear the children out, giving both Dad and Mum a break at the end of the day. To keep to the Father’s Day theme, you can encourage the little ones to look for leaves, rocks and even sticks that they think Dad would love. This is a simple activity that you can do in your local park, and you can end the outing by having a picnic.
National Trust offers a variety of scavenger hunts and family-friendly walking trails that are perfect for an intimate and relaxing Father’s Day Sunday. There are free-entry trails and activities, but if you happen to like one that requires pre-booking a ticket purchase, use our Days Out voucher codes to save.
Fun Father’s Day Activities to do at Home with Toddlers
A family day at home can very much be a gift when planned right. Since this is for Father’s Day, here are some ways that the little ones can ‘take charge’ to make it special for Dad.
1. A toddler-hosted picnic
From the previous suggestion of making a snack platter made up of Dad’s favourite snacks, take it a step further by making a picnic of it! Set up a few blankets in the garden and include toddler-friendly snacks in the mix. This can also be a great time to present the portraits and art.
2. Throw a pyjama party
A family day in with matching pyjamas and all the attention on Dad can be a wonderful gift. The party aspect depends on preferences. Whether this involves playing a special playlist of Dad’s favourite songs and dancing the day away or watching his favourite movies, it is up to you (and the little ones).
For matching pyjamas, you can browse our offering of Fashion discount codes for money-saving deals on pyjamas for the whole family.
3. Have a storytime session
Reading books with young children is a great bonding experience, and for Father’s Day, you can organise a special reading session with Dad. You can set up a reading corner or fort in the living room using pillows and blankets, where Dad and the children can cosy up together for the session.
Staying on the Father’s Day theme, you could purchase books about fathers at reasonable prices with Book promo codes. For this experience, Dad may have to do reading because the children may not be able to yet, but it will still be special.
FAQs on Including Toddlers in Father's Day Activities
Not sure how to include your toddler while planning for Father’s Day? Here are some frequently asked questions and answers to give you some guidance:
1. How can toddlers help on Father’s Day?
Toddlers enjoy helping in any way they can, and for Father’s Day, you can rope them in by letting them help with executing any ideas you may have. Small things such as helping with the cooking, setting the table, laying out the blanket for a picnic or even picking games to play with Dad can go a long way.
2. What are the best Father’s Day gifts toddlers can help make?
The best gifts toddlers can help make are homemade Father’s Day gifts. Father’s Day cards, print art, decorated items, and drawings are heartfelt gifts that toddlers can take on.
3. How can I include a toddler in Father’s Day activities if they are still too young to participate much?
If your toddler is still too young to help with cooking or even art projects, you can still include them by focusing on activities that involve special time with Dad. You can also buy gifts and cards for Dad, ‘signed’ by the little one.
Plan and Save on Activities for Father's Day with Father’s Day Voucher Codes
A lot of preparation and patience will go into planning and executing these toddler-friendly activities for Father's Day, but the results will be worth it. While Father's Day does not require fancy or expensive gifts, if you want to shower Dad with love by buying gifts, you can use Gifts & Occasions discount codes to save some money.
