Tag: fathers day

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Involving Dad this Father’s Day

Research has confirmed that involved dads are happier dads and the benefits for children are countless too. Improved wellbeing, cognitive, social, behavioural outcomes and more. With Father’s Day coming up on Sunday 1 September, it’s time to schedule a time at your childcare centre for dads!

While dads are welcome to get involved in aspects of their children’s early childhood education year-round, there’s something extra special about an invite just for them! 

Dads and special male role models

To make sure your Father’s Day event at childcare is inclusive of all families, Dads and Special Friends Day or similar could be a more fitting name. 

This can ensure that any special male role model feels welcome to attend. Extend the invitation out to uncles, step-dads, grandfathers or close family friends.

Finding the best time

Breakfast or afternoon tea are usually the best times. This allows for those who are working to only take an hour or two out of their working day to attend. Make sure you’ve got coffee on hand and a snack, like pastries, fruit or biscuits.

For those who can’t bring someone along for whatever reason, centre the day around creating a special gift for Father’s Day. Children who are flying solo through the event can focus on getting their gift looking fantastic ready to take home. Meanwhile, those who have dad in attendance on the day can work on something special together.

Craft Father’s Day ideas

Set up a few different craft stations so children can choose to rotate or stick to one they like.

Ideas you could try include:

Portrait painting: Set up some easels and smocks and get children to paint dad! Guaranteed to be adorable and/or hilarious!

Handprint art: Paint the palm of dad’s hand and have him make a print on paper. Then get the children to do a handprint on top, creating a memorable piece of art to cherish — their hands don’t stay that small for long!

Jar plants: A big bucket of soil, some succulent cuttings and recycled jars are all you need for children and their dads to get planting together. Add in some glue and bits and pieces to decorate the jar for extra fun.

Musical fun on Father’s Day

Every day is a good day for music, and Father’s Day is no exception! Bonkers Beat children love singing songs and reciting poems. Not only does this create a sense of celebration and fun, but it also boosts children’s confidence and ability to perform in
front of a crowd. A very useful skill for life! 

To help children gain a love of poetry, Bonkers hopes you enjoy this special Father’s Day gift – a special poem called ‘My Daddy’. Click here to access.

One last thing – Don’t forget to take pictures on the day!
Take a look at our Father’s Day childcare celebration in 2018 at Bonkers Beat Music Kinder here. 

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Creative ideas for Father’s (and a Special Person’s) Day

Father’s (and a Special Person’s) Day is around the corner, with the annual occasion taking place on 2 September in Australia this year. That means it’s time to plan a celebration such as morning or afternoon tea with some special surprises for the great men in children’s lives!

Taking the time to acknowledge the important role dads have in the family is fun and exciting for children, and it can also include men in children’s lives who are special male role models and father figures too. After all, families come in all different shapes and sizes, and being inclusive ensures everyone gets to join in.

Create an invitation or notice that highlights this by inviting fathers and other special male role models. Many centres opt for Fathers and Special Person Day and specifically note that step-dads, uncles, grandfathers and family friends in children’s lives are invited.

Get some takeaway coffee cups and sort everyone out with a hot drink as the dads and other special men enjoy being the centre of attention. A few simple craft stations or a little performance are all you need to create a memorable event.

If you’re looking for some craft ideas to do at centres or even for parents to do at home with children, here are five great ones to try!

Five special creative ideas:

  1.  Recite or write a poem for dads: To help you get organised, enjoy exclusive access to our much-loved Bonkers Beat poem ‘My Daddy’ – click here.
  2. Paint a portrait: Get out the paints and ask children to create a portrait of their dad or special male figure. If you have the time, you can even do this as part of the father’s day event.
  3. Dad grassheads: You need to get these done in advance, so don’t waste another moment and get started!
  4. Coins and keys box: Make sure dad never loses his keys again and can keep track of his loose change with a DIY box child can make. Here’s how.
  5. Following in your footsteps: This heartfelt craft requires a little more effort but it’s worth it for how thoughtful it is and what a beautiful keepsake it makes. Credit to Kidspot.

We look forward to hearing about your creative ideas you use with children in celebrating Father’s (and a Special Person’s) Day. Please share with us on our Facebook page.

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4 Ways to celebrate Father’s Day this year

Father’s Day Idea

Looking for a Father’s Day idea? Socks, ‘World’s Best Dad’ mugs, breakfast in bed… These classic Father’s Day gestures are fun and much-loved by dads. But let’s get creative for Father’s Day 2017 on Sunday, 3 September and show dads how much children really care with some heartfelt and handmade gifts!

Father’s Day Idea #1: Create a portrait

First, ask children to think about their dad or special male role model’s features – does he have big bushy eyebrows? Dark brown eyes? A fuzzy beard? With those notable features in mind, children can paint or draw a portrait! Encourage children to take their time and think it through. Make it even more special by adding textures for hair, pop it in a frame or laminate it to make it last a lifetime.

Father’s Day Idea #2: Fill in the blanks

Children say some funny things – and dads will love to read the funny things they come up with when asked to fill in the blanks! Try this one. Team it with an image of the child to top it off.

Father’s Day Idea #3: Dad Grass Heads

They’re funny and simple and dads will love them. Create a grass head for fathers and special men that include little details that are tailored to children’s dads. For example, a tie, glasses or facial hair make a fun custom addition. Take a look at how to create a grass head here.

Father’s Day Idea #4: Use the Bonkers Beat ‘My Daddy’ poem

We’re sharing our My Daddy poem with you! Children can recite it to fathers and special men in their lives at a Father’s Day morning or afternoon in your centres or incorporate the text from the poem into your Father’s Day card or craft. Access ‘My Daddy’ poem here.

Don’t forget that Father’s Day is a lot of fun for many children, but should always be treated with sensitivity. Talk about dads as well as special men in children’s lives. This could include step-dads, uncles, grandfathers and family friends.

It’s also worth remembering that Father’s Day presents the opportunity to discuss the variety of family dynamics with children. Letting them know that there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ family can be incredibly comforting to a child who may feel uncomfortable about their family situation and can teach other children about diversity.

Enjoy celebrating Father’s Day and share with us photos via Bonkers Beat Facebook!

 

 

 

 

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A Special Day for Dads – Celebrating Father’s Day in Early Childhood

celebrating Father's Day in early childhood

There’s no doubt that fathers play a special role in children’s lives. In fact, today’s dads are more involved with bringing up their children and children have stronger bonds with their fathers than in previous generations.

With more dads making the time to have quality engagement with their children, celebrating fathers in early childhood education, from childcare centres through to school, is a must.

While many children will be overjoyed to invite dad along to a Father’s Day celebration, there are many other children who don’t have their father present in their life. This can be for a variety of reasons, and with over 740,000 families in Australia headed up by solo mums, it’s something most early childhood educators will have to address.

Father’s Day is coming up on 4 September, so make sure you create an inclusive Father’s Day celebration that can be enjoyed by all children. This could be by inviting fathers as well as special male friends or role models. These can be family members like an uncle, grandfather or step-dad, or perhaps a sports coach or friend of the family.

When you’re organising craft and other fun activities to mark the occasion, try to leave it open for children to design for their chosen person rather than specifying ‘To Dad’ by default.

Father’s Day also gives educators a chance to have a conversation with children about family diversity – there are plenty of books on the subject that may be worth looking at to help you explore this topic.

Enjoy your centre’s Father’s Day celebrations and of course, we think every celebration is a good time for a song, so feel free to incorporate this poem, ‘My Daddy’.

If you’ve got some great ideas to share and help all of us celebrating Father’s Day in early childhood, please post them on our Facebook page!

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Celebrating the Fathers and Special Men in Our Lives

Today’s young fathers spend more time with their children each day – talking, playing and teaching them – than fathers of just one generation ago. This is fantastic news; with our lives busier than ever, our children still need strong, present role models in their lives.

We take Fathers Day to acknowledge the important role that fathers, grandfathers, uncles and special male influences play in the lives of their children; as role models, care givers, providers, protectors, supporters, friends, and the myriad other roles that men play in the lives of women and children.

Fathers are often overlooked and not as celebrated as mothers however, recent research shows just how important it is for children to spend quality one on one time with fathers or other males.

For boys Ian Grant, parenting expert and author of Growing Great Boys, believes the role of a father in his son’s life is crucial and that dads can never be too involved with their sons. “Boys whose dads are involved with them from a young age do better in lots of ways — academically, emotionally and socially,” says Grant. “Well-fathered boys show the positive effects years later with an improved capacity for empathy and the health of their social relationships. You have to do whatever it takes to be there for your kids.”

Fathers have been given a tremendous ability to influence the lives of their daughters.  Girls need to wrestle, rough house and spend quality one on one time with their fathers, or male figures to build confidence both physically and mentally.  This boosts their self-esteem, self-image and how they see themselves in the world. University of Oxford researchers noted that girls who had more involved fathers were less likely to face mental health problems later in life. Genuine praise and admiration from a father can help his daughter grow up to be an independent, confident woman.  There is no denying the fact that a healthy relationship between a daughter and a father can produce amazing results in his daughter’s life.

How to celebrate Fathers Day? Well, everybody loves a hand made craft item or a card. There are lots of simple, fun and inexpensive ideas on the Internet.  Special photos, some lovely words and a funny gift always make Dads smile.  Another way to celebrate is to spend the day together as a family. Simple pleasures like walking on the beach, a day trip to the snow, park or forest, a coffee at a favourite café and of course breakfast in bed. Because, let’s face it Dads are wonderful and special and deserve a day of celebration.

We believe that poetry is a great way to celebrate… So enjoy a poem written by Galina – ‘My Daddy’:

https://musicearlychildhoodpresenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/My-Daddy-by-Galina.pdf

Craft ideas for Fathers Day – https://www.pinterest.com/diamondkandace/crafts-for-father-s-day/

Martha Stewart Craft ideas- http://www.marthastewart.com/274629/fathers-day-crafts-for-kids/@center/307033/spring-holidays

Ways to spend the day as a family – http://miamiinstyletv.com/top-10-fun-ways-to-spend-fathers-day-as-a-family/

Article on the importance of children spending quality time with Fathers – http://www.ahaparenting.com/blog/Fathers-Day

The importance of father/ daughter relationships – http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/821928/the-importance-of-the-father-daughter-relationship

The importance of father/ son relationships – http://everydaylife.globalpost.com/importance-father-son-relationships-23229.html

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5 Ways to Approach Father’s Day With Care

Father’s Day is a brilliant way of celebrating dads and all that they bring to our lives. Everywhere we look in shopping centres in the lead up to Sunday 7 September this year, promotional material encourages us to show dad how much we care and to spoil him, and it is around this time that early childhood educators organise our Father’s Day activities in centres.

While Father’s Day is exciting for many children, as with any occasion that is about celebrating a particular role within families, it should be approached with the knowledge in mind that not all children come from families that have a father present for many varied reasons.

Father’s Day discussions with children can be a great way of opening up a dialogue about the different shapes and sizes of families and the different roles of various adults in their lives. Letting children know that there’s no such thing as a ‘normal’ family can be incredibly comforting to a child who may feel uncomfortable about their family situation and can teach other children about diversity.

Here’s our top five tips for approaching Father’s Day with care this year:

1. When talking to children about Father’s Day, keep in mind not all children will have dads involved in their lives, while some may have two dads.

2. If you’re hosting a Father’s Day celebration, open the invite to dads, step-dads, grandfathers and uncles.

3. Don’t be afraid to open the dialogue about family diversity and the different families that children may have.

4. When embarking on activities such as card and gift-making, suggest the options for who children may like to design their creation for rather than specifying ‘for dad’.

5. Some children may even like to make more than one item for the occasion if they have more than one father figure in their lives.

As always, we’d love to hear your tips for creating an inclusive and positive Father’s Day experience in your centre, and in your home.

If you’d like to explore family diversity with your children in centres or at home, these books may be a good starting point exploring modern families, adoption, divorce, same-sex families, death of a parent and more: http://www.parenting.com/gallery/divorce-books-children?page=0

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