Father's Day Ideas for Kids Who Don't Have Fathers

Father's Day is a wonderful holiday to celebrate how special dads are in our lives. And by celebrating this holiday in school through activities and crafts, it reinforces how thankful children should be for their fathers. But what if there are children in your class without fathers?

Kids without dads in their lives are already aware that they're different, and this is something they will continually face. Excluding them from Father's Day activities just highlights that difference and can make children feel worse. Instead, these ideas will help you celebrate Father's Day with kids without fathers in a meaningful way. Whether you choose to highlight his mother, uncle, grandfather, or other caregiver, helping that child be thankful for the adults in his life who do care for him everyday is a wonderful way to celebrate. After all, this is what Father's Day is all about: recognizing the person in your life who helps you, guides you, and loves you.

Lesson Focus
If you have a child in your class who doesn't have a father, make sure you broaden your lesson's focus to include different kinds of families. Have children tell you what fathers do (love them, help them, spend time with them, etc.). Then, explain that other people in our lives do that, too. Even kids with a father at home can recognize others in their lives who love them and make them feel special.

Don't limit this focus to only male family members, either. Single moms and two-mother families fill the jobs of both Mom and Dad every day, and most appreciate the extra recognition for all that they do. If you are not sure how to broach this subject, meet with the child's caregivers beforehand. Explain that you want to have a special Father's Day emphasis in your classroom, and ask for input and suggestions. These families may already have a special way of addressing this subject that you can use.

Books
Stories are a wonderful way to discuss the dynamics of different families. And when kids see families that look like theirs on the pages, they feel special and understood. Here are some titles you can share with your class.

The Family Book by: Todd Parr
Todd Parr's whimsical illustrations and humorous text highlight all different kinds of families, from traditional ones to single parents and same sex parents. Step parents, step children, and adopted children are also included. This is a great book to show that even though families can look very different, they are all the same in the most important ways.

Mommy, Mama, and Me by: Leslea Newman
This board book highlights a two-mother family and all of the things they do together with their child. If you have a child in your class with two mommies, this book is a great way to include that child's family in your lesson, showing the love they have for each other and the special times they share.

Love Is A Family by: Roma Downey
In this book, a little girl is being raised by a single mother, but longs for a bigger, noisier family like some of her friends'. She's apprehensive about her small family when she goes to a family fun night at school, but it's there that she learns that families come in all shapes and sizes. In the end, she sees that what's truly important about a family is the love they have for each other.

Activities
Traditional Father's Day crafts are a wonderful way to show dads how much their kids love them, so don't abandon them all together if you have a child in your class without a day. Instead, adapt your craft for this child to make him feel special too. Changing the words "Dad" or "Father" to whatever family member the child would like to celebrate is a simple way to tailor your activity to that child.

If you'd like to take a broader approach to your activity, here are some ideas:

• Family Picture-have each child draw a house and the people who live inside with him. You can help your student label each person, and the caption at the bottom can read "Our House is Special and Full of Love."

• Medal of Honor-Give each child a paper with a drawing of a medal or winner's ribbon on it. Have them draw a picture of their dad or other family member inside. At the bottom, it can say, "My ___________ is the Greatest!" Fill in the highlighted family member for each child's paper.

• Thank you card-Father's Day is all about recognizing the love that fathers give to us, and part of that is thanking them for all that they do. Consider having each child make a card for his father or other loved one. They can draw a picture on the front, and the inside can read "Thank you for always caring for me."

By including kids without fathers in your Father's Day celebrations, you can show them love and kindness by letting them know that even though they may not have a dad, their families are just as special. It will also help them focus on all of the wonderful people they do have in their lives.