Over the past few weeks I’ve shared a few ideas for Father’s Day photo books here and here. If you’re looking for a simple gift that you can give your favorite Dad year after year, read on.
Early in my Father’s Day gift giving career I realized I needed a solution for the dad-who-has-everything-he-needs challenge. I decided that each year I would have the kids decorate an 8×8 page to their liking and we would put it in a simple paper album. It is fun to look back and compare handprint sizes and talk about how much their writing/drawing has developed year to year.
Our process goes something like this:
Step 1 | Print a handful of favorite kid+dad photos from previous year. Or create an album in photo organization software and let kids choose straight from there. Either way, I give each kid a limited selection of photos and they get to pick which one they want to include. I think giving them a photo as a starting point is easier than starting with a blank page.
Step 2 | Find quiet time for them to create their page. I’ve learned to have a stack of pre-cut 8×8 paper (I just use printer paper) on hand because there are often several re-dos.
Step 3 | Insert photo in cover of dad + the kids and move photo from previous year to grid page with other past photos in the book.
Step 4 | Wrap album and feel good knowing that even if that “perfect” Father’s Day gift does not materialize this year, your kids have something special to give dad.
