A full-color Happy Father's Day poster for Preschool classrooms and homes, with a cheerful illustration and six trait words to read together. Print it once and hang it anywhere to fill the room with Father's Day cheer.
Little hands, big love for Dad
For preschoolers, Father's Day is a sweet way to talk about family and the people who take care of us. Kids name the special grown-ups in their lives, share something they love doing together, and make a card or poster with their own hands. Along the way they practice fine motor skills, early writing (a scribbled name counts!), and big feeling words like proud and love. The click moment is when a child says, "My dad likes pancakes, so I drew pancakes!" That's a whole story, and they told it.
Every family looks different, so we keep it open: dads, grandpas, uncles, big brothers or any special grown-up. These moves work for all of them.
Kids draw something they love doing with their special grown-up, then tell you about it while you write their words underneath. Read the sentence back and point to each word. They will ask you to read it again and again!
Why it works: pairing a picture with each word gives kids two ways to remember it, a well-tested principle of how people learn (Mayer, 2009).
Try it withHappy Father's Day PosterWorksheetsOpen it →Make your own card first while kids watch, saying each step out loud: "First I fold, then I draw, then I write my name." Then hand them the paper and let them try. Seeing a grown-up do it step by step makes a big project feel easy.
Why it works: handing over the work step by step, from teacher to student, is one of the most widely used teaching frameworks (Pearson and Gallagher, 1983).
Pick a simple tune kids already know, like "Twinkle, Twinkle," and swap in new words about their grown-up. Sing it at circle time all week, then perform it at pickup. Repeating a song every day builds memory and lots of confidence.
Why it works: words set to a repeating melody are easier to recall than the same words spoken (Wallace, 1994).
Short, hands-on projects work best: a decorated card, a handprint poster, a simple song or a pretend play box. Keep each one to about 10 to 15 minutes so little ones stay excited.
Call it a day for "special grown-ups" and let every child choose who to honor. A grandpa, mom, aunt, uncle or big brother is perfect. Kids feel included when the project is about the person they love.
Yes, with help! Children dictate a sentence and you write it, then they trace or copy their name. Scribbles and letter-like marks are real early writing, so celebrate them.
About a week ahead is plenty. That gives time for one craft, a little song practice and a card, without the project dragging on too long.
Loved by 2 million teachers & families
Printables, songs and games for every subject, Preschool through 6th. Ready to teach today, and kids beg for more.
