Fun-A-Day!

fun & meaningful learning every day

  • About
    • Terms of Use
    • Printing Help
  • Privacy
  • Newsletter
  • Home
  • Early Learning
    • Preschool Arts and Crafts
    • Literacy
      • Letters & Words
    • Math
    • Music
    • Science
    • Sensory
  • Themes
    • Holidays & Seasons
      • Summer
      • Fall
  • Teacher Tips
  • Free Printables
  • Slime
  • Shop
Home / Uncategorized / Homemade Father’s Day Gift – Nuts & Bolts Frame

Homemade Father’s Day Gift – Nuts & Bolts Frame

Shared by Mary Catherine 4 Comments

We’re all about kid-made presents in preschool, and this homemade Father’s Day gift is no different.  I’ve done this with a variety of preschool and kindergarten classes, and it’s always met with a lot of enthusiasm.  The dads seem to enjoy receiving their child’s version of this nuts and bolts frame, which is the goal!  Below is a version Engineer made for his grandpa last year.

a nuts and bolts frame is a great homemade father's day gift

Related: Child-Made Father’s Day Gifts

Table of Contents

  • Dad will love this homemade Father’s Day gift!
  • Done-for-You Preschool Resources

Dad will love this homemade Father’s Day gift!

Materials
I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
Large craft sticks (the kind that look like tongue depressors)
White glue or a hot glue gun
A few nuts and bolts
Acrylic paint (we used dark blue)

the beginnings of a homemade father's day gift

Are you following Fun-A-Day’s Mother’s Day & Father’s Day Pinterest board?

Directions

  1. Paint 4 large craft sticks.  Engineer chose a dark blue acrylic paint.  Tempera paint would work well, too, but the coverage might not be the same.
  2. Glue the sticks together to create a frame.  We glued our sticks together to create a squarish frame.  If a more rectangular frame is what you want, don’t overlap the sticks as much as we did!
  3. Choose a few nuts and bolts to add to the frame.  Be sure not to overload it with too many, though!  If Dad isn’t into building, choose something different to decorate the frame with.
  4. Glue the hardware to the frame.  We used regular white glue, but a hot glue gun would work just as well (and would dry faster).
  5. Add something to the frame (see ideas below).  Back it with a piece of cardboard.
  6. Be sure to write the year on the back of the frame!
  7. Add a strip of magnetic tape to the back if you want to feature it on the fridge.
a finished homemade father's day gift - the nuts and bolts frame

Related: Handmade Father’s Day Gifts from Kids

Ideas for What to Frame

  • Child’s picture
  • Child’s hand print(s)
  • A note or a poem from the child
  • A picture of Dad with the kiddo(s)

Engineer really wanted to write his grandpa a note, so that’s what we settled on.  My dad loved it, of course, and Engineer was so proud of what he’d made!

What homemade Father’s Day gift are you planning to make with the kiddos?  Any favorite ideas from years past?  I’d love to hear about them in the comments below!

Done-for-You Preschool Resources

Planning meaningful lessons for students week after week, all while balancing other teaching responsibilities and a personal life, can be a daunting task. That’s where Preschool Teacher 101 comes in to save you time!

Preschool Teacher 101 is excited to share with you some amazing lesson plans, activity packs, and much more! We offer a wide variety of themes that are frequently used in preschool classrooms, as well as some less common (but super interesting) themes. Click on the image below to learn more about our family lesson plans!

Family Lesson Plans

Join The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 today for exclusive access to our amazing products. And we even have three different membership options to suit your needs!

This post was originally shared at the lovely B-Inspired Mama!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Mother's Day & Father's Day

Previous article:
« The Absolute BEST Teacher Appreciation Gift!
Next article:
20+ Ideas for Hand and Footprint Art »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Emma @ P is for Preschooler says

    May 13, 2014 at 3:34 am

    This is a perfect gift for a certain dad I know. Great idea!

    Reply
    • Mary Catherine says

      May 14, 2014 at 11:55 pm

      Thank you, Emma! I know my dad loved receiving his from my son last year. Let me know how it goes if you try it out this year. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Libby says

    February 16, 2022 at 4:34 pm

    Sharing this with daughters and daughters-in-law.
    What a fun and simple project!

    Reply
    • Mary Catherine says

      February 18, 2022 at 3:40 pm

      Thank you so much, Libby! Let me know if they get a chance to try it out. 🙂

      Reply
shop button

My name is Mary Catherine, and I love to share meaningful {and fun} learning activities for kiddos! Feel free to browse and stay awhile!

Past Fun!

Search the Fun!

Fun by Categories!

Copyright ©2023, Fun-A-Day!. All Rights Reserved. Custom design by Pixel Me Designs