Father's Day

Here it is, almost Father’s Day. Those dads, they are challenging to find gifts for, aren’t they? I sure think so. Not only to come up with a gift for *my own* dad but also all the dads of my child care kids. What to make, what to make. You know how it is, in child care. Not only is it challenging to think of an idea, it must be:

• fairly easy for children to actually make
• minimal cost
• desirable to give

Not easy! So I think this is a great idea for any dad – Painted Backscratchers Father’s Day Gift!

Painted Backscratchers Father’s Day Gift

Fun, personalized gift from a child that any dad can use and appreciate!

Remind dad every time he uses his backscratcher that he’s the “Best Dad Ever!”

Supplies:

• Dollar Tree backscratchers
• acrylic paints
• paintbrushes
• sander/sandpaper
• yarn
• beads

Directions:

• Remove tag and cord on the handle.
• Sand the shiny finish off the backscratcher. I used a small hand sander but you can also do it by hand. Don’t worry about the area at the end that’s curved.
• Paint both sides with acrylic paints as desired. Protect your work surface for easy cleanup. If using multiple colors encourage children to wipe the brush on paper towel to clean off one color before using another. With younger children, you may want to offer one color at a time and give direction.
• After the paint dries, add “Best Dad Ever!” or desired phrase with black paint and a small brush.
• Tie on a piece of yarn.
• Add beads yarn.
• Tie loop.
• Add the name of the child if desired. I used a Sharpie marker.(not shown).

Find wood backscratchers at the dollar store (Dollar Tree is where I found mine). That’s about as inexpensive as you can get – $1!

I used a small hand sander to sand off the shiny finish. I’m not sure you’d have to do this, but I wanted to make sure the paint would stick so I took a few minute sanded the shine off. Sandpaper would work as well.

It’s hard to see the difference but the top one is unsanded and the bottom handle is after sanding.

Same.

I didn’t sand the curved end. Don’t worry about that. Some of the kids painted that area and it seems just fine.

We used acrylic paints to paint the backscratchers. I have a combination of paints- some are enamel, outdoor paints, and regular matte finish acrylic craft paints. All of them worked fine. We used small brushes. I find with young children they will use less paint with a small brush. In this case, I didn’t want the paint to be too thick.

Protect surfaces and clothing. Acrylic paints do not wash out as easily as the tempera or watercolor paints we usually use in preschool. If a child gets paint on their clothing, use a wet washcloth to wash it off right away.

Everyone chose their own colors. I explained that it would be a good idea to choose a color their dad might like. Of course, they pretty much chose their favorite colors! As one girl said, “If I like it, my dad will like it.” So true.

After the paint dries, use black paint to write your message. I chose “Best Dad Ever!” It could be customized to “papa” or whatever fits best.

After all the paint dries, tie on a piece of yarn.

Have the child thread beads on the yarn.

Knot the ends. Now you have a decoration and a loop to hang up the backscratcher.

Dads everywhere are sure to love these! It’s so handy to have a backscratcher nearby!

Colorful, fun and useful!

Beads make everything better! They add a bit of whismy and charm.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads!