I love putting these snack boxes together! I do them for my children and friends on their birthdays, after a hospital stay, for new parents and of course for my spouse. It is a great activity to help your child think about their dad: about what they really love to eat, to drink, to read and to do. It teaches them empathy and brings your family closer together. It is simple to do as well and never fails to please – all it takes is a box and trip to the supermarket. In this case, I made it special by packaging it as a “snack and nap” – which means dad will get their favourite food and drinks, maybe a few magazines in there and a coupon for a Father’s Day nap. Because we all need a little rest from time to time. This has all the ingredients necessary for dad to take with him, lay on a hammock at home and just chill – does it get any better than this?
Best Ages for This Activity
Eighteen months to five years
How to Make It
You Will Need:
- Dad’s favourite snacks
- Dad’s favourite drinks (one or two drinks is good)
- A new magazine that dad likes to read
- A ticket valid for a nap. You can cut this one:
Let’s Get Started!
- Invite your child to prepare a surprise for Father’s Day
- Find a nice box (it can be a gift box or any box you find around the house – you can return it to its rightful place after Father’s Day. I use a wooden box I have at home)
- Together, talk about what special things dad likes to eat, and what his favourite drinks are. This is an important part of the activity, as your child will have to really think about dad, about what he likes (not what your child would like). It teaches your child empathy.
- Make a list together of those things, and then either go by yourself to pick them up or invite your child to come shopping with you.
- Once you have the snacks, the drinks and the magazines (or a nice new book if he’d prefer), invite your child to arrange them nicely inside the box. You can put the drinks in the box as well and also duplicates of them in the fridge so you can swap them for cold ones at the last minute.
- Make a coupon valid for one Father’s Day nap and add it to the box. You can print the one I included above if you wish.
- With your child, find a good hiding spot to hide your special gift somewhere until Father’s Day. Your child will be so excited to keep it a surprise until then! If they are anything like me, they will hardly be able to contain themselves.
- Now you just wait till Father’s Day, when your child can give dad his “snack and nap” special package and make sure dad really enjoys his snacks while resting in the backyard or napping comfortably. This is a good way to teach your child to take care of their parents and think of their needs.
Learning Opportunities
This is a great activity to help your child think of others. This helps your child develop empathy. It also teaches you child to observe others and see the things they like, which are not necessarily the things a child would choose for them.
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