Get ready for Father's Day

It is thought to have been first marked in America (Fairmont West Virginia to be precise) by Grace Clayton. A local mining accident had seen over 360 men killed and almost 200 of them had been fathers. Grace had wanted to do something to commemorate the loss of these men and honour their memories with a special day for their widows and children. She contacted her Pastor and together they arranged for a Father's Day sermon to be held at the church on the 5th July 1908.

Father's Day is now a much happier affair, usually celebrated together as a family and with dear old dad being spoiled with new pairs of socks and lots of chocolate! It falls on the third Sunday of June here in the UK and America but it is celebrated all around the world in some form or other and on different days of the year. The idea behind them is still the same though, to recognise the contribution that fathers (and father figures) make to children's lives and the importance of strong male role models.

We're sure most people think that their dad's the best dad in the world! They are our first heroes and the person we can turn to when things go wrong. They know how to wire a plug, change a tyre and which is the best screwdriver for the task at hand. They have a wealth of knowledge that they share freely and they will do anything to protect us and keep us safe. They make us laugh (or groan) with a perfected range of "dad jokes" and they can always be relied on.

We think the most important gift on Father's Day is spending time together followed closely by telling the man in your life why he is important to you and thanking him for everything he does. If you find it hard to say these kind of things out loud then write them in his card. Whether you have brought one from a shop or made your own it will be something your dad can keep and look back on over the years. Writing your thoughts down will also give you time to organise them and work out exactly what you want to say.

Dads really deserve their special day but maybe we should tell them how grateful we are to have them in our lives at every opportunity we get? A text, phone call or, our personal favourite, a note just to say you love and appreciate them, out of the blue is sure to bring a smile to their faces. Spending time on someone special is more important than spending money so spread a little joy any day of the year and surprise them with a letter, note or card to let them know exactly how much you care!

Looking for a craft project to create something unique for your Dad? Try out our craft project here.