Birthday Gifts for Dad From the Kids

You want the kids to give their dad something that is really from them, not a card you signed on their behalf. The best birthday gift for your husband from the kids is one they help make, choose or say out loud, even if it comes out a little crooked. Here are 11 ideas that work for toddlers right up to teenagers. Our top pick is a song built from the things the kids say about him, because he will still play it after they have grown up.

Hear a song Songbond made for a real family

This one was made for another family. Yours would carry his name and your stories.

11 birthday gift ideas for Dad from the kids

1. A song from the kids ($39.90). Ask each child what Dad always says, what he cooks on Sundays and what makes him laugh. Share their answers, and Songbond turns them into an original song. Play it at breakfast on the day and watch his face.
2. A mug they paint themselves. A paint-your-own pottery studio lets even a two-year-old press a handprint onto a mug. Usually $25 to $50 a piece including glazing, and he will drink his coffee from it for years.
3. An All About Dad interview. Ask each child the same ten questions: how old is Dad, what is his job, what does he love most, what is he bad at. Write their answers down word for word and frame them. The wrong answers are the best part.
4. A coupon book they make. One free car wash, one quiet hour on Saturday, one breakfast made without help. Staple it together and let them decorate the cover. It costs nothing, and he will actually cash them in.
5. Their drawing on a T-shirt. Scan a picture they drew of Dad and have it printed on a shirt he can wear to the next barbecue. Usually $20 to $40.
6. Breakfast in bed, with a menu. Let the kids draw a menu with three choices, take his order and carry the tray up. You handle the stove, they handle the service.
7. The same photo every year. Take a photo of Dad with the kids in the same spot and the same pose, then frame it with empty slots for the years ahead. A multi-photo frame usually costs $20 to $50, and the tradition becomes the gift.
8. A backyard campout they plan. The kids pitch the tent, choose the snacks and plan the flashlight stories. If you already own a tent, it costs under $30.
9. Something for his hobby that they pick. Give each child a small budget of $20 to $50 and take them to the fishing, hardware or bike shop. What they choose matters less than the fact that they chose it.
10. A keychain in a child's handwriting. Take a note one of the kids wrote, like 'love you Dad', and have it engraved exactly as they wrote it. Usually $30 to $80, and he carries it everywhere.
11. A time capsule for a later birthday. Each child adds a drawing, a letter and a small toy, and you seal it to open on his birthday five years from now. A sturdy box costs $10 to $30.

How to choose by the kids' ages

Pick the idea that lets the kids do most of the work themselves. A gift that looks a bit messy but is clearly theirs beats a neat one you made for them.

• If they are toddlers: the painted mug, the T-shirt drawing or the yearly photo.
• If they are 5 to 10: the interview, the coupon book or the campout.
• If they are teenagers: let them run the song, the hobby gift or the time capsule on their own.

Keeping it a secret with little kids

Small children cannot keep secrets, so plan around that. Do the making in the week before, while he is at work, and only tell them it is a surprise the day before. Keep the finished gift somewhere he never looks, like the laundry room or the trunk of your car. Book pottery studios about ten days ahead, since glazed pieces usually need a week in the kiln. On the morning, let the youngest hand it over and the oldest read the card out loud. If a secret slips at dinner the night before, laugh about it. He will remember that part too, and it becomes one of the stories you tell about this birthday.

Make a birthday song from the kids

Make a birthday song for Dad from the kids. Share what they say about him, and the song is ready within 24 hours. If you are reading this the night before, express delivery gets it to you in about an hour.

Also in the Journal: Father's Day song gift ideas and thank-you songs for Dad.