This Father's day I encourage Mom's and kids to become Makers! We have a spread of activities that will cover all of your Father's day needs and also teach science at the same time (Yay, science!).
Every Father's day starts with a cheesy card.
And we have three cheesy card ideas for you this year. The first is to make a fishing card with fishy jokes. The downloadable template also has a paper circuits pattern on it, allowing you to light up the card with an LED, copper tape, and coin cell battery.
The second card option uses an Arduino and can be scaled up to include an LCD screen that displays text. This circuit is motion activated by Dad and will play the Star Wars theme song sure to give dad a laugh.
And yes, Mom, you CAN do these. The linked posts have everything you need to be successful creating these cards: supply lists, step by step photos, and even helper videos. While circuits can seem daunting, and you might want to say "I can't do this, I'm not good at science" I implore you to just fake it while you make it - your attitudes will be your child's attitudes, and in an ever increasingly tech-based world, kids will need to learn these skills someday!
Arduino circuits are incredibly popular and utilize breadboards to make the building process plug and play, much like Lego bricks. Plus, the programming has already been done for you! So give it a go. You won't be disappointed.
Indulge dad with dessert.
Given that it will likely be hot for Father's day I like to indulge dad in a cool dessert, so I like to make ice cream. But not just any kind of ice cream - dry ice ice cream. Using dry ice instead of rock salt to chill the cream will create a fizzy ice cream that is fast and easy to make. You can get your dry ice at Central Market for about $1 a pound and use your favorite ice cream recipe or the one on the blog. You can use the extra ice cream with hot water and soap as a fun project.
Make dad a gift.
Last, but certainly not least, is to thank Dad for being so amazing with a little gift. This year we are making small first aid/survival tins for dad. This project urges kids to think about dimensions, volume, and packing order as they try and fit as many helpful items into the tin as possible! We added bandaids, rubber bands, fishing line, gauze, pain medications, razors, and tape.
I hope these ideas help you make this Father's day extra special, and I also hope that you are able to learn a few new skills along the way!
About Dr. Erica
Dr. Erica Saint Clair is a mom, educator, and PhD in Physics. She runs the local community science shows at Battle Point Park on Bainbridge as a way to give back to the community and bring accessible science to more people. You can find her projects at RosieResearch.com and her labs on Teachers Pay Teachers.
