Father's Day presents children can make – from an adventure voucher to a whittled stick

Father's Day falls in the middle of November, when it is grey outside and most of the autumn leaves are still lying on the ground. It is a good time for presents the children make themselves – ideally ones that end with you being outdoors together.

In 2026, Father's Day falls on Sunday 8 November. It is a good idea to start crafting the weekend before, so the leaves have time to be pressed and the paint to dry.

When is Father's Day in the Nordic countries?

In Sweden, Father's Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in November. The day arrived here in the 1930s, modelled on the American one, which was in June at the time, but it was moved to November so it would fall as far from Mother's Day as possible. Norway, Finland and Iceland celebrate on the same day, and in Finland Father's Day is also an official flag day.

Country	Father's Day	2026
Sweden	Second Sunday in November	8 November
Norway	Second Sunday in November	8 November
Finland	Second Sunday in November	8 November
Iceland	Second Sunday in November	8 November
Denmark	5 June (Constitution Day)	5 June

So if the children have a grandad in Norway or Finland, the same voucher can be sent to both.

1. Adventure voucher or fika voucher

The simplest and often the most appreciated present. Print out the vouchers further down the page and let the children colour them in and write their names. The youngest can add a fingerprint as a signature. The lovely thing about a voucher is that the present goes on – it is redeemed one weekend in December, or when the first snow comes.

2. Bookmark made from pressed autumn leaves

Go out and look for leaves on the ground: oak, maple and rowan keep their colour best. Place them between two sheets of newspaper in a thick book and stack more books on top for one to two weeks. Then glue the leaves onto a strip of card, cover with sticky-back plastic, punch a hole and tie on a piece of yarn. If you are in a hurry, an adult can iron the leaves dry between sheets of baking paper on a low heat.

3. Breakfast in bed

Let the children decide the menu and carry in the tray. Three-year-olds can butter bread and pour juice; older children can fry pancakes with an adult at the hob. Put a leaf or a pine cone on the tray as decoration, and one of the vouchers under the plate.

4. Painted stone for the desk

Look for a smooth, flat stone on the beach or in the garden. Wash it, let it dry and paint it with acrylic paint: a fox, a spruce tree, Dad's initials or the whole family as dots. A stone works as a paperweight and stays on the desk for years.

5. Picture made from nature finds

Cut a frame out of cardboard and let the children glue pine cones, leaves and small sticks from the ground around the edge. There is room for a drawing or a photo in the middle. Why not gather the materials on the same walk as for the pine cone ghosts – the leftovers go a long way.

6. Hand-drawn map for a walk

Older children can draw a map of a loop near home: the starting point, the big rock, the stream, the crooked pine and a cross where the fika is waiting. Draw a north arrow and let Dad navigate on Father's Day while the children show the way. The map is both a present and an outing, and a good way to practise map reading before it is time for longer hiking trails.

7. Bird feeder for the window

Melt coconut oil, stir in bird seed and let it set in a mould with a piece of string in it. Hang it outside the window where Dad drinks his morning coffee. The full instructions are in bird feeder for the winter.

8. Whittled stick

A whittled sausage stick of their own, or a name stick with Dad's initials, is a present that gets used. The child sits down, whittles away from the body and keeps an arm's length from everyone else. Use a children's knife with a finger guard and have an adult alongside the whole time.

Remember the right of public access (allemansrätten, Sweden's freedom to roam) when you look for a stick: you may take sticks and branches lying on the ground, but not break twigs off living trees. For a toasting stick, a fresh branch is best because it doesn't burn, so take it from your own garden or ask the landowner. There is more about the rules in the guide to the Right of Public Access.

9. A fika outing the children plan

The biggest present for many dads: a morning where the children have decided everything. They choose the place, pack the rucksack and carry the flask. With a barbecue spot and a bowl of batter it becomes kolbullar over the fire (Swedish campfire pancakes with bacon); otherwise hot chocolate and buns will do. Check that there is no fire ban, and only light fires at prepared fire spots or on gravel.

Tips for a relaxed Father's Day

• Craft the weekend before. That way the leaves have time to be pressed and the paint to dry, and there is no stress on Sunday morning.
• Put the presents in a paper bag of their own that the children have decorated with leaf prints.
• Let it be the children's work. A wonky map and a smudgy stone mean more than anything shop-bought.

If you have autumn crafts left over from the autumn break, such as pumpkin lanterns, it is perfectly fine to bring them out again. And three weeks after Father's Day comes the first Sunday of Advent – with an outing for every Advent weekend.