Kiddipedia
As Father’s Day rolls around, we’re being bombarded with targeted shopping messages from the big retailers once again – whether you’re stuck in lockdown or living a relatively normal life – the ads are everywhere. But who really needs another ‘World’s Best Dad’ mug?
As parents, we know nothing feels more special than receiving a gift your kids have helped create. I still treasure the wonky love hearts and handprint crafts created by my boys when they were toddlers.
So how can you create a DIY gift for dad, without having to traipse around the shops with the kids in tow?
Say it with cake
If the father figure in your kids’ life is anything like my husband, then the way to his heart is through his stomach. There are plenty of ways to create a special treat for dad this year, no matter where you are. And who doesn’t love cake?
So this year, we’re making a DIY cake kit from Cake 2 The Rescue – with everything we need delivered right to our door – all we have to add is butter, milk and eggs.
Get the kids to help
I’m a mum to three gorgeous boys, and they love any opportunity to get involved in the kitchen, even if their version of ‘help’ sometimes means twice the time and twice the mess! The looks of pride on their faces as we munch on what we’ve created together are always worth it.
Together, we logged on to the Cake 2 The Rescue website to choose a Father’s Day cake design – with more than 50 designs for dads to choose from, we ended up deciding on the ‘You are Jawsome Dad’ design featuring two very toothy sharks.
The beauty of a DIY cake kit like this, is that everything you need comes in the box – from the cardboard baking ‘tin’ for the cake, to the silver presentation board and the pre-coloured fondant. No wasted time looking for specialist equipment or supplies.
Keep it simple
When it comes to DIY projects for Father’s Day, the key is to keep it simple.
This goes for cake baking with your kids also – if it’s an easily made mix cake, get them involved in helping weigh out the butter and pour in the milk. Confident kids can even help with cracking eggs – but crack them into a cup before adding them to the mix, to avoid any unwanted eggshell accidents!
If you’re mixing your cake or icing in a benchtop mixer, get your kids to turn it on and safely watch the bowl spinning around. If you have to add colouring to icing, this is another great activity for them to help with.
When it comes to decorating the cake, let them help spread the icing and cut out any shapes – don’t get too caught up in making it look ‘perfect’. Dad will be so thrilled to have a homemade cake crafted with love, he won’t care about the crumbs in the icing.
Surprise Dad
If you can keep your DIY cake a surprise from Dad, it’s a great way to add some excitement to the day on Father’s Day. The kids will love the anticipation of presenting him with his beautiful homemade cake – just be sure to have the camera ready if you can, to capture the look on his face, and on theirs!
Creating something special for Dad with your kids will always be worth more than any shop-bought item that’s only going to languish in the cupboard. This is what memories are made of. Happy baking everyone.
Need some help? Join the Cake 2 The Rescue Support group on Facebook where you can ask questions and share photos of your beautiful cake creation.
Author: Erin Huckle
August 2021
