Father's Day

The online calendar of kids' events

in London

Father’s Day, June 17th.

Yes, we know it’s another opportunity for our consumer society to cash in but dads are just as special as mums so make sure you let your daddy know what he means to you!
Make a card, bake a cake and tell him you love him…

Earliest History of Father’s Day
Scholars claim that the tradition of Father’s Day can be traced in the ruins of Babylon. They have recorded that a young boy called Elmesu carved a Father’s Day message on a card made out of clay nearly 4,000 years ago. Elmesu wished his Babylonian father good health and a long life. There is no record of what happened to Elmesu and his father but the tradition of celebrating Father’s Day remains in many countries all over the world.

Modern day Father’s Day
This celebration exists almost all over the world to honour and commemorate fathers or forefathers. In the Roman Catholic tradition, Father’s Day is celebrated on Saint Joseph’s Day, though in most countries Father’s Day is a secular celebration.
In the US, the first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 9th 1910 in Spokane, Washington. It was initiated by Mrs Sonora Smart Dodd to commemorate her father, the Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, as he had raised his six children as a single parent.

Father Facts

The average age of a first–time father is 32 and rising.
One in 10 babies is born to a father over 40
One in 100 babies is born to a father over 50.
On average, fathers working full–time spend one hour a day on childcare activities during the week and one hour forty minutes a day at weekends.
Fathers in full–time employment work 47 hours on average
37.2% of fathers change nappies more than once a day. 8.7% of fathers never change nappies.
A set of septuplets – four boys and three girls – were born to an American couple in 1997.

Yummy Fathers Day Treats!

Double Chocolate Fruity Squares

Makes 16 squares
15 minutes preparation time and 2 hours chilling time – NO COOKING!
200g plain chocolate
100g sunflower margarine
2 tbspns orange juice
150g digestive biscuits
60g white chocolate
50g raisins
75g chopped dried apricots
50g dried cherries or cranberries
Break chocolate into small squares and put into a heavy based saucepan. Add margarine and orange juice and heat gently for 3–4 mins, stirring occasionally until melted. Stir until smooth.
Crush biscuits in a food processor. Roughly chop white chocolate. Add biscuits, white chocolate and all dried fruit to melted chocolate mixture. Stir well.
Spoon into greased tin and press down lightly. Chill and cut into squares.
EAT

Honey Roasted Nuts and Seeds

3 minutes preparation time and 10-15 minutes cooking
500g assorted whole skinned nuts eg cashews, hazelnuts and almonds
225g assorted seeds eg sunflower and pumpkin
2 tbspns clear honey
1 tbspn soy sauce
Place nuts and seeds in a roasting tin, Cook in preheated oven at 200°c for 10–15 mins stirring occasionally.
Put honey and soy sauce in a bowl and mix well. Remove nuts from oven. Pour honey mixture over nuts. Cool completely before serving.

Recipes from Real Food for Kids by Rachael Anne Hill