Father's Day popsicle stick tie rack craft activity

Father's Day craft activity. With Father's day just around the corner, this popsicle stick tie rack craft activity is just the thing to make any Dad happy. You could prepare it on Monday, start it Tuesday, continue with it on Wednesday, make the card on Thursday and assemble it on Friday ready to take it home for Sunday. OR, have a Design and Technology day and get it done and dusted in 1 day.
Essentially, this is a Father's Day craft activity where the children can make a very simple tie rack using only 9 lollipop sticks to give to Dad on Father's Day. It is also a fantastic opportunity for the children to develop their fine motor skills by following a template, being accurate and being patient while the glue dries during the various stages. It will cover your Design and Technology quota for the week!
Included in the download is a sticking template which gives assembly instructions, a packaging template that can double up as a card where the children can decorate and add a simple message and a few photographs showing what the tie rack and packaging looks like when complete.
Use PVA (wood glue) for strong joints. Stage 1 and the 3 parts of the hook can be made to begin with and left overnight to set, so a good activity to do at the end of the school day. Continue with the next stages during the following morning and the hanger should be ready to go home by the end of the school day or better still the next day to fully allow the glue to set. If weights can be placed onto the rack when it is drying it will help the joints to be even stronger but this is not essential - the tie rack is surprisingly strong and will hold 8 ties when full.
Each child will need 9 lollipop sticks, any colour or a combination of colours or use plain sticks which the children can decorate. Two of the lollipop sticks will need to be cut in half to make the hook. I used strong scissors to make a dent at the edges and then snap them carefully putting my thumbs and index finger as close to the middle as possible. Alternatively, if you have access to junior hacksaws, either you or the children could cut them in half. You could bundle them together and either put some tape or an elastic band around them to make cutting quicker. The ends could be sanded using sandpaper or even a nail file! The assembling template needs to be photocopied and could be laminated to use year after year. You could also write the child's name on the laminated sheet with a board marker so it is easier to locate the next day. The packaging template just needs to be photocopied too. You can decide if your TA cut them out or you allow the children to - once cut, fold in half and then decorate. Cut out the circle when it is folded in half and then staple into place around the hanger. This craft activity should be lots of fun. The children will love it and the Dads will love it even more. Give it a go to see how easy it is, it is very satisfying once it is completed.