Ways to help a bereaved child remember their dad this Father’s Day
June 2026
For children and young people who are grieving for their dad or father figure, Father’s Day can be a difficult day.
From adverts to social media posts, it can be hard to avoid and a constant reminder for your child that their dad is no longer there. However, you can use Father’s Day as an opportunity to remember their dad – our friends at Child Bereavement UK offer some suggestions on ways to do that. If this feels like too much to do on Father’s Day, maybe choose another day to do something with your child to remember their dad together and then plan something else for Father’s Day where you ignore the day if that’s what feels right for your family.
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Make or buy a Father’s Day card
Seeing all the Father’s Day cards in shops can be really difficult for children whose dad has died, but some children may like to buy or make a special card for their dad, write a message inside, and even buy them a gift. You could take it to a special place or keep it somewhere safe like a memory box.
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Do an activity they used to do together or visit a special place
Did your children go to the football with their dad, or go to the cinema together, or visit a particular theme park? You could arrange to go together as a way to remember their dad.
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Create a memory box
A memory box is a place where children (and adults) can keep treasured items belonging to or reminding them of their special person who has died. For example, you could include photos, birthday cards, letters and other objects. While you create the memory box, you can talk about memories associated with those items. If your child already has a memory box, this could be a good time to look through it and talk about their dad.
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Create a ‘Dad Life Quiz’
Get together with friends and family and get your child to write a ‘life quiz’ about their dad with lots of questions about his childhood etc and ask people to share their memories. This can be a great way for a child to find out more about their dad outside of their own memories, especially if he died when they were young. You could also ask people to bring photos or videos.
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Enjoy his favourite things
A simple way to remember Dad could be to listen to his favourite music, watch his favourite film or eat his favourite food (or maybe all three).
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Plant something in his memory
Plant some seeds, bulbs or a tree in a place that holds special memories of your child’s dad or somewhere you can visit often. You could bury something with the plant, like a note or favourite object and maybe include a small plaque with a message or his name.
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Where to get support
Child Bereavement UK is a charity that supports grieving children and young people, and parents bereaved of a baby or child, to find hope and rebuild their lives.
If you’re an adult supporting a bereaved child or young person, you can speak directly to a bereavement specialist on 0800 02 888 40, email ask@childbereavementuk.org, use the live chat on their website childbereavementuk.org or text/WhatsApp on 07418 341 800 (all available Monday to Friday, 8am-8pm).
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