The Perfect Gift: A 'Box of Love'

When I was young I saw a movie at school about a little girl who agonized over what to give her dad for a birthday present.  In the end she wrapped a big box and that was the gift - a box of love!  

The idea caught on at my house, where wrapped boxes became a trend in gift-giving for my sister and I.  Explanation was usually required. "No, it's not a box of air, it's a box of love!"  

I love the idea of a box of love and got to thinking how to put a creative twist on this for Father's day, Graduation or just to celebrate the end of the school year.  

Start with the box: A shoe box, cigar box, tin or simple wooden box will work.  Have kids decorate with images, colors, symbols, and pictures that represent love.  Maybe place special art work inside the box or souvenirs and pictures of special trips and family milestones.  

Kids can make and collect objects to fill and cover the box.  The box can be given as a finished product complete with decoration or with the treasures inside, offering the opportunity for dads and kids to do the decorating together.  

This can be a project that begins a family tradition of celebration and creation for Father's Day.  A schoolyear box can be a fun way to sort through and celebrate events of the year.

However you complete the project, focus on fun and kid-made. Kids are natural collectors and innovators - let them surprise you with creative ideas for symbols and treasured objects.  

Objects might include a shell to celebrate walks on the beach, a map of a favorite park or a ticket stub to a sporting event.  Maybe the label of a favorite snack or a photo of a backyard project completed together.  

Invite kids to create a special award for their dad - invent a name for the award and list dad's qualifications.  Or memorialize those little events of the school year, a photo of the first day of school as well as of a favorite field trip.

This is also a great time to celebrate family connections and memories.  Encourage kids to write letters to dad and notes about favorite things to do together.  A graduation box might include notes from relatives or special cards received.  

You might also include questions for the recipient to answer or paper to write a letter to include in the collection.  Invite your child to draw a portrait, make and date a hand print or pose for a special photo.  Boxes can become a family tradition of collecting and celebrating good times together.  

Notice the process too - the best kind of gifts are the ones that bring as much, if not more, happiness to the giver as to the recipient.