Make it a special Father’s Day with Year of the Dad

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Have you got your Father’s Day all planned out? If not – come and join the Year of the Dad team who will be buzzing around Scotland sampling some of the best family fun on offer!


STIRLING – BIG FREE FATHER’S DAY EVENT

Our flagship Big Free Father’s Day event is the brainchild of Dave, our Head of Programmes, who has teamed up with MXP Fitness in Stirling to offer a day of family fun at the state of the art gym facilities there. There’ll be free food, tug of war, Bodyworks exhibition by Glasgow Science Centre and loads more including a Dad of the Day competition with prizes presented by BBC One’s The Voice winner Stevie McCrorie. For further details and to book your place look here.

LANARKSHIRE – FAMILY MAN FUN DAY

Giving Stirling a run for its money as the biggest free Father’s Day event in Scotland is the ever-popular Family Man Fun Day at Hamilton Race Course. Our dynamic board member Fiona is bringing Fathers Network Scotland together with the South Lanarkshire Community Learning and Home school Partnership to create an explosion of fun for the whole family. Dance displays, carnival stalls, tots and toddler zone, a treasure hunt and much more is on offer. Look here for all the details and timings.

EDINBURGH – FATHER’S DAY FAMILY TAKEOVER

Meanwhile at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Thomas, David and the team from Dads Rock will be inviting families to get hands-on with lots of exciting activities and the chance to explore the Gardens, find hidden treasures and discover more about one of the richest plant collections in the world. All the details are here.

GLASGOW, PERTH & AND THE REST!

There’s plenty more to do if none of these tickle your fancy. Among those already on our radar for Father’s Day are the Glasgow Father’s Day Big Toddle – and others in Auchingarrich and Loch Lomond Shores, all organised by Barnardo’s. And if you fancy a more spacious vibe, don’t forget there’s the whole Solas Festival weekend from Fri 17-Sun 19, near Perth, where our Head of Comms Nick Thorpe will bring a dad-flavoured strand to a cluster of talks on parenting (when he’s not taking in the live music and festival treats).

NEW Year Of The DAD ANIMATION

Meanwhile, don’t forget to keep an eye on the Year of the Dad blog and YouTube Channel for great content to help you spread the message. Our newest video is a charming 1-minute animation featuring 11-&-3/4-year-old Rosie, which puts children rightly at the heart of our campaign. Why not pass it on to a friend and help celebrate the difference a great dad can make?

That’s all for now – thanks for all your support!

The Year of the Dad Team

Year of the Dad
http://www.fathersnetwork.org.uk/

Rockin’ The Botanics on Father’s Day

Dads Rock on Father’s Day at the Botanics

Sun 19 June, 11am to 4pm

Dads Rock and friends are taking over the Botanics on Father’s Day. Come along and enjoy a day of free fun activities including arts and crafts, face painting, music, storytelling, yoga and much more. Supported by Year of the Dad.

Find out more>>>

Picture: Andrew O’Brien

Sun 19th June 11amRoyal Botanical Garden Edin

A poem for Father’s Day

father-and-child
THE GIFT by Li-Young Lee
To pull the metal splinter from my palm
my father recited a story in a low voice.
I watched his lovely face and not the blade.
Before the story ended, he’d removed
the iron sliver I thought I’d die from.
I can’t remember the tale,
but hear his voice still, a well
of dark water, a prayer.
And I recall his hands,
two measures of tenderness
he laid against my face,
the flames of discipline
he raised above my head.
Had you entered that afternoon
you would have thought you saw a man
planting something in a boy’s palm,
a silver tear, a tiny flame.
Had you followed that boy
you would have arrived here,
where I bend over my wife’s right hand.
Look how I shave her thumbnail down
so carefully she feels no pain.
Watch as I lift the splinter out.
I was seven when my father
took my hand like this,
and I did not hold that shard
between my fingers and think,
Metal that will bury me,
christen it Little Assassin,
Ore Going Deep for My Heart.
And I did not lift up my wound and cry,
Death visited here!
I did what a child does
when he’s given something to keep.
I kissed my father.

Free Father’s Day fun at the Museum

Award-winning charity Dads Rock is taking over the Museum in Chambers Street again for a Father’s Day festival of  fun …

museum

Great News!…along with our friends we’re heading back to the National Museum of Scotland (Museum) for more free fun on Father’s Day (21 June)!

After the success of last year, we’re hoping lots of families will once more come along. It’s open to all members of the family.  It kicks off from 11am at the Chambers Street location.
See below for the programme of events, and let us know if you’ve any questions.  We look forward to seeing you there!
Fathers Day programme
The following people are running sessions for free, you can sign up on the day for activities:
Awesome Folk (Folk), Bookbug (bookbug), British Science Association (Science), Ceilidhkids (Ceilidh), Dads Rock (dads), Dads Rock Academy (academy), Easy Peasy Yoga (peasy), Edinburgh Sketcher (sketcher), Macastory (mac), Niki’s Balloons, Plant ‘n’ grow (grow), Step it up Dance (dance), Talking Tots (talk) and WHALE (whale)
Bring the whole family for an afternoon of time-travel with loads of free activities from the past, present and future!
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