Printable Father’s Day cards and crafts — Guatemala 2026

Father’s Day in Guatemala falls on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Whether you have kids in school, you’re a primary-school teacher, or you simply want to add a handmade touch to your gift, this is the complete guide. Ten ready-to-print card templates, eleven step-by-step crafts, and a full plan for running the activity in a 30-student classroom without blowing the budget.

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TL;DR

  • Father’s Day Guatemala 2026: Wednesday, June 17.
  • 10 printable templates plus 11 crafts for all ages.
  • Materials are easy to find at any Guatemala neighborhood librería: cardstock, markers, foamy (EVA foam), tissue paper, popsicle sticks.
  • Average classroom budget for 30 students: Q60 to Q120 total (Q2 to Q4 per student, roughly USD $0.25 to $0.50).
  • Phrases included in Spanish, English, and three Mayan languages (K’iche’, Kaqchikel, Q’eqchi’) for bilingual families and the US diaspora.
  • All materials free, no signup, no app downloads.

10 free printable card templates

Print on 180 g cardstock if you have it, or on regular white paper and glue it onto a colored cardstock backing. Letter size folded in half. Each design has a different style and message so you can choose by the personality of the recipient — dad, grandfather, stepdad, uncle, godfather.

1. Marimba design

A stylized marimba on the cover with the phrase “You’re the music of my life, Dad.” Black and wood tones. Keys are ready for the child to color with markers or crayons.

2. Photo with white text

Template with a center frame where you glue a 4x6 family photo. Around it, the text “My dad, my hero — 2026” in handwritten typography.

3. Bilingual Spanish + English (diaspora edition)

Made for families split between Guatemala and the United States. Cover: “Feliz Día del Padre / Happy Father’s Day.” Inside has space for the child to write in whichever language they prefer.

4. For grandfather

Design with an illustration of large hands holding small hands and the phrase “Grandfather, your stories are my treasure.” Built for kids whose grandfather plays the main father-figure role — extremely common in Guatemala when fathers work abroad.

5. Huipil style

Borders with a stylized huipil pattern (diamonds, lines, birds) in blue, red, and yellow. Center phrase: “Dad, you are my roots.” Honors Guatemalan identity.

6. Volcanoes of Guatemala

Silhouette of the three iconic volcanoes (Agua, Fuego, Acatenango) on the horizon. Phrase: “You’re bigger than any volcano.” Sky is left blank for the child to color.

7. Comic style — “Super Dad”

Comic-book design with speech bubbles: “POW! BOOM! You’re the best!” A dad superhero with a cape. Ideal for kids ages 5 to 9.

8. Quetzal and flag

The quetzal bird flying over the Guatemalan flag with the phrase “Proud to be your son / Proud to be your daughter.” Light blue and white.

9. Long message — for teens

Minimalist template with thin borders and a fully blank interior so a teenager can write a long letter. Header: “Dear Dad, there are things I’ve never told you…”

10. Coupon-style card

Design that includes cut-out coupons: “Good for one hug,” “Good for washing the car,” “Good for one afternoon not fighting with my sibling,” “Good for making breakfast.” Dad redeems them throughout the year.

Easy crafts for kids ages 3 to 6

At this age, kids need short activities (15 to 25 minutes), with visible results fast, and no sharp scissors. Here are four projects that have worked in Guatemalan classrooms and homes for years.

Craft 1: Cardstock tie with photo

Time: 20 minutes Materials:

  • 1 sheet of colored cardstock (blue, red, or green)
  • 1 photo of the child, 3x4 inches
  • Markers
  • Glue stick
  • Scissors (adult supervision)

Steps:

  1. Cut the cardstock into the shape of a tie (inverted triangle with a small knot on top). If you can’t freehand it, search for a tie template online and print it as a guide.
  2. Glue the child’s photo in the center of the tie.
  3. Have the child decorate around it with markers: stars, stripes, anything.
  4. On the back write “For Dad, from [child’s name].”

Dad can wear it as a pin or hang it in the office.

Craft 2: Simple pop-up card

Time: 15 minutes Materials:

  • 1 letter-size white sheet
  • Markers or crayons
  • Scissors

Steps:

  1. Fold the sheet in half.
  2. Make two parallel cuts on the fold, 3 cm each, separated by 4 cm.
  3. Open the sheet and push the rectangle formed inward — that creates the “pop-up.”
  4. In that rectangle the child draws a heart, a sun, or whatever.
  5. On the outside write “Happy Father’s Day.”

This is the first pop-up most Guatemalan kids learn to make.

Craft 3: Popsicle stick frame

Time: 25 minutes (not counting drying time) Materials:

  • 8 popsicle sticks (Q3 to Q5 per bag of 100 at any librería)
  • White glue or hot glue
  • Acrylic paint or markers
  • 1 family photo
  • A small magnet or tape strip for hanging

Steps:

  1. Build a square frame by gluing 4 sticks on the sides and 4 sticks diagonally at the corners for reinforcement.
  2. Let dry 15 minutes.
  3. Let the child paint the frame. If using markers, it dries fast.
  4. Glue the photo behind the frame, centered.
  5. Add a magnet on the back or a tape strip for hanging.

Craft 4: Fingerprint keychain

Time: 20 minutes Materials:

  • 1 piece of foamy (EVA foam) 5x7 cm, any color
  • Finger paint (Q15 to Q25 for a set)
  • 1 keychain ring (Q3 at any librería)
  • Fine permanent marker
  • A wet towel

Steps:

  1. Punch a small hole in one corner of the foamy.
  2. Have the child dip their thumb in paint and make a print in the center of the foamy.
  3. Let dry 5 minutes.
  4. With a permanent marker write around it: “My fingerprint on your heart — [child’s name] 2026.”
  5. Pass the keychain ring through the small hole.

Dad carries it with his car keys or house keys every day.

Intermediate crafts (ages 7 to 12)

At this age kids can handle scissors and follow multi-step instructions. Crafts are more elaborate and the result looks more professional.

Craft 5: Mini accordion photo album

Time: 45 minutes Materials:

  • 1 long strip of cardstock (30 cm x 10 cm)
  • 4 to 6 small photos (printed or cut from a family album)
  • Markers, stickers
  • Glue stick

Steps:

  1. Fold the strip accordion-style (zig-zag) into 5 or 6 panels.
  2. On each panel the child glues a photo and writes a memory: “The day we went to Atitlán,” “When you taught me to ride a bike,” etc.
  3. The cover gets the title: “Memories with Dad — 2026.”
  4. Sign on the back.

It stores folded or displays extended.

Craft 6: Sharpie-decorated mug

Time: 30 minutes plus 30 minutes baking Materials:

  • 1 white ceramic mug (Q12 to Q20)
  • Permanent Sharpie markers (important: permanent, not water-based)
  • Oven

Steps:

  1. Clean the mug with rubbing alcohol to remove grease.
  2. Have the child draw with Sharpie: Dad’s name, hearts, a phrase, drawings. Anything.
  3. Put the mug in a cold oven. Raise the temperature to 175°C (350°F).
  4. Bake 30 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the mug inside until it cools naturally.

The Sharpie becomes permanent. Recommendation: hand-wash so it lasts years. This is the craft that surprises most dads the most.

Craft 7: Personalized picture frame

Time: 40 minutes Materials:

  • 1 plain wooden or plastic picture frame (Q15 to Q30 at any market)
  • Foamy in several colors
  • Buttons, ribbons, Guatemalan motif stickers (huipil, quetzal)
  • Hot glue
  • Family photo

Steps:

  1. Decorate the frame edges by gluing foamy cutouts, buttons, ribbons.
  2. You can add Guatemalan elements: a mini fabric huipil, a foamy quetzal, the letters of Dad’s name.
  3. Insert the photo.
  4. On the back, write the date.

Craft 8: “Places we’ve been together” map

Time: 50 minutes Materials:

  • 1 large sheet of cardstock (tabloid or double-letter size)
  • 1 printed map of Guatemala (find a free one with all 22 departments)
  • Markers, star stickers
  • Glue

Steps:

  1. Glue the map in the center of the cardstock.
  2. Mark with stars the places the child has visited with Dad: Antigua, Tikal, Atitlán, Monterrico, Xela, the grandparents’ village.
  3. Next to each star, a short phrase: “Here you carried me when I got tired going up.”
  4. Header: “The places we traveled together.”
  5. Free margin for the child to draw volcanoes, marimbas, birds.

This is one of the crafts most dads frame and keep forever.

Crafts for teens and adults

Teens and adults can produce more elaborate gifts combining technical skill with sentiment.

Craft 9: Edited video letter

Time: 1 to 3 hours Materials:

  • Phone with camera
  • Free editing app (CapCut, InShot, or your phone’s built-in editor)
  • Headphones for better audio recording

Steps:

  1. Record short clips (10 to 20 seconds each) of family members saying something to Dad: siblings, mom, cousins, grandparents, even the dog.
  2. Collect old family photos.
  3. Edit everything together with Guatemalan background music (Ricardo Arjona’s “El problema,” Gaby Moreno, or classical marimba).
  4. Add text overlays with key moments: “2024 - Your 50th birthday,” “2025 - When you had surgery,” “2026 - Today we thank you.”
  5. Send by WhatsApp or play it in the living room on the TV.

For diaspora: this is THE gift. Family in the United States, Canada, or Spain can send their clips, and the teenager edits them in Guatemala.

Craft 10: Digital family photo album

Time: 2 hours Materials:

  • Computer or tablet
  • Free service like Canva, Google Slides, or PowerPoint

Steps:

  1. Build a digital album with 20 to 30 chronological photos: dad as a young man, dad at his wedding, dad with each newborn child, vacations, birthdays.
  2. Each photo with a short caption below.
  3. Final slide: a thank-you letter.
  4. Export as PDF or video and share by WhatsApp.

Combine with a physical digital photo frame (Q300 to Q700 online) for the complete gift.

Craft 11: DIY gift with Guatemalan elements

Time: 1 to 4 hours depending on complexity Suggested materials:

  • Pine wood (from a neighborhood carpentry shop, Q20 to Q50 for a small board)
  • Jaspeado textile (Q30 to Q80 per meter at Pastores or Sololá markets)
  • Leather or pita cord for details
  • Wood burner (pirograbador) or permanent markers

Ideas:

  • Personalized cutting board: pine wood burned with Dad’s name and a volcano drawing.
  • Jaspeado keychain: a piece of jaspeado fabric with a keyring, simple but unique.
  • Pine coasters: 4 small wood squares burned with Dad’s initials.
  • Leather keychain with a stamp: cut leather burned with Dad’s name.

These gifts take time but they’re one-of-a-kind pieces that connect to Guatemalan identity. Perfect for diaspora gifts shipped from the US — they’re light, durable, and unmistakably Guatemalan.

For teachers — 30-student classroom crafts on a budget

If you’re a teacher, this section is for you. You need something cheap, fast (fits in 30 minutes of class), and that uses materials you probably already have in the classroom.

Low budget option — Q60 total for 30 kids

Card plus cardstock tie with photo:

  • 30 sheets of cardstock (Q1 each at any neighborhood librería = Q30)
  • 1 box of markers shared by the classroom
  • Glue from the classroom
  • Q1 per child = Q30 if you ask each one to bring a small printed photo from home

Total: Q60. Fits in 30 minutes. Kids leave with finished work.

Medium budget option — Q120 total for 30 kids

Popsicle stick frame:

  • 240 popsicle sticks (Q15 per bag of 100, you need 3 bags = Q45)
  • Large white glue (Q15 = Q15)
  • Basic acrylic paint (4 colors) (Q40)
  • Classroom paintbrushes
  • 30 small photos that each child brings from home

Total: Q100 to Q120. You need 2 classes of 30 minutes (one to assemble, one to paint after the glue dries).

Tips to maximize your time

  1. Message parents (the Monday before) to ask each child to bring a printed 3x4 photo. If they don’t bring one, they draw instead of gluing a photo.
  2. Pre-cut the cardstock the day before. Saves 10 minutes of class.
  3. Have a couple of extra scissors for kids who didn’t bring them.
  4. Assign “helpers” — fast finishers help slower kids. Builds community.
  5. Close the class with each kid reading out loud the phrase they wrote to their dad. Reinforces literacy and emotional connection.

Bilingual phrases for the card — Spanish, English, and Mayan languages

For bilingual families, US diaspora, or kids learning Mayan languages at school.

Spanish

  • “Papá, sos mi héroe.” (Dad, you are my hero.)
  • “Gracias por todo, te quiero.” (Thank you for everything, I love you.)
  • “Sos el mejor papá del mundo.” (You’re the best dad in the world.)
  • “Que tu día esté lleno de amor.” (May your day be full of love.)

English

  • “Dad, you’re my hero.”
  • “Thank you for everything, I love you.”
  • “You’re the best dad in the world.”
  • “May your day be full of love.”

K’iche'

  • “Tat, at jun nima ajqab’.” (Dad, you are a great man.)

Kaqchikel

  • “Tata’, katik’on chwa.” (Father, you are important to me.)

Q’eqchi'

  • “Yuwa’, us laa wankil.” (Father, you are good.)

Verify pronunciation with a native speaker if your family is Mayan. These phrases are approximations — regional variants differ across communities.

More phrases on our full page: Father’s Day phrases and messages Guatemala 2026.

How to organize a school Father’s Day activity

If you’re a teacher, a director, or a parent volunteer coordinating the school’s activity, this is the schedule that has worked at multiple Guatemalan schools.

Suggested schedule — 1 hour total

Minute 0 to 5: Welcome. Kids settle in, teacher explains the activity. Reminder: the goal is to make something nice, not perfect.

Minute 5 to 15: Short read-aloud of a story or poem about fathers. Idea: a fragment from “La Casa de los Espíritus” featuring a father, or an Otto René Castillo poem.

Minute 15 to 45: Craft. Choose ONE of the options above based on budget and age.

Minute 45 to 55: Each kid writes their dedication. If they’re young, the teacher helps.

Minute 55 to 60: Closing. 3 or 4 kid volunteers read their dedication out loud.

Materials per student — Estimated cost

MaterialPer child30 kids total
Cardstock 1 sheetQ1.00Q30
Markers (shared)Q0.50Q15
Glue (shared)Q0.50Q15
Printed photo (from home)Q1.00Q30 (if the school pays)
Popsicle sticks (8 per child)Q1.20Q36
Basic acrylic paintQ1.50Q45
Low budget totalQ2.00Q60
Medium budget totalQ4.00Q120

Practical tips

  • Send the materials list a week in advance. Some parents need time to stop by the librería.
  • Have a plan B for kids without a father. “Today you make the card for your grandfather, uncle, godfather — any important man in your life.” No child gets excluded.
  • Take photos of kids holding their finished crafts. Many dads value that photo as much as the gift itself.
  • If there’s diaspora: some kids have their dad in the United States. Offer help sending him the photo or video the same day.

Frequently asked questions

When is Father’s Day in Guatemala 2026?

Wednesday, June 17, 2026. Guatemala celebrates every June 17, not the third Sunday like the United States.

Are these templates really free?

Yes. We don’t ask for an email, registration, or payment. Print directly from the browser or save as PDF.

What kind of cardstock do you recommend?

For cards, 180 g to 220 g cardstock (the “school cardstock” sold at any neighborhood librería). If you only have regular paper, glue it onto a colored cardstock backing for body.

Where do I buy the materials cheapest?

At neighborhood librerías (not at supermarkets). Markets like La Terminal or Cervantes in zone 1 also have good wholesale prices if you’re running the activity with 30 kids.

What do I do if a child doesn’t have their father in their life?

Adapt the activity so the card or craft is for the grandfather, stepdad, uncle, godfather, or any important father figure. In Guatemala many families have the grandfather as the primary father figure, especially when there’s diaspora.

How much does the activity cost for 30 students?

Between Q60 (low budget) and Q120 (medium budget). That’s roughly USD $8 to $16 total, or Q2 to Q4 per student. If you ask parents to contribute Q5 each, you have enough left over for snacks.

How much time does a popsicle stick frame craft need?

25 to 30 minutes to assemble and paint, but glue needs 15 to 20 minutes of drying. That’s why we recommend splitting it across two classes, or having kids take it home to finish drying.

Can I use these templates for a church or club, not just school?

Yes. The templates are free for any family, school, community, or religious context. You can’t resell them or charge for access.

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