Father's Day Animated Card: Dad Jokes Welcome, Grill Optional

Dads are famously hard to buy for. They say they want nothing, then use the same broken umbrella for eleven years. A Father's Day animated card will not fix the umbrella, but it has one big advantage over socks: he will actually show it to people.

This page is for everyone sending one: kids (with help), grown-up sons and daughters, partners sending on behalf of the baby, and anyone celebrating a stepdad, granddad or the guy who taught you to ride a bike.

What is a Father's Day animated card?

It is a short drawn film that works like a card: his name, a greeting, a joke or a memory, and music. It usually runs 10 to 30 seconds. You send it as a video to his phone, or play it at breakfast. Because it is drawn, you do not need a photo of him, which is good, because every photo of Dad is him mid-sentence.

What should you say in a Father's Day card video?

Say one true thing about him and one thank-you. Dads tend to deflect big emotional speeches, so the trick is to be specific: not "you're the best" but "thanks for the 6 a.m. hockey drives". Then let a joke carry the rest. Here are lines to copy:

• "Happy Father's Day to the man who taught me to change a tire and to never, ever touch the thermostat."
• "Thank you for every early morning, every late pickup and every 'we're not lost, I know a shortcut.'"
• "Dad, you're the reason I check the oil. And the reason I call instead of text. Happy Father's Day."
• "Happy Father's Day from your favorite child. (The others were not consulted.)"
• "To the best dad and the worst DJ. Love you. Please stop playing that song."
• "Happy first Father's Day! Love, the tiny person who keeps you up at night."

Be specific. Dads can dodge a compliment, but not a memory.

Father's Day animated card ideas

Choose one idea that fits him. The best Father's Day cards are built on one thing he always does.

• The dad joke card Open with a terrible joke, pause, then the real message. "Why did Dad bring a ladder to the barbecue? For the steaks were high. Happy Father's Day, we love you anyway."
• His famous phrases A drawn scene for each of his catchphrases: "Were you born in a barn?", "Ask your mother", "I'm not a taxi." Then "Thanks for everything, Dad."
• The toolbox A drawn toolbox opens, and inside are the things he gave you: patience, a hammer, terrible puns, the ability to back up a trailer.
• The first Father's Day From the baby, voiced by the other parent: "Hi Dad. I cannot talk yet but I have opinions. Mostly about sleep."
• The grill master A tiny drawn barbecue, dramatic music, a burger flipped in slow motion. "Happy Father's Day to the legend of the backyard."
• The far-away dad A drawn road from your house to his, and "Can't be there to steal your fries this year. Happy Father's Day."
• For Granddad The grandkids list what they do at his house: "fishing, pancakes, staying up way too late".

What if Dad is not a video person?

Then keep it very short and make it easy to open. Many dads have a phone full of unwatched videos from group chats, so send yours with a clear heads-up: "This one is from me, press play, sound on." If he really never opens videos, play it for him at lunch, or pair it with a paper card he can keep in the car. There is an honest look at when paper wins in video card vs paper card.

How do you make a Father's Day animated card?

1. Step 1

   Pick his thing. The grill, the dad jokes, the car, the shortcuts. One thing that everyone who knows him will recognize.

2. Step 2

   Write two sentences. One about his thing, one thank-you. Read them out loud to check they sound like you.

3. Step 3

   Decide the voice. Your voice, the kids' voices, or a narrator. Kids' voices win every single time.

4. Step 4

   Make the film. Keep it 10 to 30 seconds, tall for his phone.

5. Step 5

   Send it early on the day. Before 10 a.m. means he sees it before the family lunch, and can bring it up to anyone within earshot.

How long should a Father's Day video be?

Short. Ten to twenty seconds for a card, thirty for a small story, and up to a minute only if it is a gift from the whole family with several voices. Dads watch things in the driveway, between tasks. Respect the driveway.

Making a Father's Day card in Nine

Nine makes short drawn films with a voice, music and sound effects, which is exactly the kit a Father's Day card needs. The quickest route is a template: his name and one line, and you have a card. For the dad joke setup or the toolbox idea, write it as a short script and each paragraph becomes a scene. For the kids' version, upload their voice recording and the film runs as long as they talk.

You watch the crew make it, then fix anything in plain words: "more barbecue smoke", "slower joke", "make DAD bigger". You get a video file in tall, square and wide to send yourself. The Film plan, $29 a month, covers films up to 20 seconds. See pricing or try it. Did Mom get one in May? Here are the Mother's Day video from kids ideas, and for his birthday later, funny birthday video ideas work on dads too.