What do you write in a Father's Day card?

His name for you, a thank-you for one specific thing and a wish for the day. Short is fine. Warm and true matters more than clever.

When is Father's Day in the UK and in the US?

Both are on the third Sunday in June, so the date is the same in the UK, Ireland and the United States.

What can a small child write in a Father's Day card?

One or two short lines in their own words, such as what Dad is best at, with a drawing and their name. A grown-up can write the words down as the child says them.

What goes in an inscription in a Father's Day book?

The date, who it's from, and one sentence that Dad can read again in years to come. If the book was made for him and his child together, say so in the first line.

Messages · Father's Day

What to write in a Father's Day card

49 messages in 7 groups. Free to use.

Father's Day falls on the third Sunday in June in the UK, Ireland and the United States. Dads often say less than they feel, so a card with a few real lines can mean a good deal. Here are 49 messages, from a quick line on a gift tag to words for Grandad or a husband. Below: how to write your own, and three slips to avoid.

Short, for any card

For a small card, a gift tag or a message sent on the day.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. Thank you for everything.
Happy Father's Day to the man who can fix anything, and who always has time to try.
To the best dad in the world: happy Father's Day, with all my love.
Happy Father's Day! Put your feet up. The jobs can wait until Monday.
Thinking of you today, Dad. Happy Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day, Dad. You're still the one I ask first.
Wishing you a quiet day, a good lunch and a very big hug. Happy Father's Day.

From young children

A grown-up can write down the child's own words, and the child signs or draws underneath.

Happy Father's Day, Daddy. You're my favourite person to build things with. Love, Jack xx
Dear Dad, you are the best at piggybacks and the best at silly voices. Happy Father's Day!
To my dad, who reads me stories even when he's tired. I love you.
Happy Father's Day! You are as tall as a giraffe and as strong as a bear.
Dad, thank you for letting me stay up a bit later on Fridays. I love you very much.
I made this card myself. Happy Father's Day, Dad. Love from Maisie
Happy Father's Day, Daddy. Can we go to the park today?

From a grown-up daughter or son

Warm, a little personal and usually kept. Dads often say less than they feel, so the card can say it for them.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. I only understand now how much you carried quietly for us.
Thank you for every lift, every lesson in the car park and every time you said it would be fine. It usually was.
Dad, I hear your advice in my head more often than I'd admit. Happy Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day to the first man I ever wanted to be like, and the last one I'd ever want to disappoint.
I know I don't say it often. I'm proud to be your daughter, Dad. Happy Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day, Dad. The children say hello, and they say nobody tells a story like Grandad.
Thank you for teaching me how to ride a bike, how to change a tyre and how to say sorry. Happy Father's Day.

For Grandad or Grandpa

From the grandchildren, or from his own children to the grandfather of theirs.

Happy Father's Day, Grandad. Thank you for the pockets full of surprises.
Happy Father's Day to Grandpa, from the grandchildren who think you know everything.
Dad, seeing you with the grandchildren is the best Father's Day present I could ask for.
Grandad, you make every visit feel like an adventure. Happy Father's Day, with love from all of us.
Happy Father's Day, Grandpa. We're still working out how you found all those hiding places.
To our grandad, who has a story for every photograph and a song for every road. Happy Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day, Pops. Your grandchildren are growing up with your jokes, and they're all the better for it.

For a husband or partner

From his wife, his partner or the whole household, to the dad of the family.

Happy Father's Day to the man who makes our children laugh. We love you.
Happy Father's Day, darling. Watching you with the kids is my favourite part of every weekend.
To my husband, the dad who never loses a game of hide and seek because he knows all the good places. Happy Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day. Thank you for the bedtime stories, the early mornings and the patience.
You became a dad and I fell in love all over again. Happy Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day from the three of us, and from the one who's still very small.
Thank you for being the dad our children brag about. Happy Father's Day.

For a stepdad, uncle or father figure

For the men who are like a dad to someone, and a first Father's Day too.

Happy Father's Day to a stepdad who showed up and never left. We're so glad you did.
Happy Father's Day to my uncle, who taught me more about life than any teacher.
Happy first Father's Day! The sleepless nights are worth it, and you're doing brilliantly.
Happy Father's Day to the godfather who always remembers the birthday and brings the best presents.
To a friend who became a dad this year: congratulations, and happy first Father's Day.
Happy Father's Day to the man who coached my team, drove us home and never complained.
Happy Father's Day to my brother, the best dad I know. Your children are lucky, and so am I.

To write in a book

An inscription lasts longer than a card. Add the date and your name.

For Dad, on Father's Day. We read this one together, so now it belongs to both of us. Love, Sam
To Dad, from the little one who thinks you're the funniest storyteller in the world. Happy Father's Day.
For Dad. There's a dad in this story who looks a lot like you, and a child who looks a lot like me.
Happy Father's Day, Dad. Open it at the first page and read it with me tonight.
For Grandad, on Father's Day. Your grandchild is the hero of this one, and you're in it too.
To my dad, with thanks for every story you read to me. Now it's my turn to give you one.
For Dad, from all of us. Pull up a chair and turn the page.

Write your own message in four steps

Use the name you use at home
Dad, Daddy, Da, Pops, Grandad: whatever you really call him. A card that starts with the usual word sounds like you.
Thank him for one real thing
The lifts, the lessons, the Saturday mornings. One specific memory says more than a general thank you.
Make it short and true
Many dads like a few honest lines more than a long speech. Two or three sentences are enough.
Add something to do together
“Fancy a walk on Sunday?” turns a card into an invitation, and dads who say little often say yes.

Slips to avoid

Jokes about his age or his stomach
A joke about getting old can land well between old friends. In a card from a child, a kind line about what he does well lasts longer.
A printed verse with nothing of yours in it
Rhymes from the shop are pleasant, but a card without a single personal word could have gone to anyone. Add his name for you and one memory.
Forgetting that the day can be hard
If someone has lost their dad, or never had one close by, a loud Father's Day message can hurt. A quiet line such as “thinking of you today” is kinder.

Frequently asked questions

What do you write in a Father's Day card?: His name for you, a thank-you for one specific thing and a wish for the day. Short is fine. Warm and true matters more than clever.
When is Father's Day in the UK and in the US?: Both are on the third Sunday in June, so the date is the same in the UK, Ireland and the United States.
What can a small child write in a Father's Day card?: One or two short lines in their own words, such as what Dad is best at, with a drawing and their name. A grown-up can write the words down as the child says them.
What goes in an inscription in a Father's Day book?: The date, who it's from, and one sentence that Dad can read again in years to come. If the book was made for him and his child together, say so in the first line.

All the messages on this page were written for Sagalino and are free to use, with no credit needed. Copy them, change them or print them on a card without asking.

Sources

PublicHolidays.co.uk: Father's Day. Father's Day in the UK on the third Sunday in June.
Calendar-12: Father's Day 2027. Father's Day in the United States on the third Sunday in June.

So the message becomes a keepsake

A book in which the child is the hero is kept and reread for years. You read the whole story for free and only pay afterwards.

Create a book for Father's Day

Also worth reading: messages for a new baby, messages for a christening, messages for a child's birthday, messages for a First Holy Communion, messages for Mother's Day, messages for Christmas, messages for Easter, messages for a grandchild's birthday, messages for a niece's or nephew's birthday, messages for a colleague's birthday. Or see all occasions.