According to the Pew Research Center, mothers spend about twice as much time with their children as fathers do.
Regardless of the reasons for this statistic, one consequence is that many fathers feel uncertain about what sort of activities to share with their toddlers—curious creatures who are notorious for their mercurial moods, short attention spans, and boundless energy. If this is the case in your household, then take note of these 50 ideas.
Fun father-toddler activities
Indoor activities
- Build a fort out of blankets, furniture, boxes, etc.
- Read books
- Build towers and other structures out of blocks
- Sing songs (e.g., Old MacDonald, The Itsy Bitzy Spider)
- Invite other daddies and their toddlers over for a playdate
- Assemble puzzles
- Play hide-and-seek
- Play “basketball” when cleaning up (i.e., stand back and toss toys into the boxes and tubs where they belong)
- Finger paint pictures
- Play horsey or give/receive piggy-back rides
- Wrestle with and tickle each other
- Play dress up with old clothes
- Dance to music
- Make puppets and put on a show
- Color with crayons or colored pencils
- Play airplane (i.e., the toddler is the airplane and daddy flies him or her around through the air)
- Build robots or monsters from discarded materials (e.g., toilet paper tubes, boxes, scrap paper, plastic food tubs)
- Make cookies, crispy treats, or some other special snack
- Make instruments from household items (e.g., pots as drums, spice containers as maracas) and play music
- Have a teddy bear picnic or tea party
- Practice manners
- Play with playdough
- Make a gift for mommy
- Play a simple game like Go Fish or Candy Land
Outdoor activities
- Play on a playground
- Run through the sprinklers
- Play catch with a ball
- Go for a walk
- Build sandcastles or snowmen (depending on your location and weather)
- Play hopscotch
- Draw with sidewalk chalk
- Have a campout in the backyard
- Blow bubbles
- Play in the dirt and mud
- Climb a big hill and roll down it
- Build an obstacle course and race through it
- Wash the car together
- Pack lunch and have a picnic in the park
- Plant a garden
- Ride bicycles (or a bicycle and tricycle) around the neighborhood
- Race toy boats across a small pool
- Fly a kite
Destination activities
- Go to the library and explore new books
- Visit a children’s museum
- Go out for ice cream or frozen yogurt
- Attend a local Touch-a-Truck event
- Go to the zoo
- Visit the farmer’s market or grocery store to purchase unfamiliar varieties of produce, then enjoy tasting them
- Visit a “pick your own” farm
- Visit a splash pad
Mothers and other caregivers can obviously participate in these activities, too. However, in the study cited above, researchers found that half of fathers say they spend too little time with their kids. I’m hoping that considering these activities in the context of daddies and their toddlers can help change this!
What father-toddler activities are favorites in your family? Please share these with us below.
Shared at the following:
Coffee and Conversation, The Art of Home-Making, Tuesdays with a Twist, Tuesday Talk, Happy Now, and Mommy Moments.
Perfect post. Sometimes men need suggestions. 🙂 You have a wonderful list of fantastic suggestions for the men and toddlers.
Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving your fun recipe! Please come back any time to give us more recipes and ideas.
Hi Erin,
Sometimes it’s difficult to think of something to do on the spur of the moment. Hopefully this list will help!
Nice ideas! This is going to be a great summer.
Amalia
xo
Thanks, Amalia. I certainly hope my husband is able to do many of these with our toddlers throughout this summer!