Father Son ideas for spending time together

Howdy! Katie from the storycatching shop, Gadanke.com with you again today.

I can already see my son mimicking what he sees his daddy do. Those two are going to become peas in a pod. And I’ll be honest: with Christmas around the corner, it’s pretty handy. Guy time is going to help Santa and me cross off a few errands.

What should the guys do?

Here are eight father son (or daughter) activities that happen outside of the house:

  1. Buy a kite and go fly it. Kites have come a long way in the past years–from stunt kites to beginner kites to intricate kites you’ll want to hang on your wall and never remove. There is a little kite shop here in Livingston, Montana where my husband has picked up some incredible kites. And gosh, I’m pretty sure those kites are a guy magnet. They all want to get those kites into the air. 
  2. Go to a museum. Even in the smallest communities like ours, you can find an interesting little science museum, car museum, airplane museum, train museum, or children’s museum. My brother’s favorite was the dinosaur museum. Think of the stories a dad could tell his son at one of these places on these chilly days!
  3. Take an airplane flight. I know it’s expensive. But I also live at a small airport. I know how crazy boys get about flying. Sometimes, I think they just need you and I to tell them, “Sure! Go try it.”
  4. Get some lunch. Make it the sort of lunch that Mom would never allow. Milkshakes? The little hot dog stand down the road?
  5. Watch a sports game (or play one!). Even if your family isn’t very athletic, it’s important to know a few basics about sports. Watch the local high school football team or shoot some hoops together at the park.
  6. Build a time capsule. I especially designed this Gadanke kid’s journal for kids to document their awesome adventures, thrilling victories, and wildest dreams. My husband loves this journal! The guys could read the writing prompts together, doodle, and plot imaginary treasure maps over hot chocolate at a local diner or bakery.
  7. Head to the mountains. When I was young, my mom would pack us a lunch, and we’d go exploring with our dad. Sometimes we’d fish or wade in the creeks and catch frogs in the warm weather. In the winter, we’d ski or watch for wild animals. We’d explore. We’d build fires. We’d just learn about the world around us.
  8. Make your own sleds and hit the hill. It’s cheap. It’s easy. And when you get dads involved, it becomes extra fun. You don’t need fancy sleds. Put together, cardboard and duct tape can become some pretty creative sleds, perfect for racing. We like combining the creation of sleds with sledding because it’s a study of physics and creativity, coupled with lots of outdoor play.

What other favorites would you add? What do the guys in your life love to do?

For more hands on ideas this season, Jen wrote a post on giving unique experience and meaningful activities as gifts, instead of toys – gifts that make an impact for years to come. Lots more ideas there too.

Katie Clemons is a storycatcher and journal crafter. She helps people celebrate their stories with her award-winning writing prompt journals and free workshop at Gadanke. She also blogs at Making This Home about simple, handmade living from a vintage airplane hangar in Montana, USA.