Summertime is always a season for outdoor activities. And dads will always make a list of bonding ideas that they will do with their kids. Outdoor activities like camping, fishing together on a lake, and hiking are always on top of the list.
Outdoor sports are also considered as it not only promotes bonding time but healthy physical activities as well. Sports such as basketball, swimming, tennis, and even golf are a “must-have” in that list.
But what if going out is not an option? What if staying at home is the only choice? Does that mean that the family is stuck watching TV, using the internet, and playing video games? Not so. There are activities that dads can pull off for that much-needed Father and Kids bonding activity.
And with the rising number of COVID-19 cases in many parts of America, health and safety have become a top priority. If going outdoors is fun, exciting, and educational the same experience may happen inside the safety of your own home.
Here are some summer bonding tips for dad and kids during quarantine:
#1 Cleaning the Bedroom
Boring and mundane? Not so. There are many fun things to do with your kids. How about turning the toy box into basketball goals while shooting the toys back inside. Or rock, paper, scissors to see who will fix each part of the room. Or a good old pillow fight before fixing the bed.
New York Times bestseller and author William McRaven once said, “(Fixing my bed) was my first task of the day, and doing it right was important. It demonstrated my discipline. It showed my attention to detail, and at the end of the day it would be a reminder that I had done something well, no matter how small the task.”
Valuable thoughts to feed our children’s minds and souls.
#2 Baking Together
This activity may need further attention as it has its own danger points. But with some creativity, this can be an activity that will be fun to do with so much to learn. A good example is baking Rocky Road Cupcakes.
Rocky road ice cream is an old-time kids’ favorite. It has marshmallows, nuts, and chocolate. To make a cupcake version, simply add a prepared dough or mix the dough together with your kids and it will be fun and easy for the kids to put the flavors together.
Then dad puts it in a preheat oven and you will have a delicious treat in about 10 to 12 minutes. This activity will not just be a good bonding time but a fun snack time as well.
#3 Gardening and Planting
Gardens are also a great place to cultivate a fun and learning experience for kids. It offers an opportunity to learn how plants are grown. A good place where you can also teach them the values of responsibility, caretaking, and environmental awareness in their formative years. It is an opportunity to teach kids life lessons that they can carry on forever.
There are kid-friendly gardening tools that can be purchased online like plastic rakes, toy containers, and toy watering cans. Let them wear those green-colored gloves, have them wear a mask and a green towel behind their shirt for a cape, and you turn them into “Captain Planet”.
There are plants that your kids will love to grow. Plants that have larger seeds such as sunflower, squash, and peas are suggested as they do not take too long to grow. Even growing mushrooms on water instead of soil, also known as the hydroponic mushroom cultivation technique, is fast and easy making it kid-friendly as they will see the results in such a short period of time.
By giving them a small space in the garden or a specific plant in the garden that they can take care of, you might turn your garden into a little place of learning, fun, and adventure for your little ones.
#4 Washing the Car
Let them get dirty and a little wet sometimes. Dads will put the car wash soap all over the car, share the water hose with the kids and you have fun cleaning time with them. Just make sure to give your kids a quick shower right after for them to avoid cough and colds.
Staying at home with your kids can be fun and educational. All you need is a little creativity and to let out that “kid in your heart”, you and your kids can build lasting memories together.
