Activities to Help Preschoolers Bond with Dad
Building a Strong Father-Child Relationship
Dec 15, 2008
Young children who bond with their fathers during their preschool years are much more likely to grow up to be happy, confident, well-adjusted individuals. There are many statistics to back up the need for a strong father-child relationship, and this article contains ideas for dads who want to spend more time meaningfully engaging with their preschoolers.
Statistics on the Father-Child Relationship
- A 2003 study by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the New York Department of Community and Preventative medicine found that “an affectionate father-child bond had a protective effect” against adolescent drinking.
- The National Center for Children in Poverty concluded in its Children and Welfare Reform Issue Brief No. 4 that involved dads “help their children's emotional and social development and lessen the incidence of behavior problems.”
- In 2001, a study of 3,400 middle-schoolers by the Journal of American Academic Child Adolescent Psychiatry found that not living with both biological parents quadruples the risk of having an affective disorder.
- The U.S. Department of Education reported in 2001 that father involvement in schools is associated with the higher likelihood of a student getting mostly A's. (This was true for fathers in biological parent families, for stepfathers, and for fathers heading single-parent families.)
Activities to Strengthen the Father-Child Bond
The key to building a strong father-child relationship with preschoolers is simply to spend time together, no matter what the activity. But it can be difficult for some dads to find points of connections with their preschooler. Good father-child activities for dads of preschoolers include:
Physical Activities
Fathers can include their children in any kind of exercise or recreation they enjoy. If dad is an avid jogger, even a 3-year-old might love running around the block with him. A bike carrier or a child’s adjustable pair of roller skates allow preschoolers to get involved in dad’s passion for biking or rollerblading. Dads are also usually experts at horseplay, pillow fights, and wrestling – which preschoolers often love. Even a silly physical activity, like having a long jump competition in the backyard, can help bring fathers and preschoolers closer together
Hobbies
Dads can take stock of their hobbies and interests, and try to involve their preschooler. Kids can help sand a piece of wood with the dad who likes woodworking or distribute toppings for the dad who enjoys making pizza. Fishing, camping, and nature walks are great one-on-one activities for an outdoorsy father and his preschooler.
Chores
Preschoolers love being dad’s helper, so enlisting their assistance in household chores is a great idea. Preschoolers can “paint” with a brush and some water as dad paints the house, or use a spray bottle of water alongside dad as he sprays weedkiller in the driveway or yard. They can be dad’s special paper towel-holding helper during oil changes or hold the hose while washing the family car.
Reading
The bedtime story provides a great opportunity for fathers to bond with their preschooler. If your child has developed a long enough attention span, consider whether dad would like to dust off the classics he enjoyed as a kid and read them to his children. Reading a chapter each night together becomes a great memory for kids. Many classic children’s books have even been made into movies, which can be watched upon finishing the book for a special treat.
Date with Dad
Any one-on-one outing with dad, especially if it’s something a preschooler rarely or never gets to do, is a great way for preschoolers and their fathers to bond. Places to visit include restaurants, children’s theaters, zoos, movie theaters, children’s science museums, or sports games. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive. Even just feeding ducks together at the park and having a picnic lunch is great.
No matter what the activity, it’s important for preschoolers and their dads to spend one-on-one time together. If you stumble on something your child enjoys, consider making it a special activity that they only do with dad. Finding a special “daddy” activity and making regular opportunities for father-child interaction leads to a lifelong bond between fathers and their children.
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