Top 10 Fun Games to Play with Dad on Father’s Day
Fathers are not just considered as primary financial providers but also the foundation and protector of their families. Their love is manifested through disciplinary actions and like a mother’s love, their guidance has a positive impact on a child’s emotional stability as they mature into fully functional adults.
But because of work obligations, 63% of American fathers admit they spend little time with their kids. This is the reason why work-family balance is a challenge for many working dads. And as a parent, we want to maintain the respect and strong relationship among family members.
Well, good thing quality time can be had at home and there are lot of ways to incorporate family bonding time everyday: such as good conversations during meal time, helping one another with household chores or playing indoor games.
If you’re inclined to some indoor fun,however, we’ve listed the top 10 fun games to play with your husband and kids to celebrate Father’s Day. These are easy games that anyone-from toddlers to teenagers- will enjoy. Playing these indoor games is the best way to relax, celebrate and have fun on his special day.
- Basketball Laundry 6. Bowling using Water Bottles
- Hide and Seek 7. Twister
- Building Blocks 8. Chess
- Pencil-and-Paper Games 9. Card Games
- Treasure Hunt 10. Puzzles
1. Basketball Laundry
Who doesn’t love playing basketball? Basketball demographics show 70% of NBA fans are male. Bet your husband is one of them. This particular game, however, doesn’t require a basketball ring and an entire court. All you need is a bucket or a laundry basket and some rolled up socks.
To play the game, each player takes his turn in throwing the sock-ball and when the player scores, he or she will take one step backward and throws it again. The player who shoots the farthest distance wins. It’s a fun game that should appeal even to your toddlers, even though we all know this is also a brilliant way of putting your dirty laundry in the basket. Wink,wink.
2. Hide and Seek
This classic all-time favorite game is a great way to elicit hugs and giggles. Big dads will have a heck of a time trying to hide in small corners. It will challenge everyone to be creative to find a hiding place they can fit into.
Kids finding for places to hide will help improve their balance, agility and coordination. For families with older children, they might step up their game and hide in dark and secret places. So to be safe, you need to make some ground rules on where to play the game and the places that need to be avoided.
3. Building Blocks
If you have toddlers, building blocks with Dad is an awesome game to help them be creative. Experts believe children love building blocks because there’s no right or wrong way to play it. It also teaches kids to be patient and imaginative.
Everyone can enjoy this game especially the kids. You can compete on who can make the tallest pile of blocks or play guessing/touching game with colors and shapes. When the tower collapses, start over again and build something more exciting.
4. Pencil-and-Paper Games
For your kids who don’t want to roam around the house, pencil-and-paper games are perfect. All you need are pencils, papers and a comfortable place to play. Yeah, it doesn’t require much physical effort but it will surely stimulate your child’s brain.
Hangman is best for kids who are just starting how to spell words. It’s a yes-or-no game: every time a player gets a NO, the opponent draws a part of the Hangman figure. Sprout is another fun paper game. Just draw random dots all over the paper, connect two dots until no lines can be drawn. The player who draws the last line is the winner.
5. Treasure Hunt
Gather the kids and plan an adventurous treasure hunt for your husband. This is also a unique way to give daddy his special gift by sketching a challenging course and hiding his present. Your kids will surely love finding hidden objects that excites them to jump from one clue to another.
To do this, you can draw a treasure map with 3-5 stations around your house. Players need to find the hidden clues in each station before they can proceed to the next stop. There are ready-made clues out there or you can also create your own questions, riddles and challenges. Say the clue is hidden in the pocket of their newest jeans or inside their favorite pillow. This makes your treasure hunt more personalized and meaningful.
6. Bowling using Water Bottles
Want to get rid of empty water bottles? Turn it into cool bowling pins. This Do-it-Yourself indoor bowling is eco-friendly and perfect for dads who love a quick good strike after a long day at work.
Do this super easy DIY project with your kids. To make this indoor bowling set, you need 6 water bottles or any container that looks like a bowling pin. Put a little bit of white paint and water so the bottle doesn’t topple so easily. Ask your child to arrange it up in a triangle form against the wall so the ball can bounce back to you. The smaller the ball the more challenging it will be to hit the bottles. Whoever gets the highest strike, wins.
7. Twister
Feeling old? Let’s try a game that requires physical strength. Twister is a game of physical skill and flexibility. It’s been around in the market since 1966, and it’s the first game on store shelves that uses players as playing pieces.
To play the game, you need a large plastic mat with colored circles arranged in a row. They can be in yellow, red, green and blue. The fun begins when the spinner points the color on where the player has to put their hand or foot. The rule is that no two people can have a hand or a foot on the same circle. This is why players twist their bodies in order to put themselves in unlikely positions.
8. Chess
A father of 3 prodigies says being a chess genius can be taught. Laszlo Polgar, author of “Educate a Genius!”,believes that a genius is not born but educated and trained. So if you want your child to become a whiz in chess, while enjoying the rigors of a logic game, this is the game to play.
Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a checkered board. Each player begins with 16 pieces each; to win the game you need to move your pieces to attack or capture the opponent’s pieces. This Father’s Day, challenge your man and the kids in a competitive chess tournament. Not only will it be fun, but it will be also mentally stimulating.
9. Card Games
Back in the days, card games are considered as manly competition because of its portability, the balance of chances and element of mystery. For centuries, different nations, cultures and families, gathered around a table to play card games.
For dads who love cards, you can play kid-friendly card games so the whole family can enjoy. Each card game has a set of rules and playing this have cognitive benefits. Playing Crazy Eights can improve reflexes and visual acuity while games like Blackjack and UNO improve their mathematical skills.
10. Puzzles
Now if you’re looking for a board game that is not limited to 2-4 number of players, playing puzzles is the best for the whole family. All you need is a good puzzle board with drawers and your husband’s favorite 1000-pieces puzzle.
Puzzle Ready’s puzzle board organizer has a wide working area of 23 ¼ x 29 ¼ to ensure no missing pieces go missing and everyone can enjoy. This is handmade from certified sustainable wood. It’s easy to store and will keep your puzzle pieces together so you can easily play any time you wish without worrying about misplacing your pieces.
Happy Father’s Day, everyone!
