A healthy father daughter relationship can have a major impact on a young girls development. It’s extremely important that fathers are not just there, but take an active role in their daughters life. We need to develop strong relationships that last forever. This is something that really weighs heavy on me. I have three daughters and I want to have a strong bond with each one of them. I want that same outcome for you as well. That is why I’ve put together this list of 10 father daughter bonding activities that will bring you together.
1. Sing Together
My daughters love to sing and dance. There is not one day that goes by that they don’t turn on our Amazon Alexa, and ask me to come sing and dance with them. They like to sing the same songs over and over so we even came up with our own dance moves. I’m sure I look and sound ridiculous, but it is something that bonds us together and they love to do. This is also a great way to introduce your daughter to some “real music”.
2. Play Cards
Playing cards is a great way to bond and spend time with your daughter. One of the great things about playing cards is that they’re easy enough to play that you can have a conversation while you play.
Another nice part about playing cards is that there are cards for all ages. If your daughter is young you can start her off with simple games like memory, go fish, slap jack, war, and old maid. If she’s older then teach her more complicated games like rummy or hearts.
If you don’t want to play with a traditional deck of cards then there are loads of great card games you can buy. Theres the classic games that are still a lot of fun to play like UNO. My daughters personnel favorite games to play are by Grandpa Beck. The ones we’ve played and loved are, “Cover Your Assets” and “Skull King”. Both games are simple enough to play that four or five year olds can play. At the same time they are a lot of fun for adults to play as well. Here is a link to Amazon for Cover Your Assets and Skull King if you want to check them out.
3. Create Something
I believe that every person has a creative side. As we grow up most people tend to stifle it out. Even if you believe that you don’t have a creative side, you do. The more time you spend with your daughter creating things the more you will exercise that muscle and the more ideas you will have. At the same time you will be creating an unbreakable bond with your daughter.
My oldest daughter is always making things out of nothing. We recently finished our basement. Along that process I save all sorts of containers, pipes, and wire rolls for my daughter. She decorated boxes, built forts, and made cars. It was a lot of fun and a good way to use items that would otherwise be trash.
My middle daughter loves to draw. Most of the time that I spend typing on this computer she is crawling all over me drawing pictures. Watch and listen to your daughter, try to figure out what she is into. Then create something with her.
Here are some possible ideas to get the creative juices flowing: drawing, painting, box fort, scrap booking, beading, sewing, knitting, or jewelry making. Another thing to think about is getting stuck into gender stereotypical things. Maybe your daughter would like to try welding, fixing a car, or wood crafts. Don’t get stuck thinking those things are just for boys.
4. Volunteer Together
Giving your time, talents, or hard earned money to other people is such a great way to spend your time. You would be teaching your daughter to be selfless and spread kindness to others. At the same time you would be building a great bond with your daughter. She might complain and not be into it at first. The feeling she will get at the outcome of doing something good will get her hooked though. It feels good to help others and everyone, especially me, could spend more time helping others. If you’ re interested in reading more about volunteer ideas for you and your daughter then click here to read an article I wrote on just that.
5. Nature Scavenger Hunt
Nature scavenger hunts are a great way to get your daughter away from the screen and out into the fresh air. It is amazing to me how YouTube Kids can put my daughters into almost a trance. They get a tablet into their hands with shows of kids opening up blind bags and they’re gone to the world. They get so zoned in to there shows that they become like zombies.
Getting outside and doing a nature scavenger hunt will break the zombie like trance. It will also provide you with an opportunity to bond with your daughter. Below is a downloadable nature scavenger hunt that you can do with your daughter.
6. Hike Together
If your daughter is into the outdoors then take her on a hike. By getting in the outdoors, away from all the electronic distractions, you can really talk with each other. Something that I am guilty of and you can most likely relate to is staring at my phone while my kids are talking to me.
Just yesterday I was looking at my phone for work while my daughter was talking to me. My wife got upset at me, letting me know that my daughter was talking to me. When I looked up my daughter had a fading smile on her face. I could see that she had been so excited to tell me a story from her day.
I had sat there staring at my phone, like a zombie, while my daughter was telling me something that was really important to her. I felt terrible for making her feel that way. The worst part is that I have done that before. I’m just as guilty as my kids for getting caught up in the digital distractions.
By getting outdoors you can get away from all of that and just focus on the things that really matter, spending quality time with your daughter. Day hikes are a lot of fun and a quick easy way to get in the outdoors with your daughter. I would recommend also working up to going on multiple day hike. That way you can really spend some quality time with your daughter. It’s will also create a great opportunity to talk about things that you don’t normally find the time to talk about.
7. Work With Her
If you work at a job where you can take your daughter to work with you then do it. Its a good opportunity to share that portion of your life with your daughter and to teach her about work. I used to be an automotive technician and my daughter loved coming down to the shop and spending time with me. When I would work on my personel vehicles I would take her and have her help me. She loved it and I enjoyed teaching her parts of my job.
Currently, I am working in a profession where I can’t bring my daughter to work. Instead of taking her to work with me I just work with her around the house. Look around your house and you will find all sorts of jobs that you can teach your daughter to do. Right now my daughters love helping me around the house and are eager to grab tools and lend a hand. I don’t know if that will change when they get older. I’m hoping that if I create the bond now when they’re young, then they will continue to want to work with me when they get older.
Here are some ideas for work that your daughter could help you with.
- Yard Work: We are on an acre lot in our subdivision. When we first moved in there wasn’t a yard it was just weeds and rocks. My daughter helped me pick rocks, run a skid steer, and plant the lawn. Now that the lawn is established she helps grow a garden, pick weeds, and rake leaves. I really enjoy teaching her new things in the yard and spending time with her.
- Home Repair: When it comes time to fix that leaky faucet or patch that hole in the wall, have your daughter come along. You can teach her how to make the repair and teach her what the tools are called that you use to make the repair. Even young daughters can help you out as well.
- I have a three year old daughter and she is my shadow anytime I’m working on something. The best thing I have found for her to do is handing me tools. When I ask for a tape measure, hammer, pliers, or screw driver she happily brings it to me grinning from ear to ear. She even knows the difference between a flathead and phillips screwdriver.
- Often times it takes longer to complete whatever job I’m working on. Sometimes I even lose my patience while working with my daughters. However, when I reflect on those times I can see that they are learning things and progressing. Even if it does take longer, I’m teaching my daughters life skills, and creating a bond with them, so it’s worth it for me.
- Cleaning: Have your daughter help you clean around the house. At my house we have a chore chart that all the kids follow. If that’s the case, sometimes step in and help your daughter finish up her chores. You showing her respect and love will go a long ways, and you may find that she will learn to step in and help you without being asked.
- Cooking: Cook a meal for the family with your daughter. Try letting your daughter pick her favorite meal, including dessert, and cook it together. She will have fun getting to cook with her dad and putting together a meal for the family.
- Automotive Repair: I used to be an automotive technician. I believe that it is so beneficial that everyone has a basic understanding of how an automobile works. They are such a vital part in our world . You don’t need to teach her how to rebuild a transmission, but it would be good idea to teach her how to check her oil, add air to her tires, change a tire, change oil, and even how to change brakes.
- Use What You Know: If you are not much of a handyman then have your daughter help you with what you do know how to do. You may not know how to change engine oil, but maybe you’re good at fixing a computer, public speaking, or sales. Everyone has something that they are talented at. Use what you know to teach your daughter and you will be passing on your knowledge to her as well as creating a bond with her.
8. Go Fishing
Sitting on a bank, listening to the water roll over the rocks, waiting for a monster fish to swim by and take your bait, is one of the best ways to bond with your daughter. If she is new to fishing she might get bored, or complain at first about all the sitting and waiting. The first time she lands a fish though, she will be hooked.
If she is new to fishing, then something you can do is, take her to a children’s pond. The fish and game stock children’s ponds with lots of fish, and it is normally a lot easier to catch fish at these locations. Get her use to casting and reeling and then take her out to your favorite fishing hole. You can also call up the fish and game and get suggestions from them on where to fish. Go to your local bait shop and ask for advice on what type of fishing pole to use or what type of bait to use.
If you want a real fishing adventure then you could try using a fishing outfitter. I’ve used outfitters before to take me fishing in the ocean. My daughters are all too young to go out on the ocean fishing. I have taken my wife and son along with me fishing in the ocean and they both had a blast. I will take my daughters out when they are old enough. It is a ton of fun and the captains know where to go to catch fish and what to use. Every time I’ve been out we have caught a lot of fish, and just had a great time. It would be an activity that your daughter would remember for the rest of her life. The kind of story that she tells her kids about.
9. Learn Something New
When people go through the learning process together they form a bond around that. I have been teaching adults for five years now. One of the classes I teach at my company is an initial training course that everyone from people with PhD’s to GED’s come through together. The course is only two weeks long, but by the end of it that group of employees are bonded. I have had people ask me how so and so is doing over a year after the class was over. That bond has always amazed me and brought me to the realization that when you’re learning together you do create a bond.
Create that bond with your daughter by learning something new with her. Let her pick something that she wants to do and learn that with her. The perfect example of this is an individual I work with. I was at a dance recital for my daughter and when some of the older girls came out to dance out comes this individual. He signed up for dance with his daughter because she wanted him to. They went around and danced at local schools half time shows and everything. I gained a lot of respect for him after witnessing that.
If you are uncomfortable with getting in front of people dancing, or living with the thought of what your daughter might pick, then here are some additional ideas:
- Learn how to fix stuff. If you are uncomfortable with being a handyman then learn how to fix or repair something with your daughter. There are thousands of YouTube videos on how to do just about anything. I use to be a mechanic but I finished my basement and I owe a lot of it to things I learned on YouTube.
- Learn to paint. Take a painting class and paint some masterpieces with each other.
- Learn photography. This is another skill that you can learn a lot of from YouTube. You could also sign up for local photography lessons.
- Learn how to cook. Take a cooking class together. You could also watch cooking videos on YouTube. My personal favorite is watching Gordan Ramsey’s YouTube videos. I can now make a mean Goat Cheese Fritata thanks to Gordan Ramsey.
- Learn how to grow a garden. If you live in the city look for local gardening plots where you can pay to have a gardening spot.
- Learn how to make a YouTube video. My daughter is always asking me to make YouTube videos with her. This is an area that I need to improve on.
- Learn how to ride a horse. What girl doesn’t dream of riding a valiant steed. Go take riding lessons together.
- Learn how to make something new. It could be a bracelet, scarf, blanket, book shelf, desk, or whatever you can think of. If you can’t figure it out go on Pinterest and you will have enough ideas to last you a lifetime.
10. Daddy Daughter Night
Take your daughter out for her own special night with just you and her. This will make her feel special and will provide a great opportunity for the two of you to bond together. Click here to read an article I wrote all about Daddy Daughter Nights.
The bond between a father and daughter is very special and important. I hope that this list will help you strengthen the bond between you and your daughter. One thing that I have noticed with my daughters is, you never really know when a bonding moment will arise between you and your daughter. It is important to stay engaged and be a good role model for you daughter. None of us are perfect and we will mess up from time to time. As long as you keep trying and keep being there for your daughter all will be well.