Think back to your childhood with me for a moment. Think of being in school day in and day out with the thought of summer break soon approaching. Think of how amazing those few months out of school were for you in your youth.
When I look back I have very fond memories of all the activities that I got to do with my father. Now that I have a son it is extremely important to me to create those lasting memories with him as well. That is why I have compiled this list of 15 father son activities that your son will remember.
1. Fishing
There is no better way to teach your son patience than to take him fishing. Possibly hours of waiting for a few moments of excitement, that totally make the trip worth it. Even if you just spend the day fishing and never do any catching it will be worth it.
Some of my best fishing trips with my son ended up with us just eating snacks, drinking Pepsi, and talking. Something about fishing will get your son to open up and really talk to you. You will be able to get to know your son on a whole other level.
Fishing Tips
Fishing will be a great activity for summer even if you’ve never fished before. A great way to bond with your son is to learn something new together, or to even improve at something together. If you are new to fishing here are some beginner tips for you.
Children’s Pond
Take your son to a children’s fishing pond on your first trip. Fishing ponds are stocked full of trout and are a good way to break a child into fishing. You will be sure to get a lot more bites which will make for an exciting day.
Each state has different regulations for youth fishing. In my state 14 years and older require a fishing license. In a lot of states, kids 15 years of age and older require a fishing license. Just do a simple google search for your state’s fish and game service and you will have your answer.
Creek Fishing
If you want a little bit more of a challenge then a try fishing a creek. A simple fishing pole, worm, and sinkers is all you need to have a fun filled day of fishing. You can look up your local fishing report to find the nearest creek where people are catching fish.
Where I live we have brook trout in the creeks. In the good fishing holes you can get a fish on almost every cast. The fun part of this is trying to find a loaded fishing hole. Walking up a creek and fishing will be a great way to see some beautiful country and you will get to enjoy it with your son.
Fishing Outfitter
An outfitter would be a great way for you and your son to get into fishing. You will get to see how a professional fishes and learn tips from them. I took my son out deep sea fishing last summer for the first time with an outfitter. We were off the Oregon Coast and it was an absolute blast.
Even though I’ve grown up fishing, I will continue to pay to go out with an outfitter every time I go to the coast. An outfitter will know where the fish are and what they are bitting on. If you go with one in your local area then you will learn how to fish your local waters.
Here is a great video to get you started into fishing. You really can’t go wrong with fishing. Like I said previously, even on bad fishing days I still have a great time just getting to spend time with my son.
Fishing Information By State
2. Boating
Boating trips our truly unforgettable. No worries if you don’t own a boat. You can still have a great day on the lake with your son. All you need to do is rent a boat from a local boat rental company. If you follow this link to discover boating.com, you will see a map of your area with all of the companies that rent watercraft.
There is a wide range of pricing for boats based on the type of boat you want for your father son activity. Normally it is a better deal to rent a boat for the whole day versus renting one by the hour.
If renting a motor boat is out of the question there are a lot of other less expensive options out there as well. You could spend the day kayaking, stand up paddle boarding (SUP), rafting, paddle boating, float in a tube, or canoeing.
If taking out a boat on your own makes you uneasy then there are other options as well. You could take a guided white water rafting trip or head out on a guided sea kayak voyage. I’ve been on a few white water rafting and kayaking trips down various rivers. They’re awesome, exhilarating, action packed, and are sure to get the adrenaline pumping.
Having a guide that really knows what they’re doing will help to put your mind at ease. If you need help finding a guide then oars.com is a great resource. They have all sorts of different adventures you can choose from all over the planet. What are you waiting for? Head out and conquer some rapids with your son.
3. Backpacking
Backpacking is truly incredible. It will be one of the most amazing experiences of your life. By the end of every backpacking trip I’ve ever been on, I’m ready to move to the mountains and just stay there.
Life really gets put into perspective when you disconnect from everything. You will be able to discover what is truly important in life. It’s not money, job promotions, the big house, the fancy car, or newest whatever. The most important thing in life is the relationships that we make in our short time here.
The relationship between you and your son is very important. It’s important to your son’s development and will help to shape him into a man. Backpacking is hard and by the end of the trip your son will know for certain he can do hard things. When trials come up in his life, he will know he can over come them. Because he has conquered hard things before with you.
Hike Idaho
If you are looking for some all time epic hiking spots I can recommend some in Idaho. Check out the Sawtooth Mountain Range or the White Clouds Mountain Range. There are high elevation alpine lakes that words can’t even describe how beautiful they are.
Travel Tips:
- In the White Cloud mountain range there is a lake called Tin Cup Lake. It’s stocked with Golden Trout.
- In the Sawtooth Mountain Range there’s Upper, Middle, and Lower Cramer Lakes. There is a water fall you can jump off into Lower Cramer Lake.
- All of the lakes are loaded with fish that are easy to catch. The last time I went I took a fly rod. I could dangle a fly over the water and the fish would jump out of the water to take the fly.
3. ATV Riding
Most of my best memories with my dad are on ATV trails. There are thousands of miles of ATV trails for endless adventures to be had. You could ride up easy logging roads in the mountains, explore old ghost towns and mining operations, or you could ride a more challenging two track trail to a high country lake. If speed is your thing then you could race across an open desert trail or fly through some sand dunes.
If you don’t own an ATV then just Google ATV rentals near me. Go out and rent a couple for a great day of riding. Be warned though you will want to buy a couple ATVs after you go out on one ride.
If you need some help deciding what trails to ride then check out traillink.com. There you will find ATV trails by state.
Riding Tips:
- Look for trails where you can make a loop so all the scenery is new.
- Take a 12volt Air Pump and some tire plugs so you can repair a flat on the trail.
- Be sure to wear a helmet when you ride. If it is your first time watch some ATV safety videos on Youtube.
4. Archery
Archery is sport that takes dedication. The tiniest of wrong movement will throw your arrow off course. To be proficient will take consistent practice. With the advance in technology people are demanding instant gratification more and more these days. Kids need to learn the importance of hard work and perseverance. Archery will teach your son this and be great activity for the two of you to do together.
Another advantage of archery is the great exercise you get while doing it. Most adults shoot bows with a draw weight of 60-70 lbs. For a youth the draw weight is really varied, but when your shooting twenty or thirty arrows at even 20 lbs that’s a great exercise.
Once you get proficient with Archery, there are all sorts of courses you can go to for fun. There are even 3d target courses where you hike through the mountains from target to target for even more fun exercise.
5. Build A Treehouse
Spend part of the summer building your son an epic tree house. Here is a link an article on owntheyard.com with a bunch of tree house ides for you to choose from.
6. Grow A Garden
Gardening is another great way to teach your son hard work and have fun at the same time. A couple years ago my son came to me and asked if we could plant a garden. I let him pick out what he wanted to plant and he had a blast digging the rows and planting the seeds.
Prior to planting the garden I made him promise that he would help water and weed the garden. After a couple of weeks the excitement wore off and it took some convincing to get him to weed the garden. When it came time to harvest though the excitement came right back. He got to see first hand that his hard work paid off. He really liked eating the squash, corn, beans, and tomatoes that he grew.
7. Air Show
Go see an air show. Just watching someone else doing barrel rolls and cork screws will give you and your son a burst of excitement.
8. Car Show
Take your son to see some classic cars. Imagine how your sons eyes will light up when he finds a real version of his favorite hot wheels car. Here is an article at townandtourist.com that covers 21 Best Car Shows in the USA.
9. Action Sports Show
Take you son to see an action sports show. My son’s favorite show to see is the Nitro Circus. There you will see athletes doing tricks that you can’t even dream up in a video game. It’s pure craziness and just a ton of fun. Getting to actually see dirt bikes flipping through the air is nothing like watching it on tv too. Here is a link to Nitro Circus. Find out when they’re coming through your town for a night your son won’t ever forget.
10. Concert
Take your son to their favorite bands concert.
11. Baseball Game
Don’t overlook the classics. Take your son to watch America’s Sport.
12. Geocaching
GeoCaching is like the ultimate treasure hunt. You can get the Geocaching app on your cell phone and spend a day traveling around finding Geo Caches. Here is a link to geocaching.com where you can find out more and get the app.
13. Skydiving
Are you an adrenaline junkie? If so then Skydiving may be just the thing for your father son activity. In America you have to be 18 years old to legally skydive. In other countries such as Australia and Germany the minimum age to skydive is 12 with parental consent.
Another option to try if your son is to young for skydiving is indoor skydiving. Most indoor skydiving facilities have a minimum age of 3 years old. Kids that have had extensive indoor skydiving experience are awesome at skydiving when they turn 18. So go get practiced up with your son with indoor skydiving. When he turns 18 you can check skydiving off your bucket list.
14. Surfing
Hang ten with your son this summer. The first wave you catch on a surf board will change your life. The beach bums that give up everything to surf the same break day in and day out will start to seem sane. Harnessing the power of the ocean is an unforgettable experience and a perfect father son activity.
Surfing with a longboard is a lot easier than most people think. Find a surf instructor with good reviews on Google and you will be catching waves the same day.
If the ocean is too far away for you then there are other options. Flowrider is an artificial wave machine. On a Flowrider you can surf the perfect wave every time. When I first took my son on a Flowrider he was six. It was a ton of fun. He was terrified at first to get out on the wave. Getting to witness him conquer a fear was amazing.
They have options to use stand up surf boards or boogie boards that you can lay down on. Whatever your skill level is the instructors will help guide you so you can be successful. Here is a link to flowrider.com. It will show you where all the Flowriders are located.
15. Zipline
Does your son have a fear of heights? Ziplining could be just the activity to get him over that fear. Ziplining is fun, fast, and exhilarating. As you’re flying across the landscape 100ft above the ground you’re also able to take in all the beautiful scenery. This is a great father son activity and one that they’re sure to remember.