As a father, you share a special relationship with your daughter that no one else will have with her. It is essential to invest time and energy into your relationship so the bond stays strong. Father-daughter activities are a fun way to reconnect and learn a little more about one another!
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If you are a mom with sons, we have some great ideas
for you, too!
Showing Her How She Should be Loved
A father’s relationship with his daughter will be the foundation of many relationships in her future, especially with men. If she is treated with love and made a priority in her father’s life, she will understand how it should feel to be valued by a man. According to Psychology Today, a healthy relationship with her father can make a girl more comfortable entering into relationships with others.
Who better to teach her how she should be treated by the men in her future than daddy? Dad’s don’t need to flatter or coddle their daughters to make them think they are loved. In fact, treating them as though they are better than everyone else could cause some hurdles in her future relationships!
She has value because of who she is, and she should expect respect in all her relationships. Just being a dad who is there, who is interested in knowing his daughter well, can teach her how to expect to be loved. And how to love in turn.
Dates are Great for Dad, Too!
Don’t forget, father-daughter activities are good for dads, too! When daddy is in “responsible adult” mode, it’s hard to take the time to allow a conversation to get a little deeper, or to go a direction his daughter takes it.
You might have the chance to share something with her about yourself that you typically would not have time to explain thoroughly. And if your daughter is a little young for momentous conversations, you will enjoy just having the chance to spend time discovering the world through her eyes.
Don’t Just Wing It – Make a Plan
What do we all look forward to more than a date with someone we love? Ask your daughter to go with you on a special father-daughter date, and you will make her week. Make sure you think it out ahead of time. You can give her options or plan a surprise destination. Think about what would be more fun for her and make a plan!
What to Remember While Planning a Father-Daughter Date
Not Too Ordinary
Don’t head to the place you frequently stop for lunch and call it a “date” this time. Father-daughter dates are a great time to try something new that might need a little more attention to succeed. Bringing your daughter ice skating for the first time works much better when her little brother isn’t along for the ride!
Make It Fun For You, Too
The older your daughter gets, the easier it will be for you to choose activities that will keep both of your interests. But even a date with a little daughter should be something you will enjoy too. You may not love the idea of a dress-up tea party, but a trip to the zoo can be great for a four-year-old and a forty-year-old at the same time!
No Distractions
Rule number one – don’t look at your phone. Teach your daughter she is worth all your attention, not just half of it.
Don’t meet up with friends. Group family activities can be great, especially when your kids’ friends’ parents are your friends, too! But this is not the time.
Don’t tack on an errand – how rude!
Ten Great Father-Daughter Date Ideas
1. Take Your Daughter to Breakfast
Find an energetic diner and swing in one weekend morning with the cutest date in town. Check for places one neighborhood over if you’ve already been to the ones nearby.
2. Indoor Mini Golf
Kids as young as four can enjoy a full round of mini-golf. You get to show off your skills and be her hero, and she gets to impress you with how much she can improve a skill in 18 holes!
3. Take Her to the Library
Head to the library if it’s not something you have time for in everyday life. Look up events and bring her to an activity, then enjoy the kid section. Find a book from your childhood! End the trip with a bag full of books to take home and enjoy for days to come.
4. Head to a Pro Sports Game
Your daughter may not ever want to watch a Wild game with you at home, but I bet she would have more fun if she were there in person!
5. Ice Skating
It may take some work in the beginning, but she’ll catch on quickly! This is the perfect activity for one on one time, whatever her experience level is.
6. Go to an Arcade
Challenge her to a video game or a game of pool. Watch out; you might lose!
7. A Day at the Zoo or Aquarium
You are both sure to stay entertained if you go check out the animals for a day. You will not have to search for conversation, and you’ll both spend the day learning new things about animals as well as each other.
8. See the Capitol Building
Plan an afternoon downtown, and act like grown-ups. Start with lunch at a trendy restaurant, then head to the capitol for a tour. You may find out you have a budding architect or politician on your hands!
9. Make Dinner Together
Clear the house of other family members, plan a meal, head to the store, then cook away! Let her use her creativity to set the table. Don’t forget candles!
10. Game Night
Bring your daughter and a game she hasn’t learned yet to a coffee shop or casual restaurant, and settle in for a night of competition!
Make it Happen
Whatever you decide to do with your daughter for your father-daughter date, what’s most important is that you are making her a priority in your schedule. You will both be so happy you did. Have fun!
Join the club at Twin Cities Kids Club today!