There’s just something special about spending some time with your dad away from the rest of your siblings and your mom that makes it extra special. Even from a young age, kids enjoy doing activities with their fathers, no matter the occasion.
It’s important for toddlers to not only have mommy-and-me dates or parent dates. They should also spend some quality time alone with their dads as well. Moms and dads have different ways of bonding with their children and sometimes it can be hard to really bond well without spending quality alone time. Check out a few of these inexpensive dad-and-me dates perfect for toddlers and their daddies.
Going Out for Ice Cream
This is an easy favorite. It doesn’t have to be something fancy. It can mean going for cones at your local McDonalds or Dairy Queen. In fact, these are some of the best places because they have child-sized cones that ensure your toddler doesn’t get overloaded with sugar. You can either enjoy your ice cream right in the restaurant, or you can take a leaf out of my dad’s book and eat your ice cream while going on a drive through the country or any scenic part of your town.
Nature Walks
We grew up in the country, so going for nature walks often involved going to check on the cows or the irrigation. However, if you live in the city, then any park with grassy areas and trees will do. You don’t even have to know much about nature to spend time with your toddler outdoors.
Going to the Bookstore
I love to read and even as a toddler my parents knew that one day I would come to own an impressive personal book collection. My dad was not much of a reader, but I would have loved a trip to the library or used book store to look through the picture books and check out comics. You may think toddlers are too young for book stores, but they not too young to enjoy spending time with dad and looking at the pretty pictures.
The point of dad-and-me dates is really to just spend time talking with your toddler and getting to know them. You’d be amazed at how much personality they already have and they’re more than willing to share it with you.
Source: Stewart, S. (2011, March 11). Top 5 inexpensive ideas for a parent-toddler date. Parenting Squad.