Life
I am the lone girl in a house of boys. Between my husband and my two sons, there is a lot of testosterone floating through the air. (I have to constantly remind them that I don't do chest bumps, so please stop trying to engage me in one.) Luckily, I get a breather every now and then when hubs takes the little guys out for father-son bonding activities. Wanna know a secret? I'm not sad at all when they're gone.
It's not that I don't miss them; it's that I love the special time my sons get to spend with their father. It's like they slip into their own little man world and share a particular part of life that a mom just doesn't understand. And since the boys and I have mother-son bonding activities of our own, I have no room to be jealous. More than anything, it fills me with gratitude to see the people I love the most strengthen their relationship and spend quality time together.
Over the years, I have been pretty lucky to watch my guys do fun things together, so I've put together this list of 13 father-son bonding activities to help other papas and their sons make the most of their guy time.
1
Zip On Down The Road
If you have a house full of thrill seekers, zip lining may be an excursion to try. My guys haven't tried this one yet, but it's on their list. Just make sure everyone has a helmet.
2
Have A Guys' Night
Take a trip out to your favorite restaurant, or have a night in while mom is out. Just spending time together (and calling it guys night) makes it fun.
3
Root For The Home Team
Have a local team you love to cheer for? Grab a set of tickets and make a day of a game.
4
Keep A Standing Date
Set aside one day a week as official "father-son time." Take turns deciding what to do and try some new things.
5
Go Paintballing
My boys love to get messy, and paintball is a fun way to get moving while getting messy. Bonus!
6
Jam Out To Music
You don't have to be a huge music fan to share this interest. Go hear some live music together, take guitar lessons together, or have dad introduce his son to a favorite band from back in the day.
7
Climb The Rocks
Head outdoors, or try an indoor rock climbing course. It requires team work and communication to ballay, which will only improve the father-son communication.
8
Take A Class
Want to learn how to paint? Get the little guy in on it too. Sign up for lessons together and bond over any common interest from writing to baking bread.
9
Go Camping
Brave the wilderness as a father-son team. Take a weekend excursion, and spend lot of time learning more about each other over s'mores and hot dogs.
10
Binge A Favorite Show
My guys have favorite shows they love to watch together, like Master Chef Junior. They look forward to spending time together watching the show, and then spend lots of time discussing all the details.
11
Head To The Alley
Grab a pair of unflattering shoes and hit the lanes. Maybe the kids will even be nice and keep the bumpers up for dad.
12
Host A Game Night
There is so much fun to be had with a simple deck of cards or board game. And let's not forget all the video games that boys — big and small — love to play.
13
Get Cooking
Nothing makes my heart happier than when I see my sons and husband in the kitchen making cookies, shrimp, or muffins. It is a great bonding experience for them and a tasty reward for me.
Images: Lisa Schaffer/Flickr; Giphy (13)
