Dad & Kids
Your Kids Don’t Need Perfect. They Need Present.
Custody schedules, parenting plans, and court orders can make fatherhood feel transactional. It isn’t. The time you have with your kids — whether it’s every day or every other weekend — is the whole point of everything you’re fighting for. This page is dedicated to helping you make that time count. Activities, experiences, travel ideas, and resources for building the kind of memories your kids will carry for the rest of their lives. You don’t need a big house or a big budget. You just need to show up.
Indoor Activities & Game Night
Some of the best memories happen on an ordinary Tuesday night. Stock your space with things that make your home a place your kids actually want to be.
Amazon — Board games, card games, puzzles, craft kits, LEGO sets, science experiments, cooking kits for kids, sports equipment for the backyard. Whatever your kids are into, Amazon is your fastest and most affordable starting point.
→ [Shop Kids Activities on Amazon]
Ideas to get you started:
• Build a LEGO set together
• Start a puzzle tradition — one puzzle per visit
• Cook a meal together — let them pick the recipe
• Movie marathon with homemade popcorn
• Start a family game night rotation
Outdoor Adventures
Getting outside with your kids does something that no screen or activity indoors can replicate. It slows everyone down, opens up real conversation, and creates the kind of experiences kids remember as adults.
REI — Hiking gear, bikes, kayaks, camping equipment, and outdoor apparel for kids and adults. REI makes it easy to gear up for whatever adventure you’re planning.
→ [Shop REI]
Bass Pro Shops — Fishing poles, tackle kits, camping gear, and hunting equipment. Teaching your kid to fish is one of the simplest and most powerful bonding experiences available to a dad. Start here.
→ [Shop Bass Pro]
Outdoor activity ideas:
• Local hiking trails — AllTrails app has free trail maps for every state
• Fishing at a local lake or river — no boat required
• Backyard camping — tent, fire pit, s’mores
• Bike rides on local trails
• State and national park day trips
Travel & Experiences
You don’t need to go far to create a trip your kids will talk about for years. A weekend away from the routine — even close to home — creates a completely different kind of connection.
Great Wolf Lodge — Indoor waterpark resorts across the U.S. designed specifically for families. Perfect for custody weekends when you want to create a real experience without a week-long vacation budget.
→ [Book Great Wolf Lodge]
Booking.com — Hotels, vacation rentals, and travel deals worldwide. Flexible cancellation options make it dad-friendly when custody schedules shift.
→ [Search Booking.com]
Campspot — The easiest way to find and book campgrounds across the U.S. and Canada. Search by location, amenities, and availability. Camping trips are one of the highest-memory, lowest-cost travel options for dads.
→ [Find a Campground on Campspot]
Viator — Tours, experiences, and activities in cities across the world. From cooking classes to boat tours to escape rooms — Viator turns any trip into an experience worth remembering.
→ [Browse Experiences on Viator]
Undercover Tourist — Discounted tickets to Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, and other major theme parks. If a big park trip is on the list, Undercover Tourist saves you real money.
→ [Get Discounted Park Tickets]
TripAdvisor — Reviews, itineraries, and recommendations for destinations across the U.S. and beyond. Use it to plan smarter and spend less.
→ [Plan on TripAdvisor]
Creative & Educational Activities
Some of the most meaningful time with your kids happens when you’re building something together — a skill, a project, a shared interest.
Ideas by age group:
Younger Kids (5–10):
• Art projects — watercolors, clay, collage
• Science kits — volcanoes, crystal growing, slime
• Cooking simple recipes together
• Building forts and obstacle courses
• Starting a journal or scrapbook of your adventures together
Tweens (11–13):
• Learn a skill together — photography, coding, cooking
• Start a hobby side by side — chess, guitar, language
• DIY projects — woodworking, model building
• Video game nights on their terms
Teens (14+):
• Let them lead — ask what they want to do and do it
• Road trips with no agenda
• Concerts, sporting events, or experiences they care about
• Teach them something real — investing, car maintenance, cooking
• Work out together
Raising Them Right
The most important thing you can give your kids during this transition is stability, presence, and the knowledge that their dad is okay. These resources help you show up as the father they need.
• Reading List — Fatherhood Section — Books on raising daughters and sons through divorce and beyond. → View Reading List
• The Blog — Articles on custody weekends, bonding, communication with your kids, and being a present father. → Read the Blog
• Co-Parenting Tools — Resources for keeping your kids out of the conflict. → Go to Co-Parenting Tools
A Note to Every Dad Reading This
The research is clear: involved fathers produce better outcomes for their kids across every measurable category — academically, emotionally, socially. Your presence matters more than your circumstances. More than the custody schedule. More than the size of your apartment or whether you burned dinner. Show up. Be present. That’s the whole game.