According to a study by University of Virginia researcher Steven Rhoads, fathers spend between 10 and 40 percent less time with their children than moms. When they can parent, daddies like to play. When fathers play with their sons, they are passing down lessons about masculinity and fatherhood that cannot be taught in any other setting. With the right toys, these lessons can be fun for everyone.
When A Bike Is More Than A Bike
A bike is more than just a toy. It offers fun, freedom and responsibility. For the little guy with training wheels, this is the opportunity to give positive reinforcement as he learns to ride. As he gets older, the bike becomes an opportunity to explore and the son gets to prove his responsible nature.
As your son gets older, you can go from bike to motorcycle. Companies like Bike Bandit offers helmets for varying ages, genders and in different brands, prices and styles to give your rider the helmet he needs to be safe.
Messy Can Be Fun
Mud, sand and toys with a billion little pieces are the staple of some really good father/son time. Of course, clean-up is not as much fun, but nobody wants to get the stink-eye from mom.
Take a look at Kinetic Sand, which acts like wet sand so you can mold it into shapes but it breaks back down when you touch it, just like dry sand! The best part is Kinetic Sand only sticks to Kinetic Sand. This means that it cleans up easily without getting stuck in fabric, carpets, and hair.
A Kingdom Of His Own
When Mufasa told Simba in the “Lion King” everything the light touches is part of their kingdom, dads around the world gave a silent nod of respect and wiped away a little tear. Start this lesson with a Kardboard Kingdom and some awesome Dragon Vs Knight stickers for decoration. The kingdom is a medieval fortress that is big enough to play in. Admittedly, the inhabitants are giants and anyone messing with them is a fool, but that’s their problem.
Robots Are Cool, Period
Build a robot with your son and you’ll be the best dad in the universe; the bigger the robot, the more awesome. If you can add a circular saw or…Oh My Goodness… a laser, then father and son have just become super masterminds worthy of a comic book universe.
Unless you have a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, you may want to start small and work your way up. School science supplier Edmund Scientific now sells to the public and has all kinds of robotics kits. They range in price from around $16 to several hundred dollars and can do almost anything the father and son team can imagine.
Father’s and son’s at play is an amazing opportunity for dads to bond with their sons and at the same time teach them something important. Of course in picking a gift for your son you have to consider your son’s interests. What’s most essential is you have a great time together!
