Fun Father's Day Activities For The Whole Family

Start the day off making breakfast for Dad. Older kids can do the cooking while younger can help out even if it's something as simple as putting butter on toast or bringing Dad a napkin.

This can be a nice start of the holiday for the man of the house and kids will feel good doing something nice for their Father. After that, let the fun activities begin!

How about a nice outing? A family bike ride could be nice. Is there a family movie everyone's been hoping to see? Consider playing some miniature golf.

If the kids are old enough, bowling might be fun. You can check your local area to see if there are any special activities going on that day.

My family likes to go on hikes. Pack up some cold beverages and spend some time outdoors in nature. Got a skating rink nearby? Check to see if they have a family session on that day.

Should you live near the beach or a lake, how about grabbing those bathing suits and head out for a day of cooling off in the water. Remember to bring pails and shovels for the kids. If there's a river nearby, consider doing some river rafting.

Any amusement parks close by? What an entertaining day that could be. Otherwise, a trip to the zoo might be nice.

A picnic is a fun way to spend the afternoon. Pack up some sandwiches, salad, fruit, beverages, chips and cookies and head on out. (Don't forget the paper products.)

Bring along some items to play with like a baseball and gloves, Frisbees, sand toys or scooters.

If the park is large enough, how about a game of hide and seek? When my kids were younger, this was one of their favorite things to do at the park.

This would also be a great opportunity to make some family home movies that can be enjoyed over the years. My kids love watching themselves when they were younger.

If you like the idea of being outdoors, but don't want to go anywhere, have a barbecue. Most dads really enjoy barbecuing and you're in for some great food.

He can barbecue while the rest of the family prepares all of the additional food. If you have a cooler, put one outside with his favorite beverages in case he gets thirsty.

If you happen to be friendly with some of your neighbors, consider making it a neighborhood barbecue. One person can host and everyone can chip in with some food and beverages.

I suggest that everyone bring their own meat and a dish to share. Don't forget dessert! Just be sure there are activities for the kids. A kid's pool would be great for one of these. There's also ring toss and horseshoes.

There are lots of fun things to do at home. How about a photo shoot? Take pictures of Dad and the kids. You can take some nice smiling ones, then do some goofy ones.

Print out your favorites and place them in frames. You can pick up some inexpensive ones at your local dollar type store. Not only will Dad have fun, he'll have a nice keepsake afterwards.

Pull out some games along with some snacks for an afternoon of game playing. Of course, the age of the kids playing can make a difference as to what games can be played but some ideas include:

• Charades
• Scrabble
• Hedbanz
• Aggravation
• Card games
• Apples to Apples
• Uno
• Sorry
• Candy Land

You could also pop some popcorn and have a movie afternoon. Choose a family favorite or try something new.

How about an old fashioned sing along? You could sing along with music you already have or find some songs on YouTube. Often you can find them with lyrics, so you don't have to worry if you don't know the words.

Should you have puzzle lovers in the home, how about pulling one out?

Give everyone a chance to show off their talent with a family variety show. Dad can be the emcee and the kids can all take turns performing. Act suggestions include:

• Sing a song.
• Read a poem.
• Do a dance.
• Perform a magic trick.
• Play a musical instrument.
• Put on a puppet show.
• Tell some jokes.
• Act out a skit.

It doesn't matter if the acts are very good or not. It's all about letting loose and having fun. The kids can even make a program to give to Dad. (Be sure that the stars of the show autograph it for him after the show!)

Making a craft is a good way to settle kids down for awhile. It lets them be creative and keeps them from running around for awhile.

If Dad likes crafting, why not make a project together. Grab an empty jar of peanut butter with some paint, material, stickers or whatever you have around the house and turn that empty jar into a money jar for Dad.

Now, here's a real family favorite. Take pictures throughout the day of all of your activities. Come evening when you want things to quiet down, print out your favorite pictures.

Put some pieces of computer paper together to form a book. Glue a picture on each page and then let everyone write in a comment about that activity. When completed, Dad will have a special Father's Day memory book.

Even dessert can be made into an activity. If Dad likes cookies, why not bake some? If you don't like to bake by scratch, Pillsbury puts out some slice and bake cookies.

An adult can slice them and the kids can place them on the baking sheet. In just a short period of time, everyone can enjoy some warm, freshly baked cookies.

In many areas it's quite warm on Father's Day. Another idea is to set up an ice cream station featuring different flavors of ice cream, syrups and toppings. Don't forget the whipped cream! To add a healthy twist to it, you could also have bananas on hand so people can make banana splits.

You now have a variety of ideas to help you make Father's Day special. This is such a nice way to honor dads. After all, they do so much for their kids throughout the year.

By doing a family activity, Dad doesn't have to sit alone in front of the TV while the kids are in their rooms with their electronics. Instead the whole family can make some enjoyable memories together.

If you have any special traditions that you think others might enjoy, please be sure to let everyone in the comment box below. There's always room for more ideas!