Activities for Dads & Kids

Marco? Polo – with a twist! Beat the summer heat with these 11 Fun Pool Games and Activities.  

August is Children’s Eye Health and Safety Month. Eye health plays a major role in all our lives, and for children, one of the most important roles of eyes is performing visual tracking--the ability of one's eyes to “track” from left to right in an efficient manner and “follow” the movement of objects.  

Improving visual tracking improves kids’ ability to focus while reading, perform well in school, direct their hand movements, and scan their environment for information. Practice eye-tracking with kids through any ball sport, kite flying, or connect the dots drawings!  

August 9 is the International Day of World’s Indigenous People. Consider honoring this day by learning about the history of indigenous people in your area. Use this map to identify which indigenous nation your home sits on. Consider the following questions with your children:  

• Who were the first people who lived here?  

• Do they still live here?  

• If [insert specific tribal nation] do not live here, who forcibly removed them? 

• Where do [insert specific tribal nation] live now? What are they doing? 

• Do [insert specific tribal nation] still speak their language? If not, what happened over time?  

August is National Back to School Month! Help kids get ready to delve back into the rhythm of school with these first day of school activities you can do at home, ahead of the school year! 

Need a reason to indulge in ice cream? Here it is: July is National Ice Cream Month! Take your kids on a surprise trip to your local ice cream shop for a sweet treat. Have lactose intolerant or lactose sensitive kids? Many stores and ice cream shops now offer almond milk or coconut milk ice cream options. Consider calling ahead or checking online--more than likely, you will find options that allow all kids to join in on the fun.

July 18 is an international day of recognition in honor of human rights activist, philanthropist, and South Africa’s first Black president, Nelson Mandela. Honor his life and legacy by telling his story to your children. Check out this kid-friendly (cartoons included) version of Nelson Mandela’s life.

July is National Park and Recreation Month! Parks are a center of family and community memories. Celebrate old memories and create new ones by visiting your local park to play basketball, take a walk, or join your children on the swings! Want to visit the parks through poetry? Read poems about a park from each state; the poems were commission in celebration of the National Park Service Centennial.

Nurturing good mental health is a lifelong practice. Parents can begin guiding children of all ages toward healthy mindfulness practices to ease stress, encourage self-awareness, and strengthen focus with a variety of age-appropriate resources. Check out this short meditation video provided by Sesame Street and Head Space for pre-school age children.

May is National Bike Month! Enjoy warmer weather and blue skies by going out for a socially distanced bike ride with the family. Don’t forget to pack sunscreen, water, and masks! Also, be sure to add #BikeThere to your social media posts as you celebrate the many ways that biking can benefit physical and mental health and family bonding.

T-minus 7 days until Mother’s Day!  If you haven’t already, grab the kids and brainstorm ideas for making moms, grandmothers, and other maternal caregivers feel appreciated this Mother’s Day.