Fun Father's Day Celebrations for Kids
Father’s Day is fast approaching on Jun 15, 2025, which means you have a couple of weeks to plan a fun day for your kids to celebrate their loving dad. When you have a baby or young toddlers, it is important to lead the change and set the stage for how your family will be celebrating Father’s Day. Need some ideas? We’ve got you covered. Keep reading to learn more about how to help your toddler connect with Father’s Day, how to make it special for your kids and Dad, and some ways to celebrate the day that your whole family will love.
Celebrating Father’s Day with Kids
When celebrating Father’s Day with a baby or toddler, finding simple and easy ways to show their dad appreciation is what is key. Once they are older, they can come up with their own gift ideas and crafts. While they are young, it is important to help set the stage for how they will show appreciation for their dad.
Some ideas include:
| Homemade cards or gifts. | Grab some paint, dip your toddler’s hand in it, and create a special handprint card, rock, frame, or painting. You can also grab an impression kit to create a stone of their handprint or footprint for the yard, his office, or as shelf decor. |
| Quiet morning. | If Dad is craving some quiet alone time this Father’s Day (Moms can relate on Mother’s Day!), wake up early to grab your kiddos and head to the park for a breakfast picnic, run some errands, or go on a neighborhood walk to allow Dad to sleep in and enjoy the house to himself. |
| Movie night. | This classic never fails: Order some pizza, cook Dad’s favorite meal together, bake some cookies, and watch a fun movie together. |
| Bonding time. |
As toddlers, doing anything for parents to bond with their kids is a win. This can include outdoor play, bubble play, hide-and-seek, and more. Making the day all about Dad is important, and ensure your toddler is reminded throughout the day that today is his day! |
| Check with Dad to see what he likes. | As you can relate to on Mother’s Day, some years you may want a fun-filled family day, and other years you’d rather relax by yourself with a massage. Ask Dad what vibe he is feeling this year so that he has the Father’s Day he wants! |
Why Playtime Is The Ideal Gift for Father’s Day
Playing is how Dads show love! The oxytocin hormone is released when children interact with their parents. Interestingly, though, the activity that produces the most oxytocin for parent and child differs depending on whether the child is interacting with their mom or dad.
In dad’s case, he and his child get a peak in oxytocin from playing with each other. This is why dads can seem to prefer playing to caretaking, and children preferentially seek them out as play partners. So while dad is sometimes labelled as the ‘fun’ parent, there is a real reason behind his desire to play with his children.
This is not to say that dads don’t get a neurochemical reward from caring for their baby. It’s just not quite as big a hit as a good bout of rough and tumble play.
There are also some differences between mothers and fathers in key areas of brain activity when they interact with their children.
Both parents show similar activity in areas of the brain linked to empathy. That means both parents have the skills to understand their child’s emotional and practical needs and to meet these.
For moms, the other area of peak activity sits in the centre of the brain and relates to nurturing, affection, and threat detection.
But for dads, their peak is in the outer area, the neocortex, and relates to a set of skills linked to social interaction and pushing boundaries.
Outdoor Play Ideas for Bonding Time
The exciting part about Father’s Day is that it falls just at the beginning of Summer, which means the weather is warm, school is out, and there are tons of fun activities to do!
A great way you can celebrate Dad at home through outdoor play is with bubbles, and getting him off of messy bubble wand duty!
Toddler-Friendly Bubbles
Your kids, as young as small toddlers, will love how simple, easy, and mess-free this bubble blower is.
Simply pour bubble solution into the tray, dip and twirl the blower, and start blowing bubbles! No backflow going into their mouth, no mess, and it gets Mom and Dad off of bubble duty!
These safer bubbles are made with botanical ingredients for cleaner bubble play. Made without harsh soaps and detergents, our plant-based solution is easy on sun-kissed skin and ideal for those with eczema.
You can:
- Take your bubble set to the beach for a great way to keep your toddler entertained and near your beach site
- Play with them inside if it is just too hot outside, and avoid screen time
- Add a drop of food coloring to the tray and blow onto a canvas to create fun bubble painting
For more fun ideas and to grab your own toddler-friendly bubble set just in time for Father’s Day, head to Innobaby.com!