What Do Dads Do with a 3 Year Old?

Bumper bowling, the park, play center in the mall and a pretzel afterwards. Mcdonalds.Even if he just took him outside and walked it would be great. Additionally its more important that they interact with the child and not just take them somewhere were they can entertain themselves. Also some movie theaters off specai matinees just for kids with kids only movies. Storytime at a local bookstore or the zoo or museam.

My husband loves to take my boys to the zoo! Great bonding experience. But I also agree with all those who said just wrestling with dad and letting the kid climb all over him is the best bonding experience. Yesterday my older son told his baby brother "sorry, you have to stay in - Daddy and I have some serious wrestling to do!" So cute. They also love to shovel snow together, build forts, have snow ball fights in winter; hiking and exploring in the nicer weather.

Our 3 year old loves to go on errands with his dad. To the home improovement store, to get haircuts, etc. He also takes him to the library or just to a McDonalds play land (in the winter) and to the park in the nicer weather. They also love to work in the yard togeter or just play with blocks and cars.

We are grandparents raising grandchildren too. My husband gets to play with the kids while I do the mundain things like cooking and laundry...LOL.

He plays Lego's, we have both Duplo and regular Lego so he has had the appropriate size for his age (they have new sets that have grandparents as the people), regular blocks (if he's handy with tools he can cut them himself in different shapes and sizes), Play-Doh, coloring, finger painting (sometimes we used pudding so it was messy and edible, the milk does stink when it starts going bad so it's a throw away craft), playing tickle, Hot Wheels, there are lots of simple games on-line at palces that are educational (links below), making snacks, cleaning chores made into games, watching an air popper make popcorn, he can build a water activity table from PVC pipes and a plain plastic tub from Lowes (always supervised, and we empty it after every use, it's a drowning hazard), wood puzzles if you can get them, the cardboard ones just don't last long, go for hikes (walks) and find items to put on a poster, scrapbooking a family memory book, plant an indoor garden, kick/toss the ball around, there are just so many things they do together. When he shows interest in riding a regular bike you might want to take him to BMX races and see if he is interested, it is awesome exercise for everyone in the family. My best friends whole family races and they started just a couple of years ago. It's so funny to see the...um...older gentlemen beat the pants off the younger men in their class. T-Ball is an option for this Fall, check in your area and see if they have to be 3 1/2 or 4. It is the best frun for the whole family. Our, now 6, girl played and we just took the double stroller and took everyone to watch her game. Soccer usually starts at 4 yrs. it teaches so much too. My husband has physical limitations so getting out and running with the kids is not an option but he still helps them learn to kick and catch.

It's good he wants to spend time with the little one,another thing you can do is ask you childs teacher what are some things they have in the classroom that your little one is fond of. When I had my childcare center I was often asked that question around Christmas time.

There are tons of ideas on the internet if you type in "activities for a 3 yr. old". I am adding some links now but wanted to tell you that you are awesome for taking on this responsibility. For me, it is so much better this time around. I find myself focusing on much different things since I am older and have more life experience.

Good TV shows and movies for younger kids:
We love anything that has to do with Lazy Town, Dora, Diego, Sesame Street, shows on Nick Jr., the movie "Cars", there is a whole line of Hot Wheels size line of cars from the movies also a size just a bit larger, "Underdog" the movie from jsut a few years ago, "Aurthur and The Inviisibles", QUBO shows like Jane and the Dragon or 3-2-1 Penguins or Veggie Tales ( this one often has religious based themes so it really teaches morals and choosing the right choice), and just about any Disney/Pixar movie.

http://www.nickjr.com/games/all-shows/all-themes/2-3-year...
http://www.mostlymommies.com/games.html
parentcenter.com
http://www.robynsnest.com/3old.htm
http://www.fisher-price.com/fp.aspx?st=30&e=gamesland...

I know this is long but I don't want to leave anything out!!!!!

Have fun!

My husband takes the kids on errands all the time - then, they stop and get an ice cream cone, go to the park, get books at the library, etc.

My husband had a part time job at Starbucks many years ago and had regular customers (a dad and his 3-4 year old daughter) who'd come in each Sunday for him to read the paper, she would color - so Mom could have some alone time.

My husband has been playing video games with our son, constructing model cars, etc. I'd see what your grandson is interested in and work around that. In the spring, he plans on going to high school baseball games and a local university's football games in the fall.

My husband would take our son to fire station open houses to look at all the fire trucks and emergency equipment. He'd also get on the floor on all fours and our son would ride on his back like a horse.

What about going to the movies or going to Home Depot and do a woodworking project. Home Depot has a class the 1st Sat of every month and it is free. You may have to sign up for it but all Home Depots do this. My daughter did it with my dad when she was 3 til 6, they had the best time. School crossings does special events that are free and those are typically on Saturday. I hope this helps.

My daughter will do anything with my husband. On a snow day this January he had to go into work and took her with him to his shop. She helped sort nuts and bolts while he talked to his employees. We have put her little table in the garage with him so he can watch her while he works on cars. She will chatter away with him while she colors. She also helps by handing him tools, which makes her feel very important. Just making them feel like a part of the action in the house should make both your husband and son happy.

My husband only sees our kids on the weekends (or if/when they get up in the middle of the night or super early) because of his schedule. He has his 'man cave' in the basement - a room with his computer, a couch and two chairs. Right next to that (next room) is the kids playroom and my scrapbooking desk.

Often times, he will take my daughter downstairs with him (while I'm feeding the baby or putting him down for a nap) and while I think she's playing in her playroom and he's on the computer, it turns out they are playing together! He'll show her videos on youtube.com (music videos from the Sound of Music, Chitty-Chitty Bang Bang, etc) or play Alvin & the Chipmunks music. Other times he'll go to the internet and they'll google different animals that they have found in a book.

She has her own computer so there are times when I go down there and they are playing her Winnie the Pooh or Dora game together.

She'll often ask him to play dollhouse, which equates to him moving the people around and talking for them while she watches!

He reads to her when she brings him books.

He pushes her on the swing outside.

He's not big on taking either of our kids out by himself so when he has them and I"m not there, they stay home!!!

I'm so glad you asked this.
My husband didn't really have a male role model (his parents divorced when he was an infant) so he is struggling with what to do with our son.
He still perceives him as a "baby" and thinks that he is too little to do anything with Dad. (He turns 3 in a month).
He interacts very little with him other than watching TV at night. It frustrates me to no end!!!

I got a lot of good ideas reading everyone's responses.
I think tonight's dinner will be served with a healthy dose of ideas (it may taste a bit like Nag to him!)
Awesome. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, can't wait for dinner!

- C.

My husband likes to take the kids outside. He plays ball with them and pushes them on the swings. He gets them to do chores outside, too. He makes a game of picking up sticks in the yard and putting them near the wood pile. They will do that for about 15 minutes or so until they recognize it is a chore. LOL Inside they do computer games, Wii, board games. The play instruments and put on concerts. My husband also gets them to be his helpers when he is making or repairing something as long as it is safe for them to be there. For example, he was building a table and chair set and he had the kids hold the screwdriver and wrench he needed. Sometimes he will give them a paintbrush and have them dust off what he is working on. His brother recently moved to our town so he sometimes takes the kids to visit.

My husband and I have a 3 year old and a 1 year old. My husband is awesome with them both!
He reads, blows bubbles, throws snowballs with and at him, rolls/throws balls, gives him his bath, has him "help" cook (stirring pasta while it cooks), and watching football together. My husband also dances with him, sings, and does silly hand actions. He reviews body parts, colors, makes animal sounds, and does puzzles. Also, our son absolutely loves letters and numbers, so we used to watch "Lingo" and "Wheel of Fortune" together. It was fun for us all!

This brings up memories when our son was lil he is now 6 & off to kindegarten we have 2 other children.MY hubby is an ealy bird so is all of our kid's.He use to in the spring & summer walk him to the Expo. Center to see all the horses when there was horse shows in town.He also takes him to the hardware store,the park is a big hit just whenever they would pass one he'd stop & let him play.While I was in the hospital & he was the caregiver he would pack lunches & find a different playgrounds to go to.My kids are hardly ever inside during the summer months he has bought small pools so for they can get in to cool off,going fishing outside helping plant flowers vegetable seeds.As long as they are spending time with dad doing what they love to help & help in anyway they are happy.Moms & dads have different activities to do with their children our time is spent differently & in either way as long as it is time together whether or not it's me taking them out shopping or dad playing memories are created.

What my kids enjoy the most is....getting on the floor and playing....mostly its wrestling w/tickling mixed in! They love it! At our house daddy tries to at least pick up and throw around each child everyday....

When my 10 yr old was that age my dad was the one that watched him during the day while my husband and I worked. They did EVERYTHING together. He bought him a bubble mower and would take him out with him to 'mow' the lawn and he would push his little mower right behind my dad, they would go to the park, the library, walks around the block, "cookie bookie club" and out to lunch with my mom every day. My dad used to sit and watch kid's programs with him too and by the time my son was 3 (started watching him at around 18 months), my son knew all his shapes, colors, numbers and letters just from sitting and watching Noggin (Nick Jr.) with my dad. Also when we were kids my dad had a train set that he would put together and we loved laying on the floor in the middle of the track watching the train go around while my dad played conductor. There is so much they can do together.

We now have a 2 yr old son and my dad has not been able to be as involved with him as he was with my older son but my husband does much of the same with him as my dad did with my older one.

For my son’s 3rd birthday one of the gifts I gave him was a Lightning McQueen fishing pole. Dad took him fishing and they had such a great time that my son couldn’t wait to go back. They packed a lunch and his bug box and off they went for fishing and nature walks. Dad also gets super involved when he plays with his train set, hotwheels, blocks (we use the blocks to make parking spaces for the cars or mazes) and especially anything sports related (soccer, t-ball, basketball all little kid size stuff).

My husband takes our daughter to Chucky Cheese to play in the arcade. They get to bond and interact while having fun together. Other ideas would be to find indoor gyms if it's cold where you are now and have them tumble around. Library is always fun and free.

My husband is very involved and does alot with my 2 lil ones 4 and 22 months. He takes them on errands all the time. If he is working on something or fixing something he brings them down to the basement to help He lets them play in his car They love that.. He plays out side with them On Sat We take the boys to the ymca and they are both in a swim class he goes in with the lil one now but we Started swim at 6months for both and the lil ones need a parent. If your grandson is not a swimmer he would start off with your husband in the pool with him and then the Y also has free swim times or family swim that they could go to. My 4 yr old is now in Karate and if my husband is home he will take him both of them while i fix dinner. They have indoor play areas like pump it up bowling just something they could do together. Kids appreiate the littlest things ya know it doesnt have to be extravagant or expensive. The y also has tons of other classes he could do with him on the weekend or when he has off and the ymca is reasonably priced. Good luck