You know that spending time with your child is important, but you also know that the work week can run you down. When the weekend comes, all you want to do is sleep in, go to the gym, read and watch TV. Although you probably shouldn't verbalize it, the last thing you feel like doing is running after a toddler all weekend. That said, there are ways to make your "quality time" enjoyable for everyone. The trick is to find something fun that is age-appropriate for your toddlers to do. After all, a happy toddler means a happy father.
Here is our list of top 10 weekend activities for kids:
Plant a simple herb garden with your child. Introduce little ones to the joys of gardening: not only are herbs easy to grow, but they come in lots of fun, fragrant varieties.
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Feed the Birds. Get a couple of bird feeders and a birdbath (a pie tin is just fine) that can be seen from your window. With your child, set out water and birdseed, then see which feathered friends drop in for dinner and a spa treatment.
Teach you child to swim. Under constant supervision, teach you toddler to be comfortable in water. It’s surprising how most kids take to water at an early age.
Build an Indoor Fort. Let the kids take every cushion off the sofa and build a fort. Crawl through once or twice yourself.
Balloon Kites. Flying a kite is difficult and frustrating for toddlers. Balloon kites fly, even on days with light wind. Attach lengths of paper streamers to the balloon to give it a more authentic kite look.
Who Do You See? Glue a small mirror inside a box.
Magic Bag. Fill a purse with small items (too big to be swallowed) and sit down to watch your child remove them. Talk about each item that emerges.
Letter Sandwiches. Spread a few slices of bread with peanut butter, jam, or honey. Then cut them out in the shape of letters and help your older toddler spell his name.
Where Is It? Car Game. As you're driving in the car, name things you see and ask your toddler to point to them (for example, "Where is the red car?")
Color of the Day. As you're shopping at the store, help your toddler point to all the things they see that match the color you have chosen as the Color of the Day.
NEW DADS 
You know that spending time with your child is important, but you also know that the work week can run you down. When the weekend comes, all you want to do is sleep in, go to the gym, read and watch TV. Although you probably shouldn't verbalize it, the last thing you feel like doing is running after a toddler all weekend. That said, there are ways to make your "quality time" enjoyable for everyone. The trick is to find something fun that is age-appropriate for your toddlers to do. After all, a happy toddler means a happy father.
