Ideas for Activities

Here are a couple of ideas to consider to do as craft ideas. Once you have joined, you will be able to use the forum to search for other suggestions.

1. Picture Lolly.
   Sellotape a lolly stick as a handle onto the bottom of a paper plate. The dads and children can use coloured wool, crayons, cut outs, etc to make a collage of the dad's face on one side of the plate and the child's face on the other side. Put a sticker on the lolly stick saying: Me and My Dad at Who Let The Dads Out?
2. In the Frame!
   Buy some cheap 6" x 4" wooden photo frames (e.g. from Ikea). The dads and children can decorate the frames with stickers and sequins or paint them. Use a digital camera to take a photo of each dad and child together, download it to a computer and print it off for them to slip it into their frame. Prepare small cardboard plaques to be placed inside the corner of the frame saying: Me and My Dad at Who Let The Dads Out?

SODA (School's Out, Dad's About) Club
When the children get too old for Who Let The Dads Out?, start a SODA Club for dads, male carers and their infant school aged children (school classes reception and years 1 & 2). Like Who Let The Dads Out? this is an opportunity for dads to have fun with their children and mix with other dads. Select games and toys that appeal to 4 to 7 year olds, and organise team activities, such as uni-hockey and indoor football. Hold monthly sessions - say from 5.30pm to 7.00pm - and provide tea, coffee, juice, biscuits and toast (with real butter!).

Daddy Cool!
For men who are courageous, risk-takers, survivors and irresistible, i.e. dads! Daddy Cool! is a five session parenting programme for dads and male carers. It's not touchy, feely, pink and fluffy stuff. It's about food, activity, competition and facing up to the challenges of being a dad. Working through crunchy subjects like making memories and inspiring respect is made easier by a relaxed take-away meal at the heart of each session. At the end of a Daddy Cool! programme take the group of dads with their children by train to the seaside for a day out.

Soul Man?
The theme of the last session of Daddy Cool! is passing on our values and beliefs to our children. The dads often love this session because, they say, they have no other opportunity to talk about spiritual beliefs; so offer the dads the opportunity to join a Soul Man? group to give them the chance to consider subjects like:
Do we have souls and, if so, what are they for?
What is the point of prayer?
Were we designed to be happy?
Make sure the men know they are welcome to join the group regardless of their beliefs, so there is a place for those who don't believe in God at all, those who are not sure and those who do believe in God but are still working out what that means for them. Don't focus on arguing over or debating topics. Instead lead the men in exploring their own views by listening to and trying to understand the beliefs of others.

Football
Get the dads together once a week to play football and afterwards meet somewhere to enjoy a drink and a chat. Organise occasional friendly matches against other teams. If the results don't go your way, just try to enjoy the chance to have a run around while you still can!