101 Dad and Daughter Activities, Games, and Fun Ideas
Are you ready to explore some of the best dad and daughter activities you could ever imagine?
As a father, there are days when I don’t know what kind of activities or games I can do with my daughter, as sometimes it seems our interests are so different.
My only problem? A lack of imagination!
To help other busy parents like me, I’ve put together this comprehensive list of 101 fun father-daughter activities and games you’ll love.
Never again go through a day without knowing what to do with your little girl!
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101 Dad and Daughter Activities
This list showcases some of the most fun, inspiring, and bond-building ideas for dad and daughter activities. Enjoy!
1. Go To the Beach
A day out on the beach is one of the most fun dad and daughter activities I can think of.
Maybe it’s because we both love the beach or because we love building sandcastles together. The possibilities of bonding with your little girl are endless.
2. Rent a Two-Person Kayak
While on the beach—and if your daughter is old enough—hop on a double kayak and start rowing into the nearest sea.
I’ve done it several times with my 8-year-old, and we have a blast every time!
3. Finish a Puzzle
Puzzles are fun to do together, especially when you’re bored at home.
Puzzles take time, help develop patience, and are a great way to have long conversations while doing them.
4. Get Your Nails Done
You can do this at home or go to a salon or nail spa. Either way, your daughter will love that you do this for (or with) her.
5. Play ‘Just Dance’
Looking for some REAL dad and daughter fun? This popular video game prompts you to dance along with an avatar on screen—and it’s easily one of the most fun activities I’ve ever done with my two girls, who are six and eight.
They never get tired of dancing to La Macarena, Despacito, or any new hip-shaking Shakira song out there.
6. Plant a Tree
We just did this environmentally conscious activity a couple of weeks ago.
I have to say that it wasn’t my idea. But we had a lot of fun, and we did something together to help save the planet.
Also, we now have a special tree to visit. Having our own tree is an exciting bonus!
7. Build a Fort
I used to do this as a kid and I’ve done it more times than I can count now that I’m a father.
For this activity, you want to get everything you can get your hands on—sofa cushions make excellent walls, sheets are perfect roofs, and laundry pegs are helpful to bind everything together.
If you’re interested in building things with your daughter, forts are at the top of the list.
8. Learn Spanish Online
Learning a second language is one of the greatest gifts you can give your daughter—and the best part? You learn with her.
If you’re into this idea and want to try out a free class, we offer a free trial Spanish class for K–12 students and adults at Homeschool Spanish Academy. Learn what to expect here or sign up for your free trial class right away.
9. Cook Together
We need to talk about cooking!
I love making tacos with my girls. The key here is to cook a dish that excites your daughter and that you can fairly easily make together. Sushi and pizza are some other options I have tried at home.
10. Go Hiking
Wrapping up our top ten out of 101, hiking is an excellent activity to do with your active, outdoor-loving daughter. For young girls, start with easy and short hiking trails.
Going outdoors is a calming and relaxing activity that liberates both of you from the stress of daily life.
11. Start a Collection
It can be sports hats, city magnets, or dead insects (I’ve done this one).
Starting a collection is one of the best father-daughter activities to build long-term bonding between you two.
If you both enjoy it enough, it can be something you do for years or even decades to come.
12. Create a Secret Handshake
I started doing this with my students, and one day my daughter asked me why I didn’t have a special handshake with her.
It broke my heart at the time, but we have designed the coolest daddy-daughter handshake ever since. You can combine taps, high fives, hugs, and more. Go crazy!
13. Have a Pillow Fight
Still one of the best daddy-daughter activities ever. I guarantee endless laughs and big hugs when the fight is over.
14. Play a Board Game
Board games are excellent ways to spend time together, have fun, and learn essential life lessons, such as learning to lose and being magnanimous in victory.
15. Go Bowling
When thinking about places to go for a father-daughter day, the bowling alley is right at the top of my list.
We always have a blast. Lots of laughs and great times together.
16. Enjoy a Tea Party
Among the best activities for you and your toddler. They just love to pour imaginary tea in their little pink cups and pretend to be having the most civilized tea party ever.
17. Teach Her To Drive
This bonding-building activity between you and your teenage daughter reinforces the security you provide to your daughter just by being there. Priceless!
18. Go on a Road Trip
One of the best weekend ideas for father and daughter.
Hop in your car and drive away from home. The destination isn’t important. The road is the fun part. Talk, tell each other jokes, sing. You can do anything before reaching your destination.
19. Dress Up!
Take out your best suit and dress up for her.
She’ll love it and do the same for you, filling your heart with pride.
20. Go for a Fancy Dinner
You can take this as the second part of the last idea.
If you’re already dressed up, why not take your little princess out to a fancy restaurant and have a night out that neither of you will forget?
21. Go To a Museum
I haven’t done this one yet with my daughter since we usually go to museums together as a family.
But it is one of my relationship goals with each of my daughters. Museums are a great place to learn, have fun, and have deep conversations about life, art, and the world.
22. Bathe Your Dog
One of the most fun things I’ve ever done with my youngest girl.
We made a mess, laughed a lot, and promised to do it again.
23. Help Her With Her Homework
Just be patient and make sure to help instead of putting more pressure on her. I love helping her with math, and she loves that I take the time to do it.
24. Make a Picnic
In your garden, in the park, or at the beach, it doesn’t matter. Just go out and enjoy yourselves.
25. Go Fishing
Fishing is one of the most calming and reflecting activities to do with your daughter.
I know that not every girl will love it, but you may be surprised if you ask. I love going fishing with my two girls and giving mommy a relaxing day alone at home.
26. Take Care of Your Garden
I love to take care of my garden with my girls. It’s the most calming hobby I have ever found for myself, and I love sharing it with my daughters.
27. Makeup!
You haven’t graduated as a father if your daughter has never put some makeup on your face. As with the nails, she’ll love that you do it just for her. Give it a try!
28. Go To the Stadium
Baseball, basketball, football, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is to share a hotdog, buy a baseball cap for your favorite team, and shout at the referee.
29. Go To a Concert
Concerts are among the most popular options of fun events to attend with your daughter.
Note of warning! She may not appreciate too much that you invite her to see her favorite band or singer since girls prefer to do that instead with their friends (see “Turning Red”).
So what’s a dad to do? I’ve learned that a classic artist who’s not so popular to her, but more to you (think of Madonna, Paul McCartney, or Bruce Springsteen) is an activity she’ll enjoy doing for the sake of daughter-dad bonding.
30. Go Shopping
Teenage girls picture this one when thinking about fun places to go with their dad.
I’m sure she’ll have a lot of fun, and you’ll be so proud to watch her so happy and beautiful.
31. Do a Photoshoot
Find a good photographer that you both like, and get some memories for the future. Thinking about original photo ideas adds to the excitement.
32. Go Mini Golfing
Young girls love it, and teenage girls appreciate it even more (as long as there aren’t any of their friends nearby). It’s ok if you’re bad at it.
33. Go to the Park
Go for a walk, push her on the swing, or just sit in the grass and have a long conversation.
34. Watch a Movie
At home or at the movie theater, it doesn’t matter as long as you share popcorn and some laughs.
35. Karaoke!
Sing together with your favorite songs and have the time of your lives!
36. Visit Grandpa
Show her how much you love your father and spend quality time together the three of you.
37. Make Cookies
Let your little girl show you how she makes cookies, or even ask mom to help you out. The point is to make some cookies with your daughter.
38. Teach Her How to Ride a Bicycle
This is one of the main events in the life of every kid.
I vividly remember the days when I taught each one of my daughters how to ride their first bikes. Make sure mommy is around to take some videos!
39. Spa Day
These days spas offer special dad and daughter spa days. So spoil yourselves and have a great day together.
40. Read to Her at Night
It doesn’t matter how old your daughter is. I’m sure she loves it when you read her at night.
41. Work Out Together
Dust off those weights you have at home, take out the yoga mat and work out with your daughter.
42. Build a Lego
There are so many Lego options these days that I’m sure you can find something both of you will enjoy building together.
43. Put Together a Piece of Furniture
Remember that desk you bought online, and you had to arm it yourself? Next time invite your daughter to join you. She’ll love that you ask her, and you’ll love the help.
44. Take Selfies
A lot of them! Do funny faces, serious looks, and spontaneous takes.
45. Go to the Water Park
Just be prepared to throw yourself from all the water slides in the park.
46. Make a Snowman
One of the most classic father-daughter things to do in the winter.
47. Play Chess
One of the most intelligent and beautiful games ever invented. If she’s young, teach her. If she already knows how to play, you’ll have a great, quiet time together with this powerful dad and daughter activity.
48. Take Her to Work
Girls love to see where daddy works and will feel super appreciated just because you took her to your place of work.
49. Write Letters to Each Other
Sometimes it’s easier to express yourself in a letter. Write your daughter a heartfelt letter and ask her to reply to it.
50. Sing in the Car
Use those long commuting trips together to turn the volume up and sing your favorite songs in the car.
51. Paint Her Room
Find any excuse to paint her room in any color she wants, and make sure you do it together. You’ll have a blast!
52. Go to the Supermarket
Do the grocery shopping together, and let her help you get the stuff that only mommy knows where to find.
53. Dance in the Rain
Dancing in the rain with my eldest daughter is one of my fondest memories, and I strongly recommend you do the same. Wear a jacket, if you want.
54. Go to a Theme Park
For an adventurous dad and daughter activity, hop on all the roller coasters and make sure to win a Teddy bear for her.
55. Change a Flat Tyre
Teach her how to do it and change one, even if it’s just for practice. If she ever needs to do it by herself, she’ll be ready for it and will think of you with a smile on her face.
56. Run Together
Dad and daughter exercise time! You can simply go out and do some jogging together or plan to run a 5K race together.
57. Get a Tattoo for Her
I got a tattoo for each of my two daughters, and they feel so proud of me. Me? I just smile every time I take a look at my tattoos.
58. Get a Tattoo Together
If she’s old enough, go and get a tattoo together. Choose the same tattoo or get tattoos that complement each other. Either way, you’ll be even more connected forever.
59. Go to WrestleMania
Or any other wrestling event.
I took my girls to watch lucha libre in Mexico, and we had so much fun. The thing with wrestling is that it’s a scripted TV show, more than real fights, which makes it fun to watch together.
60. Buy a Present for Mom
Looking for presents for mommy is one of my favorite activities to do with my daughters. They show me how selfless they are, and we all get to spoil mom.
61. Climb a Mountain
Few experiences are more rewarding than reaching the peak of a hard-to-conquer mountain. Sharing such an experience with your daughter just makes it even more rewarding.
62. Buy Her an Ice Cream
And sit with her and watch her enjoy it. That’s being a father, right there.
63. Have a Pajama Party
Prepare some popcorn, watch a movie, tell horror stories, and have all the fun that only a good pajama party can provide.
64. Share Your Secrets
Ask her to tell you a secret and then tell her one of yours. You’ll be partners in crime from that point onwards.
65. Ride a Seesaw
I’ve done it many times with my girls, and I know I’ll miss the experience once they get too old.
66. Discover the World
Travel together as a family and reserve a time to explore with your daughter the new place you’re visiting.
67. Watch the Stars
This is a solid dad and daughter science activity. Either get her a telescope or take her to a planetarium.
But don’t miss seeing her when she’s looking at the stars up close for the first time!
68. Play Charades
You’ll be surprised by her creativity and imagination.
69. Costume Time!
It doesn’t have to be Halloween to wear a costume with your daughter.
70. Take Her to the Ballet
It’s a beautiful experience that will stay with both of you for a long time.
71. Make an Experiment
Find a fun experiment on YouTube and do it at home with your daughter. You’ll have fun and learn a lot.
72. Paint Together
I’ve got a couple of easels, and from time to time, I go out to my garden and start painting by myself. Not long after, one of my girls is painting beside me.
Another calming, artistic activity that you can share with your daughter.
73. Do Some Volunteer Work
And show your daughter how important it’s to help others and be a positive force in your community.
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74. Have a Water Balloon Battle
Fill lots of balloons with water and throw them at each other while having some awesome dad and daughter fun on a sunny day.
75. Re-create a “Bluey” Episode
“Bluey” is “the best kids’ show of our time.”
It’s about an Australian Shepherd father who has endless patience with her two daughters and plays beautiful, creative games with them.
My girls love it, and we’ve started to re-create some of the episodes and had so much fun doing it.
76. Go to Disneyland
Or Disneyworld, or Eurodisney, whichever is closer to your location.
That’s one of the trips that both of you will never forget.
77. Go Rollerblading
Suppose you’re bold enough to do it! My girls love rollerblading, and although I’m not a real fan of it, I had to re-learn how to do it just to be able to please them and go rollerblading together.
78. Play Hide-and-Seek
Every kid loves playing hide-and-seek, even more if it’s with daddy.
79. Fill an Album
Buy an album and fill it with pictures of you and your daughter.
80. Play Doctor for your Daughter’s Teddy Bear
Pretend that you’re a doctor for your girl’s dolls, Teddy bears, and other stuffed animals.
She will love it!
81. Do a Treasure Hunt
Organize a treasure hunt for your daughter and help her solve it.
82. Learn a Sport Together
Choose something that neither of you has played before, and start together from zero.
83. Go to the Zoo
Make sure you don’t miss the first time your daughter sees a lion, gorilla, or panda. The look in her eyes will be unforgettable.
84. Fly a Kite
At the beach or in the park. What matters is that you do it together.
85. Go to the Library
Show her how the library works, and see her enjoy it for the rest of her life.
86. Go to the Bank
What? That’s boring! Maybe it is, but she’ll learn very important stuff.
87. Clean up a Beach
Participate in a beach clean-up with other people or just go with your girl and pick as much litter as you two can.
The point here is to show her the importance of going the extra mile to clean our environment.
88. Go to the Theater
And watch a play together. The sooner, the better, as she’ll develop a love for theater that will enrich her whole life.
89. Visit Your Hometown
Take her to your childhood house, show her your school and the place where your sports heroics happened.
90. Make snow angels
And laugh like there’s no tomorrow!
91. Take a Pottery Class
You’ll be surprised how enjoyable that can be.
92. Watch the Sunset
And let the emotions flow in a deep conversation.
93. Ask Her to Help You With Your Tools
Next time you have to fix something at home, ask her to help you.
Teach her to use the drill or the screwdriver. You’ll spend quality time together and prepare her for life.
94. Take Her and Her Friends Wherever They Want
Be the cool dad who takes all the kids out and be there for her.
95. Have a Yes Day
Say “yes” to everything she asks of you in one day.
96. Rent a Cool Car
Say a Corvette or a Mustang, and hit the road with her. If she’s old enough, you may even consider letting her drive.
97. Hop on a Ferris Wheel
At the nearest amusement park or one of those located in famous cities.
The point is to be there with her and enjoy the view together.
98. Bungee Jump Together
I did it during my university years, and I would have loved my dad to do it with me.
If you like this type of adrenaline-filled activities, you’ll have the time of your life.
99. Take Her to a Self-Defense Class
Be there with her and show her the importance of being ready to defend herself.
100. Do Some Carpentry
Another of those calming, patience-building hobbies for dad and daughter. Do it together and enjoy your quality time with her.
101. Walk Her Down the Aisle
Be ready to let her go and, when the time comes, feel as proud as a father can possibly feel.
Choose Your Favorite Activity and Get Closer to Your Daughter
Here you have more than enough fun dad and daughter activities to help you get closer to your daughter and strengthen your bond with her.
My two daughters mean the world to me, and I know that it’s the same for every father.
Don’t let the time pass, and don’t use your work as an excuse. Time flies, and the time to be with her is today.
You can do the fun things I included on this list, like going to a water park or having water balloon battles, and you two can also do useful stuff, such as learning to drive or changing a flat tire.
But you can also simply engage in day-to-day activities, like helping her with her homework or taking care of your garden. If you’ve noticed it, the important part isn’t what you do, but with whom you do it. Be there for her. She’ll thank you for her whole life.
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