Adding Father’s Day games to the usual barbecue and presents can help make the day particularly memorable.
Of course, kids and Dad can play any familiar ball or board game for a little togetherness, but trying out games especially designed for Father’s Day (or with a holiday twist for another special day) adds to the fun.
Matching Handprint
For a Father’s Day gathering or party, a matching handprints game is always fun. As guests arrive, they are asked to dip one hand into a plate of paint and create a handprint on a sheet of paper. Then they write their names at the top of the page. You will hang up the handprints to dry with a little paper flap taped over the names to conceal them. Later in the party, fathers try to identify their children’s handprints and children try to identify their fathers’ as well.
Father’s Day Trivia
For a Father’s Day trivia game, make up a questionnaire about Father’s Day and/or famous fathers. You can come up with your own ideas or use a source such as The Holiday Spot. For added fun, create some personalized questions, such as “Where did the family celebrate Father’s Day three years ago?” or “In what year did Jim first become a grandfather?” Kids and dads can work together in teams or can compete against each other.
Shave Like Dad
Another great Father’s Day game idea is asking kids to “Shave Like Dad.” Playing the game as a relay gives everyone in a large group a chance to participate. Team members line up several yards away from Dad, who is seated in a chair. The first team member races to Dad and places a large trash bag with a hole in the center over the father’s head. The second team member races to Dad and covers his face with shaving cream. The third team member uses a wooden craft stick to “shave” Dad, and the last team member rushes out to remove the trash bag.
Puzzling Dads
The preparation for Puzzling Dads starts before the Father’s Day celebration. You will need to find photos of each father and child who will be guests; this includes photos of any grown children whose fathers will be present. The next step is to scan the photos or take them to a copy shop and blow them up to at least 5 inches by 7 inches. When guests arrive at the party, announce that you have some lovely photos, but that you have cut them into pieces. Players try to be the first to find the pieces that are hidden around the house and put together the puzzle of the father or child.
How Would Your Partner Answer?
In his book, “Great Games! 175 Games & Activities for Families, Groups, & Children,” Matthew Toone suggests the Father’s Day-appropriate game of “What Would Your Partner Say?” Teams consist of a father and child. The game begins with players writing questions on slips of paper. For example, “What is your favorite movie” or “What food would you never eat?” The slips of paper go into a box. One father leaves the room; his child draws a question, reads it out loud, and tells the group what his father will answer. The father then returns to the room and gives his answer; if his answer matches the child’s, the team is awarded a point. The game continues, alternating father and child, until one pair accumulates five points.
Find the Dads
For the littlest tots, “Find the Dads” is a game inspired by storybook fathers. To prepare for the game, gather together all the books you have that picture a father or grandfather. If you’re short on these, you can check a batch out from the library. The father spreads these out on the floor and asks the child to find pages showing pictures of daddies or grandpas. Toddlers who are a bit older may enjoy being asked to find specific fathers in their favorite books.
