“Research has shown that babies benefit from time spent with dad, doing what comes naturally to dads, such as roughhousing, playing and simply showing her the world. Best of all, these activities don’t cost a thing,” says Boot Camp for Dads founder Greg Bishop.
Here are 12 budget-friendly activities to do with baby!
The founder of Boot Camp for New Dads, a nonprofit orientation program for fathers-to-be, and author of two books on fathering, Bishops offers 12 budget-friendly activities to do with baby.
- Take a tour of your own house with baby in a front carrier, letting him/her grab things within reach.
- Sing songs together. It doesn’t matter if it’s a lullaby or rock ‘n’ roll as long as it’s repetitive and sung with enthusiasm.
- Give baby “airplane” rides through the house or yard.
- Create some tall buildings with blocks then let baby knock them down.
- Put baby in a carrier and go on short hiking adventures.
- Build an indoor obstacle course with pillows and sheets for tunnels that baby will enjoy crawling through.
- Start a kitchen band with pots and pans and spoons and really make some noise.
- Play “hide and seek” with toys to teach baby how to find his/her hidden treasures.
- Encourage your little artist with crayons or non-toxic finger paint. Spread newspaper on the kitchen floor and cover with drawing paper.
- Bring the bath and beach toys into the tub along with a colander and let baby have a blast sinking ships and making it rain.
- Make funny faces together while looking in a mirror. Use shaving cream to give baby a mirror beard and mustache.
- Make junior an instant sports fan. Watch your favorite team together on TV and practice doing the wave.
New Dads Learn What to Expect at Boot Camp Workshops
Dads-to-be will be better equipped to face the challenges and opportunities of fatherhood after attending a Boot Camp “hands on” educational workshop. Men attend the class when they are expecting their first baby, and are joined in the workshop by “veterans” who had previously attended and have returned with their 2 to 4-month-old baby in tow. They are able to give the dads-to-be a realistic idea of what to do and what to expect when their first baby comes. For many men attending, it’s their first time holding a baby.
RESOURCES
Basic Training for Dads-To-Be
Dr. Jeff Jones (858-793-5323)
www.basictrainingfordads.com/home.htm
Basic Training for New Dads
(for infants birth to 1 year)
Dr. Danny Singley (858-344-4698)
www.newdadsclass.com
U.S. Navy Fleet and Family Services
(619-532-6573)
www.cnrsw.navy.mil/fsc/parenting.asp
National Resources
Dads Adventure
www.dadsadventure.com
Boot Camp for New Dads
www.bootcampfornewdads.org
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