Outdoor Father and Son Activities for Preschool Boys

Boys ages 3-5 love to spend time with their dads. At this age they are watching everything Daddy does, and learning from him constantly. Here are some outdoor activities that fathers and sons may especially enjoy doing together:

1. Washing and waxing the car. This needs to be done on a regular basis, anyway, and little boys love to help. My son likes to wipe the car with Daddy, and then help him hose it down. Be sure to pick a warmer day, if your boy is assisting with the hose, because Daddy may end up getting sprayed accidentally (or on purpose). Another variation of this is to let your son help you clean the inside of the car. Little boys are good at picking up trash from the floor or wiping the inside windows.

2. Gardening. Little boys love helping Daddy plant and water seeds and plants. In fact, all you have to do is give your son a shovel and a patch of dirt, and he will probably spend quite a good amount of time just digging for worms and making mud castles. Play clothes and old shoes are a necessity for this activity. My son also enjoys helping Daddy water the garden by filling a bucket or watering can with water from the hose. When the produce is ready, little boys can hold a bucket while you pick tomatoes. My son likes to pick raspberries from our bushes and eat them. Besides being a fun activity, gardening is actually a science lesson-it teaches your son the basics of growing plants.

3. Raking and playing in leaves. At most hardware stores they now sell mini rakes, so get one for your son and start raking together. This is particularly fun if you rake them into a huge pile for your son, then let him jump in them. If you jump with him, this will be an adventure he will remember for a long time as he scatters freshly fallen leaves, or makes forts out of leaf piles with you.

4. Learning a new sport together. Most dads can easily teach their little sons how to hit a waffle ball or softball, or how to kick a soccer ball. Another idea is throwing a round ball, football, or Frisbee back and forth. Your son will feel a sense of accomplishment as he masters a skill, and Daddy will feel proud to have been the one to teach him.

Most of the things that you do outside as a father, even the seemingly mundane tasks like sweeping a walk or taking out the trash, your preschool son would find fun. He will feel big and enjoy spending precious time with his Daddy.