Fun activities for Father's Day. Recreational games.
Father’s Day tends to be a bit overlooked and less festive compared to Mother’s Day.
But we want to make sure we express our gratitude to dads who work hard every day and spend some fun time together.
So, in this article, we’ll introduce activities recommended for Father’s Day that kids can enjoy with their dads!
We’ve included lots of games and activities that many parents will find nostalgic from their own childhoods.
If you’re wondering what to do when the family gets together, be sure to check this out for ideas and have a wonderful Father’s Day!
Fun activities for Father's Day. Recreation games (1–10)
Tonton sumo (paper sumo game)
Place paper dolls on a paper sumo ring and tap the surface with your fingers; the first doll to fall loses.
You can draw sumo wrestlers, but self-portraits or your favorite characters are fine too.
Using an empty box for the ring makes it easier to play.
It’s a game you can enjoy in many different ways depending on your ideas.
What’s inside the box?
Black Box Showdown is a game where planning and preparing the props is half the fun.
It’s a “guess what’s in the box” game, and that little bit of anxiety and eeriness from not knowing what’s inside makes both kids and adults’ hearts race.
If you don’t have a dedicated black box, cut a hole in a cardboard box just big enough for a hand to fit through.
Decide on the time limit for touching before you start.
It really amps up the excitement if you prepare items with interesting textures, like konnyaku, slime, or wind-up toys!
Glico
A game using rock-paper-scissors: Guriko (Glico).
If you win with rock, you move forward three steps—the number of syllables in “Guriko.” If you win with scissors, you move six steps—the number of syllables in “Chokoreeto” (chocolate).
If you win with paper, you move six steps—the number of syllables in “Painappuru” (pineapple).
Many kids—and dads—probably played it on the way home from school or on park steps.
For Father’s Day, why not go out for a short walk with Dad and give it a try? Since Dad’s strides are longer than a child’s, the key to victory for the child is to take big steps whenever they win at rock-paper-scissors.
It’s an easy, no-equipment game—perfect for a fun Father’s Day!
Drop the Handkerchief
Hankachi-otoshi (Drop the Handkerchief) is a game many people probably played as children at school and elsewhere.
All players except “it” sit facing inward in a circle.
“It” walks around the outside of the circle and secretly drops a handkerchief behind someone.
The person it’s dropped behind has to catch “it” before they make it all the way around the circle.
It’s a thrilling game where your heart races as you wonder who the handkerchief will be dropped behind.
balloon volleyball
Father’s Day falls right in the rainy season.
How about balloon volleyball, which you can play safely at home—even with small children? If possible, move tables and chairs to the side to make a small court.
Simply stretching a rubber band or string to mark a boundary line will make it much more exciting.
You can play one-on-one, or form teams of two or three and face off.
Be sure to decide the rules in advance—like how many passes are allowed and how many points you’ll play to—before starting the game!
Hyakunin Isshu
How about karuta, specifically Hyakunin Isshu, a game that might earn you compliments for your refined taste? For today’s kids, who are used to digital games and smartphones, the gentle cadence of classical Japanese could feel refreshingly new.
As they play, they naturally memorize the poems, which later gives them an edge in Japanese class.
And it’s pretty cool if they can compete for speed like in the popular manga and film Chihayafuru.
For younger children, there are also karuta sets with cute characters and illustrations, which I highly recommend.
nervous breakdown
The card game Concentration, which is often said to favor young children, is one that even dads can’t help but get serious about and really enjoy.
The reason kids are better is that their ability to store what they see as images—eidetic memory—is said to be stronger than adults’.
Playing with a simple deck of cards is great, but it’s also fun to make your own cards by writing words or drawing pictures—like “food” or “helping out”—on card-sized pieces of paper.
You can even turn it into a set of “privilege cards,” where whoever makes a match earns the right to redeem that card later when they want something or want someone to do something!
Paper Airplane Contest
A paper airplane—something almost everyone made as a child.
This is a contest to see whose plane can fly the farthest.
It’s also fun to set the rule as how long it can stay aloft.
Besides origami paper, you could use leftover paper or construction paper from home and study how the flight changes.
By the way, the Guinness World Record for paper airplane airtime is about 29 seconds.
Aim for 30 seconds!
Kick the can
Many dads will probably feel nostalgic about the game “Kick the Can.” First, draw a large circle in the dirt and an X in the middle, then place a can on the X.
Next, choose the “it” player.
Someone other than “it” kicks the can to start.
While “it” goes to retrieve the can and return it to the circle, everyone else hides.
The “it” player searches from outside the circle; when they spot someone, they shout, “I found you, [Name]!” and kick the can.
Those who are hiding are safe if they manage to kick the can without being found.
Play in places like parks where running around and kicking a can won’t bother anyone!
Kendama
It’s the traditional game of kendama.
However, today’s kendama isn’t just about placing the ball on the cups—it’s taken on a sport-like form where players nail tricks while dancing to music and compete in difficulty.
On video sites and social media, many people explain in detail the tips for various kendama tricks.
Thanks to its popularity, world championships are held, and its appeal lies in being enjoyable for all ages.