Finding meaningful things to do with kids isn’t always easy — especially if you’re a logical dad like me. Over the years, I’ve learned that fun family activities like camping, board games, and simple outdoor play are the best ways for bonding with my daughter.
I admit it — I’m the kind of dad kids don’t usually like.
I’ve always believed that the first quality of good parenting is the ability to connect emotionally with your child. Unfortunately, that’s something I was never naturally good at.
I majored in physics in college, where I learned to argue with logic. At a big corporation, I learned hierarchy and obedience. At a startup, I learned politics and futility.
During my time at LG Display, my résumé might have looked fine from the outside, but at home, I was a dad who couldn’t truly connect. I was ambitious — work always came first. I told myself I didn’t tie my self-worth to my job, but my mood still rose and fell with every performance review.
Still, I tried. When my daughter was three, I started taking the family out on weekend trips, thinking I was doing my best as a father. But one day, she said something that stopped me cold:
“Dad, I just want to stay home today.” “Why? Are you not feeling well?” “No… I just want to stay home.”
Later, my wife told me that our daughter said she liked going out — but when I got tired, my face would change. That hit me like a hammer.
After that, I searched for something we could both enjoy. When the pandemic began, we started camping — a very “T-type dad” solution, practical and planned.
Did it help me connect with her? A little, maybe. But even at the campsite, I was busy setting up tents, cooking, and cleaning. By the time I could rest, my daughter was already playing with other kids. It was… bittersweet.
Then I realized something: Good equipment and perfect campsites didn’t matter. What mattered was the time we actually spent playing together. We started looking for things to do with kids that we could both enjoy
So I simplified everything. We collected chestnuts in the fall, swam in mountain streams in the summer, blew soap bubbles, and played badminton until we laughed out loud. Gradually, our conversations deepened, and our smiles came easier.
One night, we played a few family board games, and it became our favorite moment for bonding with my daughter. Looking into each other’s eyes, laughing, teasing, and talking — that was real connection.
After the pandemic, we traded camping for inline skating, and these days we ride bikes together. I even quit my job so I could meet her after school. Now our photo albums are filled with small, joyful moments. Sometimes I scroll through them and think:
From camping to bike rides, these simple family activities brought us closer than ever. Back then, I tried to be a “good dad.” Now, I just try to be a present dad.
And in those shared moments of laughter, I finally found what I had been searching for all along.
P.S. If you’re looking for ways to truly connect with your child, try learning through play — just like we did. That journey eventually led us to create MyMarble, a family board game that brings parents and children closer through fun and learning.
