The Importance of Time with Children

School is back in session, and the days are growing shorter, but the warm temperatures are still good for outdoor fun with the kiddos. If you are looking for ideas for wholesome activities to do with your children, you will like today’s blog post. We will explore a few things appropriate for late summer and early autumn. Before we start, here is a reminder of the importance of dads spending quality and quantity time with their children.

There is no verse in the Bible that says, “Spend time with your children.” But all the parenting principles… require not just quality time but a quantity of time with your children. Did you know 100 years ago, the average parent spent 54 percent of his waking hours with his children? Today that figure is only 18 percent. In fact, one study said the average father spends only eight to ten minutes per day with his children. No wonder when our children run into problems and temptations, parents are among the last to whom they turn for help. – Dr. Robert Jeffries

So, here are some suggestions for summer and fall fun with the kids.

You Pick ‘Em

Pile the family in the car for produce-picking fun. Farms and U-pick orchards are everywhere, where you and the kids can fill your pails with farm produce of many kinds. It is a delightful way to spend time with your kids while connecting with nature together. Plus, you will get to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables!  

Here’s a list of what you might find at a U-Pick farm or orchard:

Fruits

• Berries: Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and even less common ones like currants and gooseberries.
• Stone Fruits: Peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, and cherries.
• Apples: A wide variety of apple types for eating, cooking, or cider making.
• Pears: Sweet and juicy pears, perfect for snacking or baking.
• Grapes: For winemaking or fresh eating.
• Tropical Fruits: Depending on the location, you might find mangoes, avocados, or citrus fruits.

Vegetables

• Tomatoes: Various sizes and colors for salads, sauces, or canning.
• Peppers: Sweet bell peppers in different colors, or spicy varieties like jalapeños.
• Cucumbers: For salads, pickles, or fresh eating.
• Squash: Summer squash (yellow, zucchini) and winter squash (butternut, acorn).
• Pumpkins: Perfect for carving or baking.
• Corn: Sweet corn, ready to be boiled or grilled.
• Green Beans: Fresh and crisp for various dishes.
• Greens: For southern-style meals (collard, turnip, mustard, spinach, and kale).
• Lettuce: Different varieties for salads.

Other

• Herbs: Basil, thyme, rosemary, and other fresh herbs.
• Flowers: Some farms offer u-pick flowers for bouquets.

Note: The availability of produce will vary depending on the time of year and the specific farm.

Have a Plan

You don’t want the produce to spoil, so think about what you will do with your haul (after you have enjoyed eating some of the fruit!).

Ideas that dads and kids can do together:

• Fruit – Make apple or berry pies to take to friends and family. Freeze the berries or can them to enjoy year ‘round.
• Vegetables – Freeze, can, pickle, ferment, or dry produce to preserve for later.

Important Note: Always follow tested recipes and guidelines when preserving food. Improperly preserved food can be a health risk.

• You can always give away your pickings to the needy families in your community.

Have A Conversation

Ask questions like: What did you enjoy the most? What was most challenging? What are the fruit of the Spirit? (Galatians 5:22-23)

Other Ideas

Nobody Out-Pizzas Your Family

Make pizzas together. Go shopping together for pizza ingredients. Each picks their own favorite toppings. Back home, everyone makes pizza!

Have a Conversation

Ask questions like: Why did you pick your toppings? Would you choose something different next time? How has God made you unique like everyone’s pizza is different? (Psalm 139:13-16)

Get Fired Up!

Make a bonfire together. If it is legal in your area, do it in the backyard. If not, at a local campground. You will need paper or a fire starter, kindling, and dry wood. Take special care. Instructions for safely building a bonfire are easy to find. To add more fun, roast hotdogs and make s’mores!

Have a Conversation

Ask questions like: What are the things fire can do – good and bad? How is that like our tongues – able to speak good and bad? (James 3:5-10) Why must we try to control our tongues?

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

Go stargazing together. On a clear night, get everyone out of the house and into the car for a short trip out of the city. Take blankets. Find an open space (a remote park, shoreline, an empty field—with permission). Lay on the ground and look at the stars. Challenge the kids to count them. Be on the lookout for shooting stars. Point for them constellations like the Big Dipper or Orien’s Belt. There are several mobile apps (Star Tracker, Sky Map, and others) that you can use to observe stars, planets, satellites, and constellations.

Ask questions like: How many stars did you count? Do you think anyone can count them all? Do you believe God is big enough to know the names of all those stars? (Psalms 147:4)

Do you think he knows your name?

Even More Ideas for Late Summer & Fall

Outdoor Adventures

• Pumpkin Patch Exploration: Pick out the perfect pumpkin, enjoy a hayride, and get lost in a corn maze.
• Leaf Peeping Road Trip: Pack a picnic and explore the colorful autumn foliage.
• Hiking and Nature Walks: Collect leaves, identify different trees, and observe wildlife.
• Football Games: Attend a local high school or college game and cheer on your team.

Indoor Fun

• Pumpkin Carving or Painting: Unleash your creativity and design spooky or funny faces.
• Baking Together: Create delicious fall treats like apple pies, pumpkin bread, or cookies.
• Board Games and Puzzles: Enjoy quality time and friendly competition.
• Movie Marathon: Cozy up with blankets and popcorn for a family movie night.
• Building a Fort: Create a cozy hideout in the living room and read books or tell stories.

Community Events

• Fall Festivals and Fairs: Enjoy live music, food, crafts, and carnival games.
• Volunteer Together: Give back to the community by helping at a local food bank or shelter.

Let the Kids Choose

From time to time, let the children decide what activities you will do. Perhaps spend an afternoon with each one having a turn picking an activity that everyone does together. Of course, as a parent, you may veto anything, but it will mean a lot to them that you are willing to consider their ideas.

Remember: They will detect your attitude! Make the choice to be joyful as you participate in their chosen activities.

Thank you for reading today’s edition of the Fathering Strong Blog. I hope this post of suggestions for Summer and Fall activities was helpful. If you have suggestions of your own, please share them with other dads on Fathering Strong. 

For more ideas, read the book: Ultimate Dad Night: 75 Amazing Activities for Dads and Kids by Jay and Laura Lafloon Copyright © 2023, BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC

Inspiration from the Holy Scriptures

As busy as He was with His ministry, Jesus took time with children, even though His disciples thought the children were a bother.

Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there. – Matthew 19:13-14

 

For more inspiration on how to be a better father, review the list of this year’s other blog posts by going to this page.

About the Author

Eli Williams is a father, grandfather, and father figure to many. He and his wife Judy have served in community outreach ministry since the late 1980s and founded Urban Light Ministries in 1995. Eli has been a professional fatherhood practitioner since 2008 and is an ordained Christian minister helping to pastor New Hope Church in Springfield, Ohio. Reverend Williams authored Father Love—The Powerful Resource Every Child Needs in 2016.

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