A girl's relationship with her father might have a significant impact on her cognitive development. When dads are involved in their daughters' lives, the girls develop a strong sense of self. They are much more self-assured and braver, and they have a better grasp of what they want out of life.

The difference between a supportive, caring father and an absent father may have a tremendous influence on how a kid grows up, girl or boy, from molding their self-esteem to affecting their body image, scholastic ability, and behavioral characteristics.

Daddy-daughter time not only serves to strengthen your relationship, but they also help to establish memories and traditions that will last forever!

So, with all this in mind, we have compiled a list of activities for toddlers, to assist you in finding fun and unique ways to spend time connecting with your daughter.

1. Build up a fort

Fort-building is a timeless activity that we enjoyed as kids and our children will enjoy as well. Use furniture, boxes, lots of blankets and pillows to create your own fort in the middle of the living room or even in the back yard if you have one. 

If you can build the fort in a place where it does not need to be taken down the next day, you can make this your secret hangout place and have father-daughter meetings here. This should be a place where she feels safe and comfortable, so make sure to decorate it accordingly. Use colorful acetate ribbon and hang it inside the fort, move in some pillows and a small table, and make this your new tea-party spot. 

2. Play a game of hide and seek

Hide and seek will never get old, especially when you are looking for ways to keep your hyperactive toddler engaged. But the thing is, hide and seek is not just a fun game; it’s a way for your daughter to learn problem-solving skills, listening to clues, and figuring out how to use her intuition. 

If you don’t want to hide, you can change the game a bit and use toys. Simply hide 2-3 stuffed animals and let your daughter search for them. Use small clues to guide her, such as “warm” and “cold”, and encourage her to not give up even if the game seems challenging. 

3. Visit the great outdoors

Spending time in nature is great for both you and your daughter. There are plenty of activities you can do outside, and for most of them, you don’t even have to leave the backyard. You can play sports, make a picnic, install a tent, or do a treasure hunt. 

If you want a change of scenery, go to a new park together or to the nearest forest for a nice walk among the trees. You can even talk with other parents and organize a huge scavenger hunt for the little ones. This way, your daughter can make friends, learn how to communicate and play with other kids, and respect the nature. Teach her why it is important not to damage the trees and plants around us and why we should not leave any waste in nature. 

4. Just sit down and talk

Be it in your newly made fort or while enjoying your favorite ice cream in the park, take some time to really talk and listen to your daughter. As kids grow up, directives such as “don’t do that!” stop working, so you need to help them build their independence in a healthy way. Instead of telling her what she should or should not do, guide her to understand her choices and make these smart decisions for herself. 

You want to protect your daughter and this is only natural, but if you want her to trust you and develop a close, open relationship, you need to observe when you are becoming too protective and risk being perceived as restrictive instead. The most important thing fathers can do for their daughters is become listeners, not lecturers. 

5. Cook something special together

Take your little princess and rule the kitchen together! Who says cooking can’t be a fun activity for children? There are lots of easy treats you can make together, that don’t necessarily require heating the oven or spending hours waiting for the meat to cook. 

The easiest thing you can do together is bake some cookies using pre-made dough. Let your little girl play with the dough (kids always love that) but remind her there are some instructions to be followed. Teach her how to shape a cookie, how to place it on the baking tray, and explain to her why the cookies need to be baked before they can be eaten. This will teach her how to understand and follow instructions, as well as why it is important to be patient.  

6. Play a good ol’ dress up game

If you are out of ideas, you can never go wrong with playing a game of dress up. Let her dress you up in whatever she chooses, then help her choose a few outfits for herself as well. Once you decide on 2-3 outfits, you can even host a fashion show together and parade your impressive styling choices. 

Let her be creative, experiment, and practice her dress up skills. You can take advantage of this moment to teach her about the different types of clothing and when they should be worn, as well as how to properly dress herself up. Talk about colors and how they can be combined, but don’t impose too many rules – let her creativity shine!

7. Host a karaoke session

If your daughter runs around the house singing every song she hears on TV or on the radio, why not make an activity out of it and start singing karaoke together?

Sure, she may not know how to read yet, but children are very good at learning on the go, so chances are she knows the song better than you, without needing to read the lyrics. Make a list of her favorite songs, then choose 4-5 that you can sing together.