50 Things to Do With Your Kids on Your Weekend
Updated October 10, 2026
Key takeaways
- Kids remember repetition, not spectacle. The same diner every other Saturday beats a theme park once a year.
- Plan for the energy you actually have. A tired father doing something small is better than a wired one doing something big.
- Boring time together is the point. Errands, chores and a quiet Sunday are where they talk to you.
- Free beats expensive almost every time, and the guilt spending is for you, not them.
- Let them choose one thing each weekend. It gives them control they do not have anywhere else right now.
Every other weekend arrives and the pressure is immediate. Make it count. Make it special. Make up for the fortnight they just spent somewhere else. That pressure is how men end up at a trampoline park at 9am spending $120 to feel like a father.
Your children do not need an event. They need you, repeatedly, doing ordinary things.
Free, and better than you think
- Pancakes from scratch, with them running the pan
- A library card each, and an hour to pick books
- Bikes, a park, and nothing scheduled afterwards
- Build a fort in the living room and eat dinner in it
- Teach one real skill: a knot, a tyre change, boiling an egg properly
- Walk a trail you have never done and let them lead
- Wash the car badly, mostly with water fights
- Go to the dump. Children are inexplicably delighted by the dump
- A kitchen table drawing competition you are not allowed to win
- Watch a storm from the porch
- Stargazing in the driveway with a phone app naming things
- Visit the fire station. Most will show kids around
- Plant something and keep it alive together
- Pick-up basketball at the court nobody uses
- Garage sale hunting with five dollars each
- Kick a ball until somebody is too tired
- Call grandparents together on video
- Make up a story one sentence at a time in the car
- Puddle walk in proper boots
- Sort the Lego, which somehow counts as fun
Under
- Ice cream after dinner, on a school night at your house
- Matinee tickets, back row, too much popcorn
- The batting cages
- Mini golf, played badly, with invented rules
- A board game nobody owns yet, from a thrift store
- Bowling, one game, loser buys the fries
- Fishing with cheap gear from the hardware store
- A model kit you build together over several weekends
- Bake something ambitious and eat the failed version
- A jigsaw you leave out between visits
- Seeds, soil and a tray on the windowsill
- Thrift store challenge: best outfit for five dollars
- A kite, if there is any wind at all
- Comic books, one each, read on the same couch
Worth spending the money on, occasionally
- A ball game, minor league if the majors are out of reach
- The aquarium or zoo, once a season, not once a month
- A day on the water: kayaks, a lake, a rented boat
- An annual pass to one thing you will actually use
- A real camping trip, tent and all, once a year
- Their sport, properly: the boots, the club, the season
- A trip to see family they do not get to see
- One concert or show they choose, when they are old enough
For the weekends you are running on empty
Some weekends you are exhausted, broke, or sad. Those are not write-offs. These still count:
- A film with the phones in a drawer
- Cooking something slow together while you both do nothing
- Grocery shopping with them picking the meals for the weekend
- Yard work with a job each and music on
- Reading on the same couch, separately
- A long drive with their playlist
- Laundry and folding while a show runs
- Early night, big breakfast in the morning
What actually makes it stick
- Pick one thing that repeats. The same breakfast spot, the same Saturday walk, the same first-night pizza. Repetition is what becomes memory.
- Let them choose one activity each weekend. Divorce takes away most of a child’s control. Give some back.
- Keep ordinary time ordinary. Chores, homework and a boring Tuesday are what make your house a home rather than a hotel, which is the point we make in being a good dad every other weekend.
- Put the phone down, visibly, for a stretch they can notice.
- Do not compete with their mother’s house. You will lose, and they will see the scoreboard.
- Take photos and print some. A photo on the fridge at your place tells a kid they live there too.
Ten years from now none of them will describe the trampoline park. They will say that Dad made pancakes, that his place smelled like coffee, and that he was always there on Friday at six.
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About Diary of a Divorced Dad
Diary of a Divorced Dad is a community of fathers rebuilding their lives after divorce. Our articles are written and reviewed by dads who have actually been through it. See how we work.
This is lived experience and general information, not psychological advice. Every child is different, so take what works for yours and leave the rest.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do with my kids on my weekends?
Mostly ordinary things, repeated. A standing breakfast, a walk, a game, chores together and one thing they choose. Children remember repetition and attention far more than expensive outings.
How do I make my weekends special without spending money?
Free activities work better than most paid ones: cooking together, the library, bikes, building something, learning a skill, or a long walk somewhere new. Guilt spending is usually for the parent rather than the child.
What if I am too exhausted to plan anything?
Low energy weekends still count. Cook something slow, watch a film with the phones away, do the yard work together, or shop for groceries with them choosing the meals. Being present matters more than being entertaining.
Should I let my kids pick what we do?
Yes, at least one thing each time. Children going through a divorce have very little control over their own lives, and choosing a Saturday activity gives some back.
How do I compete with my ex’s house?
Do not. A spending competition is unwinnable and children notice it immediately. Consistency, ordinary routine and attention are what build the relationship that lasts.
