“Geek Dads” Generates Ideas for Non-Geek Mom

Yang Mommy

As a writer, I’m familiar with the dreaded “writer’s block syndrome.”  SAHMs (and dads) face similar obstacles when they just don’t know what activities to enjoy with the kids.  How many times can you really bake cookies together or go to the playground or play “dollies”  without going creatively numb?

Feeling the symptoms of play-day-brain-dead approaching, I looked over and saw the book, “Geek Dad, Awesomely Geek Projects & Activities for Dads and Kids to Share,” written by Ken Denmead.  My first impulse was this book was not for me.  First, I’m not a “geeky dad” and second, I feared it was it going to advise me to build rockets or make robots, things I have no interest in doing!   But I put aside my own reservations and cracked the book open. 

And I was pleasantly surprised by the various options of activities.  To my relief, they were not all uber-geeky.   Although a majority of the activities are geared to elementary and middle schoolers, I did find some that were suitable for pre-schoolers, such as creating an animal ABC sticker book (instead of a Superhero ABC book).  Another activity we enjoyed was using windup toys to paint with instead of only the standard fingers or paintbrushes.  It was fun to both watch the toys “walk” paint on the paper as well as check-out all the different designs.  When she’s older, learning how to compost or create an indoor hydroponic garden (ala the Aerogarden) would be fun to do together, too.

I do wish the book contained more detailed diagrams for the activities.  Yet perhaps if one is more geek-prone than I, such diagrams aren’t as necessary.  And some ideas seemed more sophomoric than geeky, like making light-up wallets or”exploding sodas.”  Mayhaps that’s the mom in me, and plenty of dads out there would find it both fun and silly to give a friend an “exploding” drink at the picnic!  But as a mom, I think of the clean-up factors involved. 

Overall, it was an interesting and inspiring read, and  nice to have on hand for those days when you have those creative brain-dead days.  just don’t know what to do with the kids.  For the more “geek-prone,”  and for a lot of dads, it’s probably a must-have on the shelves.