In the grand scheme of things, it seems that mothers seem to spend the most time with their sons. Dads need to make an effort to get in on that bonding action. It is never too early or too late to start finding ways to bond with your son and have a great relationship. The things that you do together now will have a great effect on both of you, and it will help to shape your son’s future as well, and how he relates to his own children. Let’s take a look at some cool father-son bonding activities you can start doing now.

1. Share a Love of Music

A great way for any two people to bond is through music. You don’t even have to be into the same types of music. There is always some sort of common ground. Maybe there is a band you both love. Plan to go and see them live the next time they are going to be playing in your area. Or, maybe you can take some music lessons together, and even start your own band.

2. Work on Cars

Are you a car guy? Are you trying to pass on your love of cars to your son? One way to do it is to let him help you when you are working on cars. Or, you might even want to buy a cheap, old junker, and then the two of you can work on rebuilding it together. This is going to involve spending many hours together, and you will get plenty of opportunities for bonding.

3. Have a Game Night

You can have a lot of fun, and spend some great bonding time together by playing games. Plan a weekly game night with your son. Include a variety of games, including board games, card games, and of course, video games. Don’t forget to have plenty of good munchies and soda. You might even want to turn a game into a weekly challenge to make it even more interesting.

4. Get into a Sport

If you both love sports, find a sport that you can both take part in together. Try to make sure that it is something you can practice together at home as well. For instance, you both might be interested in taking up kickboxing, MMA, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, etc. You could sign up for a free intro class at MMA gyms like Ronin Athletics.

5. Go to Sporting Events

Another way to enjoy sports together is to go to events whenever you can. Try to get season tickets for your favorite home team, and attend as many games together as possible. If you and your son don’t have a favorite sport or team, just start going to local sporting events of all types, just for the fun of it.

6. Fishing

It may seem clichéd, but fishing is one of the best ways for a couple of guys to spend some quality time together. Not only do you have the excitement of reeling in the “big one”, you also get to spend several hours alone, just talking and getting to really know each other. Many fathers and sons continue their fishing trips long after the sons have grown up and are bringing along their own sons.

7. Camping

This is another great way to spend real quality time together. You get to enjoy each other’s company, and you get to teach your son how to perform a number of important skills, such as starting a campfire, using a pocket knife, using a compass, knot-tying, and more. Your son is going to remember this more fondly than going camping with his Boy Scout troop (which is also fun, but not quite the same).