Dads toolkit

Helpful links and ideas for things to do

All Dads need somewhere to go for top tips and ideas to help support their children so here’s a list of useful links to help you out!

From activities suggested by our staff, to helpful resouces from around Scotland, there’s something for everyone! We’ve also inluded a Dads Rock activitiy pack, which is free to download.

Get in touch if you know some other resources that would be great to share with dads.

Dads rock recommends

A Mum’s view on Dads2Be - blog about supporting mum from her point of view

YouTube - Take a look at our Dishes with Dad series, Science and Story Time videos

Dad Books - Check out this list of books our Dads recommend.

Kids Books - Check out this list of books recommended by Dads and their wee ones - for toddlers, children and teens.

10 things to do indoors with your kids - According to Thomas (Co-Founder and CEO of Dads Rock)

 10 things to do indoors with under 2’s  - According to Greg (Family Worker)

10 FREE things to do in Edinburgh - recommendations from the Dads Rock team

5 FREE things to do in Glasgow - recommendations from the Dads Rock team

5 FREE things to do in North Ayrshire -recommendations from the Dads Rock team

Our Calendar - Dads Rock holds free playgroups, workshops, trips and activities throughout the year. Find out what’s coming up soon near you!

organisations supporting dads

Fathers Network Scotland - The Daddy! FNS are here to help build a father-friendly Scotland. They have lots of resources about being a Dad and a fantastic directory of father-friendly groups and organisations around Scotkand.

Being Dad - Our campaign by Dads, talking about what it's like for them today.

Dads Work - A fantastic organisation in East Lothian, supporting Dads, with a strong focus on mental health and wellbeing.

Shared Parenting Scotland - (Previously called Families Need Fathers) Supporting Dads and families who have separated

Fatherhood Institute - A range of great research documents on Dads

This Dad Can - A website set up by a Dad to provide courses for Dads, as well as life hacks!

Fatherhood Factsheet - developed by Fatherhood Institute, this is a fantastic place full of resources for Dads across the UK

podcasts & youtube

My Family, Mental Illness and Me podcast - in the first episode our Thomas talks about his families experience of Mental Health.

Being Da’ is a fantastic podcast made by Home Start Glasgow South. It’s hosted by Dads, for Dads, and looks specifically at Dads-To-Be and how they can be better prepared for the birth of their child.

First Time Dads is a podcast made by journalists Richard Innes and Steve Myall. They discuss their own experiences in becoming Dads, as well as having lots of different guests to chat about their own experiences.

Podcast which aims to shift perspectives and inspire meaningful change in supporting the mental health of the next generation.

activities and things to do

Play Scotland - The lead organisation for the development and promotion of play in Scotland, there are plenty of fun activities and ideas on things to do with your children

Book Bug - Book Bug is a fantastic FREE activity encouraging reading, singing, sensory play and more. They also gift free bags of books to children from birth to Primary 3.

nhs resources

Dads, Co-Parents and Partners - NHS Lothian Maternity Service’s webpage for Dads, co-parents and partners. This has lots of helpful antenatal advice, birth and wellbeing.

Types of Birth - NHS Lothian Maternity Service’s webpage of different types of births. This includes lots of helpful videos and information about what to prepare for.

Pain Relief - NHS Lothian Maternity Service’s webpage on pain relief. This includes lots of helpful videos and information about what to expect and prepare for.

mental health support

Please note these are mental health services across the UK. If you or someone else is in immediate danger, cannot keep themselves or others safe, or yours or another’s life is at risk, please call 999.

P.S. Dads Rock - Dads Rock Peer Support service, which is the only national service across Scotland that helps new Dads during the perinatal stage (pre-birth up to 1 year old). You’ll be paired up with one of our trained volunteers, who is also a parent themselves, to help guide you, answer any questions and support you through your journey.

Andy’s Man Club - This is a men’s mental health and suicide prevention group that meets every Monday across Scotland.

Samaritans - This is a free mental health service across the UK, that can be reached via phone, email or in-person.

NHS Mental Health Services - This is the official NHS mental health services list, with helpful information and resources.

Activity pack

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We have put together a free activity pack for you and your kids to do together at home. The activity pack includes some colouring in sheets, a scavenger hunt and even a wordsearch. All you need to do is download, print and have some fun!

These are great activities for rain or shine. Get out and enjoy the sunshine and take part in the scavenger hunt. If it's a rainy day, then why don’t you make use of the colouring in sheets and have fun with your little ones.

Studies have shown that one-on-one time with your child helps forge bonds and strong foundations and can help boost your child’s self-confidence and strengthen their academic and social skills.

We previously made similar activity packs to celebrate Fathers Day and they were a great success so we decided to make these bigger and better than before. These packs are accessible all year round and are completely free of charge.

Please tag us in any pictures of you and your family enjoying our activity packs this summer on social media! #DadsRock 

We are now supporting more families than ever before! If you would like to make a donation to Dads Rock to help us continue our work to improve the lives of children, dads and families, then you can do so by clicking the button below: