Dads, Get Amongst It: Building Lasting Bonds and Raising Resilient Kids

Dads, Get Amongst It: Building Lasting Bonds and Raising Resilient Kids

Loving, engaged fathers bring something irreplaceable to their children’s lives. They mix fun and adventure with protection, guidance, and practical problem-solving. This unique “dad influence” helps shape emotional strength, resilience, confidence, and healthy relationships. Research consistently confirms what many of us already sense in our hearts: when fathers show up and stay involved, children thrive.

This truth comes alive every year at events like the Dads4Kids Fun Camp. The next one takes place next weekend, 23–24 October 2026, on the beautiful South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. Whether you can attend or not, the message is the same for every dad, grandad, and father figure: get amongst it with your kids.

A Weekend of Adventure, Connection and Shared Memories

Every spring, dads, grandads and their children gather at Coolendel Campground along the Shoalhaven River (about three hours south of Sydney). The atmosphere is relaxed, joyful and focused on building real connection.

Families start arriving from 4 p.m. on Friday. You pitch your tent, meet other campers, and share dinner (bring your own food and drinks). When the weather cooperates, the evening often ends around the campfire—stories, laughter, and marshmallows under the stars.

Saturday is packed with fun activities carefully planned by the Dads4Kids team. There are games and challenges suitable for different ages, creating memories that last far longer than the weekend itself. The official programme wraps up after lunch (around 1–2 p.m.), though families are welcome to stay an extra night and leave on Sunday.

The camp is a free Dads4Kids event. You only pay Coolendel Camp for the use of the facilities. All dads and their kids are welcome (grandads too!). There is no strict age limit, but fathers and grandfathers remain responsible for the children in their care. Registration is required so the organisers can plan activities properly.

One regular attendee, Nathaniel Marsh, looks forward to it every year with his five daughters (ages 10–19). The location is special, but the principle is universal. If you cannot make it to the NSW South Coast, gather some friends and organise your own dads-and-kids adventure. A night in the bush is wonderful, yet even camping in the backyard or a simple day of outdoor fun counts. The important thing is to do something intentional together.

What Fathers Uniquely Bring

In a thoughtful piece titled “The Unsung Superpower of Fathers: What Dads Really Bring to the Table,” Lauren Hall (President and CEO of the US organisation First Things First) reminds us of a sobering reality. Too many fathers start to believe they are just an extra pair of hands around the house rather than irreplaceable in their children’s lives. That belief is wrong—and costly.

Hall outlines seven well-researched ways fathers positively influence their children:

1. Fathers shape emotional intelligence and relationship skills.
2. A dad’s involvement boosts academic performance and behavioural outcomes.
3. Unique play styles foster healthy development.
4. Fathers influence long-term mental and relational health.
5. Dads teach practical life skills.
6. The absence of fathers has measurable negative effects.
7. Fathers serve as important attachment figures.

In short, fathers and father figures contribute a distinct set of strengths that no one else fully replaces. From helping children regulate emotions to modelling problem-solving and responsibility, a father’s consistent presence carries profound, lifelong impact.

As Christians, we also recognise that earthly fatherhood reflects something deeper. God reveals Himself as Father. When dads love, protect, play with, discipline with kindness, and invest time in their children, they give a living picture of the heavenly Father’s heart. That is a high and holy calling.

Lovework: An Invitation to Every Dad

Dads, do your best to get amongst it. As one of the camp organisers puts it in the Dads4Kids Fun Camp video, get out and about with your kids. The memories you create together will last a lifetime—and so will the character, confidence and security you help build.

If you are near the New South Wales South Coast, consider joining the Fun Camp next Friday and Saturday, 23–24 October 2026. The forecast looks promising, but even a bit of rain becomes part of the adventure. Full details and registration are available on the Dads4Kids website.

Wherever you live, the call remains the same. Put down the phone, step away from the endless tasks, and intentionally engage with the children God has entrusted to you. Play. Talk. Listen. Laugh. Teach. Protect. Pray with them and for them.

Your presence matters more than perfect plans. Your involvement shapes destinies. Your love points them toward the perfect Father who never leaves nor forsakes.

Yours for getting amongst it,

Nathaniel Marsh
(Adapted and expanded from the original article published on The Daily Declaration, with thanks to Dads4Kids.)

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Prayer Point
Father, awaken every dad reading this. Give us wisdom, energy and joy to invest deeply in our children. Help us reflect Your heart as the perfect Father. Strengthen families and raise a generation that knows they are loved. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Dads—get amongst it. The next generation is waiting.