A shadow needs a name.
A hand shape becomes a character. Your child gives it a problem; the two of you find out what happens next.
Weekly activities for dads and kids ages 4–7
Batteries
Not Included
Small adventures.
Time well spent together.
Simple activities for dads and kids, delivered weekly. Three things to try, words worth sharing, and small projects that grow with your child—using things you probably already have.
Created by Robert Wescott, the dad behind The Sage Dad.
For the week you actually have
Choose one thing.
Start together.
Some weeks leave room for a whole afternoon. Others offer ten minutes before dinner. Each issue gives you a few ways to begin, with ordinary materials and clear steps.
You’ll know what to gather, what to say, how to make an activity easier or harder, and a good place to stop. Repeat the ones your child loves.
Inside Issue 001
Let’s see what happens.
Can paper be a bridge?
Two stacks of books, a sheet of paper, and one small test. Change a fold, make a prediction, and try again.
Special delivery to Sock Town.
Invent a town for a few favorite toys. Swap jobs, follow your child’s directions, and deliver something ridiculous.
Keep coming back
Small lessons.
Shared history.
Chess Together begins with one rook and an empty board. Later issues introduce new pieces and ideas a little at a time. You can learn alongside your child.
Our Little Field Guide returns to one familiar place. Draw, notice, ask a question, and compare what changes over the weeks.
Words to borrow
“I like being with you.
Show me what you’re making.”
Each issue includes a few things to say in real moments: an invitation to play, a frustrating collapse, a new idea, or the last quiet minutes of the day.
Use your own voice. Leave room for an answer.
A useful weekly membership
Bring an idea.
Leave room for theirs.
- Three activities with time, materials, steps, and variations.
- Five messages to use when the moment fits.
- A short chess lesson and an ongoing observation project.
- A five-minute option for the week that gets away from you.
- An ordered series you can follow at your child’s pace.
Printed books are coming soon and will be sold separately. Every newsletter activity works without buying a book or a kit.
Free starter sheets
A board. A place to notice. A small experiment.
Print a reusable chessboard, field-guide page, and paper-bridge log. These blank tools are free to download.
A few practical questions.
Do I need to know how to play chess?
No prior chess experience is needed for the opening lessons. We begin with one piece and explain the moves. Follow the lessons at your child’s pace.
What if my child is younger or older?
The main activities are written for roughly ages 4–7. Each includes an easier or harder variation. Choose by your child’s interest and comfort.
What if we only try one thing?
Then you have something to do together. Keep the other ideas for another day, or return to the same favorite.
What happens after I join?
Your welcome email includes the complete first issue: three activities, five things worth saying, your first chess lesson, and the start of your field guide. Then you receive a new issue each week. The lessons are numbered so you can follow them at your child’s pace.
Are the children’s books included?
Printed books are coming soon and will be sold separately from the newsletter. The activities use ordinary household materials; a book purchase is never required.