When Daddy plans a play date for his adult baby or little boy, activities usually revolve around Lego, Disney movies, cuddle piles and maybe a fun game on Nintendo Switch.
But there’s an “A” in Adult Baby, and sometimes the best activities are ones which will make him feel like a toddler but which a toddler would struggle to complete.
(Now, I’ve seen two little guys who were in such deep ‘little space’ that they could hardly finish a giant Sponge Bob floor puzzle, but that’s a different story!)
So here’s a Pro Tip which takes a bit of planning, but that can provide some maximum joy.
Get Popin!
Popins are small kits, available from Japan, that let you create ‘candy’ in fun shapes and sizes. You can sometimes find them in larger cities, or you can buy them on Amazon.
Each kit is intended to recreate a fun, miniature ‘set’. The above example is hamburger and fries! You’ll also find sushi kits, pizzas, or ice cream sundaes.
The instructions are in Japanese, but you can find a youTube video for almost every kit.
Each kit usually comes with plastic molds and a bunch of small pouches filled with paste, gels or powders. In order to complete a kit, you mix water with the ingredients, pour them into the molds, and then assemble.
Sounds simple, right?
Toddler Time!
One of the reasons I think Popins are perfect for little boys is that they will truly feel toddler-ish as they try to work their way through their kit.
Daddy will watch as they concentrate really hard to get the candy into the right mold. They might get frustrated trying to follow the instructions (and the fact that they’re in Japanese is a lot like not being able to read yet!).
And even with a youTube video available, your little one have a combination of impatience and joy around completing a task.
Who can ask for a better way to give a little one positive feedback? “What a good boy! Wow!”
And your little one really WILL be proud when he brings Daddy the miniature hamburger dinner.
(Which brings us to Daddy’s most important job – making a big yummy face after he takes a nibble! Because, frankly, they don’t taste BAD but they definitely look better than they are to eat).
Adult Baby Play Dates
When your adult baby or little boy gets together with other little ones, a lot of the focus will be on snuggling or just chatting.
Some little ones prefer to play with “true” babyish things. They want to compete over making the best Lego car. Or they just want to play video games!
But for a Daddy, part of the fun is seeing them enter a more ‘little’ frame of mind.
Popins are a fun way to do that: a bit challenging, goofy, and the TINY little pizzas and hamburgers play into the dynamic of little things and big things.
They take some planning (order in advance, or check local Asian markets if you’re in a larger city), but worth the investment when you see your little guy come to you and say “Look at what I’ve done Daddy!”