Looking ahead to 2019!

Hello Friends! The board of Dads of Douglas county is fired up and ready for an AWESOME year of family friendly activities in 2019! We are still working on our calendar, but here is a sneak preview:

2019 Season Kickoff happens in March, exact date TBD. In preparation for the 3rd annual Community Pinewood derby we'll set up a pinewood derby track in the south plaza of the Lawrence Public Library. We'll supply pinewood derby car kits and the equipment necessary for participants to get their cars shaped, decorated and rolling! Families can also explore the bikes, tents and other items that comprise the outdoor equipment lending library Dads of Douglas County established last year.

3rd Annual Pinewood Derby  April 13th at the White Schoolhouse in North Lawrence . This is the third installment of the Community Pinewood Derby. A practice track is set up in the basement for trial runs and final adjustments, and our brand spankin' new track is upstairs for the official race. There will be the usual awesome prizes, and lunch will be served. All families welcome!

Beat the Heat Pool Party  August TBA, Lawrence Outdoor Aquatic Center.  A pool party and picnic in the park. Free and open to all. 

Fall Camping Adventure  October TBA, Fall Leaf Farm.  This will be our third campout at Fall Leaf Farm and it is sure to be a blast yet again. The camp site is beautiful! There are cabins and treehouses to play and camp in, a wonderful fishing pond, trails and woods to explore. Campers of all ages attended the two campouts last year and all had great time. 

In addition to the above special events, we have many ongoing events as well:

Monthly Meetup and Picnic  Third Thursday of the month, starting date TBA. Last year we met at Centennial Park starting in April for BBQ and when it got too hot moved to Laugh Out Loud Family Fun Zone for fried chicken dinner and playtime, and wound the season up with a very special harvest picnic and garden tour from our friends at Bon Bon! in Lawrence, These events are a great way to meet some other dads, and take the kids home happy, tired and fed!  

Dad and Me Playgroup Third Saturday of the month, happening now! In cold weather this playgroup for the prenatal to 5 year old set happens from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Lawrence Parents as Teachers playroom at the Community Connections Center 1430 Haskell Avenue. In fair weather we have planned field trips to farms, the wading pool, the pumpkin patch and other kid friendly and interesting destinations.

Boot Camp for New Dads A quarterly event at Lawrence Memorial Hospital  where expecting dads get to spend a morning of education and fun with "veteran dads" who show the ropes of fatherhood. Check it out on the LMH website!


It's going to be great year! Other projects we have in the hopper are a biweekly podcast on all topics dad related, and a weekly dad's group based on the book of essays "Becoming a Dad: How Fatherhood Changes a Man".  In April and October we are planning to host an evening workshop called Parenting With Consent, brought to us by the  Sexual Trauma and Abuse Care Center. This presentation will  help dads gain clarity and skills in  teaching consent and boundaries to their children. 

Please contact us if you'd like to participate, collaborate, or donate. If you have web design skills you could contribute we would especially like to hear from you!

Happy 2019!

Bruce