Fathers who actively play with their children appear to reinforce the notion of emotional self-control in their children and help their children learn to recognize the emotional cues of others. Young children whose fathers were involved in their lives tended to make better, longer-lasting friendships across their lifespan. Children raised with responsible fathers tended to get along better with their peers, be academically successful, stay in school longer, use drugs and alcohol less frequently, and didn't become pregnant or get someone else pregnant. Fathers enjoy practical ways of playing. Men tend to do more practical, educational activities with their children rather than talking about what they are doing with their children.
Fathers like to expand their child's horizons by playing with toys in non-traditional ways.
A father might take a cup and place it on his head or throw a block rather than stack it. Fathers are much more comfortable with physical play at any age but especially as their children grow older. Fathers and cognitive development. Infants raised in father-absent homes did less reaching, grasping and following of objects, and playing with new toys and objects in their environment. Researchers have determined that active fathers have children who score higher on tests of verbal skills, in problem-solving tasks, and in social situations.