Midland dads and kids build robots and unforgettable bond on Father’s Day

MIDLAND, Texas — Instead of heading to brunch or unwrapping novelty socks, a group of West Texas families chose to celebrate Father’s Day in a way that sparked more than just smiles.

At Saturday’s “Fixing with Dad” event, fathers and children gathered to build programmable robots—creating not only STEM projects but moments they’ll remember for years to come.

“So today we built like a spike robot,” said Tallulah Downs, who attended the event with her dad, David. “I used to do this when I was in like 5th grade… today just brought back so many memories from last year. So I was really excited.”

David, an advocate for STEM education, said seeing his daughter’s excitement reminded him why events like this matter.

“Engineering, coding, all that stuff is out there in the real world,” he said. “It opens up other horizons on what kids can do in the future. It’s not just gaming and YouTube.”

Both father and daughter agreed the best part of the day was the chance to work together. Tallulah said she loved “everything,” and David admitted the most challenging part was stopping himself from playing with the robot too much.

Across the room, engineer Lucas Okimi experienced a similar joy with his son.

“He was actually moving faster than me,” Okimi said with a laugh. “I had to slow him down… he has more experience than me.”

Okimi said the event stood out from traditional Father’s Day celebrations and gave him something more lasting than a meal or a gift.

“There’s a unique way I can always remember this,” he said. “It’s very beautiful to do this with your kids.”

His son agreed, adding that spending time together in a hands-on activity made the day more special.

“You could bond with family in different ways,” he said. “My dad is very special to me.”

Organizers said the event was designed not only to promote STEM learning but to create space for meaningful connection—a mission that seemed to resonate with every laugh, lightbulb moment, and proud smile.

As Okimi put it, “Because of so many things to do, you don’t always have time to spend with them. And then there’s this opportunity… it’s a very beautiful thing.”