Family

7 Unexpected Father's Day Ideas That Require You To Spend Very Little Money

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Father's Day ideas

Father's Day isn't just about kids showing appreciation for their dads. It's about everyone showing some extra love to all the dads in their lives — including your husband.

Although it's cute to help your kids make pop breakfast in bed on that Sunday, here are a few creative Father's Day ideas for spending the day with the man with whom you've created your awesome family.


RELATED: 50 Thoughtful Father's Day Quotes To Show Dad How Much You Care


1. Take a walk down memory lane.

Whether it's the place you and your husband first met, or the restaurant where you told him that you were pregnant with your little one, a trip down memory lane is always a great way to not just celebrate the past, but the present. It's also a fun lesson for the kiddos to hear your love story.

2. Go on a scavenger hunt.

Nothing says fun like an all-afternoon hunt through clues that will ultimately end at one of dad's favorite places. With cute notes of trivia and funny suggestions (make dad do the "Funky Chicken" before he gets hint #4!), spend the day having dad run in circles just to get him to Yankee Stadium for a game, or some other place he loves.

3. Spend some alone time together.

Yes, Father's Day has a lot to do with the kids that made your husband a dad, but it did take some alone time to get those babies made. Let the kids have Saturday to celebrate their dad with all their homemade craziness, then get a sitter and take off Saturday night into Sunday.

A lounge-y day in a hotel bed without the fear of the little ones running in is just what you both need — you may even decide it's the perfect time to add another one to your brood.


RELATED: 20+ Of The Best Fathers Day Gifts Of 2018 For Any And Every Dad


4. Work on the family tree.

It took a lot of dads before to get to the father your husband is today, so another one of the great ideas for Father's Day? Pay homage to the all the fathers in your family. Break out the old photographs and teach the little ones about their ancestry. Or, if the kids love arts and crafts, start branching out with marker and crayons.

5. Let him choose the menu of the day.

I don't know how it is in your family, but the best way to keep my dad happiest is to surround him with his loved ones and keep his belly full.

Every Father's Day, my dad hands over a list of all his favorite foods to my mom and she makes every single one of them for him. They've been doing this since his first year as a father 35 years ago. When my sister and I got old enough, we started participating, too.

6. Build something as a family.

Even if your husband isn't exactly a whiz when it comes to power tools, having the whole family participate in building something will be a blast. From making a birdhouse for the family of sparrows in your backyard to creating paper mâché dinosaurs just for the hell of it, anything where there's going to be a mess, there will be laughs.

7. Throw a party.

That's right. If you're stressing out as to what to do and how to make the day extra special for dad, host a barbeque — it's the time of year for it — invite all his pals and their families, and make it a group celebration he'll never forget. Everyone likes a party, especially when it's in honor of them.


RELATED: Being A Dad Makes Me A Better Husband


Amanda Chatel is a writer who divides her time between NYC and Paris. She's a regular contributor to Bustle and Glamour, with bylines at Harper's Bazaar, The Atlantic, Forbes, Livingly, Mic, The Bolde, Huffington Post and others. Follow her on TwitterFacebook, or her website