25 Things To Do On Father's Day That Don’t Cost A Lot

Creating memories with my children is what I really enjoy doing. You can have all the stuff in the world but you always remember that time you went on holiday or explored a national park together. An important skill to teach children is to think of others and what they might like doing. So sit your kids down and make a list of things Dad really likes. Does he like the ocean or the forest? Does he like road trips or bushwalking? Does he like pancakes or bacon and eggs? Kids love spending quality time with their parents, and Father's Day is a perfect day to put your chores aside to spend the day together doing fun activities. The great thing is, it doesn’t need to cost a thing (or too much) as you might already have the ingredients in the cupboard or petrol in the car! Here’s our ultimate list of 25 things to do on Fathers Day that won’t cost money...

1. Cook Dad Breakfast

It could be muesli, bacon and eggs or a piece of toast - anything that Dad loves. Fruit pancakes are a hit in our house. Master 3 loves making the batter and Miss 6 loves flipping them in the pan. Using a 1L Sinchies to pour the batter avoids mess and also makes it easy to cook as many as you need and then store the remaining batter in the fridge for later. Here is our easy recipe...

2. Take A Road Trip

3. Play Cricket or Soccer

4. Go For A Bushwalk

5. Do a Scavenger Hunt Together

6. Go On A Picnic

Picnics are fun for everyone - any mess is created away from the house and the kids can be involved in the whole process from food preparation to choosing the perfect spot to set up! Some of our family's favourite foods to take along include Chickpea Patties (these can even be made ahead of time), Healthy Sausage Rolls (because who doesn't love delicious, flaky pastry with hidden veggies?!), a crunchy, fresh salad with yummy home made Caesar Salad Dressing and then for something sweet, Crunchy Muesli Slice.

7. Enjoy A Day At The Beach

8. Have A Board Game Marathon

9. Dance To Dad's Favourite Songs

10. Go Through Old Family Photos

11. Set Up A Home Cinema

This is a winner for most dads, especially if Father's Day happens to be a bit rainy. Go all out to darken a room, bring in pillows and blankets and even set up a candy bar! For a special spin on traditional popcorn, get the kids to make some Chewy Chia Pop Balls - they might have to wrestle the bowl away from Dad though!

12. Go Fishing

13. Take A Bike Ride Together

14. Volunteer Together

15. Help Dad Finish A DIY Project

16. Paint A Family Canvas

Let the creativity and laughs flow! Whether your family is serious about your art or just love getting messy, this activity is a blast. You can find cheap canvases and paints in major department stores and even some dollar shops so there's no need to spend a lot of money. Work together to create a big picture to display or buy lots of little canvases so everyone can design their own and then join them all together in a beautiful mosaic that represents everyone's personality.

17. Take On A Lego Challenge

18. Camp In Your Backyard

19. Lay On A Rug And Star Gaze

20. Start A Big Jigsaw Puzzle

21. Build A Fort

It is amazing how quickly time flies by when you're having fun so pretty much every Dad I know enjoys returning back to their childhoods to build a fort. There is absolutely no art to fort building and any boring old rules of style and physics can get thrown right out the (magical space portal) window. Pegs? Check! Blankets? Check! Old Boxes? Check! The footstool is a chimney? Brilliant. Mummy's upside down shoes are the spaceship control panel? Perfection!