Fun and Cheap Things to Do For Father's Day

Do you and your kids want to honor the 'dads' in your lives, but don't have a lot of time or money? Here are a few ideas of cheap and quick(-ish) gifts that he's sure to love. These are things you can make with your kids, or supervise as they make them.

• Make a large cookie (or a batch of smaller ones) in the shape of something that 'fits' him-a tie for a businessman, a saw or wrench for a 'handyman', a simple car or truck for an auto enthusiast, etc. Most grocery stores sell tubes of frosting or gel for the 'details'. Better yet, use M&Ms or chocolate chips!
• Have the kids make cards, put them in envelopes and 'mail' them to your house. Then, have dad check the mail! Better yet, put the cards and/or other gifts in a box and put the 'package' addressed to him on the porch! All addresses should be in your kids' handwriting.
• -If he has a home office or workshop, have the kids hide little drawings and handwritten notes for him to find.
• If your child is pretty handy with a piece of construction paper, Dad might get a kick out of some of these origami creations. This site (http://www.origami-instructions.com/) has step-by-step instructions for any shape you can think of. I think my favorites are the tiger and the kissing lips! If they don't want to get too complicated, they could take their gift and put it in a handmade folded box. That will add an interesting personal touch! 
•  Make a Daddy 'coupon book' with various types of 'deals'. I'm thinking of things like 'Unlimited Command of the Remote Control', 'Let Me Sleep Past 7am On Saturday' or 'Good For One 'Whine-Free' Room Cleaning'.
• There's always the old stand-by: breakfast in bed. If he's not a 'morning person', though, you could deliver a similarly-packaged meal for use in front of the TV.
• If you have a webcam, record a video of your kids singing a song to their dad and/or saying what they love most about him. This is especially good if he is in the military or otherwise away from home. He will get a huge kick out of it, and it will give him something to watch when he's had a hard day or just needs a good laugh. Many 'late-model' laptops and smartphones have the webcam and microphone built in. Otherwise, you could probably get a basic one for a good price at Target or Best Buy.

As you see, there are several ways your kids can show their appreciation for Dad without spending a lot of time or money. One of the best things about Father's Day is that the quality or usefulness of the gift doesn't matter; dads usually enjoy anything kids make simply because of who made them!