By Thomas Hoerner
Many fathers struggle to be part of their children’s lives and can’t afford to be a Disneyland Dad during visitation periods.
Here are some affordable entertainment tips:
- Make arts and crafts
- Play board games such as checkers, chess, Monopoly, cards, and so on
- Play basketball games such as Horse or Around the world
- Picnic in the park
- Play catch–baseball, football, frisbee
- Make a puzzle or model
- Go to dollar movie or rent a video
- Visit the library
- Go swimming at community pool, apartment pool or local lakes
- Go fishing
- Go hiking
- Plant a garden
- Play indoor or outdoor putt-putt
- Have water fun with a hose and sprinkler or water balloons
- Fly a kite
- Camp out in the back yard
- Make a snowman or go sledding, followed by hot chocolate
- Call the local parks and recreation department for a schedule of free events
- Visit the zoo, or other cultural facilities such as children’s museums
- Visit friends and family
- Visit fast food restaurants with play places
- Visit batting cages
- Visit flea markets, thrift shops and dollar stores
- Go to free concerts
- Go to high school sporting events, theaters and musical productions
- Go bicycling or walking, using a reward such as visiting an ice-cream stand for the final destination
The above is from The Ultimate Survival Guide for the Single Father, by Thomas Hoerner. Copyright (c) 2001 Harbinger Press. Reprinted with permission, all rights reserved.