Day out suggestions for frugal fathers

The summer vacation is here again and kids are off school, so fathers can expect plenty of pestering from their son or daughter for trips to the beach, games of basketball and visits to the ice cream parlor.

But with the credit crunch squeezing household incomes, many families will be hard pushed to stump up the cash for an expensive vacation or day out.

This doesn’t mean kids have to be sat at home in front of the TV all summer however – there are plenty of fun activities that cost next to nothing.

Seattle P-I spoke to author and child behavior specialist Amy Egan, who questioned the value of keeping kids in sports camps or math tutoring during their vacation.

"For some parents, it is more comfortable to keep their kids more scheduled. Then they are not stretching themselves; the kids are not having to figure out how to entertain themselves," she remarked.

Instead of these expensive activities – which are bound to leave children bored stiff – dads could consider taking their offspring to the beach or park for the day.

For parents looking for a more cultural day out, many museums and art galleries offer free or discounted tickets for minors, while countless other attractions can be enjoyed for next to nothing during the summer.

All dads have to do now is save up enough money for all those ice creams!