Dad on a dime!

So here it is after many years, a blog about all the cool things I have found to do with my kids with no budget to do anything.  My firm belief is that you can be a great dad, and give your kids great experiences without breaking the bank.

Here I will share the ideas in hope that you will find one thing that enriches your relationship with your kids.  I will tell you that I live in the St. Louis area so some of the ideas will have geographical restraints.  To the best of my ability I will try to keep that in mind, but I will talk about vacations on a dime as well, and you will find St. Louis an inexpensive city to do many things with your family.

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I will not just tell you that the STL Zoo is free, I will tell you where you can always find a free parking spot, and bonus items like the kids zoo and carousel are free at certain times.

St. Patty's Day

I will plant one seed in your head for a future Holiday.  St. Patty's Day for younger kids can be amazing,
Here's what you will need

Green cloth/fabric
Gold candy coins or to really get them going a few of those gold dollar coins.

Then the night before St. Paddy's Day you and your young child set Leprechaun traps.  Find some sticks in the yard, or use some string or rope - this part is up to you and their imagination.  I told the kids that they like to run along the fences so we would put our traps there.  If you live in a cold climate you can bring the traps indoors.  Indoors you can add your creativity as well - you can put put a flat tray with green food coloring in water "to track them".  When they are asleep you make the small footprints with your hand.

Either way indoor/outdoor after they are in bed rip up the green fabric put it over the traps, drop some gold coins around the traps and watch their amazement the next morning.  My line is, well we didn't catch them this year, but we almost did and look they dropped some coins.