What if there a way to have some of the most fun you've ever had with your kids, engage them in the family budgeting process, and even have the ancillary benefit of getting to know them better, all with one activity? You can. Date Night: it's not just for mom and dad anymore (or dad and dad or mom and mom; we're equal-opportunity here at City). It's all about letting your kids take you on a date, an activity that's the triumvirate of economic recessional goodness: cheap, easy and fun.

First, check your budget and determine an amount of "mad money" you can donate to the cause. It doesn't have to break the bank - actually, the less money to work with will force your kids to be more creative. Then pick a timeframe for the date, and set your kids loose planning an outing for you, doing whatever they'd like within the budget. Sit back and watch them go, and prepare to be amazed at what constitutes fun for a kid. (Hint: it usually has less to do with Disneyland or Darien Lake and more to do with just spending time together.) The only catch is to keep it within budget. Other than that, it's free reign.

In our house, dates have run the gamut from $20 spent on dinner at Jay's Diner and movies at Cinemark 10, to a $5 outing consisting of an ice cream picnic and toy sword fight in Highland Park. Another favorite is to go to the grocery store and buy all the makings for a feast - whatever the feast may be - and then spend the afternoon cooking up a storm. The conversations that come out of these simple times spent together are truly magical, and the memory of having Rice Krispie treats and chocolate cake for a candlelight dinner when my son was 6 is something he will never forget. (And, contrary to conventional parental wisdom, he didn't die from eating this nutritionally bankrupt meal.)

Some other favorites culled from a quick survey of local parents:

-Going to McDonalds or somewhere else equally ridiculous dressed in formal wear.

-A 6-year-old I know recently "took" her Dad to the craft store, spent $15 on art supplies, and created art all afternoon to redecorate her room.

-Spending a rainy afternoon movie-theater hopping or museum hopping.

-Taking a picnic and board games to the park and inviting random people to sit and play along.

-Holding a family bowling tournament with a giant homemade sundae as the trophy.

Letting the kids plan the date gives them a sense of responsibility; they feel very grown up being in charge, and also learn about staying within budget. Yet one of the most beautiful things about children is they can find fun and silliness everywhere, which is an important benefit for stressed-out parents. We all need reminders that sometimes the simplest things are the best, especially as we all continue to feel the hammer of this economy beating on our heads.

Do you have other ideas for dates with your kids? Share them below.