Show Dad You Really Care this Father's Day

Father’s Day is coming up on June 21! Don’t wait until the last minute to choose a gift. Instead, make this the year you do something extra special for the dad in your life (whether it’s your husband, your own father, or both!) by planning your Father’s Day gift ahead of time. Check out these ideas to get started with gifts appropriate for a range of budgets.

Come Up with a Handmade Gift

If you’re the crafty type, try to come up with something unique and thoughtful for Dad. Consider his interests and make him something to show you are taking an interest in his interests. If you sew, make him a mini quilt with the pattern of a golf ball on a tee. If you do paint decals or stamps, make him a hat to wear while working in the yard.

Get your kids involved in the project! Do flower or potato stamp paintings or tee shirts as a gift, for example.

Go Personalized

On Father’s Day, Dad should feel special and like his family gets him. Come up with some personalized gifts that really show that he has your understanding and respect. For example, make a customized gift basket full of things he can use, both fun and practical: a few books for his summer vacation, accessories for his favorite hobby (lures for the fisherman, camera film for the photographer, tees and balls for the golfer, etc.). Put it all in a customized container labeled “Dad.” You could go with a nice basket that he could keep for holding his socks or bedside books, or you could use something like a golf ball bucket.

Take Dad on an Outing

Nothing will make him feel quite as appreciated as getting to spend some time with his kids doing his activity of choice. This will be especially meaningful if you’re normally not so interested in his activities of choice! Pick something you will both enjoy like going to the batting cages or playing tennis, and then do something that he loves but you normally don’t do together. So if you are bored silly by fishing trips, make it a celebration of Dad. Go along and help out with all of the hard and less fun parts to keep him from doing any work on his day.

Make Dad a Nice Meal

No dad should have to work on Father’s Day, so help him out around the house with any chores he has to do, and then make him a nice meal to end the day. Consider his tastes and then try out something new that complements those tastes. For example, if he loves BBQ, buy a new marinade or spice rub to try out and grill some new items like corn on the cob or skewered shrimp along with the standards.

Don’t forget to compliment the meal with some interesting drinks. If he likes mixed drinks, look up some interesting cocktail recipes. If he likes beer, wine, or bourbon, check out some new and interesting looking ones to try out together.

Thinking About Store Bought Gifts

On Father’s Day, stores will be full of silly items targeted specifically for last-minute Father’s Day shoppers. Be smart and plan your gift giving ahead of time so that if you do want to give Dad something store bought, you can make sure it is something personal and meaningful, rather than something too silly. Ideas might include:

• If he loves technology, go shop around for some interesting, unusual items or some techy accessories. For example, you could get him something practical like a new wireless mouse or phone charger, or you could buy something quirky; something that is not necessarily useful but would be fun for a person who loves gadgets.
• Gadget lovers may also be interested in unusual puzzles or games. Go to game stores or shop around online for highly rated puzzles and games, especially ones that are for groups so you can try out the new game together.
• For the hobby artist, consider going with gifts that complement his interest like paint brushes for the painter, or go with gifts that might encourage him to expand into new areas to broaden himself. For example, the painter might enjoy an airbrush kit.
• For the music lover, consider a gift that might make his music listening experience better. You could go with some nice, unique headphones or a special case for his headphones (you can even get headphones molded to the shape of the ear for really exceptional listening!) or you could get something new like a record player that connects to his computer or a spinning record cleaner.
• Just pay attention to what he asks for! If he has asked for anything in particular, keep that in mind for Father’s Day!