From gifts to food, here are some simple and fun ideas to make Father's Day special this year!
Dads are important. Good Dads are irreplicable. They are the ones who for little girls are their first love and for little boys, their first hero. ~M.C.Hessel
For me, my dad was the one who taught me to ride a bike, bait a hook, and clean a fish. He was the one that I'd play catch with, the one that was at every single ballet recital behind the scenes patiently helping with hair and costumes and running to the store for forgotten items, thus earning the nickname of "dance dad". He taught me how to slow dance with a man and gladly took dance lessons with me for my wedding so our father/daughter dance would be perfect. He was my protector and my example of what a great dad should be.
However, even with all those amazing memories and love to lean on for ideas, I've been right where you're at dear reader. Grasping at straws, trying to make sure that my dad still knows that he is just as important to me now that I'm a wife and mother as he was when I was a little girl. Not to mention, making sure that my son's daddy knows just how important he is.
But let's face it. Sometimes celebrating Father's Day is harder than getting your toddler dressed, am I right? You don't know how to celebrate this important person in your life. You're not even sure what they would want, and you can't find the right gift. Ugh. Why is it so tough?
To help get those creative juices flowing, dear reader, I've put together some ideas to help inspire you! Continue reading for some simple and out-of-the-box ideas to celebrate that special dad in your life!
Food, Food and More Food:
Going Out vs. Cooking at Home
Now, this may sound too simple, but we have all heard the saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach." And for some men, food is exactly where it's at.
Going out to eat with their family at the restaurant of their choice is exactly what they want. Let him choose the time and place. They get the food that they want, the drinks that they want, and the atmosphere that they want without having to compromise with anyone else about what is on the menu. They get to spend time with their loved ones and still watch every single sports channel available to man. Assuming that they choose a sports bar that is! Either way, dinner out can be a very fun and pleasant experience for Dad.
Other men, like my husband, enjoy cooking up their meal of choice at home. He loves nothing better than to eat some chips and queso and sip on a beer while he waits for his meat of choice to cook to perfection.
If you think this is the option that the dad in your life would like best, do some digging a few days before Father's Day and see what kind of meet and sides he's in the mood for. Or, you may already know his favorites and what would be an instant hit. Either way, if this is the case plan to get his favorites together and have them ready for him when he decides to fire up that grill.
Keep it Simple
Some might disagree, but I truly feel a mug is rarely a wrong choice. I know dads out there who don't drink coffee yet use their mugs for hot chocolate during the cold months or the ever-famous pen holder on their desk. If you're going for more of a "use any time" mug, get one that has something to do with an activity or interest that they enjoy and love.
My husband loves anything to do with space or dinosaurs. With that in mind, in the past, I've taken advantage of the fact that we live in Houston, TX and I've gotten him mugs directly from NASA for Father's Day. I wanted to do something fun and unique to him. Don't get me wrong. I've also gotten him the "World's Best Dad" mug, which he treasures and loves.
Ok, hear me out. T-shirts. This is kind of like the mug. You don't necessarily have to do the "Best Dad" thing. You can make it different and personal just by getting a T-shirt that represents his specific likes. One of my husband's favorite shirts to wear is a T-shirt that says "I Want To Believe" with UFOs on it. It's a throwback to the X-Files and he was stoked to get it.
Another simple and easy gift idea is to get a gift from Man Crates. If you have never gotten a gift from Man Crates, you're in for a treat. They have a wide variety of gifts for dad (or really, any man in your life) that range from small to big, man cave decor to camping gear, food to DYI fun projects. Some are single items, while others are more of a gift set. I've gotten a couple of these for my husband over the years and they have always been a hit. Some of these gifts come in an actual crate that the man gets to break open! www.mancrates.com
"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society." - Billy Grahm
Make it Personal
Get him a personalized storybook that he can read with the kiddos. This is something fun that both my husband and I have done for each other. There are several options available for doing this, we have used both Wonderbly (www.wonderbly.com) and Hooray Heros (www.hoorayheroes.com) for these gifts and have been very satisfied with both the product and the ease of creating this amazing gift on both sites.
No matter which company you choose to go with, there is a wide selection of books to choose from and you can create the characters in the book to look like your special dad and kiddos, as well as customize the names of the characters. With both these options you can even do a special dedication at the beginning of the book for Dad as well as include the date and occasion if you want to.
If your dad is a star gazer or lover of anything space, like mine, you may want to consider getting a customized star map of either his birthday or the day that he first became a father. What is a star map you ask? Great question! It is a customized print with a view of the sky on a certain date from a specific location. There are a lot of different sites that you can do this on, Starry Maps has a great selection of formats and customization options as well as a poster, canvas, and framed option. www.starrymaps.com
Being an artist, I may be biased but I think pictures are always something special to give someone. If you'd like to do a creative dad photo collage or even a photo book, check out Shutterfly. The site is very user-friendly and has hundreds of options for you to choose from. They even have fun things like mugs, coasters, blankets, playing cards, puzzles, and key chains. I have used Shutterfly for several projects and have always been very happy with the quality of the product as well as the ease of creating my custom gift.
"Dads are most ordinary men, turned by love into heroes, adventurers, storytellers, and singers of song." - Pam Brown
Mix it Up
If you're looking for an interactive idea, and you're special Dad is into cooking (back to food dear reader!), consider a cooking class. You could do a whole cooking course or a one-night specific class. This is something that you could do together or something that he could do on his own if that's what he'd prefer. The selection of cooking classes you can find online can be overwhelming. Sometimes you can even find classes from celebrity chefs or upscale restaurants. To narrow your search down, remember to look for a cuisine that he would enjoy!
If the dad in your life is more of an adventure seeker or loves to solve puzzles, try getting him a Scavenger hunt! Yup, you read that right. You can purchase a ready-made scavenger hunt to enjoy either as a family or maybe as a date night activity.
Scavenger Hunts by Let's Roam has so many fun and unique options for scavenger hunts that it will be hard to choose! They have locations in all 50 of the United States so you shouldn't have trouble finding one in your area. These scavenger hunts usually take about two hours and will guide you on a short journey (usually about one to two miles) around your area of choice. The scavenger hunt will have you find well-known landmarks as well as hidden gems, test your local knowledge and have you solve riddles. You can find out more at http://www.scavengerhunt.com. (As a side note, they have locations in Mexico, Canada, Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia. Pretty much anywhere you will want to vacation, they have a hunt, so keep that in mind for your next vacation!)
If creating a scavenger hunt of your own seems more appealing, you can go to scavenger-hunt.org. This site has what seems like an endless list of scavenger hunt ideas as well as how to put one together.
Perhaps your dad is a lover of language or has always had aspirations of being bilingual. Maybe he's always wanted to travel to places where English is a second language. If this is the case, I would suggest getting him a subscription to Rosetta Stone. Rosetta Stone has over 20 different languages you can learn with the option of having a 3-month, 12-month, or lifetime subscription. The lifetime subscription gives you access to all 25 available languages! www.rosettastone.com
Some Extras
Beer or wine of the month subscription
A book that he's been wanting to read
Fishing gear
Grilling gear
Decor for his man cave
A subscription to a meat of the month club
Key chain (personalize it!)
Mini putting green
Dartboard
Power tool
Wireless speakers
Accessories for his truck/car (think floor mats, runners, and bed liners)
“Biology does not make a man a father... We are what we do.” ~Andrew Vachss
Don't Forget
Now that you have ample creative and fun ideas for a gift, don't forget to get a card and say a simple thanks for showing up! Gifts are great but recognizing his willingness to show up and be present, to be the one who ties shoes, changes diapers, plays catch, helps with ballet recitals, and all the other amazing things a good dad does, is really what matters!
Leave a comment and tell me what you've done for Father's Day that had an impact on that special dad in your life.
With that dear reader, I will say "Thank You!" to all the dads, stepdads, foster dads, and grandpas out there that make a difference in their kids and spouses' lives. You are amazing, needed, and loved!
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