Most Father’s Day gift ideas aren’t exactly what you would call inspiring. Between the endless ties and coffee mugs, Dad pretty much doesn’t even have to open the box to know what he’s getting. And all power tools prove is that, well, you are a power tool. So what do you get your father to show just how much you love and appreciate him? Well, believe it or not, we’ve got some ideas for you. Sure, most of them aren’t cheap, but neither is your love. And besides, sometimes it’s okay to dream big and go for that once in a lifetime gift, like these eight Father’s Day gift ideas that your dad will never, ever forget.
8. Round of Golf at Pebble Beach
It doesn’t have to be Pebble Beach. The point is to find a place where your dad could only previously dream of playing. After all, it’s not like he can ever hope to play quarterback at Lambeau Field or hit home runs at Yankee Stadium. But golf is one of those rare sports that actually lets you walk in the footsteps of the greats, and short of buying him a bunch of hookers, there’s no better way than letting your dad feel like Tiger Woods for a weekend than by treating him to a round of golf at a legendary course.
7. Dreamcade
What’s a Dreamcade? Well, it’s simple – it’s an old fashioned arcade machine preloaded with over 140 classic games. And as the years go by, more and more dads are children of the video game age, and more specifically, the arcade age. Let him feel young again while he tries to beat the games of his youth. He can even invite over all his old bros and creep on your mom and her friends, just like they did back in the day at the arcade.
6. Rare Bottle of Scotch
Again, it doesn’t have to specifically be Scotch. If your dad is an aficionado of fine spirits, he’d never forget a vintage bottle of Scotch, whiskey, anything really, that he’d always wanted but never dared to splurge on. And even if he’s not the fancy sort, imagine how cool it would make him look in the eyes of his bros to break out a fine bottle of aged Scotch. Just think of how impressed his boss will be at a dinner party. Your dad has worked hard all his life, and he deserves some of the status symbols that go along with it. Just resist the temptation to revert to your youth by drinking half the bottle yourself and then filling it back up with water.
5. Trip to Vegas
Yeah, he’s your dad, but he’s also a dude. Never forget that. Spring for a guy’s weekend in Vegas and show him that you appreciate him as more than just an open wallet and advice dispenser. I’m not saying that you have to get wasted and run hookers together, but try to get to know your dad as a man. This is the sort of trip that you’ll both remember and cherish for the rest of your lives so long as you let that guard down for a few days. After all, there are still some old tricks that your old dad can teach you, and he’ll appreciate the chance to feel young again, and the fact that you actually want to spend time with him on a level beyond the normal father/son bonding experiences.
4. Get Him the Complete Collection of his Favorite Movie Star
Whether it’s John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Steve McQueen, or hell, Hugh Grant (who are we to judge?) your dad will love the chance to have their greatest hits to pop in the Blu-Ray player whenever he wants. You don’t have to get every movie, of course – Dad probably doesn’t need to see Clint Eastwood’s pre-fame cameo in Revenge of the Creature – but a badass collection of all the hits mixed in with a few hidden, forgotten gems will make his day. And tracking down some of the rarer movies will really show that you made a real effort for him, which is what he’ll appreciate most of all.
3. Help Him Build Something
It sounds corny, I know, but simply offering your dad your time might be the best gift of all. Especially if that time is spent helping him using all the tools and talents he tried to teach you as you were growing up. Nothing will give him more pride than working side by side with his son. It doesn’t really matter what the project is – a new garage, fixing an old barn, restoring a car, whatever – as long as you do it together. Just let him take the lead. The last thing you want to do is emasculate the old man by insisting that you can do it better and then knocking that project out ASAP while he suffers heat stroke.
2. Take a Weekend Camping and Fishing Trip
Perhaps the most common thread here is that what your dad will appreciate most is that you want to spend time with him, and this is perhaps the quintessential example of the father/son bonding experience. This will tap into all those old nostalgic feelings you both have, and let you both step out of your lives for a few days and just enjoy spending time together in nature, bonding the same way fathers and sons have bonded for millennia. There’s a lot of power in that. Of course, it probably helps if at least one of you knows what he’s doing, because getting your dad eaten by a bear probably isn’t the best way to say I love you.
1. Find and Restore His Old Car
Look, every year some dude does this, and every year it gets a little dusty in here. The time, energy, expense, everything, really, that’s involved in this is like the ultimate love letter to your dad. If you’ve ever wanted to see your old man break down into a quivering mess of feelings, this is the way to do it. Of course, it probably helps if your dad actually had a cool old car once upon a time. You trotting out an old Ford Pinto is probably just going to get some puzzled looks, but even then, your dad probably has an old car that he’s always dreamed about. Find and restore that one instead. Just don’t be surprised when the old memories start flooding back in and your mom ends up giving your dad a handie from the passenger seat. Now that’s a Father’s Day no one will ever forget, no matter how much you might want to.
Dad image by Shutterstock
Dreamcade images: Dreamcade.com
John Wayne: Wikimedia Commons
Ford mustang image: 55Laney69, Flickr