Father’s Day is almost upon us – Sunday the 3rd of September in case it accidentally slipped your mind! Presents are always welcome, but truthfully, having the family spoil you and recognise your contribution to the family, is even better. Special time and thoughtfulness are the best gifts, so if you’re having a hard time thinking of something, try some of these ideas.
Spoil Him with Breakfast in Bed
Breakfast in bed doesn’t have to be just for Mother’s day! Start the day off by getting the kids together and making dad a delicious homemade breakfast and coffee, and deliver it to him in bed. Remember… dads generally love carbs, so rice bubbles french toast or corn flakes french toast could be just the treat.
Do His Weekend Jobs
If the kids are old enough to handle the workload, make his day by finishing up the jobs around the house for him. Whether that includes mowing the lawns, weeding the garden, doing the washing, or painting the fence, just jump right in and look happy helping out (no grizzling allowed). This way, he can spend his Father’s Day weekend doing something he enjoys like playing golf, watching sport, or relaxing with his favourite novel and a takeaway coffee. Or maybe a beer. Bliss!
Have an In-House Spa Day
Contrary to popular belief, some dad’s would absolutely love a spa day. Turn your home into a relaxing day spa by grabbing some candles and sheet masks from your local grocery store or pharmacy, and putting on some light calming music. Pamper him with a massage, a face treatment and manicure.
Gift Delivery
Whether you DIY it or order online, thoughtful little gifts are always welcome. He is sure to love something made from the heart like a scrapbook, handmade card or one of our many other craft ideas. If you’re not feeling up to it, you can also always order online.
Go on a Museum excursion
If your dad is into science, history, art and technology, he might enjoy a visit to thew museum, or an art gallery. Or perhaps a virtual tour of museums and galleries from around the world. Google Arts and Culture has one of the greatest selections, and even offers other interactive activities like art selfie and creating a song through machine learning.
Have a Picnic
Head to the beach, your nearest park or even find a nice open space in your home and arrange a picnic. Throw out a nice blanket and get a picnic basket ready. Be sure to include all of dad’s lunchtime favourites.
Get Some Fresh Air
Go for a walk, hike, bike ride or just sit together in the backyard and enjoy nature together. You might even spot some cute creatures depending on where you live.
Play Some Mini-Golf
Is dad a golf fanatic? Then turn your backyard into a mini-golf course with any bricks, pipes or other bits lying around to create obstacles. If the weather doesn’t permit it, you can always do this in the lounge or hallway. Otherwise, get the family together and watch his favourite sport on the telly.
Play Some Old School Video Games
What better way to spend Father’s Day than to let dad lean into his younger days with some old school video gaming. Grab his favourites like Mario, Spyro, Pacman and Zelda. He’ll be eager to relive his childhood passtime and might even surprise the family with his gaming prowess.
Have a Movie Marathon
Gather a list of dad’s favourite movies to watch together. Bonus points if it’s a series like Star Wars or Marvel that will take the full weekend to get through. Get some of his favourite snacks and drinks and get ready to binge watch.
Have a Family Game Night
Let dad let out his competitiveness during a night of classic family games like Monopoly, Cleudo, Scrabble, Jenga, Trivia Charades, and Uno. For a more chilled out night, complete a jigsaw puzzle, make something out of lego, or do some crosswords (in case you’re looking, we have some great activities in our latest issue).
Get Your Karaoke On
If you don’t already have a karaoke device, there are some cheap apps on the app store/google play store or you could simply search up dad’s favourite tunes on youtube. Just search for his favourite songs with the word ‘karaoke’ after it and you should be able to find all the hits. However you decide to do it, just don’t forget to have fun and bust out those dance moves.
Go Backyard Glamping
If you have the space in your backyard, why not go backyard glamping? Pitch a tent, set up some lounge chairs, a fire pit or camping stove (if you have one), lots of food (+smore ingredients), pillows and blankets and you should be set for the most glamorous night of camping you’ve ever been on. Dad is sure to enjoy this time with his family; roasting marshmallows and telling scary stories around the fire.
Cook Together
If you opt for sleeping indoors, don’t neglect the opportunity to still make dinner prep a whole family activity by cooking together. You can have an all-out pizza party or simply cook dad’s favourite meal. Find the recipe and pick out the ingredients ahead of time.
Gather the Full Family on FaceTime
Finish the night off by surprising him with a phone call or pre-recorded Father’s Day message from his friends and family.