Dads are amazing people, and every father is just a bit different from the next. Some would love to hear thoughtful words from you, while others want you to spend time with them, however that time may be spent.
A thoughtful gift is always fun to give to Dad and there are many ways to give without breaking the bank. Having your kids craft a gift is fun and increases quality time you get to spend with them.
Here are some ideas that may help you create a special day.
Food
- Pull out your dad’s favorite recipe and make it for him. This could be a dessert, breakfast, or dinner.
- Gather around the table or the kitchen island and have a family activity where everyone makes their own creation. Plan a theme and provide the raw ingredients.
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- Build your own pizza
- You can start with a crust that is already made, or each person can roll their own crust from dough which is always fun and messy! Have a contest of whose pizza looks the most appetizing or whose is the most creative.
- Make bottles of hot sauce
- Buy miscellaneous peppers, onions, garlic and other hot sauce ingredients and blend away. You will need bottles for the hot sauces. Have a contest of who blends the tastiest creation.
- Build your own kabobs for the grill
- Buy your dad’s favorite ingredients and everyone makes their own kabobs, and each person is responsible to grill their own making the dinner very interactive.
- Make fortune cookies
- These cookies only take a few ingredients. Each person can write up some fortunes to insert into the cookies; everyone gets to help fold the dough and shape the cookies prior to baking. This is fun to create and then more fun to eat and share the fortunes that everyone wrote.
- Build your own pizza
Relaxing Activities
- Have a movie marathon watching Dad’s favorite sitcom. Come prepared with popcorn, snowcaps, licorice, or whatever Dad’s favorite treat is.
- Do a jigsaw puzzle and have the family members sit around a table, chatting while putting the puzzle together.
- Play Dad’s favorite board or card game.
- Look through old photo albums as a family or watch family videos.
Livelier Activities
- Have each person share a special memory of Dad.
- Have each person share a funny memory of Dad.
- If there are family members that live far away, have a Zoom party, or simply make a call.
Gifts from the heart, by kids
- A hand made greeting card or drawing for Dad
- A handprint using fabric paint on a hat, tee shirt, or apron.
- A handprint in a cement steppingstone; it is fun to do this every year and creates fun memories!
Activity gift for Dad that will take place at a later date
- Plan a day of fishing, golfing, or hiking with Dad.
- Surprise Dad with tickets to his favorite sporting event.
- Play Dad Trivia – Prepare 20 miscellaneous questions about your dad. Each person has a paper and pen. Now ask the questions and have the family write down their answers. After all the questions have been asked and each person has written down their answers, pass the papers to the person on the left. Now ask Dad the questions and score the answers. The one with the most correct answers wins.
Bonus: Simply tell Dad “I love you.”
These ideas can be used throughout the year. It does not take a holiday or birthday to celebrate with Dad and make him feel special. Time spent with family is time well spent.
Our family has used many of the ideas above and it has created a lot of fun memories. I hope this article has given you some useful ideas. We would love to hear from you. Please send a comment with feedback and additional ideas.
Please share with others!
Also, consider giving Dad the Chatterbox, the gift of time and conversation; something he will cherish for a lifetime. https://thenestedfamily.com/product/chatterbox/
