Fathers Day Ideas For Non Boring Dads

Father's Day is approaching faster than a 12-year-old on a skateboard so it’s time to make a plan, Stan. This year, let’s all vow to skip the tie and the card with the tired golf joke on it. I mean, come on. The guy hasn’t worn a tie since 1998 and he’d not even really that good at golf.

Instead, read on to find what I hope are some original ideas that can help jump-start your planning process for a unique and memorable Father’s Day for the Super-Dad in your life. I’ve even put the ideas into categories to help narrow down your choices. Some are suited to husbands, some to older fathers and some to both, so read on and take your pick. And if you have more ideas, drop them into the comment section below -- we’d love to hear them!

• Treat Dad and the family to a ballgame. Sometimes it’s a lot of fun and a lot less expensive to attend a minor league baseball game – plus you can get much closer to the action because the venues are smaller and much more intimate.
• Take him and the family to a local festival. You can research these in your area by Googling a phrase such as “Los Angeles Events Calendar” or whatever your local area is. You will be surprised at how many event calendars come up and the options you have for narrowing them down by category, date, etc. If you happen to live in the Los Angeles area, here is a good one.
• Take Dad and the family to an outdoor concert. See the above tip about researching events in your area. Many times these concerts are free. Pack a blanket, bring some sandwiches and drinks and maybe a frisbee or football to toss around on the lawn.
• Take him to see and participate in some family art. Here’s a great example of a fun event at the Getty that I found through our local LA events calendar.
• Plan a date night with your Super-Dad husband. After you’ve done the family-oriented day activity, hire a babysitter, change clothes and take him out to an art gallery opening (which are free), a movie, a concert, dinner, or even just drinks. Hold his hand. Remind him he is a great Dad.

• The new iPhone is here. Duh.
• The Flip. If he’s not an iPhone person, or if he has the older one and likes it just fine (like me) consider the Flip. It’s simple, elegant, not ridiculously expensive, and takes movies in hi-def.
• iPod or other MP3 speakers. Because it’s really fun to have music in the kitchen or out by the grill in the backyard.
• Garage door mural. I’m not kidding – look! You know he wants one (and secretly, so do you).
• A sleek portable hard drive. For storing his important digital stuff – like all the photos he’s going to take of the great Father’s Day he had this year.

• Dwell Magazine for the artsy guy who likes to gawk at cool architecture and home gagetry.
• ESPN Magazine. He loves Sports Center. He’ll love this.
• Food and Wine for the foodie or wanna-be wine connisieur.
• Consumer Reports Online Subscription for the guy who must research everything from light bulbs to ladders before he buys.
• Paste Magazine for the music lover who grew up. A little.

• Kill those pesky weeds in Dad’s yard once and for all. Hire a service to come out and get it done so he can relax and enjoy the summer. And so you can stop listening to him complain about it.
• Get his car detailed. Just disappear with it and come back a few hours later with it looking completely kick-ass. Then have your kids make a big “Happy Father’s Day!” sign and hang it from the driver’s side door or lay it on the sparkling-clean hood.
• Figure out Medigap health insurance for your Dad. I know it sounds a little strange, but stay with me here a minute. On June 1^st, 2010, there were some major changes to Medicare supplemental health insurance, aka “Medigap” and it has seniors completely freaking out. It’s actually not that difficult to come up with a good plan if you go to a reputable site and get some quotes. Here’s a link to the Senior Health Insurance page at a website that I know and trust (I know the owners personally and they have actual integrity). Plus they have written a very straightforward, step-by-step guide to understanding senior insurance and finding a plan. If you can solve this one for dear old Dad, you’ll be a hero, really.
• Clean Dad’s windows (or pay someone to do it). It’s not an easy job – especially in homes with second stories or otherwise high, unreachable windows – and especially for those getting a little too old to teeter on the top of a ladder. It seems like a silly thing, but it makes a huge difference in the appearance of the house, both inside and out.
• Summer-ize the grill. Wash the grates. Change the coals. Clean the hood and shelves. Detail the thing like it’s a ’67 Chevy and then present him with a bunch of high-quality filets to test out his “new” grill.

• Potluck. Set up a backyard potluck with other Dads and their families. Get some beer and some dogs for the grill and kick back. Done.
• Coupon book. Yes, I know -- laaahhaaame! But don’t make the coupons for boring things, like shining his shoes or getting a free hug. Make the coupons for “One Free Afternoon To Myself When My Wife Will Take The Kids and I Will Go Play Paddle Tennis At The Beach With My Delinquent Friends” or “One Free Massage.” You’ll come up with some good ones. You’re all clever and stuff.
• Photo Session. Tap a friend with a good eye and a decent camera and set up some time to get a bunch of great photos of him with the kids. Or your Dad with you. Or your husband with his Dad. Or your husband with the dog. Or the whole family holding popsicles and smiling. Whatever makes him happy. The key is to get someone outside your family to take the shots so that everyone can be in the pictures for a change. You’ll be surprised at how talented your non-professional photographer friend really is and how treasured those photos will be.
• “Home Spa Day.” Draw him a bath. Make him homemade lemonade. Massage his feet. Heck, give him a pedicure if he’ll let you. Or just let him read a book while you hand him a glass of port.
• Play “multi-sport” at the local park. Pack a bag with a football, some baseball gloves and a ball, a Frisbee, a paddle ball set, some Nerf toys, a soccer ball – whatever you have – and head out to the local park for an afternoon of fun. And bring his new iPod speakers while you’re at it so you can all shake a little bootie.

Father's Day is a day to celebrate all the things that are so great about the Super Dad(s) in your life. If he really is a great Dad (and you know who they are), it won't take a $350 gift to make him happy. But he will appreciate a little recognition and some fun with the people he loves most. Good luck and happy planning!