Top 10 Great Father’s Day Gift Ideas

As a father, I am biased but I think that Father’s Day is a pretty great deal. It’s the same as Mother’s Day for the most part but with better weather. It is the time to give your dad (or “father-figure” in as loose terms as you see fit) the recognition and gratitude for helping you become the amazing person that you are today. I now get to see the day from both sides (having been both a son and a father) and I can honestly say that gifts do not have to cost money to be special. It’s not about the gifts - it’s more about the experience, the time shared, and the thought involved. This Father’s Day, truLOCAL does more than just your meat delivery - we can help you score a great gift for the father figure in your life. Here is my list of stuff that I honestly would love to receive/experience for my Father’s Day 2022.

1. Jean Genie

Do you or anyone in your family have any idea what your family history is? Why not do some digging and give them the present of history? There are plenty of free genealogy sites out there and they really only cost time and a bit of information. They work best if you know the names and birthdates of some relatives so that you can trace back through records but that isn't hard to find. Use this information to sleuth out your history and present it as a present (in the present, sorry, couldn't resist). Bonus points if you take them to the important locations in your shared history. Maybe it’s the old farm house they grew up in or a flight to Greece!

2. Light my fire

As a rule, I don’t like stereotypes but one that I will accept as unusually fitting is that dads love to cook on a barbecue. Nothing beats a nice summer day in front of a smoky BBQ with an ice cold drink in your hand while grilling up some beautiful steaks with the kids play quietly in the backyard. If your father figure loves grillin’, try upping their BBQ game with some new tools or giving a deep clean to their BBQ. If you need ideas for tools that they might like, truLOCAL members can go to our partner perks page and find discounts for a lot of great things. I recommend the discount of a MEATER so they will never overcook your steak ever again (everyone wins!). I have one and it has really changed the way that I cook, both on the BBQ and in the oven (I even wrote a MEATER review blog).

3. What I like about you

Anyone would love if someone took an interest in the things that they like. It is a great way for someone to get to know us better and a great way to solidify bonds. For me and my daughter, it’s Star Wars. We watched the movies together and even dressed up like Han Solo and Rey to see some of the later releases in theatres (nothing stops a crowd like a 6 year old in a Rey costume in the lobby of a theatre showing a Star Wars movie). Anyways, whenever I hear of anything new about Star Wars, my first thought is of my amazing daughter, the bond we share, and how we can experience it together. 

You could easily celebrate their Father’s Day by taking part in an interest of theirs. Maybe you already have a common interest, like a favourite sports team, and could get tickets for an upcoming event like a game (or a concert, a comic-con, a movie, etc.). If you don’t share any common interests now, you could try one of their favourite things to do and see if you like it. If they love to hike, offer to go with them. If they like a certain food, take them out to that type of restaurant. You may find that you also love that interest but, even if you don’t, the simple act of making an effort to connect will mean the world to them. There truly is no better gift.

4. So fresh, so clean

I don’t know of anyone who actually enjoys cleaning. Don't get me wrong, I am sure that those people exist, but I haven’t met them yet. Certain cleaning jobs are easier so I personally don’t mind tackling them but one cleaning job that I always find daunting is cleaning the car. It's just always so dirty (especially with kids) and I just never have the time to properly tackle it. You could take on a cleaning project as a surprise gift for the one that you love. Give their car a deep clean, inside and out. Get out the vacuum, the scrubby tire brushes, the carpet shampoo, the dash cleaning cloths, and the elbow grease. This might seem like a minor gift in your eyes but it will score big with them. It doesn’t have to be the car either. It could be organizing the kitchen junk drawer, cleaning up the garage, or washing the dog. Trust me, they will love that you did that for them.

5. American Pie

As a father, I have cooked thousands of meals for my children over the years. I’m definitely not saying that I am owed a night off from kitchen duty. I’m saying that I would LOVE a night off and I'd consider it a really nice treat. You could do something like this for Father’s Day. You can make their favourite meal and enjoy it together. Not sure what to make? Well, truLOCAL has plenty of ideas for you whether it be from our extensive recipe section, our amazing products, or even our Father’s Day curated box (which has two of each of our most-popular steaks, a gift card, and a handwritten note). Show them your love through food.

6. Message in a bottle

Try to find out out one thing that your father has always wanted but has never purchased for themselves. Maybe it was too pricey, too embarassing, or maybe they just regret not buying it and now they can't find it again. It might be an official jersey for their favourite sports team, an update version of their favourite (and smelly) reclining chair, or a rare or hard to find bottle of their favourite booze (or non-alcoholic bevie). They'll see that you have not only invested the time to figure out what they wanted but also invested in the cost. They're sure to feel respected and amazed. It doesn’t have to be expensive either. It could be something that is hard to find or time consuming to acquire. Like patience, lol.

7. Every picture tells a story

Some memories are tightly tied to photographs. Photos are the tools to help us remember events, friends, feelings, and sometimes, bad hairstyles. When I look through old photos I am reminded of so many good times. For a while now, I have wanted to select a few of my favourite family photos and recreate them now that I am older. Standing in the same place, in the same pose with the same expressions, standing beside the same people. This would make an amazing stroll down memory lane and an unforgettable Father’s Day present. You could set it up with your siblings/family/friends as a surprise gift, or pick a photo with your father figure in it so they can enjoy recreating it too. Now, buy a frame and get both images ready to hang on a wall. 

8. Hey good lookin’

"Curb appeal" forms the important first impression whether it's considering a new house or meeting someone for the first time. You could help with that as a gift for Father’s Day and it might only cost time, not money. You could paint the fence, pull the weeds, or put mulch in the garden beds. Or if their … style... could use an update, you could go shopping with them for an new outfit or encourage them to try a new hair style (or to use a nose hair trimmer). Remember to lead with kindness and do not give them the impression that whatever you focus on fixing is somehow wrong - you're just making slight improvements. You might be the only person that can tell them these kinds of things and be forgiven for it.

9. Fixing a hole

Everyone has something that they just don’t know how to fix. It could be a broken remote, a bathroom painted an ugly colour, or even a relationship. These broken things stay broken until someone helps to fix them. If you can see something that is broken in your loved one’s world, try to help them fix it. It might take outside help, like a small engine mechanic or a therapist, but even just giving your support might be enough to push them to fix something that just isn’t working. Full discloser, I was thinking of something like taking their lawnmower to get a tune-up but imagine if you could patch up a relationship with their brother, ex-wife, or even you. Fixing something that is broken often makes it stronger than it was originally (except a wine glass. That's just gone so buy a new one). 

10. I alone

Do you know what all parents want from their kids? They just to spend time with them. Quiet time (no fighting with your brother) enjoying conversation (no yelling at your sister) and laughter shared together. Parents want real connections with their children and really get to understand who they are. Do something together that will encourage conversation and the passing of time together. It could be minigolf, watching a movie, or doing any of the 9 Father’s Day ideas listed above (but do it together). As a Father, I just want to spend time with my daughters, soaking in every moment knowing that this amazing stage in our lives is fleeting. I just try to remember every detail and appreciate how lucky I am. 

Bonus. Ready to start

Perhaps you already noticed that each of the headings above are song titles. They span a broad selection of musical styles but hopefully there will be a few that you could use as inspiration for a bonus Father'sDay gift idea: The playlist. Make a custom playlist (or mixed CD or mixtape depending on their struggle with technology) as a Father’s Day gift. Try to mix some of their favourite songs with a few that they've not heard before (but you know they’ll love). For me, having a collection of songs that I might like, curated by someone who knows me really well, might be one of the coolest gift ideas out there.

Father’s Day is an important day but not because of the gifts. It’s a day where we can show our thanks to those who have raised us and directed the way we are as a person. As seen by many of the ideas above, the most valuable gifts are not made by spending money, but rather by spending time and thought. As a father, that’s all that I want this year. Hopefully there are some ideas in the list above that you can really grab onto to make Father’s Day 2022 one to remember.

Article by: Steven Tippin

Posted on June 10th, 2022