Themed Gifts for Father's Day

Themed Gifts for Father's Day

It's not always "the money" that you spend, or the way a gift is wrapped that counts...it's the thought that went into it. Surprise Dad with a gift that he'll remember, use, and very possibly enjoy for a long time by presenting him with a "three-some" type of gift: something to watch, something to read, something to do. By combining gifts based on a central theme, there's no end to the possibilities!

First, consider what it is your dad enjoys doing. Is he an avid baseball fan? Does he golf? On his days off, does he trudge through the woods hoping to catch sight of a bird he hasn't seen yet? Maybe your dad prefers to spend a pleasant hour reading a good murder mystery---or maybe he just can't get enough about Winston Churchill. Look around your dad's house, his den, or his garage. What do you see that says "This is what my dad really loves to do"?

When you settle on a theme, then think about how you can round out the three-some. Is there a favorite movie or how-to video that he'd enjoy? Do a little research or web-searching---maybe there's an "oldie-but-goodie" movie that is available on DVD now based on the life of a famous race car driver or jockey (or big game hunter, or an adventurer). If your dad is into bird-watching, then try to find a movie about the life of John James Audubon. If your dad likes to tinker in the garage, what about a movie about an inventor? Think outside the box a little.

Even if your dad isn't a bookworm, there's likely some kind of printed material (book or otherwise) that would capture his interest. Buy a book on the baseball stats of all the legendary baseball greats. Search through memorabilia shops and splurge a little on an actual artifact (or highly prized baseball card). If he's a crossword puzzle nut, get him a year's subscription to The New York Times crosswords magazine (he'll either love you or hate you!). He's a wannabe pastry chef? Buy him a copy of Paris Boulangerie-Patisserie: Recipes from Thirteen Outstanding French Bakeries.

Thinking along the same lines as your major theme, what can you get for him that will give him (or both of you) something to do? Can you get tickets to a ballgame in your area? What about booking reservations for a tour of a local bird sanctuary? Get a model kit for a 1930 Packard Boattail Speedster Roadster. If you bought him that cookbook with all those fancy desserts, then tuck in a gift certificate to an online kitchen specialty store and let him browse for bakeware or piecrust crimpers or that really expensive crepe pan he's always wanted to have.

My dad is interested in anything to do with flying. Last year I went for an "out of this world" themed gift: the movie Apollo 13 (with Tom Hanks), the book Lost Moon by Jim Lovell (the captain of the actual Apollo 13 space flight), and a model kit of a Saturn V rocket. This year, I've "gotten back to basics" and chose Charles Lindbergh as my theme: the movie The Spirit of St. Louis (with Jimmy Stewart), the book Lindbergh (a biography by A. Scott Berg), and a balsa wood model kit of the airplane, Spirit of St. Louis.

So, pick a theme and then find three ways to "celebrate" that theme. It will make Father's Day a memorable day, and a feeling that will last a long time.