Gather Little by Little

Photo by: Olaf

Father’s day is this weekend. Us Dad’s are pretty easy to please and finding great gifts at a low price is pretty easy too. Remember, Father’s day isn’t about how much you spend, but about how much thought and effort you put into it. Here are just a few ideas for low-cost father’s day gifts Dad will love:

Fix his favorite meal

They say the quickest way to a man’s stomach is through his stomach, and as a man I’d completely agree! Fix a really nice dinner featuring his favorite dish. All he’ll have to do is eat and relax. To make it extra special, let the kids help so they can tell Dad they cooked too. Personally I love country style steak and homemade mashed potatoes (hint, hint dear).

Wash and clean the car

Personally, I love a clean car and many other men do as well. Grab the kids and wash the inside and outside of the car and give him a squeaky clean car to drive around and he’ll love it!

Create a romantic coupon book

Many men aren’t real romantic (guilty as charged) but you can’t fail with this one. Create a romantic coupon book full of coupons with for heartfelt personal gifts and “activities”. Things like a back massage, hot bath, evening walk, and other things your man would enjoy (use your imagination). Trust me, he’ll love it.

Play video games with him

I love playing video games but having my wife and/or kids play along with me is even better. Offer to spend the evening playing video games with Dad. It will show him that you enjoy spending time with him no matter what you do. Who knows, maybe you’ll have some fun too!

Make something

My desk at work is full of little things my wife and kids have made for me over the years. The items include wooden items my kids painted, clay sculptures, picture collages, letters from my kids, a calendar full of pictures and a few other items. I cherish these things. One of my favorite items is a card I carry in my wallet. The card has finger prints from my children that my wife made into animals, flowers, etc. The card is a constant reminder for me. If dad works in an office or has a place he can place personal items at work or home, spend some time with the kids making him something.

Books

Many Dad’s love to read, myself included. Get Dad a few new books to read and give him time to read them. A really great book for Dad’s with young children is The Dangerous book for boys. It’s packed full of great ideas Dad’s can do with their son’s.

Go on a picnic

Head out to your local park with a picnic lunch and some sports equipment and spend the day together. Dad’s love spending time playing with the kids. This is a gift he’ll really love.

Magazine Subscription

Most Dad’s love reading magazines, I know I do. Get Dad a subscription to his favorite magazine. Just a few ideas include Sports Illustrated, Make Magazine, Motor Trend, and Car and Driver. I can almost guarantee you there is a magazine for pretty much any interest he has.

Movie Day

Rent a few of Dad’s favorite movies and spend the day watching them with him. Don’t forget the pop corn! This is a great way to spend the day with Dad.

Make a movie

If you have a video camera and computer, make a movie for Dad. This could be as simple as letting the kids share messages for Dad or letting them do things on camera for Dad (you know, the old “watch this Dad” types of things). Another awesome idea would be to actually film a short movie. Put together a fun script and have his family be the actors. This is a gift that he’ll love to watch over and over again.

A week of lunches

If Dad packs his lunch, make lunch for him for a whole week. This is something even the kids can help with. Pack something different each day that he likes and include a different desert like cookies, fruit, yogurt, brownies, etc. To top it off, place a special note inside letting Dad know your thinking about him, love him, miss him, etc.

On Father’s day, tell him about the gift through a card or certificate signed by everyone.