Father’s day is one of the days of the year that I dread the most. Not because my husband doesn’t absolutely deserve to be celebrated, if you saw him in action as a dad, you’d be celebrating him every year too! But because I am truly out of Father’s Day gift ideas and I have been for years.
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We’re marketed the same things every year to buy for the dads in our lives and I’m pretty sure they don’t want any of it. Another coffee mug, tie, wallet, or grill set just doesn’t scream “I appreciate you, thank you for helping me raise these crazy kids!”
Listen, some dads genuinely love those things.
But if you ask most dads what they really keep forever, it usually isn’t the expensive stuff.
It’s the crooked handwritten note, the weird little drawing, the recording of a tiny toddler voice saying “I love you daddy.”
The things that capture who their kids are right now.
As a mom, I think that is what makes Father’s day gifts from kids so special. Kids aren’t trying to impress anyone. They are just loving their dad in the purest way possible.
Those are the gifts that matter most.
So instead of another generic Father’s day shirt that says “World’s Best Dad” on the front, let’s dig a little deeper and come up with something meaningful, memorable, funny, and personal.
These are the kinds of gifts dads actually treasure years later.
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Memory Book
This one is unbelievably simple, but it turns into something priceless over time.
Grab a notebook or a cheap photo album and have each child answer questions like:
- What does dad always say?
- What is dad really good at?
- What makes dad laugh?
- What is your favorite thing to do with dad?
- What food does dad always eat?
- What does dad do that makes you feel safe?
If you want some funny question ideas to add, try some of these. They’re almost guaranteed to get a hilarious answer:
- What is dad not very good at?
- What makes dad grumpy?
- What would dad buy if he won a million dollars?
- What animal does dad act like? Why do you think that?
- What would dad buy if mom said yes to everything?
- Describe dad’s best day
- What would dad bring to a deserted island?
You get the idea.
Add drawings, little notes, funny stories, and photos from everyday life.
The magic of this gift is that it freezes a moment in time.
Years from now, dads are not going to care if the handwriting was messy or the answers were silly. That is exactly what makes it special!
A “Dad and Me” Adventure Jar
This is such a fun gift because it keeps giving long after Father’s day is over.
Take a mason jar and fill it with little activity ideas written on small pieces of paper or popsicle sticks.
Things like:
- Movie night
- Bike ride
- Backyard campfire
- Ice cream date
- Fishing trip
- Staying up late
- Board game date
Kids will love helping to make this and dads end up with something more valuable than another random gadget.
“Reasons We Love Dad” Frame
This is another take on our memory book idea from earlier.
If you can get some answers to questions like those and have your kids put the answers in a frame with handprints or photos, you’ve got an amazing gift.
The sweet thing about gifts like this is how honest kids are.
Their answers are usually funny, heartwarming, and completely unexpected.
The “Dad Tax” Snack Basket
My husband and I always tell the kids they have to pay “mom tax” or “dad tax” when they get something yummy that we want a bite of.
This is just dad’s favorites of all the things.
Favorite snacks, candies, drinks, etc.
In my husband’s, we’re adding beef jerky, chips, a fancy pop (or soda, in some parts of the U.S.), candy, trail mix, and energy drinks.
If your husband is anything like mine, he has spent years stealing fries, candy, and bites of dessert from the kids.
Give him his own and then let the kids demand their own tax of the kid-friendly treats!
“Open When” Letters From Kids
I made letters like these for my husband when we were first married.
We just found some unopened ones the other day and it made me realize that some kid-to-dad letters would also be adorable!
Have the kids decorate envelopes that say “open when…”:
- Work was hard
- When you need a laugh
- When you miss us
- When you are stressed
- When you had a long day
- When we’re driving you crazy
Inside, they can put little notes, drawings, jokes, favorite memories, etc.
My kids have a little Fujifilm Instax camera, so we’re including goofy pictures in some of ours!
This is one of those gifts dads quietly keep tucked away for years.
A Video Time Capsule
This might be one of the most meaningful Father’s day gifts from kids.
Sit the kids down and ask them questions about dad while recording.
You can also just have them say some of their favorite things about him.
My husband makes it his goal every year to make me cry on Christmas.
Okay, that sounds bad, but I promise it is actually the best part of Christmas for me!
The gift that accomplished this task this year was a little Tonie recording of all of our kids telling me what they love about me.
We are going to try to do the same to him this year with our sweetest memories of my husband.
Listening to it this year will be so meaningful. Listening to and watching it years from now is sure to cause some bittersweet tears!
“Things Dad Fixed This Year” Award
This one is especially fun for younger kids!
Create silly award certificates listing all the things dad fixed this year.
Things like:
- Scraped knees
- Broken toys
- Scary bugs
- Wifi problems
- Bike chains
- Bad days
- Monster under the bed
You get it.
It’s funny, but it is also weirdly touching when you really think about all the little ways dads show up every single day.
As I type this, there is a Nerf battle going on in my living room so that I could get some peace and quiet (lol to the quiet part) to work on this blog.
I’m definitely adding that to a certificate for Father’s day!
The Truth About Father’s Day Gifts
At the end of the day, most dads aren’t looking for perfection.
In fact, they’ll be super happy with yet another mug or tie.
The truth is, they don’t need an expensive watch or elaborate gift basket to feel loved.
What they really want are reminders of the kids they are helping to raise.
They want to see that they really have contributed to making the memories, making the house function, and to raising the kids you both love so much.
This is why having the kids make or help create gifts tends to matter so much more than any store-bought gift ever could.
Long after the toys break and the gadgets get replaced, dads still hold onto the tiny handwritten notes with crooked letters and sticky fingerprints. Those are the things that become treasures. To be honest with you, I really believe that’s what Father’s day should be about in the first place. So this year, let’s keep it homemade and make some gifts that are sure to be kept forever. Memories are the best gift, no matter the occasion!
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