Father's Day Gift Ideas

I feel like dads are universally impossible to shop for. They’re either too practical or they have it all, and they rarely – if ever – talk about things they want. A few years ago, my husband picked up a brewery kit and brewed his own beer. He went off on some tangent about how he was going to open up his own brewery, but the thing that stuck with me was how much he genuinely enjoyed the experience. For Father’s Day this year, I’m thinking of gifting the Dads in my life an experience, so I wanted to share some ideas I’ve been brainstorming.

● For the dad who loves beer

Albert loved brewing his own beer so much that I’m thinking of picking up another brewery kit and giving him another go at it. For a kid-friendly option, I’m thinking of picking up a kombucha brewing kit so my boys can brew their own kombucha alongside their dad.

● For the athletic dad

If your dad is an exercise fanatic, register yourselves in an upcoming run near you! You and your dad can not only enjoy the run itself, but also all the time you’ll spend together training in the days or weeks leading up to it. You can find a list of different runs near you here.

● For the outdoorsy dad

If your dad is an outdoorsy guy, plan a hike with him that neither of you have ever been on! Be sure to pack plenty of water and wear comfortable shoes. SoCal has no shortage of beautiful hikes, and there are even some with gorgeous waterfalls as a reward for all the walking. Here is a list of the ten most beautiful hikes in SoCal.

● For the dad who loves to read

If your dad is more of a bookworm, set a reading goal for the year together. You can revisit it next Father’s Day and share your favorite books, or talk about the ones you absolutely hated.

● For the movie critic dad

If your dad loves to watch movies, plan a movie night! It can be as simple as choosing something new on Netflix that you know he’ll love and grabbing all your favorite snacks to watch on the couch at home.

With any of these ideas, the most important part is that you plan something special and it comes from the heart.

Written by Head Rascal (Ngoc Nguyen Lay), mother of two rascals, ages 8 and 10.