Totally Sweet Father's Day Gifts

Lots of people have ideas about what makes the perfect Father's Day gift, but the problem is that those ideas are only good if they match your particular dad. I'm going to throw up a bunch of ideas based on a bunch of kinds of men. There will be overlap. Nobody is all Outdoorsman and nothing else, for example. This will not be an exhaustive list. It's meant as a framework to hang ideas on. Your dad may transcend all the types I list here. That's great. Think about his traits and decide what sort of thing he'd like based on that.

When you're a new dad, something your kid made by hand is always a perfect gift. I'm sure you knew that, but most of you aren't six. You're not going to be gluing macaroni to a paper plate. But check it out: dads don't stop being proud of their kids' creative skills after their kid turns ten. This is especially true if your dad has taught you how to make stuff in a particular way. For example, if your father has taught you how to work with wood, he'll always treasure a keepsake box that you made yourself, using the skills he taught you. If he showed you how to tie fishing flies, tie him some of your best. They may never get wet (your dad won't want to risk losing them), but they'll show your dad how much you value his influence in your life. Father's Day is for appreciating the old guy, and not burying him in swag, after all. Right?

That said, dads do appreciate the loot, too. For those of you who want to say it with loot, read on. I've taken several dad-types, and suggested three gifts for each type, from low-budget to money-is-no-object. These are of course suggestions only, and meant to spark your own ideas about what your particular father might like. If you have other suggestions, please comment below!

This guy is a woodsman. He can tell you what kind of animal crossed that muddy spot, and about how long ago. He likes to sleep under the stars (or a tent) and cook over wood coals. He knows how to handle a canoe, how to find potable water in an emergency, how to act if you meet a bear, and how not to meet a bear in the first place.

If it's played with a ball or a puck, dad's been in a league for it. Baseball, basketball, bocce ball, or bowling, it's all the same. You probably should stay away from equipment used in the actual game, though. That's usually something that an athlete wants to pick out for himself. But there are plenty of accessories that Dad will appreciate while he's waiting his turn up at bat, or for the fourth down, or whatever.

If Pop's a programmer or some kind of engineer, he will definitely appreciate getting a groovy gadget on his special day. If he already has a collection of tech gear (and he probably does), do some research. You'll want to make sure that you're getting him something that's compatible with what he already has.

This dad is the guy who still gets together with his old buddies every now and then to roll dice, chow on Chee-Tos, guzzle Mountain Dew, and quote Monty Python while occasionally pretending to kill a flumph or something. I'm totally that guy, so this section is probably going to be the absolute best advice in this article. Your nerdy dad will love these gifts, and will especially love that you accept his nerdiness along with the rest of him. (Bonus points if you have any idea what a flumph is.)

_{*You can go ahead and say geek, full stop, if you like. We've made our peace with it.}

This dad likes the finer things: wine, whiskey, tobacco, what have you. He has an appreciation for leather-bound books, likes hand-crafted furniture, and regularly polishes his shoes. This dad is willing to take a little extra time to do things in his own particular way. He may grind his own coffee, and probably dislikes using fancy, newfangled, multi-bladed disposable razors.

This dad is often a bookworm of sorts. He probably already owns the Civil War Chess Set, and can quote several of the great speeches from memory. He will enjoy any opportunity to expand his understanding of the past, or to get a little closer to those who lived there.