Yeah, it is Father’s Day, but without grandpa (and grandma too, of course) your father would not have come to be. So let’s stretch this upcoming holiday and include granddad. Below are some gift ideas, most of which will provide the opportunity for multiple generations to celebrate and enjoy time together. Did we leave any gift ideas off the list that you can recommend?
Mini Getaway
Nothing says “I love you” quite like spending quality time together. How often do you get out of town just with the kiddo(s) and grandpa? It was probably the last time the Detroit Lions won the Superbowl! We consider mini getaways anything from a short daytrip, to a single overnight, to a full weekend getaway. Let us breakdown our recommendation for each.
For a short daytrip, try to think of something special that grandpa has perhaps never experienced, or a special place he used to take you as a child. I remember my father taking me to Boulder, Colorado, just 30 minutes north of where we used to live in Denver, to hike the magnificent Flat Irons. Fond memories that I am sure grandpa would love to relive with his new grandchildren. Make sure to always pack a snack and check weather conditions.
If you are considering a single overnight, we strongly recommend camping. Sure, grandpa might not be as strong as he used to be, but the great part about camping is that it comes in various degrees of difficulty. Remember, you must watch out for the welfare of both the little ones and dad, so try to pick a camping trip either at the beginner or intermediate level. Sitting by a fire, eating smores and hotdogs, while hanging out under the stars, is an experience both dad and the little ones will cherish forever!
For a weekend getaway, try to think of something that is both kid friendly and relaxing for grandpa. The last thing that grandpa needs is to be babysitting and entertaining the kids all weekend long. That sounds exhausting just thinking about it! When I was a boy, here is Colorado, we would go on weekend getaways to Steamboat Springs. There were plenty of activities for all age groups to enjoy, from golf, fishing, hot air balloon rides, and enjoying the natural hot springs. Try to pick something along those lines, to assure both grandpa and the little ones leave wanting to return next year.
Learn a New Hobby Together
Has Grandpa ever said that he wished he had learned a specific hobby but never got around to it? Well, Father’s Day is a perfect time to get him started. What a memorable experience it would be if you, the little ones, and grandpa, all learned a hobby together. Three generations of Smiths or Jones or whoever you are, all working together on a car, playing an instrument, making homemade pasta, or whatever the new hobby may be. That sounds extra special… I am sure grandpa and the little ones will think so too!
Blast from the Past
We live in a fast-paced world that moves a mile-a-minute. Our children can access information in a heartbeat, just be typing in a question into google on their phones. Updates dinged every time one of their cronies likes one of their Instagram or snapchat photos. But there was a simpler time long before the technology craze. Most of us parents lived in that reality when we were kids, and certainly our parents did.
Schedule a day with the kiddos and grandpa in which everyone leaves behind their phones and dives into the past. Go to an old soda pop shop, tour several historic museums, and find a local drive-in movie theater. Most cities have a drive-in theater open during the summer months. After all, Father’s Day usually falls on the week summer officially starts. The kiddos might complain about leaving the phone behind in the morning, but at the end of the day they will be all smiles after experiencing what it was like for grandpa when he was a kid.
Photo Album
How about having family members gather together photos from across the years, and across the generations? Pick up a photo album and sit with Granddad on Father’s day while the family works together to get the pictures in time-sequence order. Then start putting them into the album, each with their own story to share. Some old timers used to write short stories or notes next to the pictures, along with the names of who is in the photos. Many years later, those albums were family treasures as the people may be gone, but the names, memories and stories remain very much alive to all.
Exercise Class Pass
Classpass is an online exercise class-accessing program. Once registered, the user has access to about 4,000 online workouts, and over a million exercises classes from weight lifting to yoga, bootcamp, cycling, pilates, meditation and lots more. Instruction is from studios around the world, and can be geared towards any level of fitness which the participant currently possesses. Whether granddad has his own gear or not, he is sure to find classes to suit his tastes and desires. What a wonderful use of high tech, and it helps to fend off the “sit on the couch and eat cookies while web surfing” use of that technology.
Some local gyms are able to provide one-on-one, or very small group, exercise classes. Gift certificates for these classes are often available and if grandpa enjoys physical activity, he would surely like to be gifted a class for some new exercise routines. Pilates or yoga, perhaps? Family would have to look around online to see which facilities are open and available.
Gift of Golf
Does Granddad enjoy knocking that little white ball around the old golf course? What a great Father’s Day gift it would be to spend a morning or afternoon on the links with family. Cart or walking, time together in the outdoors chasing those elusive birdies makes for a fine Father’s Day memory. Even if the outing is not on Father’s Day itself, or if Grandpa prefers to golf alone or with his buddies, he is sure to appreciate being sported to 9 or 18 holes by the family who so loves him!
Restaurant Gift Certificate
Rather than list some of my own favorite restaurants, I am relying on you, Dear Reader, to know what kind of food Grandpa enjoys when he dines out. How about the family pitching in and giving Grandpa a Father’s Day gift certificate from a few of his favorite places? Who doesn’t like to eat, eh? And a well-fed and happy Grandpa is what Father’s Day can be all about. A well-fed and happy Father is important too, of course.
Whatever the Father’s Day gift ends up being, it is the thought behind the gift which counts most. From a simple family hike or the neighborhood park, to a day trip adventure at one of the amazing natural sites around your area. Be it a few hours on a golf course together as a family, or a weekend in tents underneath the stars. Or time enjoyed, sitting around carving balsawood boats with granddad. Perhaps it ends up being gathered together constructing a family photo album. Father’s Day, when celebrated with multiple generations, is a day for all to remember and cherish. Remember that if it were not for grandpa, your Father would not have become your father.
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