Ideas for Fathers Day

Updated on June 18, 2011
K.B. asks from Boise, ID
12 answers

So what are all you moms out there doing for fathers day? We are on a Tight budget, (trying to pay off a few biils and get ahead :), so not lots of money to spend. What are some good dinner ideas? Gifts? Just want to do something that makes him feel special, without spending lots. Any ideas would be great! Cant wait to hear what all of you have planned and your thoughts on what to do.

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T.L.

answers from St. Louis on

My hubby is getting a new t to support his fav team. We are then going to bbq with all the family and hang out. I will also let him sleep in and cook breakfast for him. :)

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J.H.

answers from Kansas City on

We're making a book for Daddy. I put the handprints of the kids as a page, pictures of them with Daddy on the cover. My daughter is 4 so she painted and colored some pages and then I did a couple of pages of asking my daughter questions about Daddy and then writing, verbatim, her answers (my son is too young to participate in that manner). I've asked her questions like "what's your favorite thing to do with Daddy?", "Tell me some of Daddy's favorite things: color, food, sport, etc." Just one idea...good luck!

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G.B.

answers from Boise on

Ideas:

Make a treasure hunt for him, with clues to his next clue. Then his gift at the end of it. FUN!

Have the kids hide red paper hearts in his shoes, in his sock dwarer, in his wallet, in a pocket, in his car, etc....each with a nice compliment about why they love daddy.

Have the kids wash his car.
See if the one of the older kids can do one of daddy's chores for the week.

Make sure clean sheets are on the bed. stuff the pillow case with lavendar or spray it with linen purfume. Give him turn down service with a small box of candy on his pillow!

Sneak out the night before and decorate his car with streamers and balloons and paint 'we love Daddy!" all over the windows with paint pen.

Have the kids give him a foot or back massage!

Download a CD that you think he might love.

Have the kids come up with a cute small "play" or puppet show they perform for him. Have popcorn and soda available!

Go on a picnic. Bring a frisbee or boccee ball. Make the food extra spcial. Bring sparkling apple juice and real wine flutes. A loaf of french bread, some cheddar cheese, salami and apples make a great lunch, have a nice dessert. Bring kites for the kids and a pillow for dad.

Download Tim Hawkings comedy video- family freindy and hilarious.

Clean up his work bench.

I always bake daddy an apple pie for father's day. Not because he is my father, but because I want to show him i appreciate him.

Gail
.

1 mom found this helpful

T.N.

answers from Albany on

Sex, budget friendly and good for everybody!

:)

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L.M.

answers from Denver on

Hi!

Love the ideas so far. Here are a few I have used:

1. Make kids handprints or footprints on paper and frame it or make a canvas with little easel and add a dad/father poem to it. (There are many poems online)

2. If dad likes to read....Make a bookmark with construction paper and put a head shot picture of each kid on it. Use laminating paper to laminate it and maybe give him a kids book to read to the kids/book for himself or gift card to book store.

3. Take a picture of the kids wearing dad's ties and frame it or put it on a calendar/desk organizer (can be made on Snapfish.com) to put on his desk at the office or home.

4. Make birdseed treats with water, gelatin, birdseed and cookie cutters! Recipe at www.birdsandblooms.com under birds and backyard projects. Give dad some snacks for himself too....gummy worms, sunflower seeds, trail mix, etc while he is out bird watching.

5. Make a Top POP Award ( I think I saw this one in Family Fun Magazine one year...they always have lots of great ideas)

"This Top POP Award is presented to my POP ________"
Happy Father's Day, 2011
Give them a bag full of POP goodies like pop, popcorn, popsicles, poptarts, tootsie pops etc.

My husbands favorite meal of the day is breakfast so I was going to make pancake kabobs. Make small quarter size pancakes and put them on skewers (straws for small kids) with fruit and bacon or sausage drizzled with syrup.
I also saw a recipe for french toast fondue which might be fun. French toast cut up to dip in syrup, powdered sugar, coconut, choc chips, fruit etc.
Or if he prefers eggs... You need a piece of bread and a 2" heart cookie cutter. Cut a heart out of the bread. Butter both sides and but in frying pan until one side is brown. Flip and crack an egg in the middle of the heart cover the pan with a lid and let it cook for 3 mins. Eggs sunny side up with lots of love! This works better for breakfast in bed!

Hope this helps!

S.J.

answers from St. Louis on

Letting him sleep until he feels like getting up. This could literally be 1pm!

Making him breakfast, lunch and dinner. (eggs benedict for breakfast and not sure on the other meals - he pretty much likes anything I make!)

I purchased some golf balls and some ties and shirts for him. He is always in need of work clothes.

A nice card

Possibly something made by the kids - Last year, I also did the idea of asking the kids questions about daddy and writing down verbatim their answers. So fun!

If you are on a tight budget, that is OK. Not one man I know needs expensive items on Father's Day. They are usually quite simple. Most dads want some food, sex, beer, sleep and some alone time to enjoy not being a dad for a few hours or the entire day. Pick what your DH likes out of that list and enjoy!

Good luck!

E.F.

answers from Provo on

I always pick something the kids can do with him or he can do for the kids. This year, a bocce ball set. Previous year, children's book set. Things of that nature.
good luck
E.

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J.F.

answers from Minneapolis on

I get emails from Walgreens and today it has a collage of pictures for free. I plan to make three copies of it. I will probably go ahead and frame it, too. :)

Good luck!

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M.A.

answers from Colorado Springs on

If you're handy with tools, you could get some scrap wood and have the kiddo(s) make, with your help of course, a simple picture frame. Then paint it, write on it with a metallic sharpie and tape in a hand-drawn picture. That is exactly what my daughter (5yo) did this year! We can't wait to give it to him!

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K.:.

answers from Phoenix on

Brunch, then maybe a movie (if he wants to) & a little "dessert" for later...

I'm going to have DD make him a card, since this is the first year she can write, and do the photo collage thing through Walgreens, where there will be 3 pics of DD holding signs that equate to "I Love Daddy".

We are on a major budget & he won't give me any ideas for gifts, anyway, so I guess I have it easy, I suppose.

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C.S.

answers from Milwaukee on

We are going shopping for a new mountain bike for daddy so we can all go for bike rides together.

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S.T.

answers from New York on

My DH reminded me on Mother's Day that I'm not HIS mother. He accompanied the kids to buy me a very modest gift (so modest I don't even recall what it was). MY DD who is almost 15 yrs old did a bunch of things around the house for me that day and we went out to dinner.

I am going to remind my DH on Sunday that he is not MY father - especially when he's in the mood to be frisky. ;o) We're going out to dinner since my birthday is Saturday and my DD will be at a Sweet 16 party on my b'day. So we're wrapping both in to one celebration dinner.

We used to host a BBQ with my FIL & MIL, my sister & BIL & my husband's sister & BIL. But my FIL has passed away and my MIL is in a nursing home - my BIL's kids are older now and they usually take him out for brunch, and my husband and his sister's relationship is cool right now. So I'm actually pretty happy that we aren't having a crowd at my house. ;o)

As for gift ideas when on a budget - consider your husband's work environment - if he is in an office and has a desk then a framed photo of him and the kids that's candid, not posed, kind of goofy or at a school event or game, etc. If he has a locker (my DH is a police sergeant so he doesn't really have a desk of his own) you can buy a magnetic picture frame. My husband's favorite photo is one of him on his hands and knees with both kids on his back. They're both in their PJ's and have these excited looks on their faces. It's just a wonderful picture of every day life with dad.

Let the kids help you make your husband's favorite meal & desert. Whether it's french toast or steak, it can be cut in a heart shape - if he loves brownies make them ultimate brownies with min-marshmallows and chocolate chips. Use your imagination and have fun. It's great to see kids honor their parents - help them understand that dad works hard every day and this is the day he can put his feet up and relax. ;o)

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