6 Father’s Day ideas your dad won’t have to pretend to love.

Consider this your ultimate Father’s Day cheat sheet.

I don’t know about you, but when it’s time to buy a gift for my mum, it’s a no brainer. I can rattle off a list of things she would enjoy in about two seconds flat.

But when it comes to Father’s Day? It’s a LOT tougher, and I think a lot of women will agree with me when I say that dads are hard to buy for. I know this because my girlfriends and I always have that conversation that starts with ‘I’ve no idea what to get him this year…’

Here’s my stellar track record of some of the tragic gifts I’ve been guilty of giving my dad:

• Socks and jocks.
• A tie.
• Sensible shoes.
• Aftershave.
• And an oldie but a goodie – A SINGING TROUT PICTURE. If you’re not sure what I mean, click here.

So clearly, after that sad list, this year I want to redeem myself and all the other women and kids out there that are guilty of buying presents that are either a bit useless, or overly functional. This year, let’s give our dads something FUN.

I’ve put together a great list of things that your dad will genuinely love, for a change – and as an added bonus, most of these will help create family memories too.

1. Go hot air ballooning.

What better way to spend time with dad than booking a hot air balloon trip? We’re pretty lucky in Australia to have some of the most picturesque places in the world to view from a balloon – all you need is a camera.

2. Enrol him in a beer making course.

It’s a scientific fact* that dads like beer, so how cool would it be to do a course with him so he can make his own brew? You could make a signature dad beer and let’s face it, he’d prefer that to a ‘world’s greatest dad’ glass. Trust me, I’ve bought one…

3. Organise a surfing lesson.

The great thing about Father’s Day is that when it rolls around it means that summer is just around the corner, so head on down to your local surf club and sign him up for a few lessons. Move over, Kelly Slater.

4. Book tickets to a footy game.

Another great thing about September is that it is footy fever month. Splash out and buy him some tickets to a game where he gets the VIP treatment, including lunch, drinks and great seats. This is something the whole family can enjoy and if his teams wins, there will be extra celebrations.

5. Plan a treasure hunt.

Remember all those times when you were a kid and your dad would arrange a treasure hunt for you and your mates? Remember how exciting it was? You can do this for him now: send him off to a range of locations with a series of clues that will make him laugh and take him to some of his favourite places.

A few good ideas might be to get a traditional shave at an old fashioned barber shop, coffee at his favourite cafe, a game of golf and round it out with dinner at a restaurant that serves the food he loves.

6. Design some personalised gifts.

Every family has a stack of treasured family photos – that are probably stuck in an album, and never seen. Father’s Day is a great time to do something with them, by making them into personalised gifts for dad. Think coffee mugs, canvas prints and even t-shirts. Trust me – he’ll love it.

So there you have it – the ultimate Father’s Day gift guide. Now you’ve got no excuse to turn up for lunch with a soap-on-a-rope…

*It’s not.

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