Mother’s Day gifts are easy. If you can’t think of anything original, most mums will appreciate a bunch of flowers, or a new bottle of her favourite perfume, or even simply a home-cooked meal and a promise you’ll tidy your room for a month without her having to nag you.
While those things can also work for dads, we’ve put together a list of last-minute ideas for Father’s Day that should prevent your having to see your old man attempting sad puppy eyes next weekend.
The old-faithful
Yes, this is not very creative, but a lot of dads need socks. But don’t just pick up any pair of white sport socks. Help keep Pop’s feet so fresh and so clean with an anti-odour pair (Marks & Spencer, Nike, New Balance and Lululemon are just some of the ones we’ve found in Hong Kong stores). Or find fun pairs that reflect his character; we love happysocks.com.hk and holisocks.com for crazy, colourful designs.
Celebrate his inner nerd
Yes, your dad might be a responsible grown-up, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have fun! The website teeblox.com is a T-shirt subscription company, and for US$35.97, +US$7.99 postage (HK$343) dear ol’ Dad will get a tee every month for three months, plus some other nifty bits and bobs. YOU pick the theme, so he can’t go around in a shirt that embarrasses you. Too much.
Let the creative juices flow
Is your dad a bit of an artist? Maybe he’s in a band – or has always wanted to be? Celebrate that creativity with him, and book a session (either just you and him, or go with the whole family!) at a paint jamming studio (we can recommend chocolart.com.hk which offers three-hour sessions for HK$220), or if he’s a wannabe Rolling Stone (ask him), why not hire a band practice room for a couple of hours? Places like www.zuk-studio.com and www.the440studio.com offer affordable hourly rates for band rooms with drums, amps, keyboards and mics, so let your old man rock out!
Manchild
If anyone has ever accused your dad of being like a child, celebrate it! Core Hong Kong is a new water park in Tai Po that’s just crying out to be your new place for family bonding. Or if you can convince Dad to take you to Macau for the day, you can get day passes to Galaxy Macau’s new aquatic play zone.
Snap to it
Digital photos are amazing, but give your dad something tangible that he can put on his wall. A customised collage of family photos shows you care enough to print out some great shots and make something unique. Add captions or emoji as you see fit!
Don’t be a mug
... make one instead! Buy a cheap, but oven-proof, white mug (hello Ikea), and some permanent markers (most people recommend US brand Sharpie, but it’s not essential). Thoroughly clean and dry the mug, then write or draw something lovely on it. Leave it to dry overnight, then put it in a 180C oven for 30 minutes. Leave it in the oven to cool completely.
Go au naturel
Maybe it’s just lots of the dads we know, but there’s something primal about the great outdoors that appeals to them. Plan a family weekend staycation that involves hiking to a remote beach, setting up a tent, cooking over an open fire (or government-issue BBQ), and spending the night listening to dad jokes under the stars.