Need a gift idea for Father’s Day 2021 and the dad in your life? Covid might have reorganized our lives, but it’s also given us a little clarity. Being able to spend time together is a great gift. Gifts take time, but not necessarily lots of money! Most people don’t need more stuff! Things to consume, share, and experience make unique gifts and great memories.

If Dad is Close by This Father’s Day, June 20, 2021

  • Take dad for a picnic to any of the state parks on Father’s Day 2021. Usually, all cars with Maine plates get in free on Father’s Day. (Except Baxter State Park, Scarborough Beach, and the Penobscot Narrows Observatory.) Check the Maine parks site to make sure it’s happening this year.
  •  Get dad a share in a local CSA, or get some planters and put together a few little gardens for fresh herbs or greens. It’s fun to watch things grow! Make it a shared activity.
  • Make your own gift cards for a chore around the house or a project that needs some intensive attention. Wrap up a new paintbrush with a promise to paint the trim, or put some fresh screening in a box and repair the screen door.
  • Now that we can get together again, pick out several experiences to share over the next few months. Get movie tickets for a much-anticipated opening, get tickets for a ball game, or a train ride. Put together a little calendar Knowing that you’ll do something together over the next few months would be a great Father’s Day idea.
  • Or do something that involves his favorite hobby. Get a subscription to a hunting or car magazine, a day on the links or scout out some new apps for his iPad. Join his at his tai chi class!
  • If dad likes an occasional cocktail, check out one of the Maine-made spirits available in most grocery or liquor stores. Look for the Maine-made section. Put together a basket of Maine food, from cheeses to jellies.
  • Does dad love cribbage? Learn how to play, and surprise him with a new cribbage set. Let him know you learned to play just so you could play with him. Ditto checkers, chess, Battle Ship or Space Invaders!

If Dad is Further Away This Father’s Day

  • Is dad far away? Honor him with a Habitat for Humanity gift. Or send him a Kiva gift card. You put a donation in his name, and he gets to allocate it to entrepreneurs around the world in $25 increments.
  • One good thing Covid has done is increase home delivery. Get his favorite meal delivered!
  • My dad liked to cook, so a few new recipes or a special cook book and the key ingredients for a meal I knew he would like was always appreciated.  My dad also was a fan of anything ginger, so he would often receive a box of ginger jelly, an odd ginger ale, candied ginger, a ginger candle….you get the picture.
  • Don’t overlook classes. Give dad a certificate for something of interest from his local Community Ed program or community college. And remember, there are lots of classes on-line like BoomerTech Adventures.
  •  There are picture frames that you can automatically upload with photo, so he can get daily or weekly peeks at what’s going on.

Happy Father’s Day 2021.Make good memories!