You might think Father’s Day is a relatively new tradition. But while it’s only been celebrated on the third Sunday of June since the early 20th century, some parts of Europe have been honoring fatherhood and the role of fathers in society since the Middle Ages! Back then though, in the days of William the Conqueror, Braveheart and Robin Hood, there were nowhere near as many Father’s Day gift ideas around as there are today. Frankly you would be lucky if you got a card and a new candle to replace the one from last night.
In fact, you only need to search for Father’s Day gifts online and you’ll get 1000s of results – the choice is overwhelming and if you’re in need of inspiration you’ll definitely find plenty just by having a quick browse. But how do you ensure you get your Dad (or the father figure in your life) a really exciting Father’s Day gift that he’ll love? And why is that important, especially in 2020, hundreds of years since we first began making Father’s Day a thing – is it still relevant?
Why you should be shopping for Father’s Day gifts online right now
Some people say it’s ironic that it’s only as we get older and need him less that we really start to appreciate our fathers and their role in shaping our lives when we’re young. But that’s only half-true. In fact we never stop needing our Dads, their wisdom, advice, leadership and hugs, but our relationships with them often change as time goes on. We’re maybe not so dependent on them for the little things, but knowing they’re there in the background is still incredibly important. That’s why when June rolls around so many of us start thinking about how to find Father’s Day gifts that show him how much he means to us.
As a consequence of Covid-19, many families will sadly be celebrating Father’s Day in lockdown this year, and not all Dads will get to spend the day with their kids like they would normally. But while the circumstances might be far from ideal, think of it as an opportunity to find a really special Father’s Day gift idea for 2020, one that he’s really going to love. After all, you may be socially distanced, but you can always close the gap emotionally with really great Father’s Day gifts.
But what are the best Father’s Day gifts, and how can you be sure you’re getting him something he’ll truly appreciate? You and your Dad might be like two peas in a pod, as the old saying goes, but that doesn’t change the fact that fathers tend to be notoriously difficult to shop for.
Our advice: if you need some solid-gold inspiration for Father’s Day gifts, then always remember Useful and Unique. And for that, there’s nothing better than experience gifts for fathers from Tinggly.
What are Father’s Day gift experiences?
Although more and more people are falling for the idea of giving experiences to celebrate special occasions rather than material items, not everyone is yet entirely sure what the big idea is.
When you give your Dad an experience as a Father’s Day gift, he’ll be taking part in an activity at an agreed time and place. So it’s not something that’s going to sit on his desk or a shelf, but certainly he can frame a few photos of his experience to help him remember it. They can then take pride of place in his Man Cave (come on Dad, it’s just a shed, admit it).
So what kind of experiences can you, and your Dad, expect to find in one of these gift boxes?
The Tinggly team scours the globe to find the very finest gifts for him from the adventurous, such as skydives and driving experiences, to the relaxing, and the cultural. Each of these online gift boxes reveals 100s of activities around the world that your Dad can enjoy either alone, as part of a couple or a group. There is something for every personality, every interest, every holiday.
There are experiences that allow him to pursue interests that he already has – perhaps he’s an avid snorkeler and would like to explore the Great Barrier Reef, or an enthusiastic amateur chef who’d like to try his hand at a few different world cuisines.
And there are experiences where he can tick something off his own private bucket list if he wants. Perhaps an epic skydive over the desert, a hot air balloon flight over a city he’s always wanted to visit, or a meeting with an inspirational figure from Buddhist monks in Tibet to American astronauts and even Japanese samurai. This a Father’s Day gift to make him go Wow.
Why choose experience gifts for Father’s Day?
One of the main reasons that Father’s Day experiences have become so popular in recent years is that research shows experiential gifts can foster stronger relationships than material items, because of the heightened emotions involved – basically if you want Father’s Day gift ideas that are going to bring you closer to your Dad then an experience gift card is a good bet.
Living his best life
Need another reason? Here’s a good one. Chances are that your Dad is on social media (it’s also pretty likely that you find that deeply embarrassing at times). And when it comes to platforms like Facebook and Instagram, something people always love to share is life experiences – you’re creating your own narrative. So when you give your Dad a Father’s Day gift experience, you’re helping him show off a little to his friends, or at least ensure people who matter to him know he’s living his best life. That’s the ethos of Tinggly: Give stories, not stuff.
No clutter
Something else to consider: by the time they get to your Dad’s age, most guys have got everything they really need or want already, and anything else risks becoming so much clutter. If you’re not certain that you know exactly what material item is really going to hit the spot, then an experience may well be the most suitable gift for Father’s Day.
Travel gift ideas for Father’s Day
Father’s Day experience gifts can also fit really well with future travel plans. If your Dad loves to get away on holiday and is curious about seeing more of the world, then giving him an experience for Father’s Day that he can use while he’s away will likely be highly appreciated. Especially if it’s something that allows him a deeper perspective on the place he’s traveling to.
Almost 70% of people would rather receive an experience as a gift
What makes Father’s Day experiences from Tinggly different?
You can search for Father’s Day gift cards online, or Father’s Day experiences, and you’re going to have plenty to choose from. But if you’re looking for great Father’s Day experience gifts, then Tinggly gift cards stand out from the crowd. Here’s why.
The gift of choice
With experience gift cards from Tinggly, the recipient chooses what they do, when and where, according to their own interests, passions and travel plans. Massively convenient for you, of course, but equally important is a phrase that many of us have become all too familiar with in 2020: social distance.
What that means is, the further socially distant we are from somebody, the more likely we are to give them a material item. For those we’re close to, we look more towards experiences as unique gift ideas. And because with Father’s Day gift cards from Tinggly the choice of what to do is theirs alone, there’s little risk of getting the wrong thing – greater satisfaction for both giver and receiver.
No expiration dates
Another aspect of Father’s Day experiences from Tinggly is that there are no expiry dates for him to worry about. He can lose his gift card at the back of his Man Drawer – yes it’s true, all Dads have them – and retrieve it in a year’s time and it will be just as useful to him. Also really helpful for when travel plans have to be changed.
Eco-friendly Father’s Day gifts
We all of us want to leave the world in a better place than we found it, for future generations to enjoy. And at Tinggly, we know that some of our experiences can carry a heavy carbon footprint. That’s when, when you buy your Father’s Day gifts from us, we automatically enrol you in our Activist program. Every time we sell one of our unique gift cards, we commit to the following:
- Working with our partners Climate Care to offset the carbon footprint of the average experience in our collection by 200%. We know carbon offsetting isn’t the answer to climate change, but it’s one step along the road.
- Working with our partners Plastic Bank to remove 33lbs (15kg) of plastic waste from the natural environment – the equivalent of 660 plastic bottles. And recycling that waste as much as possible, thereby providing another source of income for coastal communities.
Cool Father’s Day gift boxes
Wait a minute, you might be thinking, I don’t like the idea of turning up at my Dad’s place without an actual physical gift in my hand. Well, that’s not an issue with these Father’s Day experience gifts. Tinggly gift cards can be sent anywhere in the world, packaged in a stylish presentation box with a detailed pamphlet on how to use them, and why they’re such cool gift ideas for Dads. Send it to yourself so you can hand it over in person, or direct to your Dad. And if it’s more convenient, gift cards can be sent by email as well.
Not everyone is buying Father’s Day gifts for their actual fathers
We understand that not everyone who is looking for Father’s Day gift ideas is after something for their actual Dad. You might need Father’s Day gifts for uncles, for instance, someone that has acted as a father figure for you if your own Dad hasn’t been able to for whatever reason.
Or, you may be looking for a Father’s Day gift for husbands or boyfriends, on behalf of your young children.
Whoever the gift is for, you can be certain that our Father’s Day experiences have been carefully curated to ensure he’ll find something he’d love to try. If you think they deserve it, then go for experience gift cards, the most thoughtful Father’s Day gifts around.
Father’s Day gift ideas for Dads who have everything
All guys are different, with their own interests and passions. If you’re searching for great Father’s Day gifts for Dad then you might be thinking something along these old reliable lines:
- A new golf club
- A home brew kit
- Whisky tumblers
- A new set of motorbike leathers
Or something else that fits in with his lifestyle. And there’s nothing wrong with them. But let’s be honest, they’re not exactly the most original of Father’s Day gift ideas.
When you buy Father’s Day experience gifts, while it’s his decision what he ends up doing, there’s nothing stopping you from dropping a few hints about what he might like to try. Here are a few ideas for Father’s Day experiences:
Father’s Day gift ideas for Creative Dads
Hobby gifts include:
- A 737 Flight Simulator experience in the UK
- A VIP tour of Elvis Presley’s Graceland
- An introduction to gold panning and salmon fishing in Alaska
Father’s Day gift ideas for Adventurous Dads
Adrenaline experiences include:
- A Big Island parasailing flight in Hawaii
- A Ferrari driving experience in Italy
- Waterfall rappelling, canyoning and ziplining in Costa Rica
Father’s Day gift ideas for Dads who love to travel
Travel gifts include:
- A relaxing day at a Balinese spa
- An eye-opening tour of a shanty town in Lima, Peru
- A small group guided walking tour of Stockholm, Sweden
Father’s Day gift ideas for History Buff Dads
History tour gifts include:
- A tour of a genuine ghost town in the Nevada desert
- An introduction to the ancient art of Japanese tea ceremonies in Tokyo
- A tour of the Catherine Palace in St. Petersburg, Russia
Father’s Day gift ideas for Foodie Dads
Wine and gourmet gifts include:
- A Catalan cookery course in Barcelona
- A Korean night-dining tour in Seoul
- A brewery tour in Washington DC, with plenty of tastings
For the Dad who has everything, these Father’s Day experiences are a gift of discovery instead. The anticipation before the experience will be thrilling enough, but then you’ve also got the happy memories afterwards, which can last forever.
Sharing is caring – Father’s Day gift ideas for couples
Something else that you might want to think about is Father’s Day gifts for couples, so that he can choose an activity that he can share with Mom, or with you, or a friend if he prefers. A Father’s Day gift box from Tinggly will also contain numerous experiences for two, whether that be a Chinatown food tour of Chicago, a colorful tango lesson Buenos Aires, a kayaking tour of the Sal Backwaters in Goa, or even a couples’ beekeeping lesson in France (a great retirement gift idea!).
And, if your Dad finds something he’s like to do but it’s a solo experience, then he can easily add someone else on just by getting in touch with the Tinggly team, who will advise him of the supplement payable.
What do Father’s Day gifts from Tinggly involve?
Okay, so we’ve (hopefully) convinced you of why experiences are such a great idea, especially for Father’s Day gifts, why Father’s Day gift cards from Tinggly are so unique, and we’ve also shown you some of the different types of experience he’ll find in one of these online gift boxes.
If you’ve never bought experience gifts for anyone before, here’s what’s involved:
Start by browsing the various online gift cards for him on the Tinggly website. They will be perfect for your Dad of course, but just as good as Father’s Day gifts for brothers, or Father’s Day gifts for boyfriends, if you’re thinking about alternative father figures.
Once you’ve found the one that best suits the person, or your budget, then you need to pay securely online, with just a few clicks of your mouse button.
After that, you just have to add a personal message for your Dad or other father figure, and an address for the gift box to be sent to, and you’re all done! It takes literally five minutes to find, buy and send the perfect Father’s Day gifts, anywhere in the world. And don’t forget that if it’s more convenient, gift cards can also be sent via email.
How he redeems his Father’s Day experiences
Once he’s got his hands on his gift card, the fun really starts. Your Dad can enjoy looking through the Tinggly map, and checking out the various experiences open to him in over 100 countries around the world. Make sure you remind him that these Father’s Day gifts have NO EXPIRY DATES – there is absolutely no rush for him to make a decision, so if he has a holiday in a few months, that would be a great time to use it but he can always keep the gift card for further into the future.
When he’s chosen what he wants to do and where, he just needs to contact the Tinggly team, and they will make a reservation on his behalf. We strongly recommend he books his experience at least a couple of weeks in advance, purely to ensure he gets the best time slots.
Lastly – after he’s had fun on his experience, we’d really appreciate a review! At Tinggly we’re on a mission to revolutionise gift-giving, and we love it every time someone gives us a shout out.
Useful and Unique Father’s Day gifts for Dad
Your Dad is one of a kind, so you want to get him a Father’s Day gift that’s just as unique as he is. Tinggly gift cards for Dads are thoughtful, affordable and cool, but much more than that:
- No fixed experiences – he gets to choose what to do, where and when, according to his own interests and personality. A fantastic bucket list gift idea
- No expiry dates, at all, so there’s no rush for Dads to use their Father’s Day experience gifts, or to decide what to do
- Gift cards can be sent anywhere in the world, packaged in a stylish box so that you have something to hand over, or by email if more convenient
- Eco-friendly gift ideas – as part of Tinggly’s efforts to make our experiences as sustainable as possible, when you buy our gift boxes you contribute to reducing plastic in the natural environment
- Gift vouchers with global availability – 1000s of amazing experiences for your Dad to try, in over 100 countries around the world
The best Father’s Day gift ideas are those that are both unusual and unique. They bring parents and kids together, forging stronger bonds. And they really make him feel appreciated for all the things he does for his kids, often behind the scenes.
Whenever you’re looking for special gift ideas, whatever the occasion, you should always have in mind the long term effect of that gift. Is it going to have a positive effect on our relationship in future?
With experience gifts for Father’s Day the answer is assuredly yes to all of these points. He can indulge in his interests and hobbies or discover new ones, he can try amazing and unusual activities while traveling, or in his own city. And the excitement someone feels when they’re given experience gifts, and the happy memories they’ll have for years afterwards, are just the greatest.