Six Amazing Father's Day Activities
By Bronwyn Walsh
With Father’s Day fast approaching, and untimely delays on gifts purchased online, the question of how to make this year’s Father’s Day special grows ever more daunting. Perhaps your gift has yet to arrive, or perhaps you are looking for new ways to celebrate. While this year is certainly unusual, it also provides an opportunity for new traditions to form. “Taking your dad on a date” is an amazing way to spend one-on-one time together, and an itinerary of a day of adventure makes for a great gift.
The opportunity to spend time doing meaningful activities with family is perhaps the most valuable gift to a parent. Spending one-on-one time with your dad is even more special, as it is quality time spent together, and is guaranteed to be a much appreciated gift. Whether it’s an extravagant excursion or a simple trip to see your local nature, we have you covered. Below we have compiled a list of five of the best Father’s Day dates that will create a perfect day for Dad.
1) Paddling Day
A great way to celebrate your dad is to take him on a day trip paddling. Whether it’s kayaking along the coast, or canoeing through a camping route, this day trip is an amazing way to spend quality time with your dad. If you decide to kayak along the coast, plan so that you can reach a beachy spot for a rest or a picnic before turning around. For canoers, many public parks offer maps on their website or at a park office to provide information about different routes and their individual characteristics. You can even extend this canoe date into a multi-day canoe trip if there are campsites in your vicinity. After planning your route and printing your maps, don’t forget to pack your travel-sized Nantucket Spider in your bag!.
2) Hiking Trip
If there are any local, state, provincial, or national parks in your area, chances are the hiking is fantastic. Maps and details for specific areas can be found on the websites for most parks, and provide explanations of the specifics of each trail. If you are interested in hiking, it is almost guaranteed that there will be a trail that is compatible with your skill level nearby, as most parks try to cater to all abilities. AllTrails has the best routes and trails worldwide, and is a great place to start planning. A hiking trip is an amazing way to spend some one-on-one time with Dad, and to experience your local nature!
3) Picnic
An early morning picnic, or an evening picnic dinner is an easy and thoughtful way to spend some time with Dad. Local beaches and parks tend to be less busy at the ends of the day, and are perfect places to have a picnic together. BBC goodfood provides a tasty scotch egg recipe that is fancy enough for Father’s Day while still being easily transportable, and Saveur provides a delicious reuben sandwich recipe for a dinner treat. If you would rather not pre-make food, you can also go to locations where campfires are permitted, and cook your meal over the fire. KOA provides a comprehensive list of easy and delicious meals to cook over the fire for a father’s day picnic feast!
4) Fishing Excursion
If you’re looking to start an annual Father’s Day tradition, fishing might be the perfect activity for you. Getting up early and heading out for a day of fishing together guarantees a perfect excursion. You can also incorporate other activities into this excursion, such as hiking and paddling depending on where you would like to fish from. Regardless of whether you drive down to your local river, hike to a secluded spot on the shore of a body of water, or paddle to the middle of a lake, this date is sure to be unforgettable. Just make sure you understand your area’s regulations and requirements for fishing, and cast away! Nantucket Spider is an essential for this activity as it does require staying put for a time, so make sure you stock up!
5) Outdoor Movie Theater
Whether or not you own a projector screen or other professional theater equipment, you can easily make an at-home outdoor theater. Many office stores such as Staples offer projectors of various sizes and capabilities, which can project a movie onto a wall of the house or a projector screen. After setting up some speakers and chairs and grabbing some popcorn, get ready to sit back and watch Dad’s favorite movie together as the sun goes down. This activity (again, with proper social distancing measures) can also be a nice way to visit other family and friends.
6) Biking Trip
If you would like to cover more ground on your day trip, or if you simply prefer to bike, this is a fantastic option! Regardless of if you prefer to bike in nature, or to bike along roads to a specific destination, this date is sure to be a hit. Because you can cover more ground in less time when biking, you can include locations to visit along the way to your itinerary, such as historical sites, or the sites of interesting natural occurrences. Even if you live in an area where a bike trip in a park is infeasible, a bike tour of the city can be an amazing way to experience all popular tourist destinations (likely to be empty at this time), or all the hidden gems of the city!