Dads are notorious for being challenging to shop for. They rarely voice out what they want—even actively deny they want anything—and would straight up buy it themselves instead.

That doesn’t mean that we can skip giving the dads in our lives something to make them smile during the holidays or special occasions.

If nothing else, this should make us even more determined to find the perfect gifts that make them smile.

It seems like it comes naturally for dads to give, but we all know they deserve to be spoiled too. That’s why we’ve made a list of fantastic gifts to treat the best dads in our lives. 

For the Artsy Dad – An Artist Gift Set

Engaging in art nourishes the mind and soul and brings a host of health benefits. We hear a lot about using art therapy to help treat mental illness today.

Many studies have found that art therapy is effective in helping reduce pain, anxiety, and stress in cancer patients and depression in Parkinson’s patients. 

For as long as we can remember, art has helped people process and recover from difficult experiences and maintain a healthy, positive mental space.

Whether it’s writing, drawing, dancing, performing, or playing music, engaging in art is beneficial for dealing with day-to-day stresses or highly distressing situations. 

Some dads enjoy tinkering with tools and building stuff, while others prefer artistic self-expression. If you’ve got dads in your life with a flair for the arts, the perfect present is a complete artist gift set. 

You could get a ready-made set or assemble one yourself. Dads who are regular artists probably have their preferred products and tools, so making a custom artist gift set would suit them better.

Here are a few supplies to include in your custom artist gift set:

• A sketchbook 
• Charcoal pencils
• Charcoal sticks
• Sketching pencils
• High-quality brushes
• A color acrylic paint set
• A color oil paint set
• A colorful permanent marker set
• A colorful water brush set

Basic drawing sets, painting sets, paint-by-the-number kits, and mixed media gift sets would be good options for dads who are just starting out. 

For the Bookish Dad – A First Edition Copy of His Favorite Boo

It’s a fact that bookworms love their books like they were their children (but they’re more than happy to share their love for books with their kids too).

However, one can’t deny a book lover’s extraordinary affection for the first book that made their heart race and started them on their marvelous, life-long journey in between paper pages (or electronic pages, whichever they prefer). 

If the dad in your life is a consummate reader, a first-edition copy of his most beloved book will make a heartwarming gift.

Depending on the title, a copy might be pretty rare, so start looking early on. The good news is that there are now online marketplaces to buy first editions. 

One is The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABBA), which has been around since 1949. They have a massive collection of rare books and catalogs listed by verified member booksellers on their website.

AbeBooks, which Amazon now owns, is a big player in the market and has been operating since 1996. You can find a vast array of new, used, and rare books on the site sold by independent sellers. AbeBooks also sells fine arts and collectibles.

Other places you can browse to find rare first-edition books include eBay, Amazon, Antiqbook, Biblio, and Alibris.

Before clicking the checkout button, make sure you know how to buy a rare book the right way to ensure you get what you expect. 

For the Geeky Dad – A Collectible Item

Everyone probably knows and is close to at least one geeky person, and you’re in luck if it’s a dad in your life. There is a long list of gift options for geeks, which can be a blessing or a curse. 

Doing a little bit (or a lot) of digging may be necessary to find the perfect present in the ocean of choices.

The first step is to learn what the dad in your life is passionate about. Is it Star Wars, superhero comics, video games, Japanese animation, or maybe even a specific period in history? 

Whatever he’s into, you can never go wrong with a precious collectible item, better if it’s rare too. Here are a few ideas:

• A historically accurate medieval sword
• Limited edition official merchandise
• An antique game console
• A rare comic book
• Action figures

Geeky people have all sorts of mainstream and obscure interests. Expect to invest considerable time, effort, and money if you’re going for a rare gift, but all the hard work is worth it to see his happy reaction. 

For the Outdoor-Loving Dad – A Fancy Portable Barbecue Grill

What dads love most is spending time with family and friends, especially when enjoying wholesome activities together. In particular, dads seem to enjoy outdoor activities immensely, and the outdoor activities are never complete without barbeque. 

A state-of-the-art, portable gas grill is the perfect gift for a dad who loves the outdoors (and grilling). It may not have the same mesmerizing appeal as lanterns or candles, but it’s definitely practical for outdoor dining and entertaining.

If the dad in your life is a serious outdoorsman, you could buy him an outdoor cooking set to go with the fancy grill. 

For the Retro Movie Lover – A Personalized 8mm Film Projector and VHS/DVD Player

Walk into any retro movie store, and you’ll see rows of people looking at these things.

If a dad loves movies as much as we do, a personal movie projector might be just what he needs to watch movies in his very own home with friends and family.

Movie projectors can be expensive, but there are plenty of affordable options online. 

For the Techie Dad – A Handy Tablet

A tablet is a handy device that complements a laptop. Even if he owns one already, having two devices can come in handy and make things run more smoothly.

A tablet would be a good companion when working away from home and relaxing at home. 

Most tablets are designed for easy portability and don’t take much space. Here are a few examples of popular tablets that are tailored to meet the demands of dads:

• A tablet by AEG
• An HD tablet from Acer, Asus, and Lenovo 
• A retina display tablet with ample storage 
• A tablet from Asus with a built-in stylus for handwriting and drawing. It also has an anti-gravity keyboard. 

The best tablets available on the market right now come with lots of features and good build quality. With so many options, know what to look for in a tablet for a dad, taking into account how he’ll use it. 

For All Dads – Gift Baskets

A basket full of practical and useful items (instead of just one or two) will make any dad happy. Gift baskets are perfect for all occasions, whether it’s a birthday, holidays, anniversaries, or other special events. 

The average cost of custom gift baskets starts at around $50 and can go as high as $300, depending on the contents.

Some companies can accommodate requests for specific gifts, but others might not. If you can’t find a custom-made basket, make one yourself consisting of the dad’s favorite treats and things.

Conclusion

This is by no means a complete list of every gift idea for a dad. Every dad is different and has his own special interests worth exploring.

What’s important is that you know how to best communicate with him and make the gift thoughtful, not just thrown at him. 

Whether you get something for a single man or your entire family, we hope this article will help you get the perfect gift!