Beyond 'The Tie'— Dad's Day Gift Ideas

When I was a kid, we had a pretty limited list of items on our Father's Day menu of gifts.

Dad could look forward each year to a new bottle of Old Spice or Aqua Velva, a pack of white short-sleeved Hanes Beefy T's, a box of handkerchiefs, or — wait for it — a new tie! . . .  But that was then. 

Fast forward a generation, and my husband and dad have both exhausted a updated list of tried-and-true manly gifts: trail mix, boutique beers, grilling accoutrements, sports equipment.

And they both have so many neckties that they could easily string them together to form a span across the Grand Canyon — twice.

It's time to think outside the (tie) box. Here's a few local and semi-local ideas  — plus a handful of dad gifts from the internet:

• Learn 'Knife Skills' — Dad can take courses in Knife Skills, Italian Boot Camp, Wine Tasting and more at Classic Thyme Cooking School. There's also a Kids Cooking School if dad (and mom) need a break! — Westfield

• Recording studio for kids to sing to Dad — Have the kids record Dad’s favorite song, but let's hope it's not "Eye of the Tiger" or anything from LMFAO. — Scotch Plains

•  Take Dad out to a Jackals Game: Father's Day June 17 is Family Funday Sunday with $1 Hotdogs, kids run the bases, catch in the outfield after the game, and autograph session with Jackals players. Also,  Jackals Hat Giveaway for the first 1000 Fans. 2:05 pm game — Little Falls/Montclair

• Rejeuvenate Dad's spirit with a massage - Flic Spa offers an array of pampering treatments no dad could resist  -- everything from soothing foot rubs to deep tissue massages to hot stone therapy.  For something really exotic, try one of the Pacific Island Massages that incorporate ancient healing arts and the spirit of Aloha! — Bloomfield

• Let Dad drive an exotic car — Zoom, zoom! Exotic driving experiences start at six laps with a professional driving instructor in the passenger seat providing coaching and feedback. Dad can choose from Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris. Drives start at $169. — Englishtown, NJ

• Take Dad on a Hot Air Ballon Ride - Float peacefully over lakes and mountains listening to the sounds of nature below. A Beautiful Balloon offers a variety of rides from Champagne Flights, Dawn Patrol and High Adventure, there's a ride for every type of dad.  $250 and up. -- Parsippany

• Tour a local brewery with Dad — Climax Brewery was at the forefront of the microbrewing craze (Dave Hoffmann previously owned The Brewmeister, a homebrew-supply store located in Cranford) and continues to brew some of the best beers around. Call (908) 620-9585 to schedule a tour. – Roselle Park, NJ

Instead of purchasing a present, do you want to make something out of the box for dad?

• Purchase a copy of "Cake Pops: Tips, Tricks, and Recipes for More Than 40 Irresistible Mini Treats" and make dad some delicious cake pops adorned with the logo of his favorite sports team (seriously, it's in the book!).
• Go to the Home Depot website and find out how to build a firepit or outdoor theater (because Dad needs an outdoor firepit to pop popcorn for his outdoor movies!).

And from the Internet (you may need to pay extra for on-time delivery at this point!):

• Personalized golf clubs for dad
• Gadget charger for dad’s car
  
• Beats headphones to drown out “house noises”

Finally, my personal favorite: 

• Universal remote and bottle opener

Did we miss a great non-necktie Father's Day gift? Tell us in the comments!

Kathy Pigott and Linda federico-O'Murchu contributed to this list.