For Father’s Day: a travel experience or traditional gift or both?

By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Content Agency
Taking the Kids

Would dad rather get an experience or a traditional gift for Father’s Day?

If you are nodding yes, then think about giving a gift to dad, grandpa, favorite uncle, godfather, etc., an experience with you this Father’s Day. You could gift a Fun Together gift box from Tinggly that offers some 27,000 activities to choose from for two to four people. (Starting at $199.)

A new pair of stylish sunglasses would be a welcome gift — perhaps along with a day of fishing or on the golf course. Consider ones with Transitions® GEN S™ lenses which offer eye protection with lenses that adapt from clear indoors to dark outdoors in seconds. Look for these from Ray-Ban and Oakley, among others, and for dads with mild hearing loss, those from Nuance Audio supply hearing help within the frames of the glasses. Look for them at Lenscrafters currently offering deals on a second pair.

I’m also a fan of Tours By Locals that offer every variety of private tours around the world, everything from a Montreal Jewish food experience to touring World Cup host cities to individual shore excursions. They may seem expensive but aren’t really when the cost is divided among a family or group. In fact, they can be less expensive than a ship’s shore excursions.

Another bet is to sign up for a complimentary tour from the International Greeter Association which pairs locals with visitors around the world, including Italy, Japan, France and, of course, the United States. The idea is you see the city through the eyes of a local. We’ve certainly enjoyed our experiences in Paris (a foodie tour) and New York (walking across Brooklyn Bridge).

Just make sure if you are gifting a particular experience, dad is on board with the date and what you have planned.

There’s nothing wrong with adding a little gift too. How about a book? Whether dad is a history buff, loves mystery novels, cookbooks or biographies, your local librarian can suggest a book that will suit, perhaps set in the place you plan to visit together. If you promise to share a road trip, you won’t go wrong with a subscription to Audible with audiobooks, podcasts and more. (You can try it for free for 30 days.)

If your dad loves museums, gift him a membership and promise to go with him to his favorite – or yours. Many museum memberships offer complimentary entrance to similar museums in other cities.

You could always give a gift card to his favorite restaurant … and promise to go with him.

If the favorite dads and grandpas in your life love the outdoors, gift a weekend camping or glamping together but add some clothing that will keep them safe from bug-borne diseases. Like from Royal Robbins. The shirts and pants don’t have any toxic chemical repellants and won’t wash away. They are also breathable, quick drying and they stretch. We loved having these on a recent trip to Vietnam when it was so hot. ($100)

(You can also find insect-repellent options from L.L. Bean, including hiking socks ($26.95) and from REI. Also look for clothes that protect from the sun, like the REI Sahara Shade Hoodie that is stretchy, wicks moisture and provides UPF 50+ sun protection ($59.95).

If grandpa talks all the time about the national parks trips that he took as a kid, promise a trip with you. And if he doesn’t have a National Parks Pass, gift him an America the Beautiful digital Senior Lifetime Pass ($80, plus $7.50 shipping) or a 2026 Digital Senior Annual Pass ($20, plus $7.50 shipping, if you want a physical pass.) Another fun gift would be the National Parks Vintage 1,000-piece puzzle ($24.99 ). He might also like National Parks Monopoly ($49.95) or Junior Ranger National Parks Opoly to play with the grandkids ($28.95). Also consider a vintage national parks T-shirt from the Landmark Project, which celebrates public lands and supports the organizations that work to protect them ($36).

For the concert and outdoor festival lover, consider a just recently launched return of their Smokey Bear Original Chair, available now exclusively at REI from Crazy Creek Products. Crazy Creek will donate 10 percent of the proceeds from each of these chairs sold to the U.S. Forest Service for wildfire prevention education. If dad or grandpa doesn’t want to get on the ground, Helinox makes lightweight chairs perfect for toting to the beach, camping, or outdoor concert. (Starting at $109.95; there are less expensive options on Amazon.com.)

For the dad who never wants to be without sufficient charge on the go, go for the Ohsnap Snap Pack. It uses MagSafe technology to instantly stick to the back of your phone to recharge it and has Q i 2 wireless charging and you can recharge another device using another device using a USB-C cable. (On sale for $52.49.)

If you want to take your dad hiking or touring in your favorite city but he always complains his feet hurt after a day of sightseeing or hiking, consider gifting the Roll Recovery Men’s Slide engineered with a special footbed that provides stability and support. They are also lightweight, so it is easy to pack. ($69.95).

And if your dad is always the one who does the laundry on vacation, you can promise a time together in one of his favorite cities and give him a Rinse gift card he can use for laundry and dry cleaning pickup and delivery in major cities, including New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., Boston and LA.

Happy Father’s Day!

(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)

©2026 Eileen Ogintz. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.