One of our family’s favorite places to spend time is outside. I’m convinced Ryan’s happy place is pretty much anywhere outdoors and he’s often the ringleader of our family’s outside adventures. Ryan and I joke that our kids are better behaved out of our house than inside so whether we’re spending time on the lake, swimming, hiking, exploring local trails or even taking the boys to a local park, it’s safe to say if we’re outside, we’re all a little happier!
If a father figure in your life shares our love for spending time outside, I hope today’s roundup of Father’s Day gift ideas helps you find a little something for a man in your life whom you think deserves to feel extra special on Sunday. The ideas in this post range from hiking gear and comfy slides to backpack coolers, outdoor games, travel hammocks and more and cover a range of price points. I hope something on this list pops out at you and helps a father-figure in your life feel a little extra loved!
Father’s Day Finds for the Outdoorsy Dad
Last year, I gave Ryan a straw hat for Father’s Day because I saw him eyeing them during a previous trip to the beach. It was an instant hit and he wears this hat all the time and sings its praises for a myriad of reasons including, obviously, sun protection but also for the drawstring’s ability to keep the hat in place when we’re out on the water and the wind picks up. My dad and brother-in-law have straw hats as well and also sing their praises so it’s a gift I think many outdoorsy dads would love!
I’ve had a collapsible wagon on my radar for years but finally ordered one earlier this spring. I had a few ideas for it including storing the boys’ outside toys in it so they could easily be wheeled in and out of the garage, using it for hauling our gear to and from the lake or pool, etc. One thing I didn’t expect: For the wagon to become one of Ryan and the boys’ favorite things! We now use it for wagon rides and love that it hauls a bunch of stuff along with two kiddos when we’re going a short distance. It collapses easily and I have a feeling it will only become all the more useful as the boys get older and we’re carting more and more stuff with us on various adventures and vacations and to and from an assortment of kid activities.
After Chase was born, I remember Ryan saying someone needs to come out with a line of kid and baby products that only require the use of one hand. When you’re wrangling little ones, having one or two hands available is priceless since you’re often holding a baby or the hand of a child. A backpack cooler is the perfect solution for a dad looking to keep food and beverages cool while freeing up a hand or two. We are in love with our YETI backpack cooler! It’s a splurge for sure but the quality is fantastic and it’s a boat day staple for us when we head out on the water for a few hours with the boys.
You know how sometimes you love something so much that you hold onto it, continue wearing it when it’s way out of style and then, somehow, it comes back into style? That is Ryan with his beloved Adidas slides. He’s had them for years and years and I’m convinced he’ll continue to wear them until the soles fall off. He wears them to the pool, the beach, on short walks outside, on errands around town and around the yard when he’s out playing with the boys. They’re his go-to sandal and at this rate, I’m convinced they always will be.
When it comes to cookouts with family and friends, backyard and outdoor games are so much fun! We’re big fans of corn hole in our house and Spikeball is a big hit as well! As a kid growing up in Palatine, Illinois, I also have vivid memories of my parents and our next door neighbors playing countless rounds of bocce ball and we may need to add that game to our collection because it’s so fun!
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Hiking/Camping Gear
One of Ryan’s favorite things to do in the world is hike. He tries to go on one overnight hiking trip every year with a friend or two and brings all the gear he needs with him in his hiking backpack. Combining hiking and camping = Heaven for him! If a father figure in your life is the same way, some new hiking or camping gear, whether it be a backpack, water purification system, sleeping bag, tent or even some new campsite cooking gear might be a welcome gift!
Ryan received a travel hammock as a gift for Christmas and we use it in our front yard all the time! It easily fastens to two trees and we love it for relaxing outside while the boys play although, to be honest, when they see one of us in the hammock, they often make a beeline for it and hammock imagination games begin! Ryan’s travel hammock quickly becomes everything from a pirate ship to a space shuttle!
These are a “must” for Ryan that he wears under athletic shorts during hikes and even long walks around our neighborhood. As I think many of us can agree, thighs that rub together when you’re out walking do not make for a comfortable experience after a while and Ryan loves these compression shorts for their sweat-wicking material and the way they help prevent chafing. No lie, I’m pretty sure he has 10+ pairs by now (he also wears them every day for his workouts) and they’re a go-to gift for me to give to him since I know they’ll always get a lot of use.
Question of the Day
Are you doing anything special to celebrate a father-figure in your life this year?
Our Father’s Day plans this year will be nice and simple! We’re hoping to spend the day on the lake if the weather holds up and round out Sunday with some homemade ice cream.
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Has Ryan tried shorts with the built in compression shorts? My husband is obsessed with them these days. He has some from Lulu, Birddog, Hill city, Vuori, and 4 laps. I think they would make a great Father’s Day gift!
He hasn’t BUT I actually got him a pair of swim trunks for Father’s Day (still a surprise!) that have them built in and I’m hoping they’ll be a hit. Thanks for this suggestion!!
We just bought a fire pit that runs on propane. We picked it up Sunday and my husband put it together. Our 18 year old has wanted one for a while but I never wanted a fire pit because I can’t stand the smell of a fire. This solved the problem -no smoke and no smell. We have sat out as a family the last 3 nights. It’s relaxing. The kids love making s’mores. I highly recommend one. We got ours at Home Depot.
that sounds so, so fun!! i honestly didn’t even know that existed. thanks for the idea!