If you're looking for a gift for your middle-age dad for father's day, for his birthday or for Christmas, you have plenty of options. When you pick out a gift for your middle-age dad, make sure that you take into account things that he dislikes and likes. You don't want to get him something that he'll never use and isn't practical.
Gadgets
Many men, including middle-aged fathers, love to get new electronics and gadgets. Get a gadget that he can use on a regular basis such as a new camera, cell phone or GPS system. If your dad doesn't enjoy figuring out how to work new electronics, then this isn't the best idea.
You can find out how your middle-aged dad really feels about a gadget without it giving it away. Just tell him that you've been thinking about getting a new camera, for example, and you want his opinion on a couple options that you found. This way you can easily find out which camera he likes the most.
Experience
Does your dad love watching college football on Saturday afternoons or does he spend his evenings cooking for your family? Giving an experience that relates to his interests is thoughtful. You could give him tickets to a football game, a gift certificate to take French cooking lessons or tickets to see his favorite band perform. If you go with him, take lots of pictures and put them together in a scrapbook for the next time you need a good gift for your dad.
This is a great idea for middle-aged dads, especially for the type of fathers that take care of their families and children before taking care of themselves. Many middle-aged dads spend a lot of time at work and at home, leaving little time for themselves. Get him out of the house by giving him an experience.
Tools
If your dad spends Sunday mornings fixing things around the house or doing woodworking, consider giving him tools. You could put together a gift basket of tools that he doesn't have or splurge on a big ticket item that you know that he's been eying for the past couple months. Some ideas include a saw, nail gun and drill. Include a related magazine or book, so your middle aged dad can learn how to make or fix new things.
This is a good gift for middle-aged dads that try to fix things around the house instead of getting a professional to do it to save money or learn new skills.
Handmade Gifts
If you don't have a lot of money to spend on a gift for a middle-aged father, make him something meaningful and special. He may even like a handmade gift more than an expensive one. Some middle-aged men buy items that they want when they want them, so they can be hard to shop for. Solve this dilemma by making a gift. You could make coasters out of maps of places that he's been by purchasing cork coasters, cutting the maps in circles that are the same size as the coasters and gluing the circles cut from the maps onto the corkboard coasters (see Resources).
If your craft is baking, put together a plate of sweet treats. Include brownies, cupcakes and cookies for him to enjoy for a few days. Wrap the plate with cellophane and a decorative ribbon. Add a card or tag for a personal touch.
