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Would dad rather get an experience or a traditional gift?

These days, a lot of us prefer an experience, especially if it is one we can share with those we care about most. After all, most of us have too much stuff. We don’t see our kids and grandkids enough. We struggle to make lasting memories.

If you are nodding yes, think about giving dad, grandpa, a favorite uncle, godfather or another important father figure an experience you can share together. 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 paired with a day of fishing or a round of golf. 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. For dads with mild hearing loss, glasses from Nuance Audio supply hearing help within the frames. Look for them at LensCrafters, which often offers deals on a second pair.

I’m also a fan of Tours By Locals, which offers every variety of private tour around the world, from a Montreal Jewish food experience to World Cup host city tours 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 excursion.

Another bet is to sign up for a complimentary tour from the International Greeter Association, which pairs locals with visitors around the world, including in Italy, Japan, France and, of course, the United States. The idea is to see the city through the eyes of a local. We’ve certainly enjoyed our experiences in Paris, with a foodie tour, and New York, walking across the 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 traditional gift too. How about a book? Whether dad is a history buff or loves mystery novels, cookbooks or biographies, your local librarian can suggest a book that will suit him, perhaps one 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 to 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 help keep them safe from bug-borne diseases, like options from Royal Robbins. The shirts and pants don’t use toxic chemical repellents and won’t wash away. They are also breathable, quick-drying and stretchy. 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, which is stretchy, wicks moisture and provides UPF 50+ sun protection ($59.95).

If grandpa talks all the time about the national parks trips 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 the newly relaunched Smokey Bear Original Chair, available 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 an 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, has Qi2 wireless charging, and can recharge 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 they are easy to pack. ($69.95.)

And if your dad is always the one who does the laundry on vacation, you can promise 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.

Whether you choose an experience, a practical gift or a little of both, the best gift may be the time you spend together.

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(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.

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