What’s dad looking forward to this year?

As your old man’s special day is approaching, finding the right gift or a fun way to celebrate with him might be a bit different than in previous years.

Father’s Day 2020 is going to be an interesting one as more places are slowly starting to open up in the wake of COVID-19. However, some places still face heavy restrictions on where they can go, but that doesn’t mean we can’t find something fun or worthwhile to do with our fathers.

Whether it’s indoors or outdoors, there’s something dads around the country can do with the family or by themselves (if that’s how they prefer to enjoy their dedicated day.) It’s more than just about getting a present or doing something nice; it’s about the family connection with the old man.

10 Activities To Do With Dad This Father’s Day

1. Go on a beer tour - Set up a time with a local or more well-known brewery or distillery (if there’s one nearby) for a public or private walkthrough of the brewery process and learn more about the kinds of brews that get served. Plus, you and dad get the chance to kick back a couple of cold ones and savor a nice buzz together on Father’s Day. This obviously makes more sense if they’re open in your area.

2. Go back in time - Is dad a history buff or into glimpses of the ancient world? If places are opening up and have social distance rules in place, connect by taking him to a museum and explore the areas of history that he’s interested in. Nowadays, many museums are offering virtual tours, so if you can’t go in person, grab your laptop, plug it with an HDMI and take a look through on the big screen. There are also numerous documentaries and videos online. If you can’t go out, prepare some snacks and drinks and take a trip a couple of decades to centuries to millennia ago.

3. Some DIY bonding - Does your father love woodworking, smithing or using his hands to build things? You can prepare a project in advance to do together. It can be something as simple as building a birdhouse or grabbing a couple brushes and painting over something. Unless you and dad are veteran builders, you don’t have to make anything too time-consuming or intricate. There’s still a day’s worth of things left to do together!

4. Connect with nature - Get away from the hustle and bustle of the city (or suburbs) and take a trip into the outdoors. Rent a canoe or a couple of kayaks and find a nearby lake or river. If dad is into fishing, grab your poles as well. Take a trip to a closeby national park and explore it. Find some hiking trails and get some exercise and fresh air. Nature is filled with wondrous things to see and experience.

5. Swing some clubs - Does pops need some work on his shot? Hit the driving range to work on your swings or just play a friendly round of 18 holes (unless dad’s super competitive.) Not a fan or don’t play professionally? Mini-golf is always another option: it’s still fun, a lot easier, and way smaller. You can also set up your own DIY mini-golf course right at home.

6. Knockdown some pins - Fun for all ages, bowl a couple of games with dad. Make it even more fun by dragging along the whole family. It comes in especially handy if it rains and you can’t be outside. If restrictions in your area are tight, let’s see if dad is cool with getting DIY with this indoors.

7. Get real competitive - A little friendly competition never hurt anyone. Pull out the board games, video games, card games, whatever games you got, and get the whole family involved. Stuck indoors or not, this is a wonderful way to connect with dad and show him who’s better at not getting bankrupt in Monopoly.

8. Eat something delicious - You were probably going to do this anyway, but let dad make the choice of where we get to eat. Take him to his favorite restaurant and treat him. If COVID-19 is keeping eateries closed until further notice, bring in some ingredients to cook a yummy feast for him. If he’s into it, cook together and put your culinary skills to the test.

9. Go on a long bike ride together - One of the biggest perks about Father’s Day is that it falls on the cusp of summer, and the weather is usually pretty warm and bright, depending on where you live. Buckle your helmets and set off onto biking trails or a path around town to soak in the views and the warm weather! (Okay, this one you can’t really do at home.)

10. Light up the grill - It might not be the 4th of July yet, but that doesn’t mean you can’t heat up some charcoal or start up the propane tank and have a BBQ cookout with the whole family. Prepare your meats, vegetables, and drink as dad shows off his grilling skills.