Did June 19 sneak up on you this year? We hear you! If you’re looking for a cool, thoughtful last-minute Father’s Day gift that requires little more than your computer or mobile device and an internet connection, we’ve got you covered. No need to hit the mall or comb through the picked-over racks at the local card store; you don’t even need a printer or ink for these great last-minute gifts for dads.
Hope one is perfect for a cool dad in your life.
1. A Multimedia Digital Scrapbook
Part online scrapbook, part group card, part multimedia experience Imprint is a new favorite find that we’ve all been using lately. Just enlist your kids, the grandkids — whomever in your life could contribute a photo, video, drawing, or just a sweet note. He’ll end up with a beautiful keepsake message accessed at a single URL that he can click and watch and save forever.
2. A Father’s Day Playlist
Whether you save it onto a jump drive or just surprise him with it over the Bluetooth speakers while serving breakfast in bed, put together his favorite songs into one playlist — including the ones you normally can’t stand. (Ha.) You can also take a look at these family friendly songs about dads from some of our kindie artists, which is a sweet gift from younger kids.
3. A Video From Your Favorite Photos of Him
Two of our favorite services, Animoto and Magisto make it a snap to gather a few photos and have them edited into a beautiful, professional looking short video faster than you can say “oh shoot…I need a great gift now!” Well, almost as fast.
4. A Digital Subscription
Maybe he’s a frequent traveler who would love a Tripit pro subscription (above), which is like having a personal assistant, a navigator, and a Delta representative all in your pocket, let alone a guy in the airport that you slipped a twenty to get the inside scoop on when the next flight is leaving after yours was cancelled. Or maybe he’s an avid reader who’d love an Oyster ebook subscription which is like a Netflix for books; or check out Texture (formerly NextIssue; shown at very top) which is similar, only for nearly every magazine he’d ever want to read.
There are just so many possibilities. Think about something he’d like but maybe hasn’t yet gotten himself — a Hulu subscription? A year at his favorite airport lounge? A membership for a gamer? — and you could end up with a huge hit.
5. A Gift Card Made More Special
We’ve loved the Gyft app which makes it so easy to buy, redeem and (ahem) regift gift cards to all kinds of retailers like Gamestop, Best Buy, Target, Amazon, iTunes, Shutterfly and hundreds more. And now that you can include a personal video greeting with your gift card right from your iOS or Android phone, it’s a thoughtful way to turn a not-always-so-personal gift into something much more special.
6. An Online Donation to a Charity in His Honor
We recently shared 6 phenomenal charities that support other fathers, and we think any of them make a splendid Father’s Day gift for the dad in your life with a huge heart. We also are particularly fond of Donors Choose (above) where you can even drill down to find a STEM project to honor a techy or science-loving dad. Furthermore, you can look for one of many “Match Offers” which allow you to stretch your contribution with a matching donation from a corporate donor.
Over the holidays, my family helped provide a Wacom Tablet and Expo markers to a high-poverty school so they could learn to draw digitally and share work on the board; and provide iPads and headphones along with algebra educational materials to another classroom so the students could engage with educational apps. It’s been such a joy for all of us to receive lots of photos and updates from the teachers and students all year long, and I imagine any dad with a big heart –right along with the kids — will feel the exact same way.
