Planning the Perfect Father’s Day during Lockdown
AD – Includes press samples
With Father’s Day fast approaching, and with our opportunities to head out somewhere nice at the moment fairly limited, many of us will be celebrating Father’s Day with a difference in 2020 – at home with our families. Whilst it may not be quite the experience you had planned, there are lots of fun ways to celebrate Father’s Day with your children’s Daddy at home (or even with a gift to be enjoyed from a social distance), with some great gift ideas to help bring them to life. Here are just a few suggestions for Father’s Day 2020, with the chance to win a great Father’s Day prize bundle too!
Daddy Daughter Date Night
I’ve seen this on a few viral videos recently and it is really really cute, especially if you have young daughters. Daddy and the children all get dressed up nice in their favourite clothes – think pretty dresses and curls / plaits for the girls and a smart suit, aftershave and a clean shave for Daddy. Daddy can then come and collect the girls (or you can film them walking down the stairs) for their ‘date’ which can be a movie night or dinner (I guess I will have to be the waitress!)
If you want Daddy to be able to smell amazing for his date, Perfume Direct have a huge range of aftershave sets at discounted prices, The Hugo Boss The Scent aftershave not only smells amazing but comes as a great set for Father’s Day with a saving of almost 30% off RRP.
Bring on the Fakeaway
Cooking up your Dad a Chinese ‘fake-away’ is a great way to help him feel like he’s getting his usual weekend treat, even if his favourite takeaway isn’t quite open to customers just yet. If you want to really add to the takeaway effect, you could even serve up the dish in the foil containers which you can pick up with the weekly food shop. Get the kids to help out with the cooking, including the measuring out and weighing of ingredients, and this can be made into a fun educational activity too!
We’re going to be bringing out the wok to make Daddy’s favourite chicken curry, which lets face it, will be a yummy treat for us all! There is something really special about a home made meal and the girls will be super proud to see his face as he tucks in!
If you’re struggling for what to cook for Father’s Day and your other half is impartial to a bit of spice in their lives, this book F*ck that’s hot! by Billy Law is full of inspiration and recipes for those who like to feel the heat! We love the sound of the Flaming Meatball Spaghetti and Angry Arrabbiatta with spicy sausage. As they say, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! 🙂 Pass the milk!
AÂ surprise tidy up!
It’s amazing how much better the house looks when the floors are clear and all the toys put away. Why not encourage the kids to help create some ‘Extra floorspace for activities’ (A Step Brothers pun if you’re not familiar with the joke!) and surprise Daddy with a tidy living room?
A tidy room is the perfect for hosting your movie night (see later) and the girls actually enjoy helping clean and tidy when it’s for a special occasion. Also, doing the housework can be a great workout – the The Hoover H-Free 800 is super light and portable and the UK’s first WiFi cordless stick vacuum cleaner that can monitor calories burnt, meaning you can eat that takeaway with a lot less guilt!! The Hoover H-Free 800 promises no loss of suction and is light enough that even Erin can help on the stairs!
Deliver him a treatÂ
For those of you who aren’t able to see your Dad in person, or those who have missed out on a trip to the seaside this Summer, these Guylian Belgian Chocolate seashells are a great Father’s Day treat and even fit through most letter boxes! You can’t beat the original hazelnut praline filling!
Plan exciting things to do after lockdown
An alternative way to celebrate Father’s Day during lockdown is to plan all the fun things Daddy can to do AFTER it ends, and if the last 12 weeks have left them feeling a bit ‘Meh’ this bucket list is sure to raise a smile.
A huge A3 scratch off sheet filled with 100 things to do after quarantine, this is a unique gift that will hopefully help Daddy feel a little more positive about the future. Display on the wall and scratch them off as you gradually get your freedom back! From visiting elderly relatives to attending a sporting event, or even booking a relaxing weekend away, this bucket list has lots of inspiration for fun and fulfilling post lockdown activities.
Host your own family a movie night
There is nothing better than a family movie night, and snuggling up on your sofa with the remote in hand and an old classic family film is a great way to celebrate Father’s Day.
Of all the things you need to make your movie night go smoothly, snacks is probably the most essential!
These fab Cadbury Hampers are a great option for your Father’s Day movie night, presented in the classic purple Cadburys box and packed to the brim full of his favourite chocolate treats. They even come with a classic bar of Dairy Milk with the message NO.1 Dad or Thinking of You sleeve. Cadbury Gifts Direct have a wide range of hamper options of every size and budget, so you can easily pick out your Dad’s favourite – if you’re lucky, he may also feel obliged to share!
Embrace the Retro
In this house, if there’s one thing Daddy loves to do, it’s embrace his inner child. Playmobil recently launched a fab new Back to the Future range, and for those who are fans of the classic movie, this makes a really fun gift.
The Playmobil Back to the Future Delorean set is just like the iconic car from the movie, with amazing attention to detail. The wheels switch from car to hover mode, the doors open upwards, and the flux capacitor even glows and flashes when the button on the bottom of the car is pressed.
The set also comes with true to life characters including Marty McFly, Doc Brown and even Einstein the dog, as well as a plutonium case, remote control and skateboard. Great fun to make, and something that Dad can enjoy with the kids too!
Go on a Family Adventure
One of our favourite things to do during lockdown has been to head out on a mini adventure, exploring parts of our neighbourhood we never even knew existed. We have found some really lovely open spaces where the girls can run around and stretch their legs and where social distancing has been really easy. A day out as a family has even been able to make us feel like life is ‘normal; and now that some of the lockdown restrictions have eased, you could even take along a little picnic and enjoy some of the sunshine as a Father’s Day treat.
The Klean Kanteen insulated bottles are ideal for ensuring you stay refreshed no matter how long or far your walk ends up! This 20oz stainless steal bottle has a Climate Lock double wall insulation system which keeps hot drinks hot for up to 20 hours, and iced drinks cold for up to 50!
If your kids are always reluctant to carry their own drinks – the Kid Kanteen range may also make them change their mind! Their mini 12oz BPA-free stainless steel water bottles have been designed with kids in mind. These bright and fun bottle designs are ideal for smaller hands, with a spill proof sports cap with dust cover and a loop so they can easily be attached to a bag or rucksack.
If you prefer to keep both hands free whilst exploring (or inevitably end up carrying a smaller child home) the ChiccoBag Sling is a really handy solution. Made from recycled plastic bottles It keeps your drinks easily accessible on the go, without requiring a rucksack or backpack. When not in use, it stuffs away into a handy little pouch.
Keep him safeÂ
With many people going back to work now, many of us are a little nervous of the impact of life returning to normal, at least where the R rate is still high in some parts of the country. A cute gift from the kids that can help keep their Dad safe is the Hygiene Hand, a brass antimicrobial tool designed to offer a more germ-free way to open doors and use shared surfaces like checkout screens or ATMs by working as a stylus and button pusher. When it comes to zebra crossings and cashpoints, this is a great tool for piece of mind.
Serve up his favourite tipple
Somewhat surprisingly, my other half has drank much less than normal during lockdown, although when he does, he tends to enjoy a nice bottle of wine with dinner or an ice cold beer.
Buying alcohol for Father’s Day is of course an option, but it can be a little bit boring. There are however lots of great gift ideas to make a stand alone alcohol based gift a bit more exciting!
These CellarDine football beer chillers are perfect for the start of football season, particularly if Daddy is planning to have some friends over (socially distanced in the garden) to watch their team matches. Not only do these little tees keep the bottles of beer cool but also ensure the beers are recognisable, meaning there’s no risk of mixing up drinks or touching someone else’s!
If he’s a fan of a gadget, you can also add a Zap Cap Bottle opener to his gift, perhaps alongside a selection of his favourite ales? Simply pop the Zap Cap on top of the bottle, punch it down and the cap is instantly removed – quick as a flash! The internal magnet also holds the cap in place once removed, so he won’t miss any goals whilst searching on the floor for the discarded cap!
If wine is more up his street, CellarDine have that covered too, from the Rouge O2 by the glass wine breather which aerates wine as its being poured from the bottle to the glass, or for white wine, the 3 in 1 ChillCore, which is deigned to chill warm bottles of wine in just 15 minutes and keep them cool for up to an hour!
For al fresco dining with the family, or if you plan having socially distanced relatives over to the garden for Father’s Day, the CaddyO bottle chiller is ideal for decanting and serving drinks. Pop into the freezer before hand and then when the guests arrive. and it will chill the bottle and keep it cool for up to 9 hours!
Make it Personal
There’s something really special about personalised gifts, and presents that show the person has really thought about their recipient. Alongside some home made cards from the girls (which lets face it, are always lovely to receive, I always love the girls to give something special to Daddy that reminds him of how important his role is as their Father.
Getting the girls to make their own personal cards and drawings is really special for the sentimental touch. We LOVE the fab downloadable book template from Boden, which can easily be printed off at home and bound together with string. I did this with Neve earlier in the week, and some of her drawings are just adorable. Definitely one to cherish. To help bring their creations to life, the Stabilo Pen 68 sets are ideal for colouring vivid, bright lines and large areas and don’t smudge. If like my kids, yours are also prone to leaving the lids off, you can be safe in the knowledge that they won’t dry out; as the lids can be kept off for up to 24 hours!
These supersize personalised Toblerones from Prezzybox come in both white and milk chocolate varieties, and have a special Everyday Superhero message, meaning they can be personalised with any name or simply ‘Daddy’. These also make a great option for any of our keyworker Dad’s at the moment, who are doing everything they can to keep us safe at this challenging time!
For a really lovely treat for the No.1 Dad in their lives, this limited edition vacuum TKWide No.1 Dad bottle from Klean Kanteen is the ideal choice for a water bottle, coffee mug, sport bottle and insulated cup in one package, making a great gift for those who are returning to work. Dad can keep his coffee warm for up to 11 hours or an ice cold drink cool for up to 38, meaning far less trips are required to communal areas in the office which may more be more frequently used.
Is he missing his retail therapy?
If Dad’s really missing his retail therapy but not quite convinced he wants to go to the shops yet, shopping online is a great place to start. You may be unsure about buying gift vouchers at the moment, the VEX gift certificate allows the recipient to choose the store, from up to 80 different options on the VEX website. You simply upload the gift certificate with a value, and they can logon and choose where they want to spend it – no more trying to predict which store is going to be their favourite. The VEX gift certificate is valid for up to 3 years, so even if they wait to swap until later in the year, the thought, sentiment and value is still there.
How are you spending your Father’s Day?
We have a fab prize bundle to giveaway to one lucky winner including:
- Klean Kanteen Insulated Classic 20oz
- Extra Sports Cap
- ChicoBag Sling
- Hygiene Hand
- ZapCap Premium
- Beer Chillers
- ChillCore
- Rouge O2
- Caddy O
- No.1 Dad Limited Edition Drinks Bottle
To enter, simply use the gleam app below. UK entries only. Giveaway opens 12/6/20 and closes 11.59pm on 28th June 2020. Standard giveaway terms and conditions apply. GOOD LUCK!
