Father's Day Gifts From Toddlers, Teens and Grown-Up Kids
By the Giftruly editorsUpdated 18 hand-picked ideas
Father's Day has a particular shape. It falls on the third Sunday in June, usually involves a meal somebody else cooks, and the gift is often handed over by a child who has already told him what's in the box. Unlike Christmas, it's one day about one person. Unlike his birthday, it's about a role: the long job of being someone's dad.
That's why this guide is organized by who's giving. A present from a two-year-old (with help), a ten-year-old and a thirty-five-year-old should look very different, and a man's first Father's Day is nothing like his fortieth. There's a section for each, a few words on stepdads and grandfathers, and a set of cheap summer extras at the end.
Shopping for a particular man? We also have Father's Day gifts for husband, Father's Day gifts for father-in-law and our everyday gifts for dad guide, which is sorted by how he spends his free time.
Know exactly who it's for?
Tell Truly about them in a sentence. You'll get ideas picked for them, each with a reason why.
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Fast picks by who's giving
His very first Father's Day
The first one is a strange, lovely milestone. He's tired, slightly stunned and probably hasn't given the day a thought. If you're the partner doing the shopping, the safe bets either record how tiny the baby is right now or make the sleepless mornings a little easier.
He will want photos. A lot of photos.
- 1
Baby Handprint and Footprint Kit
~$25
A clean-touch ink kit and frame for the baby's hand and foot prints. It's a gift he'll fully appreciate in five years, when those feet are in sneakers and the frame is the only proof they were ever that small. Do the prints when the baby is fed and drowsy; it goes far better than mid-wriggle.
- 2
Dad and Baby Matching T-Shirt Set
~$25
A matching adult tee and baby bodysuit printed with a shared joke. It's silly and cheap, and it produces the photo that ends up on every grandparent's fridge. Size the baby's piece up a little: babies grow alarmingly fast, and you'll want it to fit on the day.
- 3
Leakproof Insulated Travel Coffee Tumbler
~$25
A leakproof tumbler that keeps coffee hot for hours and fits the car's cup holder. New dads drink a great deal of coffee in odd places, often reheated twice and then forgotten. Not romantic, but in week six of broken sleep he'll use it more than anything else in the house.
- 4
Engraved Metal Wallet Insert Card
~$15
A thin metal card engraved with the baby's footprint, a photo or a short line, sized to slip into his wallet. Nobody else will see it, which is rather the point. Order early, because engraving can take a week or two and June arrives fast when you're running on four hours of sleep.
Things small kids can make, pick or play with him
With little kids, the gift is mostly about what they made or chose, and the best ones get the child doing something. Expect mess, creative spelling and a heavily edited account of what dad is like.
That's the good part. Help with the logistics and keep your hands off the content.
- 5~$10
All About My Dad Fill-in Book for Kids
A child fills in prompts like "my dad is good at" and "my dad always says." The answers are honest to the point of rudeness, and he'll keep it for good.
Writers & Journalerssentimental - 6~$20
Paint Your Own Ceramic Mug Kit
A plain mug and paints that set in a home oven. Let the kid design it alone; a lopsided dinosaur beats any store-bought mug in his cupboard.
Artists & CraftersCoffee Loverspersonalized - 7~$45
Parent and Child Baseball Glove Set
An adult glove and a youth glove, usually with a ball. Really it's an invitation to play catch in the yard after lunch on Sunday.
Sports Fansfun - 8~$12
Emergency Dad Joke Book
Hundreds of groan-worthy jokes. Best given by a kid between six and ten, who will insist on reading most of them out loud at the table.
Book Loversfun - 9~$15
Dad and Me Shared Journal
A prompted notebook a dad and a school-age kid pass back and forth. Good for quieter children who find writing easier than saying things out loud.
Writers & Journalerssentimental - 10~$20
LEGO Technic Pull-Back Race Car
A small pull-back Technic racer to build together at the kitchen table. Twenty minutes of serious teamwork, followed by a race down the hallway.
LEGO FansCar Loversfun
Stepdads, grandpas and the other fathers in your life
Father's Day doesn't belong only to the man on your birth certificate. Stepdads, grandfathers, foster dads, the uncle who taught you to drive, the older brother who stepped up when he had to: a card on this day can mean a lot to someone who was never sure the day was his. You don't need a big gift. Something small, with a sentence about what he did for you, is usually plenty.
And if your relationship with your own father is complicated, or he's no longer here, it's fine to spend the day however suits you. For more grandfather-specific ideas, see our Father's Day gifts for grandpa guide.
When the kids are grown
Adult children have two advantages younger ones don't: decades of shared history and their own money. Together they make room for a gift that looks back at the years he spent raising you.
It doesn't need to be loudly sentimental. Most dads prefer a gift that does the remembering quietly.
- Our favorite11
Portable 35mm Film Negative Scanner
~$95
Our pick for grown kids whose family has a box of slides and negatives somewhere in a basement. A compact scanner turns them into digital files, but the real gift is sitting down together and hearing the stories behind photos you've never seen. Scan a handful with him on the day so he learns how it works, then share the files with your siblings. Skip it if the family photos are already digitized.
- 12
Personalized Sports Ticket and Photo Shadow Box
~$49
A frame with room for a ticket stub, a small photo and an engraved caption. If he took you to your first ballgame, concert or big race, this puts that day on his wall. It works best if you kept the ticket; a printed replica is fine if you didn't, and almost nobody will know.
- 13
Custom Song Lyrics Wall Art
~$45
A framed print of the lyrics to a song that belongs to him: the one he played on every road trip, sang badly while doing the dishes or danced to at your wedding. A strong pick for a dad who's more sentimental than he lets on. Get every word right; he will spot a mistake immediately.
Small summer extras, mostly under $30
Father's Day lands at the start of summer, which makes it a good moment for small things he'll use outdoors before July. Any of these pairs well with a card from the kids.
14.Classic Metal Aviator Sunglasses ~$25
Polarized metal-frame sunglasses, priced so that losing them off the side of a boat won't ruin his afternoon.
15.Rechargeable Electric Arc Lighter ~$13
A flameless, rechargeable lighter with a long neck for grills, candles and the fire pit. Windproof and oddly satisfying to click.
16.Cedar Grilling Planks Set ~$18
Soak a plank, add salmon, grill. A low-effort way to try something new if he cooks outside on summer weekends.
17.Smash Burger Griddle Press Kit ~$30
A heavy burger smasher, spatula and seasoning, for the dad who is privately convinced he could run a diner.
18.Portable Camping Hammock ~$35
A packable hammock with tree straps that goes up in minutes. For the Father's Day nap, which is a completely valid plan.
Shop this guide by price
Under $25
$25–$50
Father's Day rules of thumb
Plan around how he wants to spend the day. Some dads want the whole family at a cookout; others want two quiet hours with nobody asking where anything is. The gift should suit that day.
With young kids, let them choose or make something even if it's odd. He will treasure the drawing with his name misspelled more than anything polished.
Order personalized gifts by the end of May. Engravers and printers get busy in early June because everyone else had the same idea.
If you live far away, ship the gift to arrive by the Friday before and book a video call for Sunday. The call is often the part he mentions later.
For more ideas, describe him to our gift finder, including who the gift is from, and you'll get a shortlist with a reason for each pick.
Father's Day FAQ
When is Father's Day?
In the United States, Father's Day is the third Sunday in June. Many countries share that date, though some, including Australia, celebrate it in September.
What's a good Father's Day gift from a toddler?
Something the toddler can help make: a paint-your-own mug, a handprint kit or a fill-in book where you write down their answers. The point is the child's mark on it, not the polish.
What should I get a new dad for his first Father's Day?
Something that captures the baby at this size, like a handprint and footprint frame or a matching shirt set, or something that makes the tired weeks easier, like a good travel mug. A morning to sleep in is a strong gift on its own.
Should I give my stepdad a Father's Day gift?
If he's played a father's role in your life, yes, and a card that says so in a sentence or two often matters more to him than the gift itself. Keep it small if you're unsure how he'll feel about it.
How much do people usually spend on Father's Day?
Less than at Christmas or for a birthday, as a rule. Plenty of good Father's Day gifts cost under $30, especially from children, and adult kids often pool money for one bigger keepsake instead of buying separately.