Father's Day ideas: for the dad who says he doesn't want anything

Father's Day in the UK falls on the third Sunday in June, and it runs on one predictable problem: most dads say they don't want anything, then quietly notice if nothing happens.

The fix is rarely an expensive present. It's a plan for the day, one thing he'd never buy himself, and a card that says something specific rather than 'Happy Father's Day, love from all of us'.

We make cards, pin badges and prints in house, printed in the UK, so everything below is a straight guide to the day - plus the card that goes with it.

What to actually do on the day

• Breakfast made by whoever usually doesn't make it, served late, with no washing up expected of him.
• A walk somewhere with a pub at the end of it. Book the table - June Sundays go fast.
• The thing he likes that nobody else wants to do: the car boot sale, the fishing spot, the garden centre.
• A match, a round of golf or a swim with one of the kids rather than the whole family - one-to-one time lands harder.
• If he's far away, a phone call at a time he's actually free beats a video call he has to perform for.
• If he's no longer here, mark it anyway - his pub, his walk, his dinner. Doing nothing is the harder day.

Gifts for the dad who wants nothing

• Replace the tired version of something he uses daily: the wallet, the work mug, the head torch, the slippers.
• Consumables he won't buy himself - decent coffee, good hot sauce, the beer he only has at Christmas.
• A booked experience with a date on it, so it happens instead of sitting in an inbox.
• A print for the shed, garage or office wall - the one room nobody else decorates.
• A pin badge for the jacket or work bag if he's the sort who wears his interests.
• A jar of handwritten notes from the kids. Cheap, and the one he keeps.

Father's Day on a budget

• Under £10: a card, a pin badge, his favourite chocolate bar and a note listing three things he taught you.
• Under £25: a print, a good pair of socks that aren't a joke, and breakfast cooked at home.
• Free: wash the car, fix the thing he keeps meaning to fix, or hand over an afternoon of your time.
• From the kids: a drawing framed in a charity shop frame beats anything bought.

What to write in a Father's Day card

• Happy Father's Day, Dad - thanks for everything you do without being asked.
• For the man who taught me to drive, to fix things badly, and to always have a spare fuse. Happy Father's Day.
• Happy Father's Day. Today you're in charge of the remote and nothing else.
• To the best grandad there is - the kids talk about you all week. Happy Father's Day.
• Happy Father's Day to my dad, my first phone call and my worst golf partner.
• Thinking of you today, Dad. Missing you more than usual.

Shop Father's Day cards

How to write it so it lands

• Post the card by the Thursday - Father's Day is always a Sunday.
• Book any pub or restaurant table two weeks out. It's one of the busiest Sundays of the year.
• Write something specific in the card. 'Thanks for everything' is forgotten; 'thanks for the lift at 2am' isn't.
• If the day is difficult - a dad who has died, or one you don't speak to - it's fine to skip it entirely.

Where to shop next

• Mother's Day ideas
• New Year ideas
• Bonfire Night ideas
• Grandparents' Day ideas
• What is Father's Day?
• Father's Day card messages
• All guides
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges

Frequently asked questions

When is Father's Day in the UK?

The third Sunday in June. It's a different date from the US in some years and from Ireland's, so check before posting a card abroad.

What do you buy a dad who says he doesn't want anything?

Upgrade something he uses every day - the wallet, the work mug, the head torch - or buy a consumable he likes but never buys himself. Both get used and neither feels like a fuss.

How much should you spend on Father's Day?

Most UK households spend somewhere between £15 and £30. A card plus one thing he'd never buy himself covers it without anyone feeling awkward.

What do you write in a Father's Day card if you're not close?

Keep it warm and short: 'Happy Father's Day - hope you have a good one.' You don't owe anyone a paragraph, and a short honest line beats a borrowed sentimental one.