father's day

What do Nemo, Simba, and The Incredibles have in common? They all have a pretty amazing dad. 

Father’s Day is your chance to go above and beyond for the father figure in your life. Give dad the whole-day celebration he deserves by making the most of your time. 

Where should you start? With a great idea.

Add Father’s Day Favorites to Your Calendar

Every dad is a little different. Some just want to enjoy some “me time,” while others would be happy to work out in the yard all day. 

If you’re not sure what to do, choose from this list of father’s day favorites:

  • Practice social distancing with a fishing trip.
  • Attend a local sporting event.
  • Hold a backyard cookout.
  • Arrange a movie night to watch his favorite film.
  • Get tickets to a concert.
  • Host a wine-tasting at home.
  • Throw an all-about-dad trivia night.
  • Prepare a special breakfast loaded with dad’s favorites.
  • Tackle a woodworking project together.
  • Hop on and watch all Dad and kid YouTube vids.
  • Go hiking at a nearby state park.
  • Go kayaking, canoeing, or boating at the nearest lake.
  • Sign up to take a class together this summer — from painting to cooking.
  • Throw an ice-cream party.
  • Surprise him at work with lunch.
  • Dig up photos and videos to relive old memories.
  • Do something creative, like writing a song or making a movie at home.
  • Hit the golf course for a couple of rounds or miniature golf.
  • Take a road trip to dad’s childhood home.
  • Take a short road trip anywhere today.

Most of those activities take some planning. Don’t tell dad, but do start scheduling it out in your online calendar. 

How to Make it Happen

If you haven’t planned ahead — don’t worry! Just make the very best Father’s Day you can for your dad today. 

Stop Procrastinating

Remembering Father’s Day is one thing. Committing to the necessary preparations to make it a special day is another. Life gets busy, and sometimes you need an extra nudge to finish up your Father’s Day preparations. If you forgot about it this– oh well! Do something today anyway.

Next year, with your online calendar, you can use time-blocking methods to ensure that Father’s Day gets the attention it needs. If you’re planning the day with dad, let him choose those time blocks. If you’re keeping it a secret, pick times to focus on Father’s Day when dad will be busy with other activities. 

Rope in the Right People

Your online calendar can be easily shared with family members. This is perfect for coordinating events, such as a surprise party involving the entire family. Many calendar apps even have messaging capabilities for communicating dates and locations.

If large gatherings or surprises aren’t your dad’s cup of tea, you can share your calendar event with just him. Together, you can pick out the right times to enjoy your dad’s favorite Father’s Day traditions or activities. Planning it with his input can make the day all the more meaningful to him.

Put Together an Itinerary

For the perfect Father’s Day plan, just one event may not be enough. If you’re going all out, use an online calendar to structure dad’s day for him. Encourage him to keep his schedule blank, or at least maximize the time that he does have to celebrate. 

Remember, an itinerary is more than a list of times and places. Ensure you include any notes, directions, or tickets necessary for the day to go off without a hitch. Set reminders so that you don’t forget about time-sensitive activities, such as baseball games.

Next Year — Sweat the Details Earlier

Online calendars come with many features for organizing the perfect Father’s Day. Key tools include:

  • Smart Scheduling

You don’t have time to trade a dozen emails just to nail down your Father’s Day guest list. Encourage attendees to book a time directly on your calendar. Not only does it save time, but it avoids double-bookings by showing only available time slots. 

  • Color-Coding

Especially if you’re expecting a crowd for Father’s Day, sort attendees into groups with color-coding. That way, you don’t confuse barbecue attendees with those who can only make it to the pool party. 

  • Calendar View

When you’re planning events up to the big day, it’s important to maintain perspective. An online calendar lets you view your schedule across different time horizons: You can look at just Father’s Day or expand it to the whole week to see what’s left on your to-do list. 

Analyze Dad’s Day

Some online calendars come with analytics that give you a bird’s eye view of how you’re spending your time. Use them to make sure your dad’s day is exactly what he’d want.

Pay special attention to your online calendar’s people breakdown: Did dad spend most of his day around his family and friends? If so, then you probably got it right. If in doubt, ask him to weigh in to ensure he enjoys next year’s Father’s Day even more.

You know your dad best, but you can’t do it all alone. Make your online calendar your sidekick, and you’ll be the superhero behind his perfect Father’s Day. 

Image Credit: josh willink; pexels; thank you!