Father's Day gifts when visits are not possible

With rates of hospitalizations from coronavirus still high, what are ways to celebrate Dad or Granddad from afar?

Posted 6:31 p.m. Jun 15, 2020 — Updated 6:31 p.m. Jun 15, 2020

Liisa Ogburn

With rates of hospitalizations from coronavirus increasing in North Carolina, many extended families continue to hesitate getting together, especially with their more senior members.

What are ways to celebrate Dad or Granddad from afar? Here are some ideas:

What about sending a handmade invitation to a Father’s Day meal together via Zoom or FaceTime or one of the other online vehicles for connecting? Set the time and the table and have everyone call in for a virtual Father’s Day meal together.
Or maybe handmade tickets to an online movie you’d like to watch together? Some services, like Netflix (via “Netflix Party”), offer the ability for people in different locations to watch the same movie simultaneously. Here are seven ways to make it happen.
There is nothing sweeter than the voices of young grandchildren. Receiving a recording of a grandchild singing a favorite tune, like “You are my sunshine,” and being able to play it on your phone can be a gift that keeps on giving.
What about a customized coffee mug, key chain, mouse pad or water bottle. With one sweet photo of you and Dad or Granddad, you can produce something he will use everyday. Look to Shutterfly and other providers to make this happen.
Or maybe you and Dad or Granddad can share a virtual experience on AirBnB? They now offer hundreds of virtual experiences. From spending an evening with a flamenco composer to an afternoon with a beekeeper or historian, new memories might be made in new ways.
Perhaps an online game might be fun? From scrabble to clue, there are many which family members can log into and play across distances.
A free and thoughtful gift might be a word collage—also called a “Wordle.” A child or grandchild might enter twenty words they think describe dad or granddad. An application online will then spit out a college that you can print out and mail.
Of course, there is always the old-fashioned, tried and true option of sending a heartfelt letter in a Father’s Day card. It’s rarity in modern times , which makes it all the more special.