Memorable Gifts for Dad's 60th Birthday: 10 Gifts He Will Want to Cherish for Life (2018)

Who doesn’t love gifts, for they remind us that life is a celebration and how special we are. For your father choose a gift that takes him down memory lane, a keepsake perhaps that brings back the fondest memories of your childhood with him. It could be a picture of him and you, or wall art of an inspiring quote or thought he always shared with you when you were low, or perhaps things that have some memorable sentiments attached to them for your dad.

By the 60th year, your dad would have pretty much everything he wants, or has been through most of the experiences you’d perhaps choose as gifts for him. So while selecting a gift, keep in mind that it should be something that reflects your emotions regarding him, that it appreciates his presence in your life, and conveys just how special he is to you.

With a little bit of forward thinking, finding the perfect gift for your dad won't be a task at all. When choosing a gift for him, look for something that reflects his taste or his interests; consider how he likes to spend his time off. Does he like to laze around, read, indulge in some activity or cook? Maybe choose something that would make his life a tad easier at work or home. If he likes cooking over the weekends, get him a portable barbeque grill or something sweet for his sugar cravings, a vintage showpiece or a pass to a musical concert of his favorite ghazal singer. Whatever you choose for him, let it be something close to his heart.

It really doesn’t matter what you get for him, what will make a difference is the time, the affection, and the love you pour into getting it for him. The usual gestures that we deem insignificant at times, such as organising his closet, getting his car serviced, helping run his errands, etc., can turn out be way more important and meaningful for your dad than the gift you’d spend money for. Even better is the prospect of spending some time with you! It'd be one of the best gifts he'd ever want for himself. From the classic fishing expedition, to experiencing the thrill of going for a go-kart ride, taking him out for drinks or playing golf, there are a lot of activities you can indulge in with him to make him feel special and enjoy a day off to celebrate his birthday together.

It'd be fun to choose an activity for your dad and partner with him to indulge in something new and adventurous, or perhaps an experience which helps him unwind, and enjoy himself. Most people prefer happy, joyous moments of pure unadulterated fun, learning and making new memories in comparison to receiving gifts or buying things for themselves. Plus it’s a far better use of hard earned money!

When choosing a gift for someone, we usually buy for loved ones, keeping in mind their individual personalities, passions, preferences, etc. And to that effect, the receivers of those gifts appreciate the thoughtfulness that’s gone behind the effort and not really the money spent. The gift of an experience is not only special but also holds significant memories in the heart of those receiving it and helps strengthen bonds of love and friendship. It’d be a meaningful gesture from you to your dad when gifting an experience which is well thought of, is of his interest or has been a dream, unattainable until now, and can be shared with someone.

Bunjee jumping is not for the faint of heart but it is an adventurous activity that will not only be a thrilling experience for your dad but will also help your him understand his strengths when coming out of his comfort zone. Plummeting to the ground with proper safety measures, secured with a harness will perhaps be one of the biggest rushes, he’s ever going to get! If this is something he has has been keen to explore, take him to experience it. While there isn't an age restriction imposed by most operators, many will ask for a doctor's certificate clearing the person for such activity for people over 50 years; so do not forget to take care of this detail.

If bungee jumping seems a bit extreme, try the Giant Swing designed by David Allardice from New Zealand, book this experience in the beautiful, serene and enigmatic Rishikesh for a day. This one is India's highest swing at a height of 83 meters This wonderful experience can be attempted with a partner and includes first aid support and a guide to help with the experience. Book now at indiasanta.com for Rs.3,650.

Vintage gifts are back in fashion, more so for the memories they evoke. With trends changing at the drop of a hat, vintage sure brings in a variety of superior quality products at a varied price range. When buying gifts, what’s better than an original and unique items for your dad? While choosing a vintage gift, an important thing to consider would be to figure out what kind out items would your dad be interested in. Does he like the 70’s or 80’s retro look or is he a collector of art, did he like exploring different hobbies like photography, and does he appreciate antiques?

Before you head out to buy one, make sure you have a fair idea of what he’d prefer. If he likes collecting, an important point to remember before buying would be to identify what’s missing from his collection and how does he manage it's upkeep. if your dad’s someone who loves dogs, he may perhaps be delighted to receive dog figurines to enhance his affection for them. Or get him something that stirs the cockles of his heart, like a symbol of his childhood memories.

If you still find yourself lost in the market, buy him something that’s old yet can be used in a new way. Like this Vintage Coffee Grinder – which is a class above the modern, complicated and robotic grinders that seem to be in an out of the market in a blink. With remarkable craftsmanship and just as efficient as any modern grinder, this vintage coffee grinder scores additional points for its freshly ground coffee and the refreshing smell accompanying it. A fresh ground coffee is just too magical and delicious than a pre-brewed coffee. Buy your vintage coffee grinder from bigsmall.in for Rs.1,199.

A party for your dad’s 60th birthday need not be an expensive event; with the help of your family and friends and a fair budget in place, an inexpensive yet memorable birthday can be celebrated with aplomb! A 60th birthday is quite a milestone, where the birthday baby officially enters ‘the senior zone’. Despite the associated views, woes and worries of this tender age, there are a lot of benefits that perhaps you’d highlight for your dad during his birthday celebrations!

While one aspect of life entails one to retire from their wordly responsibilities when turning 60, another opens up a window of opportunities to explore the new, and celebrate. Plan ahead and get the whole family to pitch in their time and love for your dad, from potlucks for food, assistance with décor and venue selection and planning the entire day for him. This party would be an excellent and heartwarming evening followed with a grand dinner for the rest of his life.

To get started look for a venue, rent a farm house or book a private outdoor space where everyone can sit together and indulge in conversations with each other, enjoy their evening. You’d decorate the place with balloons, confetti or flowers, create DIY banners from pre-existing templates available for free on the internet or order one, customised for you from a site like printvista.com. You can order décor items from amazon.in.

Next would be to work on the invitations. Personal homemade invites are inexpensive and more meaningful, they convey the presence of your guests as a special gesture for the milestone birthday. Contacting his extended family or friends he hasn’t seen or been in touch for long would be a great idea. But before you do that, restrict the invites to those whom your father would be delighted to be back in touch with. You’d use the templates at canva.com or design your own invite.

It’d be an excellent choice to have an assortment of gifts that are home-made, for they would build on your father’s cherished memories’ collection. You can invite pictures, memories and anecdotes from your guests in advance and create a memory book or a short movie for him. Order a memory keepsake like Happy 60th Birthday: Birthday Journal Notebook for 60 Year Old from amazon.in for Rs.867.

For your guests, you’d have some fun party games like writing down a fun moment they’ve shared with your Dad without divulging their identity and have others guess who that person is, or have them dressed up in a retro theme and sing a song, dance to one from the 70-80’s era or perform a dialogue. Get more inspiring ideas from blog.meraevents.com. The party will be a big hit when all your essentials are taken care of. You can draw the budget for this memorable birthday evening by each category of venue selection and help with serving guests, gifts not exceeding a certain amount, props for the retro theme and décor items.

With so many options available now to choose from, it’d be a good idea to pre-plan his birthday gifts. If you are an enthusiastic shopper, plan your list of things you’ like get for your dad, collect them and make a lovely gift basket for him to enjoy. All you need to do besides placing orders is to have them delivered well before his birthday to avoid last minute misses! The basket can be filled with a variety of gifts from Amazon India that look after each area of his life from a perspective of emotional, mental and physical well-being. For in his between hunger packs some delicious dry fruits, like Haldiram's Nagpur Dry Fruit Tokani for a price of Rs.625 would be a healthy choice. With a shelf life of 6 months this hamper from Haldiram’s includes 100 gm each of almonds, cashews, pistachios and raisins.

For his last minute travels or outdoor trips a cozy comfort item like a travel pillow would come in handy. Buy Snapnap Royal Blue Travel Pillow for Rs. 699 from amazon.in. The royal blue travel pillow is a memory foam pillow that provides for comfortable support while traveling. Its ergonomic raised lobe design allows the neck and head to fall comfortably against its cushion and its plush velour aids in falling asleep quickly! The pillow is easy to carry and transforms into a third of its size when packed inside the carry bag. With its sliding toggles, the pillow stays on your shoulder without slipping off.

To build on his choicest memories you’d gift him this laser engraved crystal cube keychain, Aadya Crystal 3D Photo Personalized Laser Engraved Crystal Cube Key Chain which is powered by LED light. You can add a high quality picture to engrave on the keychain and watch beautiful colors passing through the crystal cube creating a 3D effect. The keychain of 2 x 2 x 3 cm comes with 2 sets of button cells (6 in total). This keepsake is priced at Rs.449 on Amazon.

For his unwinding sessions, get him a Bluetooth Sleep Mask with headphones and built-in speakers which he uses during his travels, meditation or nap times. Designed to block off the light, with over-ear headphones and speakers in-built the mask is compatible with most Bluetooth devices and helps block ambient noise. The mask material is washable and can be used regularly. With its V4.2 Lithium polymer battery, play time of up to 10 hours and charging time of only 2.5 hours, this non-invasive mask comes in a black or gray color in a package including 1 USB cable and an instructions booklet. The E-Lip Wireless Music 4.2 sleeping mask comes for Rs.5,989 on amazon.in.

If your dad is an avid reader, the All New Kindle E-reader from amazon.in would be an excellent buy for his 60th birthday. The all new Kindle reader comes with a glare-free touch screen and is lighter e-book reader available in black or white. Easy on the eyes, with a single battery charge that lasts weeks the reader can hold thousands of books from choicest bestsellers, a variety of genres and languages. With a storage capacity of 4GB, the reader is 160 mm x 115 mm x 9.1 mm in dimension and has a free cloud storage for all amazon content.

Kindle charges in less than 4 hours with a USB cable, supports WIFI and comes with a limited warranty of a year from the manufacturer. The pack contains a Kindle reader, USB charging cable 2.0 and an instruction booklet. It is priced at Rs. 5,999. Buy it for your dad’s reading pleasure!

‘ I love you to the moon and back’, a common saying that’s used for people to convey just how much their loved ones mean to them, can really become a real expression of your love for your Father. Exciting Lives offers a unique gift of ownership of a piece of land from the moon registered in your dad’s name by the International Lunar Consulate in the UK. Wrapped in a beautiful gift box, Land on the Moon includes a personalised message, a welcome letter, a lunar deed and map of the lunar space with a mineral rights document and a bill of rights and lunar constitution. It also includes a special coaster saying ‘I own the moon’. Priced at Rs.1,250 on excitinglives.com, this piece of moon land gift is quite popular the world over and many Indian celebrities are known to have been gifted it as well. Let your dad feel proud of owning the moon now!

If your dad likes to drink and socialize, this teak-wood decanter from excitinglives.com designed with authentic wine barrels would make for an excellent show and tell gift. Liquor decanters are known for their looks, design and features. They also come useful in separating wine from its sediments, while pouring, it takes in oxygen – thus releasing the wine aroma and flavor.

Along with this gift, you’d also present a hand-designed note of how to use the decanter. For the unaware liquor enthusiast, the decanter should be cleaned of all dirt, rinsed with soap and water and dried completely before use. Usually liquors like gin, brandy, vodka bourbon or wine can be poured into a decanter. If there’s any sediment from an old wine that he’d like to pout, it should be filtered with a funnel and cheesecloth before pouring it into a decanter. Once he has chosen the liquor he’d like to hold in this beautiful decanter, your dad will enjoy pouring the liquor to a measure of no more than 3 quarters to allow its aeration and display. The decanter should be sealed properly with its cork. With a cork top and a tap with your dad’s favorite liquor for company, the teak-wood decanter would be the perfect fit for his next party. It measures 12 cm in diameter with a depth of 14 cm, allowing the decanter to hold approximately 1 litre and has metal figurines holding the barrel for show. Priced at Rs.1,499.

While he has taken a number of holidays, traveled to different places on his own, there must be some places he wished to go to but couldn’t for reasons best known to him. For this important milestone, it will be a wonderful idea to buy a travel package for him and your mum or a friend he’d like to go with on his dream vacation.

With travel portals and trip advisories practically at every nook and corner, planning a trip like this for him would be a piece of cake. Look for flight discounts and holiday packages that you can combine for him and ensure to include small surprises along the way to make it even more memorable. A welcome drink on arrival at his favorite destination, a basket of goodies and flowers to greet him in his hotel room, a car for sightseeing and a list of places to visit, dine and have entertaining experiences would be a feather in the cap.

A must have for every home bar or easy-to-carry kit for outdoor adventures, this unique bottle shaped tool kit can open a bottle easily. A smart conceal in the guise of a wine bottle, this tool pack can be placed in your dad’s bar until it’s called for. Ideal for wine fans, the tool set includes wine opener, foil cutter, wine stopper, drop-stop collar and a wine spout. The dimensions of the case are 33 x 8.9 x 7.6 cm and it comes beautifully wrapped in the shape of a wine bottle with a magnetic clasp. It is priced at Rs.3,230 and can be bought at amazon.in.

Making a bucket list has become quite a trend these days. Its essentially a list of things to do before you die, or by a certain age, that come highly recommended by people from all over the world, or perhaps a list of things you always wanted to do but didn’t. One can draw a bucket list however long they’d like it to be, aiming for stuff like visiting exotic places around the world, or going for a sporting event, or get inked. Here’s a wonderful way of helping him get enthusiastic about life once again, motivate him to achieve his goals and fight against all odds.

You can spend time with him and draw up his bucket list starting with his dreams. Discuss what all he wanted to do when he was younger, things he was interested in, experiences he wanted to have, places he wanted to visit. It may really not be that easy for him to come up with a list of things he’d like to do with the snap of a memory, so it’d be good to get inspiration from other fellow beings, their lists and experiences. With the internet so accessible with information on practically all things, making such a list is so much easier than before. As meaningful as this list can be, it has to be practically achievable with a timeline and a budget to work with.

When it comes to deciding what to put in his bucket list, you can come up with ideas in addition to his choices. If he’s a sports enthusiast, he may like to go for a sporting event like Wimbledon. The oldest tennis tournament in the world has five major events each year with a strict dress code for competitors and Royal patronage. The event sees consumption of strawberries and cream with a glass of wine. A dream event for any sports fan.

The world is rich in heritage and holds some of the greatest wonders on the planet. These wonderful structures from ancient history could be a wonderful trip to make one at a time, if not all for your dad. He can start with a full day tour of the Taj Mahal, India’s most favored landmark. Tours for the Taj Mahal are conducted all year through, and one of the easiest ways to have a tour would be to register for a full day visit with a group. It would an amazing experience to visit the monument at sunrise or sunset, as during the time, the sun’s reflection creates a breathtaking spectacle of colors on the palace’s white marble.

Men usually enjoy activities of physical labor. How about enlisting him on a crash course for building a tree house or enlisting for a pottery lesson, something that he’d be delighted to work on and proud to display.

You can also encourage him to learn how to dance, not only to keep his body active, but also shed his inhibitions, and express himself in more artistic ways. Perhaps a salsa or a jive class with your mom would do the trick!

After a lifetime of struggle, hard work and exhaustion, your dad has finally come to a point where he may not have much to do or look forward to. Don't let him wallow in self-pity or get low. Express your love for him by spending more time with him, talking to him, doing things with him that will not only keep him busy but also motivate him with new ways of keeping busy and learn new things and form new experiences.