Unique and Fun Father's Day Gifts

In the run up to Father's Day, dutiful sons and daughters search long and hard for the perfect gift to give their beloved Dads. However, the mission is not an easy one. Many fathers simply buy the things they want, when they want them. Other's have particular tastes, and won't settle for anything less than the best. Yet others are indifferent, and claim that they will like anything their children get them. Yet, how many children have given gifts to their Dads only to see them disappear in a matter of days, or be relegated to a shelf or closet somewhere collecting dust?

The question is, how to find a Father's Day gift that Dads will love and actually use? Sometimes kids just need to think outside the box. There are plenty of cool, amusing, and useful gifts for Dads if you know where to look. One of my favorite sites is Think Geek, because they have so many cool items for every type of Dad. If your Dad is a Star Trek freak, a computer nerd, a new Dad with a sense of humor, an aspiring chef with an eye for cool kitchen gadgets, or just a regular old guy who likes cool stuff, there is sure to be something he'll like at Think Geek.

For Dads who like to cook, you can't go wrong with funky, fun, and functional kitchen tools. Replace that boring pizza cutter with one shaped like the Star Trek Enterprise. Why use a regular coffee cup, when you can use one that stirs itself? And why not your encourage your Dad to take his culinary creativity to new levels with a do-it-yourself kit. These nifty kitchen tools will give your Dad a good reason to spend so much time in the kitchen.

If your Dad is like many, he cannot go without his morning coffee fix. Why not make it easier on him by giving him a self-stirring mug? This super-convenient mug includes a battery-operated motor that propels a small plastic disc that whips together coffee, sugar, and cream in no time. All Dads need to do is put the ingredients in,  push a button, and voila! Instant gratification. The self-stirring action means that Dads don't have to fumble around for spoons or stir sticks, clumps of sugar at the bottom of the cup are a thing of the past, and the motor even works to cool down piping hot drinks. But for those who like it hot, there is also a plastic lid that you can drink through that snaps into place so drinks stay warm and also stay inside the mug.

If your Dad likes to enjoy the occasional glass of scotch, do him a favor, and get him some natural soapstone cubes that can be used in the place of ice. Melting ice waters down the whisky and takes away from the rich, smoky flavour. These whisky stones will chill the drink without the melt. The stones can be used in any drink from soda to cocktails to beer, and they are completely safe, natural, and reusable.

Home cooked meals can be so....blah sometimes. Why not give your Dad a gift that will allow him to create imaginative cuisine that wouldn't be out of place in a Michelin starred restaurant. The Molecular Gastronomy kit includes food additives and tools that your Dad can use to create caviar beads out of vegetables, spaghetti strands out of juices, and light airy foams out of practically anything. There is even a DVD that features 50 avant garde recipes to get your Dad thinking outside the box.

How many times have you given your Dad a tie for Father's Day, Christmas, birthdays? He probably has a closet full of ties in every color of the rainbow by now. Why not get him something he will actually wear? Super hero bathrobes are functional and fun, a fedora will have him looking smart and  slick, and you can't go wrong with a contemporary and cool watch.

What Dad didn't dream of being Indiana Jones just for a day? Well, now you can give him the opportunity to live out his dream with the official Indiana Jones fedora. This hand made hat is the real deal with fur felt, a satin lining, and a leather sweat band, just like the one Indie wore in the movies while he was battling snakes, discovering treasure, and just being an all-round awesome hero. 

The WEwood Jupiter Watch is made entirely out of wood that was sourced from extra scraps leftover from the flooring industry. And if that wasn't environmentally friendly enough, the company pledges to plant one tree for every watch that is purchased. You can choose from Maple, Red Wing Celtis, or Blackwood, and each watch has two dials on the face that use state-of-the-art technology. 

Gadgets are great gifts for Dads because they are useful, long lasting, and they make life easier for Dads in so many ways. In addition, Dads will love to show them off to their friends and neighbours. From multi-purpose pocket knives to solar chargers to Bluetooth car diagnostic tools and work station tool kits, there are tons of neat gizmos that will keep your Dad occupied for hours.

This handy device can be plugged into the OBDII port in any car that was made after 1996 and connect to the user's Android phone to monitor stats about the car's performance. It can tell your Dad info about the speed, RPM, horsepower, engine efficiency, and coolant temperature. This is the perfect gift for gear head Dads.

Why give your Dad one tool, when you can give him 18 in one compact package?  The Switch Modular pocket knife is a knife, bottle opener, wood saw, flathead screwdriver, nail file, and so much more. The best part is that Dads can mix and match the tools on the knife so that they only carry the ones they need or use the most often. This takes the Swiss Army concept and upgrades it to a convenient and customizable all-in-one tool.

This eco-friendly charger harnesses the power of the sun to charge an internal battery that can power any device, including phones, cameras, DVD players, and eBook readers. It is compact and light, so it is easy to take on the road, and it will even work on cloudy days or low light conditions. Your Dad will never have to go without his favorite devices again with this handy and useful solar charger.

Ok, so maybe your Dad already has all the gadgets he could possibly want, more clothes than he can wear in a year, and a kitchen stocked to the rafters with tools. But has he ever eaten astronaut ice cream, canned unicorn meat, or zombie jerky? Quirky food gifts are sure to get a laugh and brownie points for creativity.

Even astronauts need to indulge sometimes, which is why there are freeze dried ice cream packages with delicious Neapolitan ice cream that can be saved for up to three years without melting or expiring. The bars are tasty, compact, and easily transportable, so Dads can take them to work, bring them on the road, or simply enjoy at home. 

Even if your Dad has never encountered a unicorn in the wild, he can still enjoy the meat in this conveniently packaged can of unicorn meat. Ok, so its not really unicorn meat, but it is a hilarious collection of plush, dismembered unicorn parts, complete with bloody stumps and x'd out eyes. Your Dad will get a huge laugh out of this imaginative and unique Father's Day gift.

If you Dad likes sushi, he'll find these wasabi gumballs a treat. The intense flavour of wasabi starts off slowly and gradually builds to a burning sensation that will clear the sinuses and bring on the tears. Your Dad can challenge his tolerance levels, or trick friends into bringing on the both pleasurable and painful wasabi experience.

These are just a few gift ideas for Dads who already have everything. If you know of any other cool or fun Father's Day gifts, feel free to share them here!