Those golden years are rapidly approaching for Dad. He is looking forward to sleeping in, being lazy, and accepting his well-deserved retirement. The problem is that you are having difficulty coming up with a retirement gift idea for your dad, and you are feeling a little guilty because he has always thoughtfully given you gifts at the important junctures of your life: birthdays, graduations and sometimes just because.
Now it is your turn to give something back, but you do not want to get him some cheesy gift that says you blew it. While your dad will show appreciation for any gift you get him, you want his retirement gift to be something special that will stick with him for years to come. In this article, we will outline six awesome retirement gift ideas for your inspiration. If you can’t find anything suitable for your dad on this list, be sure to check out more interesting suggestions. You can also search for some trendy gifts for grandpa while you’re at it!
A Nikon D3400 DSLR Camera
Once retirement sets in, Dad is going to probably want to take up a few hobbies of his own. You know that photography has always been one of his interests, but there was never time for him to enjoy that when he was tied to a desk. Plus, you heard him say he might even like to have his own YouTube channel someday to teach the younger generation a few things they clearly do not know about life.
A new camera that will accommodate professional still shots and hours of video recording would be right up his alley. If you get him a travel case to go with his camera, that would certainly sweeten the deal for sure. He might even start calling you the good son again.
Where to buy: Nikonusa.com
Price: $499.95
Lighted LED Chess Set
The lighted LED chess set is the perfect gift to keep your retired dad’s mind sharp as a tack. It is also a great way for Dad to spend some quality time with other friends and family members who enjoy a good game of chess too. With pieces that light up, this makes the lighted LED chess set both visually stimulating and fun to fire up for a game.
The lighted pieces may also make it an easier board to see if your dad is showing signs of declining vision. This is a concern, given how many elderly people get cataracts and can follow along better under high contrast situations.
Where to buy: Brookstone.com
Price: $80
A High-Tech TV
Now that your dad is leaving the workforce, he has made it expressly clear that he is going to be spending a lot of time in the old man cave drinking beer and watching every type of sports game he can squeeze into his day. What he does not know is that you have been considering replacing that dinky little 27-inch television he has with a more respectable sized 70-inch, wall mounted UHD television.
You have even been looking at different soundbars to up the quality of the audio in his old man cave. Plus, a huge universal remote will place him firmly in the captain’s seat and give him total control over all his channel surfing needs. In fact, he might be so impressed that he might even invite you over on Sundays to watch football with him.
Where to buy: Walmart
Price: $2,098
A Riding Lawn Mower
Retirement is going to give your dad time to whip the yard into shape and show the neighbors how to have the best-looking yard on the block. While you are sure he will do a bang-up job with his old push mower, it might be better on his aging body if he could cut the grass with a riding mower instead. This is especially the case when the sun is burning down from on high in the heat of the summer. You may want to volunteer to help him clean out his shed ahead of time to assess how much available room there is if you decide to go this route.
Price: $2,499
A Bose Wave Music System
When your dad retires, he has practically threatened to move into the garage: where he does all his tinkering. He is a man who needs his space and time to get a few projects done. And he loves to listen to music while he works. When it comes to baseball season, he is a purist for listening to the Cubs playing anyone who comes to town. Outfitting his garage with a new Bose Wave Music System would be the perfect retirement gift idea for your Dad that would totally transform his listening experience. At Bose, their exclusive waveguide technology delivers the highest quality sound and performance in their radios.
Where to buy: Bose.com
Price: $499.95
A Classic Muscle Car
If your dad is the kind of guy who is trying to relive his youth after retirement, then the perfect retirement gift might just be an old classic muscle car from his era. This could be a well-preserved model that still runs well. Alternatively, it could be a project car that you both could work on as time permits: to get in a little father and son time. With a roaring engine and a couple of flat tires on the back, your dad might start to feel like he is his 17-year-old self all over again.
Conclusion
Your dad is going to retire soon, and it is then that he will begin a new phase of his life. He will not be the early riser that rushes through breakfast in a hurry. He will no longer be fighting traffic all the way to the office and home again either. Your dad has earned the right to get around to some of the things he enjoys doing for a change.
So, when you choose a retirement gift for your Dad, you may want to choose a gift that actually aligns with your dad’s retirement goals in some profound way. That will be the retirement gift that he will remember.
