Father’s Day is this coming Sunday, which means you only have a couple days to get Dad a card or gift. Again, since he probably shopped for Mother’s Day the day before the event, don’t feel rushed quite yet.

Shopping for men can be a bit tricky. No doubt they smile and proclaim love for the necktie emblazoned with school buses, or gasp with delight when they open yet another bottle of Old Spice, but really, how many ties can one man use? And the aftershave from last year is still probably gathering dust in the bathroom medicine cabinet.

We’ve compiled a short list of outside-the-box ideas for you to give the special man in your life this Father’s Day, so you can avoid the boring gifts and he can avoid pretending to like them.

For the Sports Enthusiast

• Tickets to see his favorite team/sport (at least two and tell him he can go with a friend!)
• Golf Clubs or gift certificate to his favorite golf course (throw in lunch at the club)
• Book of local trails/hikes/bike paths/national parks
• Hiking backpack or over-the-shoulder water pouches
• Quality horseshoe/darts set (hint: these are not made of plastic)

For the Artsy or Music Lover 

• Concert tickets 
• iTunes gift card (yes, a tad impersonal, but you can never have too much music on your iPod. Or better yet, make him a playlist of his favorite bands/songs/groups/genres. This probably will not include anything by Taylor Swift or Adele.)
• Tickets to an art museum/festival
• Quality set of ear phones/speakers for listening to music

For the Beer/Wine Connoisseur

• Membership to a Beer/Wine of the Month Club
• Or better yet, a Brew Your Own Beer/Wine Home Kit
• Heavy duty quality beer mugs (skip the cute engraving) or wine glasses (try stemless!)
• Automatic wine bottle opener

For the Gadget Guy

• Remote controlled helicopter (for the kid inside every man)
• Scanner that converts paper files to electronic files
• Keyboard and/or speaker docking station for his iPad
• Custom cell phone/iPod skin
• Sports watch with built in GPS

For the Cook or Grill Man

• Talking remote meat thermometer for the grill (who knew?)
• Grill light (for all those late night grill sessions)
• New Grill tool set or motorized grill cleaning brush
• Cook book or grill book with new ideas or techniques
• Cooking classes or lessons with a local chef

For even more Father’s Day ideas you can visit the following websites:

• Brookstone
• LL Bean
• REI
• Grilling.com
• 12 Unique Father’s Day Ideas

From all of us here at School Webmasters, here’s wishing you a great Father’s Day and a successful gift giving and receiving experience!