This special day for your Dad (FATHER’S DAY) is slowly creeping up on us, this year it’s happening on Sunday the 18th June. If you ever have trouble remembering the date, Fathers are celebrated in the UK on the third Sunday of every June.

You could be taking your favourite Dad off for a drink, or maybe even sit down for a family meal in your favourite restaurant, but let’s hope with a bit of planning, and a few pointers from us, he’ll have an even more amazing time.

Father’s Day is about honouring all of the special men in our life, and it’s a day that all of us get joy from, not only Dad.

Unlike Mother’s Day, which is a traditional Christian holiday, known as ‘Mothering Sunday’, the idea behind Father’s Day is a lot more modern. It also took a lot longer for it to be the established celebration it is now.

We actually followed America in celebrating Father’s Day, so when the date was set to the third Sunday in June, we tagged along with that one too.

The first Father’s Day was in 1908, when a West Virginian Church held a special sermon honouring fathers, after 362 men were killed in a mining accident. Parishioners gave out flowers, both red and white, to honour the living and the dead, in commemoration of all that our fathers do for us.

This was the first and only time the church community celebrated that event, which seems it was more about the mining accident than starting a national holiday.

The following year, and again in West Virginia, a woman called Sonora Smart Dodd made it her mission to set up a national Father’s Day. Upset by the fact that there was a Mother’s Day, but no corresponding day for fathers,

She petitioned her local community and government to change this. Originally, she wanted Father’s Day to be on June 5th, which was her own father’s birthday, as a way of honouring him.

Washington state celebrated its first Father’s Day in June 1910, although it was delayed until June 16th.

Father’s Day slowly spread to other states, however it was never really as popular as Mother’s Day.

Many countries, including Spain, Italy and Croatia, celebrate Father’s Day on March 19th. That date is the Feast Day of St Joseph, the husband of Mary and adoptive father to Jesus. The day was traditionally used to celebrate the fatherhood as well as spiritual fathers.

Father’s Day is about spending time with those special men in our lives, whether it’s an overdue visit home, or a special meal out.

Present ideas can be a difficult thing to come up with and they’re always about traditional ‘male’ gifts, although nowadays there is a huge range to choose from.

We thought we’d do something a little different, in an attempt to make it far more personal. We have some freebies, things to make and Dad, and of course a couple of ‘traditional’ ideas too.

THINGS TO DO

Dad’s are notoriously difficult to buy for, at least that’s what I’m always told

If your dad and loves a bit of adventure then maybe a day white water rafting or paddle boarding at the CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL WHITE WATER CENTRE is the thing to do.

Whether you’re a watersports aficionado or a complete novice, use the links below to find the perfect activity based on your personal preferences or craving for adrenaline!

For more details on everything they have on offer, go HERE.

Treat your Dad this year with an Activity Day at LLYS-Y-FRÂN in Pembrokeshire, where you can enjoy a one-hour outdoor adventure either on land, or on the water. Following your outdoor activity, you will be welcomed to the Café for their favourite Sunday Dirty Yorkie that includes local craft beer, cider or soft drinks and tea or coffee.

Choose from bike hire, a climbing wall, paddle boarding, single or double kayaking, archery or open canoeing. 

Spaces are incredibly limited, so you’ll need to be quick. The cost is £22.50 per person and you can get more details HERE.

Dads who like to move on wheels, can take to one of the many race tracks across Wales – you may want to go for go-karts, BMX or super car adventures.

Want to get that adrenaline pumping? Then get in gear with SUPAKART, Newport’s number one indoor go karting centre and the largest and fastest kart track in Wales and the West.

A white-knuckle ride for thrill seekers everywhere, you can book an open race session with friends and family or book a Grand Prix race for an event to remember. They’ve been providing a first class experience to racers from across Newport, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Hereford and beyond since 1995. They are incredibly proud to provide you with fast and unrestricted 200cc karts for serious speed.

For more details on what SUPAKART have to offer, go HERE.

The SOUTH WALES KARTING CENTRE is situated near Llandow in the Vale of Glamorgan, 15 miles South West of Cardiff, South Wales Karting Centre is one of the largest, fastest and most exciting circuits in Wales.

The track is approximately 1050 meters in length with nine corners. The surface is tarmac. All of the corners are used for the direct drive classes with the following exceptions.

On the rolling lap, prior to the start, the cut through’s at The Hook & Surtees are used. The cut through at The Hook is used in the first racing lap. For gearbox classes, the same applies but with the cut through at The Hook used for ALL laps. The circuit is raced clockwise with six marshall points numbered 1 through 6 on the diagram.

They have so much to do at the Centre, for more details, go HERE.

Maybe tickets for one of his favourite events would be perfect to slip inside his card. Here’s a few ideas….

  • FIM SPEEDWAY – PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, SATURDAY 2nd SEPTEMBER – HERE
  • REBEL FEST – TINY REBEL BREWERY NEWPORT, FRIDAY 30th JUNE TO SUNDAY 2nd JULY – HERE
  • GIN & RUM FESTIVAL – BRANGWYN HALL SWANSEA, SATURDAY 16th SEPTEMBER – HERE
  • DEPOT AT THE CASTLE – CARDIFF CASTLE, SATURDAY 8th JULY – HERE
  • LIONEL RICHIE, LEWIS CAPALDI, GEORGE EZRA – CHEPSTOW RACECOURSE, FRIDAY 30th June to SUNDAY 2nd JULY – HERE
  • THE ULTIMATE CLASSIC ROCK SHOW – NEW THEATRE CARDIFF, THURSDAY 3rd AUGUST – HERE
  • THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE RUGBY LIVE – SWANSEA ARENA, THURSDAY 2nd NOVEMBER – HERE
  • SUMMER SERIES WALES V ENGLAND – PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, SATURDAY 5th AUGUST – HERE
  • SUMMER SERIES WALES V SOUTH AFRICA – PRINCIPALITY STADIUM, SATURDAY 19th AUGUST – HERE
  • George Ezra (Photo: Adam Scarborough)
  • The Good, The Bad, The Rugby Live
  • Depot at the Castle
  • The Ultimate Classic Rock Show

SPECIAL TREATS

At THE CELTIC MANOR RESORT, there’s a whole range of experiences available, including the opportunity to tee off on one of its three state of the art championship golf courses. As well as this there’s luxurious spa facilities, a selection of unique dining destinations and all with 5* accommodation to top it off. 

FATHER’S DAY IDEAS @ CELTIC

Tee off a Treat 

To celebrate Father’s Day, The Celtic Manor Resort, located in the beautiful South Wales Countryside, is offering a host of packages which are perfect for the golf-loving dad. 

With three championship courses and state of the art facilities, the resort is a haven for golf enthusiasts. 

  • RYDER CUP TWO COURSE GOLF BREAK FROM £171pp – HERE
  • TWO NIGHT STAY CHAMPIONSHIP EXPERIENCE FROM £214pp – HERE

There’s also…..

Pamper your Pops

Celtic Manor has two spas and health clubs with great packages that are perfect for pampering your Dad and making him feel special this Father’s Day:

Dine with Dad

There’s dining choices galore at The Celtic Manor Resort but here are our top picks to treat Dad or enjoy a family meal to celebrate his big day: 

  • The Celtic Manor Resort
  • 2010 Course – From £181 per person
  • Montgomerie Course

FATHER’S DAY AT BILL’S

Dice will be rolling all around at BILL’S this Father’s Day with the guaranteed chance to win a tasty treat on Bill’s.

To celebrate all the awesome father figures around– whoever that is to you, with the roll of a dice, Bill’s, are making dads winners all round this Father’s Day.  

When ordering a main, dads will have the luck of the draw at Bill’s this Father’s Day, and as luck would have it, every father figure is bound to come out a winner regardless, thanks to the winning combination of quality time spent with loved ones and the prizes offered on the day.   

On Sunday 18th June, dads will be offered a roll of the dice to receive a winning treat of either a complimentary starter, dessert, or 330ml bottle of Peroni beer – a treat from Bill’s in celebration of the best of the best.  

  • Father’s Day at Bill’s
  • Father’s Day at Bill’s

Starters to choose from include fried halloumi cheese drizzled with chilli honey & nigella seeds, chicken & sesame dumplings with Bill’s spicy chutney, and crispy calamari served with either roast garlic & basil aioli or tomato sauce and more. 

Desserts on the menu include the famous Bill’s flowerpot, mini cinnamon doughnuts drizzled with cinnamon sugar, chocolate sauce & dulce de leche, and the triple chocolate brownie topped with warm chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream & a chocolate flake.

To enjoy a starter, dessert or Peroni beer on Bill’s, fatherly figures can simply order any main on the menu when dining on Father’s Day, and let the game of chance do the rest.  

Booking in advance is advised, celebrate Father’s Day with your loved ones on Sunday 18th June at Bill’s restaurants. To book, visit HERE. And you can check out the T&C’s HERE. 

A FEW FREEBIES

We thought we’d start with some stuff to make and do. We’ve had our team put together a few free things you can use to make (or get the kids to make) something original for Dad. You can download them and use them as you feel. Just click on the blue Father’s Day Freebies button below to download them straight to your device.

The first is a Father’s Day card front, the kids can add what they feel to the inside. We love the illustrations our guys have drawn and are sure there are lots of ways they can use those. The cut outs below are brilliant too. Just download, print, cut-out and put wherever you like.

FATHER’S DAY FREEBIES

These freebies are proving to be very popular so we’ve had our team come up with a few more designs. We’ve zipped them up so you can download them to your device. Once again, print them off and let the kids go crazy. Inside, there are picture to print and stick onto cards or use as wrapping. Banners to let Dad know he’s the best and some stickers to print and stick wherever you like. Enjoy, and feel free to share this page link with family and friends.

Just click on the blue link below the pictures.

FATHER’S DAY FREEBIES – 2

DIY DAD

Now we certainly don’t mean go online and buy Dad one of his favourite tools as a gift. That’s almost as bad as buying Mum a new iron for Mother’s Day. We actually mean go all DIY yourself and create Dad something from you and from the heart. It may not look incredible, it could be a little rough around the edges, but I can assure you it’ll be his favourite thing.

Let’s be honest, we still have a little spare time at the minute, so why not get ahead of the game and make his gift now. If he’s in the house with you, sit him in front of the telly, with a bag of crisps and a drink and tell him not to move. He won’t complain at that one.

So here goes with a few ideas, starting with: The SOUTH WALES LIFE list of DIY Dad stuff……

DENIM TECH SLEEVE

We really love this one because we can never decide which protective sleeve to get for our prized tech. We reckon something personal and hand made is the answer. Dad can put his tablet inside a customised felt-lined denim sleeve. A half-yard of each fabric lets you make enough for yourself – and a few friends.

MATERIALS

  • 1/2 yard denim, medium weight (6 to 8 ounces)
  • 1/2 yard wool felt
  • Iron-on adhesive
  • Craft knife and straight edge
  • Awl or rotary punch
  • 2 leather washers
  • 2 caps and studs
  • Rivets and setter
  • Sewing machine and supplies
  • Waxed twine, 12 inches long

STEPS

  1. Following dimensions in diagram, or create a template on paper and cut it out.
  2. Cut denim so it’s several inches larger, in all dimensions, than the wool felt. (Both pieces of fabric should be slightly larger than template.) Fuse denim to felt with iron-on adhesive, ironing on denim side.
  3. Place template on fused fabric and lightly trace with a pencil. Cut out, using craft knife and straight edge.
  4. Use awl and a mallet, or rotary punch, to make small holes, as indicated on template. Place a small scrap of excess fused fabric at same points on felt side (to reinforce rivets). Align hole of a leather washer over one hole and set a rivet through washer, fabric, and scrap. Repeat for other rivet.

Here’s a couple of simple templates to get you started.

MAP ARTWORK

This is one of those gifts that will not only make Dad smile, but in these days when we don’t know when our next holiday will be, it’s a perfect chance to be transported back to a time, and place, when you all had a great trip away. Transform a map from Dad’s favourite holiday spot, or it could be his childhood home, or even the route of a family trip last summer. Get yourself a frame, print it and put it in and you have a lifetime framed keepsake.

FAMILY MAP SCRAPBOOK

This is an extension of the map theme and can be a family project: Celebrate those summer holidays spent together by gathering maps, mementos, and more from your favourite getaways, then compiling everything into a bound book for Dad to browse through when he’s feeling sentimental.

To make this craft, start by cutting the map to fit, and glue it in place along edges. For the frame, cut a rectangle larger than the photo, and cut slits into the corners. Next, prep the envelope by unfolding an existing envelope; trace around it on a double-sided map. Continue by cutting out, and then fold and glue it to match the original. You can of course add so much more to the project. Be creative, we all have the time right now.

SHIRT CUFF CARDS

Fashion a card to look like a shirt cuff, and then use it to present a gift of cuff links perhaps. Cut a 3 1/4 by 9 inch rectangle from strong paper/card; round two corners, as shown in the picture. Rubber-stamp a greeting on one side (these are cheap as chips online). Gently bend paper in half and cut four slits for cuff links. To make cuff links, hook 24-gauge wire onto a button’s shank, securing with needle-nose pliers. Cut wire to half an inch and loop through a second button’s shank; repeat.

FATHER’S DAY COUPONS

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like to get a token book, and knowing how much Dad’s love a deal, he will go crazy for this one. There is so much you can offer; a free car wash, lawn mowing, breakfast, and much more, all using DIY designs. Let the kids’ imaginations run wild. Simply make this project with strong paper, card or other craft paper you have lying around your house. Deck out the coupons with designs using markers and an array of colours that will catch Dad’s eye. Once the kids make a cover, they can fasten, staple, or sew the booklet together.

DAY WITH DAD

Kids love to be in charge, so let them take Dad on a Father’s Day “date” of their choosing. Ask them to consider what Dad would like best: a movie, a museum, or a rugby game? This can be a perfect way to surprise Dad and offer a chance to plan an activity the whole family can join in on. A handmade card tells him they’re treating. Kids can buy or draw the “tickets;” Mum can cut a slit for them in the card.

DAD LIBS

Of course your kids love him “thiiiiisss“ much! But with this fill-in-the-blanks Father’s Day game, they can get specific in pinpointing Dad’s traits, like his favourite foods and what makes him laugh (beyond their artistic interpretation of him drawn in the frame on the card’s front, that is). To make this fun craft, you will need to find the Dad Libs template, we’ve put a couple of ideas below. After this step, the options are endless to answer the Dad-related sentences. Kids can use colourful markers to write why they love Dad and more.

This is not Dad’s Libs related we just thought you’d like it. It’s very sweet and would be perfect in a homemade or bought frame.

FATHER’S DAY NOTEPAD

Give Dad the perfect addition to his office space with a DIY notepad. This is so easy to do. Just wrap a rubber band around a notepad cube and have the kids write greetings and make drawings on two sides with a broad, pointy marker. (Fine tips will get caught between the pages.) Move the band, and decorate the other two sides. Tie the notepad with a colourful ribbon. As an added gift, slide in a pen.

POPS FOR POP

Satisfy Dad’s sweet tooth with something besides the usual chocolate and cakes. These Father’s Day cake pops are too cute-and delicious-to pass up!

These are really nice, fun to make and we are sure he’ll devour the lot, it is Father’s Day after all. Of course you could buy some lollies and stick his name on them but why not have a crack at making these sweet treats. The full details are right here. POPS

So let’s on from the stuff you can make to the things you can do and share with Dad and the whole family.

PLAY A ROUND OF GOLF

Golf is back on in South Wales, as is Adventure Golf – take a look at our feature HERE. If the weather is bad, or you plan to stay at home on the day, you can still get in a quick round, at home. You can all get involved, have a laugh and even a drink as you play a few holes. How about setting up a MINI-GOLF game around the house and garden.

Obviously this will only be putting, unless you have acres of grounds, but with a bit of imagination you could certainly get 9 holes set up and have a little course thing going on. Best of all it’s only going to cost you time, a bit of printing and a little bit of imagination.

Be creative, think of a theme for the day, possibly a Zoo Course with all the kids stuffed animals. Driveway or Garden Golf if the weather is nice. Under, Around and Over – you’ll need great imagination for this one.

Seriously, this will be amazing no matter how much or little space you have. Dad will love, because you will love it and it’ll be a perfect way to spend a Father’s Day. Actually, forget that, we reckon this would be brilliant fun at any time.

FAMILY PICNIC

Leave all the fancy stuff behind for the day, grab Dad, get a whole load of food and head out into the great South Wales outdoors, or the garden, or backyard, for a good old fashioned family picnic. Pack all the essentials, plus a few things you and the kids may have made for him and get out to Dad’s favourite outdoor spot (his own private space) for a fun and stress-free meal.

Family Picnic

THEATRE AT HOME

Many families with children have spent long days at home wondering what they can do to keep little ones entertained. With schools closed for a long period, it was up to parents to find alternatives to keep their kids occupied and amused. So, in addition to getting them involved in the other suggestions, here’s one that’s designed especially for them.

This is really good and the kids will love it. Suggest they dress up and put on a play to surprise Dad. They can recreate a story, a movie, or let their imaginations run wild or best of all, invent a new story. They’ll love the idea of being actors for a day and you’ll all have a great time together as a family.

DAD IDOL

This one may not be as crazy as you might think, especially with celebrities being relatively accessible through social media. We are real believers in the phrase ‘if you don’t ask you don’t get get’ and in this case, it could pay real dividends.

Find out who your Dad’s favourite celebrity might be, it could be a sports personality, a musician or even a comedian. Then, in search of a real meaningful and very special gift, you could try reach out to these celebrities on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) and ask them if they would possibly be able to wish your Dad a Happy Father’s Day – or even if they could create a short video personalised to your Dad to make his day.

First of all, it won’t cost you anything, second you’ll instantly become the favourite child, and most importantly, it will be cooler than cool can be.

In case you’re worried about what these celebrities might say when you ask, well they’ll either not reply or you’ll get an outright no. But you know what, remember they have been self isolating too and boredom creeps in no matter who, or where you are. Go on, give it a go but remember this is about Dad’s favourite idol, not yours.

VIRTUAL GET TOGETHER

It’s not only through lockdown where we can get together virtually, families are sometimes spread all over Wales, or the world, that doesn’t mean we still can’t keep make plans to virtually meet up with the special people in our life. We are so blessed that we live in a digitally connected age, so make the most of it. You can surprise Dad by organising a group video call with everyone in the family, no matter how far away they are on their special day.

One of the ways to do this is through our lockdown saviour ZOOM.

Like so many group apps, they make it possible to create “rooms” where users get together to do the video call as a group, as well as play Trivial Pursuit, Guess Who, Pictionary, and other classic games, as if you were all together in your living room! Can you imagine the look of surprise on your dad’s face?

Here’s a few more ‘things to do’ suggestions, which need no explanation outside of a title.

  • Bake a Delicious Cake & Prepare His Favourite Meal
  • Go Down the Memory Lane and Play Some Games
  • BBQ
  • Get Him A Local Take Away
  • Home Made Sweet Treats
  • Spa Time
  • Support Local Buy From an Open Shop Close by

Now more than ever, your local businesses need you, so if you’re looking at buying Dad a special something, take a look at the local retailers in your area or perhaps have gone online, or maybe send him some flowers using a local florist? Or even vouchers for his favourite restaurant.

We have loads of other features if you want to do something special with Dad.

OUR SOUTH WALES – is something we ran after lockdown to help us reconnect with our area. Take a look at some of the nice places to visit around South Wales.

If you’re looking for somewhere to take Dad for a meal, take a look at our feature below.

And if you’re looking for tickets for a Gig or Show, take a look at our entertainment pages below.

ENTERTAINMENT

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