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• Great Kites For Kids, Er, I Mean You

  "Dad, Dad, can I hold my kite now?" "Not now son, it's too fragile.  Wait till it's in the air." "It's flying! It's flying! Okay, can I hold it now?" "Not now son, wait till it's a little higher." "It's so high now! Can I hold it now? Can I?" [faintly, off in another world] "Not now...higher." [disgusted] "I'm gonna go play now.  Can I hold it when I get back?" "...What? Oh. Yeah. Sure son. A little higher. Watch what it does! Look! Look! Look!" [...] "I'm back! You said I could hold it, can I? Can I?" "Maybe next year." Anybody who buys one of these kites reviewed here at Wired for a kid is clearly kidding themselves: these carbon-fiber beauties are pricey and not for beginners, but for the dad who likes to play (and what dad* doesn't secretly love a kite?), why not? And on who else could you spend over $300 on a "toy" and feel totally justified? So go fly a kite, wouldja?  *moms too, but two days before Father's Day it's all about the men, you know?  Posted Jun 15 2007, 01:33 PM by Karen Murphy with | with no comments Filed under: toys, dads, father's day, father's day gifts, toys for dads, kites

• Father's Day: Great Books for the Kid to Give Pops

  When your kids are small and can't splurge for a hearty Father's Day brunch for the family as their gift to dad, it can be tricky to pick out a present that is sweet and sentimental and won't get shoved in a drawer next to a pocket watch and other well-intended offerings made to him over the years. My favorite gift to give my husband from our son is a great kid's book. In our house, the book basket next to the rocking chair is already filled with father-child centered books that my husband and son love to read before bedtime. My son loves to give a book to his dad that is really a book for himself and my husband is always happy to read a book that doesn't require pushing a button to make Elmo sing and where a dad and his kid are the stars.Here are a few of the parent-pleasing and kid-satisfying books we adore that are an easy and sweet last-minute-pick-up present sure to bring lon-time reading pleasure to father and child: The Daddy Mountain by Jules Feiffer has hilarious illustrations that center on the simple story of a girl climbing up her father's body in her excitement to see him. Do warn dad that it will naturally inspire your wee one to leap into the air onto the big man's shoulders. My Daddy is a Pretzel by Baron Baptiste is a yogafied introduction into the unique occupations parents have. It includes corresponding yoga poses with instructions for moivng in and out of them together. Watching a toddler interpret the pose is just as much fun as watching the daddy try to get himself out of it. Owl Moon by Jane Yolen is a stunning book about a father and daughter who take a walk in hopes of encountering a magnificent owl. Daddies Are For Catching Fireflies by Harriet Ziefert is not the most progressive or complex book but it has cute illustrations and is one my son reaches for over and over again. I admit, I bought it in the grocery store toy aisle, and have been surprised at how happy I've even been to read it.  Posted Jun 13 2007, 05:03 PM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with 2 comment(s) Filed under: fathers, books for children, father's day gifts

• Dad Sick of Ties? Buy him a Beer for Father's Day.

  Although I haven't actually purchased any gifts for my father or my husband yet for Father's Day, I feel pretty sure that I won't be getting either one of them a tie this year. Anheuser-Busch has an idea. They want me to buy the special dads in my life a beer. This is all part of Anheuser-Busch's "Here's to Beer" campaign.  I have to say it's not a bad idea. My only reservations are 1) One beer? For Father's Day. I think my Dad/husband/Father-in-Law deserve more than a single beer for a whole year of fathering, and 2) The men in my life have selective tastes I can't see me buying them a Bud Light for a special occasion. I want to go at least to the Bass/Guinness/Harp level, maybe even a microbrew so that they know they are special to me. If anyone out there is taking notes, I also accept beer for Mother's Day. I like pale ales. Posted Jun 06 2007, 06:59 PM by Sarah, Goon Squad Sarah with | with 5 comment(s) Filed under: beer, father's day, father's day gifts, Anheuser-Busch, Here's to beer

• More Stuff for Father's Day ... Just Not for You

  I mocked a dad for not wanting things for Father's Day. How could he not want a coffee mug? Or a tie? Or even crappy, home-made crayon art work? But now I'm guessing there's quite a few dads out there -- somewhere -- who value family, happiness and social awareness over more important things. And that's where Changing the Present comes in. It's web site that lets you donate to important causes, instead of simply shelling out dough for bric-a-brac and lingerie this Father's Day. For instance, for $50 you can de-mine a sports field. For $20, you can buy 8,000 pounds of carbon to offset something to do with the ice caps. For $75, you can provide healthcare to a needy person for a month. The list of ultra-cool greeny gifts goes on and on -- and I'm beginning to think I might finally have found something better than stuff. (Note that I haven't vetted this site -- so do your homework before donating. But the idea was too good to pass up.)   Posted Jun 06 2007, 07:31 AM by Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) with | with 1 comment(s) Filed under: father, fatherhood, consumerism, dad, father's day, father's day gift guide, father's day gifts

• Punny T-Shirts = Bad Ties of This Millennium for Dads?

  I love clever t-shirts. I love them for me, I love them for the kid and I even love them for the hubs (but, no dear, never all at once, never over-geeking to that degree). It seems like a quippy, political, retro or laughable t-shirt would be the perfect gift for Father's Day, especially for a kid to give dad or grandpa or one of those other male role models who really does not need another DVD of a movie he's already seen 400 times or gift card to Home Depot. In this age of so many fathers who stay at home, work from home or work in places where drycleaner starched and pressed attire actually send him back down the old ladder of success, has the funny tee become the quirky tie of previous generations as the standard dad gift?  And when so many holidays have been celebrated that the dad already has a drawer full of Sesame Street, A-Team and geek-love gear, where do you turn next? Do you (gulp) go with the punny tee for pops? In order to avoid another laser level, do you dare tread into the deep waters of nature-inspired, wacky animal pun gear? Do you dare give him a shirt with a graphic of grizzly in a tie with a PDA that says (yes, you've already guessed it) "The Blackbeary" or one playing on (yes, the inevitable Star Wars pun is indeed coming) his Luke love with "May the Forest Be with You"? Do you dare take the risk that he might just laugh and even more terrifying, wear it? In public? Possibly to work? That he may want the "Kiss My Bass" or "Nice Axe" boxers? If you're fully prepared for each humiliating unravelling of your decorum and disdain for slapstick wit as soon as he unties the ribbon, then for God's sake please take these folks up on their offer of a 25% discount on all the moose and bear products you purchase for your baby daddy. After that, there's really nothing left to do but sit back and have a Beary Happy Father's Day, Dam It!   Posted Jun 03 2007, 12:02 PM by Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) with | with no comments Filed under: products, father's day gifts, funny t-shirts