Gifts for the dad who wants nothing (or already has everything)

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When your dad says he wants nothing, he usually means he doesn't want more stuff to find a place for. Take it from a guy who says it every year.

Here's my list of gifts for the dad who wants nothing.

What to get the dad who says he wants nothing

Give him something he'll eat, drink, use up, or something that makes his week easier. A few ideas that work for the "I'm good" dad:

• Really good steaks from the butcher counter, for a dinner he'd never order for himself

• A bottle of the bourbon or whiskey he already drinks (not a fancy one he's never heard of)

• A month of his usual coffee, ground the way he likes it

• A full car detail, so his truck feels new for a week

• A done-for-him chore, like the gutters, the garage clean-out, or that light fixture that's been out since July

• A better version of the thing he's been nursing along, like his wallet or his work gloves

This is also where gift cards make sense, believe it or not. Gift cards were the most wanted gift in the National Retail Federation's 2025 holiday survey, so a card to the hardware store or his favorite steakhouse isn't lazy.

If they want to charge you an extra $4.95 for the card, give cash. You most likely will hand-deliver it, and it costs you less.

Just put it inside a card with a few real sentences. That's the part he'll keep.

Sentimental gifts he'll keep for years

These are the gifts that end up in a desk drawer for twenty years, in the good way.

A handwritten letter

A letter from you is the gift I'd rank above everything else on this list. Tell him one specific memory and one thing he taught you.

That's it. It doesn't need to be long, and it doesn't need to be polished.

I keep a box of handwritten notes from my wife, kids, and good friends. It's my keepsake.

I keep it in the office for when I need to take a break from life. I open the box and enjoy a few memories.

If you're not sure what to write, start with "I remember when..." and keep going. Dads aren't grading your grammar.

A guided journal or StoryWorth

A guided journal like "Dad, I Want to Hear Your Story" by Jeffrey Mason gives him prompts about his life to answer in his own handwriting, and it costs less than a pizza. Once he fills it in, the family has his story in his own words.

If he'd rather type or talk than write, StoryWorth sends him a question every week by email or text. He can answer by email or on their website, and after a year his answers become a hardcover book. Recording his stories over the phone takes one of their upgraded plans.

The catch: both only work if he actually answers. Give him a nudge, or sit with him for the first few.

Not a writing family at all? Sit down with him over Christmas break and work through a list of questions to ask your dad together.

Record it on your phone. Years from now, you'll be glad you did.

A photo book of the year

A printed photo book of the past year (the camping trip, the graduation, the blurry dog) gets pulled off the shelf more than you'd think. Most of our photos just sit on our phones forever.

I use a simple system to save family photos that turns this into a one-evening job instead of a whole weekend.

We had a family reunion a few years back, and we took family photos. I turned those images around into a family calendar and created an incredible keepsake and Christmas gift.

A gift that fits his faith

If faith is a big part of his life, a gift that honors it can mean the most of anything here. A devotional he'll actually read, a nice rosary, or a Mass offered for his intentions all fit.

Experience gifts dads actually remember

Experience gifts are often the ones dads remember longest, because the real gift is the time with you. I can't tell you what was inside most of the boxes I've opened over the years. I can tell you about the days.

A few experience gifts that work for almost any dad:

• Tickets to his team's game, with you in the seat next to him

• A round of golf at the course he's always wanted to play

• A fishing morning, with you handling the bait and the coffee

• A barbecue class you take together

• Dinner at his favorite place, your treat, phones in your pockets

• A Saturday with no to-do list, and you along for whatever he picks

For more ideas, I keep a running list of screen-free things to do with the kids on a Saturday. And a new board game plus a standing game night with the family is a gift the whole house gets to open.

Gifts little kids can give dad

The best gifts from little kids are the ones they make or pick out themselves. Dads don't care how crooked the wrapping is. Honestly, the more tape the better.

I still have the clay bowl they made when they were in kindergarten. It's on my shelf and it is one of my prized possessions.

A few ideas for the parent helping a little one shop:

• A drawing or painting, framed, with their age and the year written on the back

• A homemade coupon book: one car wash, one breakfast in bed, one hour of no complaining (trust me, that last one gets redeemed)

• His favorite snack, picked out and wrapped by the kids themselves

• A short phone video of them answering three questions about Dad, like what his job is and what he's best at

That video gets funnier every year. Save them all.

Gifts for a new dad's first Christmas

The best gift for a new dad is usually rest, food, or a photo he's actually in.

When I was a new dad, nobody gave me anything I needed more than a nap. Taking the nap with your infant son on your chest while you are watching the first game of the season, Yankees vs. Boston, priceless.

A few gifts new dads appreciate:

• A few hours off, with someone else holding the baby while he sleeps or watches the game

• Dinner handled, either a stack of frozen meals or a gift card for takeout

• A printed and framed photo of him with the baby, since new dads are always behind the camera

• A good insulated mug for the early mornings, because coffee goes cold fast when you're bouncing a baby

Skip the baby gear unless he's asked for something specific. New parents get buried in that stuff, and he probably has three of whatever you're thinking of.

Frequently asked questions about gifts for the dad who wants nothing

What do you get a dad who has everything?

Get the dad who has everything, something he'll use up or something you'll do together. Good food, his usual drink, a done-for-him chore, or a day out all work, because none of them add clutter. A handwritten letter beats all of them.

Is a gift card a lazy gift for dad?

No, a gift card isn't lazy if it's for a place he loves. Gift cards topped the list in the NRF's 2025 holiday survey, with 50% of adults saying they wanted one. Tuck it inside a card with a real note and it feels personal.

What's a good Christmas gift for dad from a son or daughter?

A gift about your relationship lands best, like a letter, a photo book, or a day doing something together. Grown kids can go in together on a bigger gift, like a fire pit or a good multi-tool. For little kids, a homemade coupon book is hard to beat.

What's a good last-minute Christmas gift for dad?

Experience gifts are the best last-minute option because nothing has to ship. Buy the tickets, book the tee time, or plan the day, then print the details for him to unwrap. A gift card to his favorite spot, with a real note, works too.

The gift I'd pick for myself

If my family asked me today, I'd pick a day with my boys and a good steak, in that order. Everything else on this list is a bonus.

The gift matters a little. The thought behind it matters a lot more.

And if you're a dad reading this so you can "accidentally" leave it open on the family laptop, I see you.

Merry Christmas from one dad to another.