gift guide: father’s day.

For anyone looking ahead to giving the fathers in their lives a little something special on Father’s Day this year, here are a few ideas for the sweet, silly, sensitive, caring, compassionate, and crafty fathers in your lives.

A special tote for carrying his homemade pies.

A new set of spoons for brightening up weeknight dinners.

Encouragement to treat himself to a mani/pedi, plus a nail polish or two.

A brass cuff for feeling fancy.

A bit of protection against unintended pregnancy (and other things).

A gray notebook for brainstorming next steps.

A ballpoint pen for writing them down.

A tea towel with a mission.

A planter for fostering a little growth.

A travel watercolor kit and a weekend trip to use it on.

A classic water bottle for long summer playground afternoons.

Action items:

In an effort to ground all of this gift-giving in something a bit more down to earth, here are organizations you can support to help men and fathers in need:

To raise loving boys, support A Call to Men, a national violence prevention organization working on issues of “manhood, male socialization, and its intersection with violence, and preventing violence…” Donate here.

To support a new generation of male leaders and change-makers, support the Healthy Masculinity Action Project, including their Where Do Your Stand campaign, a “bystander intervention and consent campaign” encouraging young men to focus on their role in preventing sexual assault, dating violence, and cyber stalking.