How to celebrate dad from afar

With all the social distancing going on around the world, you may find yourself unable to spend time with him in-person on Father's Day. As long as you plan a visit to make up for it, don't worry - fathers are very forgiving. On Father's Day, even if you're hundreds of miles away, make sure that your dad still feels your appreciation from afar with a few simple ideas.

Send Him on a Round of Golf

Assuming his local golf course is open to the public again, set up a tee time at a reputable golf course near him that he can attend for the day. Golf is a sport that can easily be played alone, or one that he can grab a few friends to enjoy with. Be sure to splurge on renting a cart for him as well - he's worth it!

Video Chat

Video chat isn't just for working from home. Use the same technology to see your dad on Father's Day. Even if you need to talk him through how to download a program or app, he'll love being able to see your face when you call to wish him a happy Father's Day. If this isn't something that you do regularly already, it probably will be after you teach him how it works and it will turn out to be a thoughtful gift in itself.

Send Him a Personalized Voice Card

A voice card is something that seems to be an underrated touch to accompany a special occasion. A tie may be worn a few times and tossed away, but hearing your voice when opening a simple card is something that your dad cherish. Read him a poem, sing a song that you both like, or tell him one of your best memories of a day you spent together.

Write a Letter

Instead of emailing or texting your dad, get out a piece of paper and pen and write a letter. You can be as creative as you'd like: give him a list of the 10 things you like most about your dad, tell about a camping trip memory you have when it rained the entire weekend, or even write what's been going on in your life and how much it means to have him in it. It doesn't need to be multiple pages, but as long as it's words from you, he will truly appreciate the time you put into his gift.

Send a Gift of Pictures

Maybe you're not an artistic scrap booker, but that's what the internet is for! Make a collage or book of pictures of you and your siblings with your dad. Have it contain pictures from when you were young all the way to the present. If you've never done this before, it's very simple once you have all the digital images you want to use in one place. The program you pick will do the rest and will let you customize it as you'd like along the way.

Send Him Some Activities You Have Planned for Your Next Visit

Create a list of activities that you want to do the next time you two are together. That will get him excited for your next visit and have something to look forward to. You can even list out choices and have him pick a few things and send it back! Maybe it's a ball game and a visit to a local brewery, or a car show with a trip to his favorite restaurant. Find things that you know he will enjoy and it'll give you plenty of time to plan out the events when the time comes.