--- title: Christmas Presents for Dads Who Say They Want Nothing description: Stuck on a Christmas present for a dad who says he wants nothing? Ten ideas that give him time, memories and days out with you rather than more clutter. author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief) date: 2026-11-02T11:00:53.809Z updated: 2026-11-02T11:00:53.822Z canonical: https://richdadmagazine.com/article/christmas-presents-dads-who-want-nothing image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/pexels-5522883.webp categories: Lifestyle, Family & Relationships content_type: Guide region: United Kingdom publication: Rich Dad Magazine schema_type: Article --- Every December, thousands of families hear the same answer when they ask what Dad would like for Christmas: nothing. His cupboards are full, he buys what he needs and he does not want you spending money on him. Take him at his word on the money and the clutter, and give him something he cannot buy for himself. These ten ideas work for a dad of 40 or a grandfather of 80. ## A Day Out With You, Already in the Diary Pick something he has mentioned and never done: a stadium tour of his team, a steam railway, a distillery. Book the date before Christmas and put the tickets in the card. A plan with a fixed date tends to happen, while a voucher often sits in a drawer until it expires. ## A Family National Trust Membership A family membership opens more than 500 National Trust places across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to him and the grandchildren. It turns into a year of Sunday walks, gardens and tea rooms you share with him. ## A Cooking Class With His Children or Grandchildren A half-day class teaches him a new dish and gives the two generations a skill to share in his kitchen. If you have sons, it also answers a question we raised recently: [should boys learn to cook](https://richdadmagazine.com/article/should-boys-learn-to-cook)? ## A Book of His Own Stories Send him one question a week through the year: his first job, how he met your mother, the worst car he ever owned. Collect his answers and have them printed as a book for next Christmas. You end up with the family history in his own words. ## His Old Photos, Film and Tapes Digitised Many fathers over 50 have a box of slides, cine film or VHS tapes in the loft. A local digitising service converts them into files the whole family can watch. Show the first reel on Christmas afternoon. ## Tickets to See the Music He Loved at 20 Find out which band or singer filled his teenage bedroom and check whether they still tour. A tribute act playing his favourite album works well too, and costs far less. ## A Saturday of Your Time on the Job He Keeps Putting Off Every dad has one: the shed roof, the garage clear-out, the photo frames waiting to go up. Give him a written promise of a full Saturday, with you doing the heavy lifting and lunch included. ## The Walk He Has Always Talked About Choose a route he mentions often, from a stretch of the South West Coast Path to the hill above the town he grew up in. Plan it for the spring, book the pub lunch at the end and drive him there yourself. ## The Everyday Luxury He Never Buys Himself Plenty of fathers will spend on tools and never on themselves. Good wool socks, proper coffee beans, a bottle of excellent olive oil or a soft scarf get used every week and never gather dust. ## A Portrait of the Whole Family Book a photographer for an hour when everyone is home over the holidays. Many families have hundreds of phone pictures and no single photo with every person in it. Frame the best one for his wall. ## Choosing the Right Present for Your Dad Think about what your dad talks about when nobody is asking him for a gift idea: the places he wishes he had visited, the friends he misses, the jobs he worries about. Whichever present you choose, the part he will remember is the time you spend with him using it.