70th Birthday Gift Ideas for Dad

Ask your dad what he wants for his 70th and you will probably hear one answer: nothing, and do not make a fuss. He means it about things. He does not mean it about time with you, a good day out or proof that his stories were heard. The best 70th birthday gift ideas for dad give him one of those. Our top pick is a song made from his own life, because it is a fuss he will secretly enjoy.

Hear a real song before you decide

This one was made for another family. Yours would carry his name and your stories.

12 70th birthday gift ideas for dad

1. A song about his 70 years ($39.90). Share where he grew up, the work he did, how he met your mom and the phrase he says every time he leaves a room, and Songbond turns it into an original song within 24 hours.
2. A guided memoir journal. A book of questions about his life for him to answer in his own handwriting, one page at a time. Usually $20 to $35, and the finished book goes to his grandchildren one day.
3. A family weekend at a lake house. Rent a place big enough for everyone and let him sit on the dock with the grandkids. Split among siblings, usually $150 to $400 each.
4. A scale model of his first car. The same make, year and color, if you can find out. Usually $40 to $150.
5. A national parks senior pass and a trip to use it. In the US the lifetime senior pass costs about $80. Plan the first park visit together.
6. A scenic train ride. A day trip on a historic railway through the mountains or along a coast, with lunch on board. Usually $60 to $200 a person.
7. Tickets to an air show or classic car show. Go with him and let him explain every engine. Usually $30 to $80.
8. A new hobby kit. Woodcarving tools, a watercolor set or a beginner beekeeping kit. Usually $50 to $200.
9. A wool flat cap and a lined jacket. For the morning walk he never skips. Usually $60 to $150 together.
10. A weather station for the porch. If he checks the forecast three times a day, this gives him his own numbers. Usually $50 to $150.
11. A playlist of the number one song on each birthday. Look up the top song on every one of his 70 birthdays and make a playlist in order. It costs nothing and starts a lot of stories.
12. Breakfast at his diner with the whole family. The place he goes every week, the booth he always takes, everyone crowded in. About $15 a person.

How to choose for your dad's 70th

Pay attention to what he still does every week. Those habits tell you where a gift will actually get used. A dad who walks every morning wants something for the walk. A dad who spends Sunday in the garage wants something for the garage. If he truly wants nothing, give him an outing.

• If he loves to travel: the train ride, the parks pass or the lake house.
• If he is a storyteller: the memoir journal, the playlist or the song.
• If he is always tinkering: the model car, the hobby kit or the weather station.

Five questions to ask him before his 70th

The best material for any personal gift comes from him, and most dads will talk if you ask the right way. Over coffee, a few weeks before, ask him: What was your first car, and what happened to it? What was the best job you ever had? Where did you take Mom on your first date? What did your own father teach you? What is something you still want to do? Write down the answers. They will point you to the right gift, and they make a far better song than a list of adjectives.

Make his 70th birthday song

Create a 70th birthday song for your dad. Share his stories, and the song is ready within 24 hours. If his birthday is tomorrow, express delivery gets it to you in about an hour.

Also in the Journal: 70th birthday songs and thank-you songs for dad.