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Father’s Day is within touching distance. (Sunday 17th June, to be precise.) Stuck for gift ideas? The trick is to go experiential! Because Dad already has enough ties and aftershave to last a lifetime. Here’s a short list of days out in the UK that will raise a smile, make memories and liberate him from that spot on the sofa.

1. Celebrate the beautiful game

We may be going out on a limb here. But chances are you may have noticed that a certain international summer football tournament has got underway. If that isn’t enough to sate your father’s fondness for the beautiful game, then a trip to Manchester is in order. The National Football Museum is the biggest football museum in the world and a necessary pilgrimage for any footy mad Dad. Learn about the history of the FA Cup. See how the world’s best teams got to where they are. And tackle a bunch of interactive stuff that will expose whether your dad is right to be quite so confident when it comes to his passing ability.

www.nationalfootballmuseum.com | Free

2. Take a tour of Lord’s

Dad prefers the knock of leather on willow to the din of a football stadium? No problem. Lord’s is the undisputed home of cricket. And for a small fee your old man can treat it as his playground. Sit in the dressing rooms. Gaze at the list of greats adorning the leaderboards. And see the famous Ashes Urn in the MCC Museum.

www.lords.org | £18

3. Whisky tasting

Is Dad a whisky fan? Then he’ll be the proverbial font of knowledge after a day-long whisky course at the Scotch Whisky Training School in Edinburgh. It includes talks on the history of the Scottish whisky industry, tips on the art of blending and – of course – a 90-minute whisky tasting. Cheers!

www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk | £195

4. Visit the world’s biggest collection of F1 cars

You don’t understand the fascination of watching the same cars whizz around the same track for hours on end. But your dad loves it. So there you have it. Take him to The Donington Grand Prix Collection – home to the largest showcase of Grand Prix racing cars in the world. Through 130 exhibits, your dad will walk through the history of F1 and come nose to nose-cone with the actual cars driven by F1 greats like Nigel Mansell and Alain Prost.

www.donington-park.co.uk | £10

5. Get racing

Okay, okay. You’d both rather get behind the wheel than look down at it. Sadly it’s not so easy to take off in a F1 car. But for the next best thing head for Thruxton Kart Centre – home to one of the best kart circuits you’ll ever find. Hurtle around a 1,100m track in high-performance carts capable of an adrenaline-spiking 60mph. Will you let him win? Of course not!

www.thruxtoncarting.co.uk | From £25

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