Did you drop the ball on Christmas morning? Here’s how to make amends

Feeling guilty about giving your Dad yet another pair of socks this year? Here’s how you can make it up to him

Fathers always seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to Christmas gifts. If it’s not a new tie for work at a job he doesn’t particularly enjoy, it’s a pair of socks he probably doesn’t need. But while the festive season might be coming to an end, it’s not too late to replace that lump of sartorial coal you gave him with something more exciting. Here are a few ideas to give your old man what he really wants (well, other than a bottle of good whiskey): quality time with his favourite family members.1. Take him on a snowmobile adventureNothing says bonding quite like plowing through the snow on a high-speed vehicle. Local mountains offer trips to suit both adventure junkies and safety lovers, but invest in some car time together by heading up to Whistler for the day. Stop in at Fergie’s Cafe in Squamish for a breakfast you won’t forget before heading up to the mountain. The Adventure Group offers scenic snow mobile tours at an easy-going pace ($159 per person), while Blackcomb Snow Mobile will let you rip up some drifts with an off-piste ride ($149 per person). 2. Take him to see Black Sabbath or The CureAh, nostalgia, the Baby Boomer’s hobby of choice. Ozzy Osbourne is back for Black Sabbath’s 2016 tour, which is absolutely, positively going to be their last kick at the can—we think. It’s not clear whether his performance will be as good as it was before he became a reality television superstar, but with tickets priced as high as $2,497.25 it seems someone out there is willing to pay up to find out. Mercifully, for those who aren’t that into Ozzy—or don’t love their Dad quite so much— tickets start at $49.50. And if your dad is more of the British punk rocker-type, The Cure are hitting Vancouver in May, with tickets coming in at a more reasonable $57. 3. Sports, sports, sportsIt might be stereotypical, but it’s almost guaranteed to be a win. Instead of splashing out the big bucks for one Canucks game, consider chipping in with your siblings and buy a couple of season tickets to the Vancouver Canadians ($415) or the Giants ($547).  If nothing else, it means you all can spend time drinking beer and yelling at people together on a weekly basis—and what could make a father happier than that?