This may sound a little bold, but we believe there’s no better gift for Dad on Father’s Day than a jigsaw puzzle, and we aim to prove it.

We know a thing or two about jigsaw puzzles for adults, and we also know how great dads (and granddads!) can be. Who else can change the oil, barbecue some wings, crack jokes, and play catch all at the same time? Okay, maybe not at the same time — that would be unsanitary — but you get what we mean: Dad is awesome.

This Father’s Day, maybe it’s time for something different than the usual same-old, same-old. Maybe it’s time to give him something he would never expect.

But first, let’s talk about what you probably shouldn’t give him.

Avoid the Cliches

Let’s have a look at all of the things people normally buy for Father’s Day and make it clear why it’s time for a change. Dads are made of more than stereotypes and cliches, people!

Why You Shouldn’t Get Him a Hideous Tie

This isn’t “Leave It to Beaver.” Dads don’t really wear ties much anymore unless it’s for a joke or a bet. Do you know what a tie isn’t? It isn’t a 1000-piece jigsaw puzzle, that’s what it isn’t.

If you get him a tie in that notorious shade of gold that’s indistinguishable from the shade of greenish-yellow stuff that usually comes from babies, he will laugh. This is because he’s a good sport. Inside, though, his heart will break. He will cry invisible tears of disappointment. And you will be responsible.

Why More Barbecue Tools Are Not the Answer

Dad loves to barbecue, sure, but this Father’s Day, maybe it’s time to break with the past. Tradition is both predictable and boring, and one thing it definitely is not is a jigsaw puzzle for adults.

Dear old Dad already has a drawer stuffed with grilling gadgets, thermometers, probes, forks, tongs, flippers, multi-tool scrapers, infrared smartphone burger monitoring apps, nuclear-powered ham slicers, and so on.

If he has to plaster on another thinly veiled smile and say, “You really shouldn’t have,” don’t wonder why he spends so much time in the bathroom. He’s in there sorting out his feelings, screaming “WHY?” into a downy soft roll of toilet paper and dreaming of a jigsaw puzzle.

Why You Should Stay Away from Outdoorsy Accessories

Dad knows what works in the wild and what doesn’t. Unless he asks for it or hints that he wants it, he already has it. Buying him the little can’t-live-without-it trinket from the checkout lane shelf at your foremost outfitter big box store is like slapping him softly with thousands of those little MADE IN CHINA stickers. He isn’t going to appreciate that at all.

If you want to give him the worst Father’s Day gift ever, stick with the predictable. He’ll feel like he’s drowning in beige. Unless that happens to be a beige jigsaw puzzle, forget it.

Gag Gifts: Their Proper Use

If you didn’t know, there’s a subtle rule about gag gifts. Dads usually love them, right? Well, yes and no.

Most dads are pretty sophisticated when it comes to what’s funny, believe it or not. They’re not cavemen, even if they do laugh the loudest at the stupidest jokes. It’s a fine line, and only the true connoisseur knows, but in general gag gifts are for dads to give, not to receive.

That may seem like a double standard, but hey, it’s one day a year, and this is Dad we’re talking about. Show him the love with a real gift, like a 2000-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Jigsaw Puzzles: That’s More Like It!

If you really want to see Dad’s eyes light up, give him a jigsaw puzzle. Know why? And do you want to know why all those other gifts were just plain wrong? Because all of those are all about him.

All those gifts are the stereotypical stuff men are supposed to stereotypically enjoy by being solitary men, but none of them allow him to do what he really wants to do: enjoy life with his family.

Get Him a Jigsaw Puzzle

When Dad opens the wrapping on a Father’s Day gift and discovers it’s a jigsaw puzzle, more than likely his eyes are going to twinkle, and then he will probably ask who wants to help him put it together.

Dads love their families. They love hanging around and talking with their wives and kiddos, and they love doing stuff with you. A puzzle is just about the perfect opportunity for that kind of magical goodness to happen, and that’s why a jigsaw puzzle is the ultimate Father’s Day gift. Just look at all of the great options there are!

Easy Puzzles

Pick an easy puzzle Dad can do with the littles in his life. There are 100-piece puzzles featuring Pokemon, Star Wars, NASA, and more.

500-Piece Puzzles

Choose a 500-piece puzzle Dad can solve in an afternoon with the whole family. Select anything from nature scenes to a more challenging color-burst puzzle.

1000-Piece Puzzles

Instead of firing up the grill on Father’s Day, give the guy a break, order some takeout, and sit down at the table with a 1000-piece puzzle from Buffalo Games. Stunning scenes from nature, art, and photography give the whole family a little quality time with Dad.

2000-Piece Puzzles

If you want to celebrate Dad with a Father’s Day gift that will last the whole week, have a look at these 2000-piece puzzles. Solve a jigsaw puzzle featuring Van Gogh’s “Starry Night,” Aimee Stewart’s whimsical Americana creations, or even Star Wars.

Show Dad the Love this Father’s Day

Think outside the box by getting inside the box — one that contains a jigsaw puzzle. There’s no better way to show Dad how much you love him than to give him something that allows him to spend time and bond with his family. Get him a jigsaw puzzle this Father’s Day.