My Dad painted my bedroom once. One wall was all bumpy with the ghost of old wallpaper, and as he was painting over what should have been sanded, a huge bubble formed. For fun: he popped it. The outline of that bubble remained above my bed for the next 5 years. We all love my Dad, but we also all know how terrible he is at painting. Thankfully, there are some amazingly skilled painter-dads out there. Here is some of their best work!

Name: Eleanor and Oliver
Location: Southport, CT

When we moved to the suburbs from New York City (boo), our kids started sharing a bedroom. As spacious as this room is, it's been tricky to get the layout right because of two low windows and a bathroom door.

Looking for a good "dad" book? You won't have to look far as this area of publishing is flourishing. From first-hand accounts of fatherhood to humorous looks at the experience to books brimming with things to make, I've rounded up some new selections and some oldies but goodies.

We're surveying some of the coolest guys we know about life as a modern dad.

Name: Andy Ward, Book editor, Random House; intern, Dinner: A Love Story
Kids: Phoebe (11) & Abby (9)
Location: Dobbs Ferry, NY
Find me online: Do twitter accounts expire if you don’t use them?

1. A parenting trick that works for me and not for my wife: On weekends, I go for a long run and my daughters ride alongside me, on bikes, and as we go, they open up about their lives in ways that are really unguarded and sweet – and very helpful in the intelligence-gathering department. Which sounds ominous, but isn’t. The more deeply we know them, the better parents we can be.

2. A myth about modern dads: That, by some quirk of DNA, we are incapable of arranging our daughters’ hair into a proper freaking ponytail. 

Piggyback Rider

• $89
• Magic Beans

Kids reach a certain age when they're too big for a stroller yet there are occasions when they'd really like a ride or to see a little higher like at a parade. This rider only weighs 3 lbs and rolls into the size of a towel.

It's almost time for Father's Day, and all those same-old store bought gifts can feel so tired. Mix it up this year by making something for the dad in your life. We've rounded up several fun projects for you to try!

Name: Annabelle, 3
Location: Salt Lake City, UT

Our Annabelle turned three years old this month. And as it has been the year of The Sound of Music (she's obsessed!), I've been planning a party for months to feature her favorite musical. 

We're surveying some of the coolest guys we know about life as a modern dad.

1. My favorite toy from childhood: The toy that immediately sticks out is my childhood teddy bear, Scruffy. He was gnarly looking, but I loved him.

2. A myth about modern dads: Michael Winerip made a great point in the New York Times recently. Basically you can’t be there for your children and not expect to make sacrifices in your career. 

Name: Raymond
Location: San Francisco, CA

When I became pregnant I was excited to turn this small second bedroom into a nursery. I had already stenciled the birds on the wall and made the feather light fixture, so I decided to make animals part of the theme of the room and add an alphabet element as well.