Milestone birthdays call for major celebrations! Whether you’re going all out for a 21st or honoring a loved one’s 50th, “Birthdays by the Ages” shares the best tips for celebrating some of life’s biggest moments.
Forty is a milestone birthday. You’ve navigated the calamitous years of your 20s, accomplished much in your 30s, and now? Hello, wisdom.
Here are 40 unique ways to ring in an exciting start to an exciting new chapter of your life, along with a few helpful tips for planning your birthday bash.
Try something completely new
What better way to start a new decade of life than with something new? Try one or all of these things on your special day.
- Learn a new skill
Music, baking, underwater basket weaving…your options are endless! - Take a new class
Remember how you’ve always wanted to learn how to make homemade pasta? - Start a new workout routine
Try something different to get your 40s off to a healthy start. - Try a new cuisine
Opt for something you’ve never had in the past. - Read a new book
How about that book you’ve thought about reading for the last year?
Revisit something timeless
Sometimes classic is best, or what was once great is still great now. Whether it’s sticking to something you enjoy, or taking a (literal) trip down memory lane, consider a timeless celebration for your 40th.
- Visit your old neighborhood
No matter how much changes, it’s always the place where you grew up. - Recreate a past birthday celebration
Was that three-mile brewery tour loads of fun a couple years ago? Why not organize Part II? - Follow your tried-and-true birthday routine
If you celebrate every birthday in a particular way, it’s okay to stick to routine. - Laugh with old friends
Either gather safely or connect virtually for all the old laughs. - Watch your favorite movie
Turn on that one movie that never gets old.
Throw the best virtual celebration ever
You can still have plenty of fun with a virtual event. Keep in mind that milestone birthdays can be even more festive when you choose a creative theme. So, pull out those themed Zoom backgrounds and give these activities a try!
- Play virtual games
Gather your crew and deal the cards. Or maybe charades? How about hours’ worth of fun with something like Jackbox? - Share a virtual meal
Either order from the same place or virtually cook together. - Get the entire family online
There’s no better way to celebrate than with family, and a virtual meetup can allow the whole family to celebrate with you from anywhere and everywhere. - Create your own movie riff track
Watch a movie together and create the best commentary ever. - Play trivia
Any form of trivia works here, but since it’s your birthday, you can always test how much people know about you…
Let food take the wheel
Everything’s better with food. “Make sure you have a fun inspired menu with signature cocktails that are personalized to the birthday person,” says Margaret Lee, Director of Catering at Butterfield Country Club. Time for margaritas in your honor, or try one of these food-inspired activities!
- Cook your favorite meal
You deserve your favorite meal on your special day. - Cook something you’ve never cooked before
Of course, you can always experiment with new cuisine. - Let someone else do the work
Better yet, let someone else cook amazing things for you? - Hire a private chef
For ultimate birthday luxury, hire yourself an incredible private chef. - Create by proximity
Time to experiment based on whatever’s in your fridge. Ready, set, go!
Make sure you have a fun inspired menu with signature cocktails that are personalized to the birthday person.
Margaret Lee
Director of Catering
Butterfield Country Club
Go full-on traditionalist
Itching for an uber-traditional celebration? Find it with these OG birthday activities.
- Craft your own birthday hats
Get artsy and make your own birthday attire. - Enjoy the atonality of your fam’s “Happy Birthday” rendition
It might sound terrible but…they mean well? - Bake a massive birthday cake
Gather some inspiration from The Great British Bake Off and get baking yourself. - Buy a massive birthday cake
Or, like cooking, allow someone else to bake you an amazing cake. - Have a desserts-only party
Channel your inner-sugar enthusiast and provide guests with a smorgasbord of desserts and other treats.
Incorporate the number 40 as much as possible
You’re turning 40, right? Why not celebrate this special occasion as much as you can?
- Share your 40 favorite memories
And get ready to make a ton more! - Do 40 different “things” on your special day
This might require some pre-planning, but you can do it. Use this list for starters! - Blow out 40 candles
Forget the simple 4-0, go all out with 40 individual candles! - Add 40 items to your bucket list
What else are you itching to do in your life? - Plan 40 vacations for your next 40 years
At least one per year – you won’t regret planning this out!
Relax to the extreme
Kick back in the best of ways with these party ideas. And speaking of relaxation – if you’re planning your own shindig, Margaret says, “You’ll end up doing a lot of multi-tasking and tweaks the day of, so remain calm and focused.” Same goes for planning. Stay organized and you’ll thank yourself come celebration day.
- Catch some sun by the pool
Total rays and relaxation. - Treat yourself to a spa day
Massages, facials, a mani-pedi. Relax and unwind because you deserve it. - See a movie in theaters
Maybe the quiet of a dark room and giant movie screen is just what you need. - Hike your favorite nature trail
Enjoy nature and work up that appetite for a giant slice of birthday cake. - Kick back in a hammock
There’s nothing more relaxing than time in a hammock. Seriously.
Celebrate you
On your birthday, you are the most important person in the world. Enjoy the day for what it really is – a celebration of your amazing self. Embrace any of these ideas to get started!
- Wake up when you want
Early riser? Sure. Sleeping in? Go for it. - Eat what you want
Whether it’s you cooking or someone else, forgo limitations on this day. - Do what you want
Maybe you don’t want to do 40 different things, maybe you do. Either way, YOU is the keyword here. - Think how you want
Keep those work-related “stress thoughts” away. - Celebrate how you want
It’s worth repeating: this is your day and your celebration. Cheers!
There you have it – 40 unique ways to celebrate the start of an incredible new decade of your life. We hope these ideas and party-planning tips have left you with tons of inspiration for your own celebration, no matter what you do. Just start with the basic pillars of a party, theme it out if you’re feeling creative, and flaunt those organizational skills. Above all, make sure to enjoy yourself and this milestone year. Happy 40th!
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