This post is all about birthday party ideas.
Another successful and fun trip around the sun! Another year means another chance to celebrate your birthday and throw a super fun birthday celebration for you and all your friends. But this also means you have to come up with another creative and unique celebration idea that hasn’t been done before… which gets way harder the older you get.
Luckily for you, I love birthdays and love to have fun planning mine and all of my friends’ birthdays! It can be totally overwhelming to plan a birthday celebration if you’re not a huge birthday planner, so that’s why I’m here to help ease your stress!
Whether you’re planning a birthday for yourself, a friend, a family member, or anyone else in your life, start here with 45 birthday party ideas for anyone!
This post is all about best birthday party ideas.
BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS FOR ADULTS
1. Have a costume party
There are tons of fun themes that can force your guests to get super creative with costumes. If you have a super fun friend group or family, I absolutely recommend having a costume party (especially if your birthday is around Halloween).
Costume parties are so much fun and will have everyone cracking up all night long.
2. Axe-throwing
I’ve done this once before and it was so fun! If you go with the right group it can make everyone laugh at how bad some of your friends are at throwing axes lol.
This would be a perfect activity to do with some drinks before or after a nice dinner!
3. Go for a hike
If you love the outdoors and have some cool parks near you, going for a long hike and maybe having a picnic is a great way to celebrate a summer birthday.
This is also a great idea if you want your birthday to be lowkey and if you maybe aren’t into drinking so much. It’s a super casual way to celebrate your birthday just how you like it!
4. Host a dinner party
A sophisticated dinner party is the perfect idea for older adults who are over the bar scene. If you’d rather be able to hang out with your friends in a more intimate setting and actually hear what others are saying, a dinner party is one of the best birthday party ideas I can think of.
5. Have a boat or lake day
Living in Wisconsin, this has been something I have grown up on and I would have it no other way. I’ve done lake days for so many years for many different occasions and they’re always SO incredibly fun!
If you live near a lake or have a boat, gather some friends and spend a day swimming, tanning, drinking, and eating good food! Sounds like a dream to me.
6. Rent a pedal pub
If you’ve never done a pedal pub before, you need to! They’re so much fun and wayyy harder than it may look from the outside haha.
This is a perfect way to celebrate a summer, fall, or even spring birthday.
7. Go on a stay-cation
A super unique birthday party ideas for adults is a stay-cation in a city near you! I live about 20 minutes from Milwaukee and have always wanted to rent a hotel room for a weekend and act like a tourist in my own city.
Being able to order room service, go to a fancy dinner, lay in a hotel robe, and pop some champagne sounds like such a nice birthday party idea for adults.
8. Go on a wine or alcohol tasting
You don’t need to live close to a vineyard to do this! There are so many different wine and alcohol tastings that you may not even consider.
Another similar idea is to take a bartending class! I’ve taken a cooking class before, but next on my list is a bartending class because they just look so fun.
9. Karaoke
A karaoke bar for a fun birthday night out is perfect if you enjoy singing and dancing on your special day. This would be perfect for a large group of friends who may be hard to coordinate plans with.
10. Dinner and a movie
An oldie but a goodie! You can never go wrong with a nice dinner out followed by a good movie. You can do this at home, too, if you’d rather stay in.
11. Escape Room
One of the most fun indoor birthday party ideas I could think of is an escape room. I have always, always, always wanted to do an escape room, so do one for me and book it for your birthday!
12. Party bus
If party buses had one purpose, it would be birthday parties.
Party buses (with the right group of people) can be absolutely unforgettable. I’ve been on party buses before that I never want to get off of because of how fun they are!
13. Murder mystery party
This is a pretty unique idea that will keep your party going all night long. It’s entertaining but also makes people think and will definitely leave your guests telling you how much fun they had.
BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS FOR GIRLS
14. Go glamping
Camping is for the boys, so glamping is for the girls! You can also do this in a backyard with a couple of tents. Super easy but definitely something that will be tons of fun!
15. Plan a photoshoot
When I was younger I absolutely loveddd having DIY photoshoots with my friends. We would do our makeup, pick out cute outfits, and spend hours outside taking photos that we still look back on today.
A DIY photoshoot would be so fun for a birthday party, and this would guarantee that you have tons of photos and memories from this special day!
16. Picnic in a park
This photo is actually from when I did this for my birthday a few years ago and it was so much fun!! You can make it look super cute and aesthetic with cute outfits, decor, and delicious food. Sounds perfect right?
17. Go on a shopping spree
A shopping spree is a great way to spend some birthday money! It’s also super fun to do in a smaller group, so if you want to keep your birthday lowkey, I definitely recommend a shopping spree and doing a little damage.
18. Dinner and painting party
If you want to feel like a grown-up, a dinner party with a side of crafts is the perfect way to do it. I’m in my dinner party era and can guarantee that they’re soo much fun.
Add some painting or coloring to it and you’ve just created the best birthday party ever!
19. Spa night
Spa nights are the best way to have a relaxing yet super fun celebration with your girlfriends. I love spa nights on a regular night, but making it a special birthday spa night sounds so enjoyable.
Perfect for the girlies who love their skincare!
20. Make friendship bracelets
Friendship bracelets are SO fun to make and there are so many ways to do it! This would be a perfect summer-themed birthday party idea.
This can keep girls busy for so long and the supplies to make bracelets aren’t very expensive. You can even make necklaces and anklets!
21. Ice skating
Having a birthday in the winter can be hard because if you live in a cold state, there’s not much to do when it’s snowing and freezing outside.
Ice skating is one of the perfect ways to celebrate your birthday during the winter, though. It never gets old and can keep you and your friends entertained for hours!
22. Taylor Swift-Themed Party
Girls loveee Taylor Swift, right? Host a Taylor Swift Eras-themed party and everyone is sure to have the absolute best time! An Eras party has to be one of the best birthday party ideas right now.
23. Baking party
If you love to bake and cook good food, having a baking party or competition would be so much fun! This is a great idea to keep everyone busy and entertained, and afterward, you’ll have a ton of delicious sweets to eat all night.
Much better than getting a store-bought cake 😉
24. Rent a limo for the night
I would even do this for my birthday party at my age. How fun would a limo be??
A limo makes a statement and isn’t something you would do for any other birthday or event. Getting a limo to take you to dinner or to your party venue is definitely one of the best things to do on your 18th birthday.
BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS FOR BOYS
25. Go to a sporting event
Boys love sports which makes this a super easy birthday party idea. You can typically find cheap tickets to many different kinds of sporting events, or you can splurge and go to a bigger sports game!
26. Beer Olympics
If they’re over 21 years old (of course) this would be such a fun idea! Any guy friend I have ever had knows how to play at least two or three beer-drinking games, so you can create a whole day out of beer and a little friendly competition.
27. Boys game night
Boys only game night? Sounds like fun!! There are so many possible ideas for this birthday party ideas teenage.
28. Go on a camping trip
If you’re super outdoorsy, you could make a whole weekend out of your birthday and go on a camping trip! This sounds like such a fun bonding opportunity if you love camping and being outside.
29. Paintball
Paintball is a perfect birthday party idea for boys who have a lot of energy. Take some friends to a paintball park and let them run around for a while before having some food, cake, and doing presents!
30. Laser tag
Similar to paintball but better to do if your birthday is in the winter. Just as active and easy to put together but it’s inside so it can be done any time of the year.
31. Go to an amusem*nt park
A day at an amusem*nt park is ideal for anyone who loves roller coasters! I used to love going to the local amusem*nt park or fair when I was younger so I know that almost every teen would find this super fun.
32. Pizza party
A pizza party can include just buying pizzas and getting them delivered, or buying all the ingredients and having guests make their own personal pizzas. Delivering pizzas may be better for boys, but making pizzas also sounds so fun.
33. Bowling
I’ve gone bowling for a birthday before and I had so much fun! I think this is a great idea for boys (and girls), and bowling alleys are usually pretty cheap to rent out for a few hours.
34. Trampoline park
You can typically rent out a space at a trampoline park to hold a party at, too. This is super easy to set up and such a perfect idea for a shorter, daytime birthday party.
BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS FOR KIDS
35. Outdoor movie night
An outdoor movie night with a large projector is perfect for any group of kids! This is something I would’ve thought was soo cool when I was younger. A favorite kids movie, yummy snacks, and a cozy set-up would make this an amazing birthday party.
36. Slumber party
Kids love sleepovers so why not have a themed slumber party?! With some creative snacks, a good movie, some fun games, and a cute slumber party set up, this will be a sleepover party that your kids will never forget.
37. Host a pool party
Pool parties can never be overdone in my opinion. My birthday is in the summer and as a kid, I always wished that I had a pool to have a birthday pool party. It doesn’t require a ton of work either because the pool makes its own fun!
38. Have a talent show
I had one of these when I was younger (actually American Idol-themed lol) and it was so much fun!! If your child loves dancing and singing, a talent show with all their friends would be so fun for everyone.
39. Dance party
Kids have a lot of energy so something active is always an amazing idea! A dance party is similar to a talent show but way easier if you don’t want to put too much effort into it.
40. Go to an arcade
How fun would this be?! There’s an arcade kind of by where I live and they always have birthday parties there. All you need to do is provide some food and a cake, and let the kids run around the arcade for a couple of hours.
41. Mini golf
Another perfect summer birthday party idea! Mini golf is a great idea for older kids who love to be outside and maybe a bit competitive.
42. Go to a zoo
Little kids loveee the zoo. This is a super chill and easy birthday party ideas that can be really fun for parents, too! Get all your girlfriends and kids together for an awesome zoo birthday party.
43. Plan a scavenger hunt
If you’re creative and thrive on your kid’s birthday parties, a scavenger hunt would be so fun to put together! A scavenger hunt would make for a birthday party that your kid will absolutely never forget.
44. Ice cream sundae bar
An ice cream sundae bar is one of the best birthday party ideas at home, especially for kids. It might get a little messy, but who doesn’t love ice cream?
45. Face painting
Face painting is another idea that can be really fun for the parents if you’re super creative and good at painting. I am not… but I can definitely see how this would be fun for all ages! I’ve also never met a kid who doesn’t loveee getting their face painted.
BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS Q&A
1. What’s the best thing for a birthday party?
The best thing for a birthday party is to do what you want to do! If you’re planning this for yourself make sure it’s fun for you and exactly how you want to celebrate your day.
2. What to do for birthdays?
There are millions of ideas for birthday parties and celebrations that you can really do anything for birthdays! The possibilities are endless, just make sure it’s what you want for your birthday and fun for your guests.
3. How should I do my birthday party?
There are absolutely no rules when it comes to planning birthday parties. The only thing I would suggest is to plan it early so it doesn’t sneak up on you. Other than that you can plan your birthday to be whatever you want it to be.
4. How do you throw a special birthday party?
If you want to make sure that you’re throwing a super special birthday party, make it unique, creative, and memorable! There are so many possibilities for birthday parties that this shouldn’t be too difficult. If you’re throwing a party for a friend, I’ve always thought that a surprise party is the best way to guarantee a super special birthday.
This post is all about birthday party ideas.
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