Adult Birthday Party Ideas and Themes

Finding unique adult birthday party ideas for your husband, mother, grandmother, and other adults can be challenging, but here are some tips and themes to help you get started!

Everything You Need for an Unforgettable Adult Birthday Celebration:

Party Tips
Games and Activities
Party Food Ideas
Cake Ideas
Decorations and Party Favors
Mementos
Fun Themes
Party Invitation Ideas

Adult birthday parties can be for all ages, but pay special attention to milestone years such as a 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th or 75th birthday.
Consider making the birthday a celebration of your loved one's life.
Not only invite your loved one's closest friends and family, but try to invite guests who your husband, mother, grandmother, etc., hasn't seen in a long time. This will make the day so much more special.

Games and Activities

Games are not absolutely necessary at an adult birthday party, but can be loads of fun. Get complete details at the games and activities page.

Food

When deciding what type of food to have at your adult birthday party, ideas will come easier when you consider what type of party you would like to have.

If it is more formal, then have it catered in. If it is just a casual party, then something like barbeque would be appropriate.

Usually a complete meal is served, so it's probably not a good idea to have just cake and ice cream.

Cake Ideas

When deciding what kind of cake to have at your adult birthday party, it is usually best to go with something that both young and old would like, such as plain chocolate or white cake.

However, if the guest of honor has a favorite flavor of cake (carrot cake, for example), then you might consider having two cakes. Usually a simple but elegant sheet cake with "Happy 60th Birthday, _____________!" is appropriate for any type of adult birthday party.

However, if the guest of honor is really into something like golf or sewing, for example, then go ahead and have the cake decorated in this type of theme.

Party Favors

Party favors at an adult birthday party are sometimes overlooked, but everyone likes to walk away from a party with something to remember it by. Don't let your party be an exception -- get loads of great ideas at our Adult Birthday Party Favors page

Mementos

Adult Birthday Party Ideas Fun Senior Woman
Image ©iStockPhoto/bobbieo
Never too old to enjoy
a fun birthday party!

Giving the birthday guest of honor a special memento to remember the special day is one of the most wonderful things you could do. Try some of the following meaningful ideas:

Scrapbook of Guests- Have a simple scrapbook made up of photos of the guest of honor with all the different guests at the party (children, grandchildren, friends, other family, etc.) from various events over the years. Leave the captions off and let the people in the picture write the captions while at the party.

Birthday Wishes Frame- Frame a picture of the birthday guest of honor with a mat only. Have all the guests sign the mat. A few days after the party, have the matted picture framed and give it to the guest of honor.

Slide Show- Make a slide show of pictures of the guest of honor from birth until present. Play the slideshow at the party and then give it to him/her at the end of the party.

We Wish We Were There Video- Make a video of different people that couldn't attend the party. Have them wish the guest of honor happy birthday and tell why that person is special to them. Play this video at the party.

Invitation Wording

Deciding on what type of invitation to send out for an adult birthday party is quite easy. Usually a simple invitation from the children of the guest of honor is appropriate. Having it come from the children or the grandchildren is a nice gesture on the family's part. It says to the guests, "Mom is so special to us!"

Birthday Traditions

Sometimes the family traditions have been made by the guest of honor herself, so why not incorporate these traditions into the celebration?

Maybe your mom had a special birthday party hat that the birthday child had to wear each year. Bring this hat and have her wear it on her special day.

Maybe she baked everyone in your family a special flavor of birthday cake each year. Have the cake be this flavor at her own party.

Maybe she wrote you a special little love note each year on your birthday. Why not do the same for her on her birthday?

Easy Age Themes

Coming up with a theme for a celebration is so easy. Just take the age of the guest of honor and title it, "__________Years of Greatness!" What a wonderful message this sends to the guest of honor about how much you value him/her.

50 Years of Greatness!
60 Years of Greatness!
70 Years of Greatness!
75 Years of Greatness!
80 Years of Greatness!

Use any of the above adult birthday party ideas to help you plan you next special event for a loved one. Just think about how much you love and care for that person and make it a celebration of his or her life. There isn't any better way to honor this person!