Adult Birthday Party Ideas

Children get a lot of fun and enjoyment out of their parties. The Goal is to help them feel loved and important. Adult birthday party ideas serve a different need.

The way I see it, children’s parties are more “launching” parties from one exciting age to the next as our lighthearted youngsters speedily progress through the fresh early years of life. A looking forward.

On the other hand, adult parties focus on adult tastes and needs (though the sparks of youth still fly). Adult birthday parties provide honorees the same show of love now mingled with the well earned badges of respect and admiration.

Adult Birthday Party Ideas – Looking Back

Being surrounded by friends old and new, as well as family, an adult birthday party is more about spending a focused intimate time with those whom we have shared our lives.

We enjoy spending time with the dear people who have been our enduring source of happiness and support up through the years.

Adult birthday parties are more of a “Thanks for Being You” party. A “We’re So Grateful Just to Know Ya” party. Indeed, they are a combination of reflecting and anticipating, acknowledging the co-mingling of surprises and the continuities that have blended together to make this special life so unique and worth celebrating. A looking back.

Aaand, yeah, it’s about fun, too!

Birthday Party Planning For Adults

Here are a few considerations to . . . consider, for throwing an adult birthday party:

1. Decide: is this going to be a Casual, Wild ‘n’ Crazy, or a Formal birthday party? This will depend largely on the personality of the honoree as well as your budget.
   
2. Whether the party is formal or casual, make sure you state the dress attire on the invite. It takes out the guesswork for your guests.
   
3. You may want to have big birthday bashes for the milestone parties only: 20th, 25th and all the “decades birthdays.” On the other hand, you can still have smaller parties for those that fall in between. What would those be called, “half-a-milestone parties?”
   
4. For a special touch, create a video or photo montage of the guest of honor’s life. I notice folks do that for funerals, so I say why not celebrate life while still living it?
   
5. Adult birthday party ideas include parties with purpose. If the guest of honor is a Philanthropist, Pastor, Teacher, Musician, be all over it because that is a strong indicator as to what is closest to his heart. For example:
   
   • Throw a charity themed party in which guests can contribute if they choose.
   • Musician’s party – invite guests to bring their instrument of choice and have a jam session.
   • School party based on the graduating year of the birthday person if desired.
   • A faith-based party depending on the denomination or belief of the pastor with a Bible Trivia game.
     
6. If you are hosting a formal or catered party here are a few things to keep in mind:
   
   • Estimate that each guest will drink two cocktails the first hour then one every hour after that.
   • Figure on 1 pound of food per person.
   • To keep your cost down consider a Sunday brunch or a cocktail or dessert only party.
     
7. Be it an elaborate dinner, small dinner party, a casual out-door barbecue or a pot-luck, food and birthdays go together like rain and Oregon. Go all hog with a luau replete with a whole roasted pig or a simple and easy pizza party.
   
   With this in mind, discuss with the birthday personage what they are most comfortable with and what they want. Plan accordingly and let’s make it happen! They’re so worth it!

Adult Birthday Party Foods

Adult birthday party food ideas depend on the style, theme, and type of party you are having.

For instance, if you are hosting a formal dinner or any style of catered meal, the food choices will depend upon what your caterer or banquet venue offers.

On the other hand, If you’re keeping it simple (and it’s not a surprise party), that’s easy. Just ask the birthday person what their heart’s desire is.

Birthday Party Games For Adults

Do adults still like to play games? Aren’t we too “mature” to engage in such frivolity? No way!! At least not this adult!

Try to tie games in with your theme if you have chosen one. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Card Games
   1. Spoons Card Game
   2. Go Boom
   3. Phase 10
   4. Skip-Bo
   5. Uno
   6. War
   7. Wink Game
2. Scavenger hunts are still fun
3. Murder Mystery
4. Casino games
5. Memory Game
6. Any sports games, ie. baseball, basketball, skateboarding
7. Bunco
8. Bingo
9. Steal a Sticker – a great icebreaker wherein each guest upon his arrival gets “stuck” with 10 stickers on his back. Purchase blank stickers with guests name written on them. Each guest also gets an index card whereupon to place the “stolen” stickers. With a very light touch guests steal stickers off each guests back until they have collected a sticker from each player.
10. Capture the flag
11. Charades
12. Pictionary Game
13. “Off Limits” – each player is given a “mardi gras (or any other) beaded necklace or a Hawaiian lei for a luau theme. Through the duration of the party a chosen word or phrase is not allowed to be spoken, one that would be hard not to say such. For instance, “birthday” would be hard to avoid.
    
    If someone is heard saying the word that is off limits, the “offender” must give up their necklace to the keen-eared guest. At the end of the party, whomever has the most necklaces wins this game.

See my birthday party games page for game instructions.

Adult Birthday Party Themes

Do Adult birthday parties need themes? You betcha! Here are some ideas to spark your imagination:

Locations For Adult Birthday Parties

About 4 weeks before “B” Day, nail down where the party is to be held. Next, once you have arrived upon the perfect location, be sure to reserve your desired venue asap as most do have waiting lists.

Inquire as to what the facility provides in their birthday party package. Specifically, do they provide entertainment? Decorations? Food & Beverage? Hosting? Invitations? Set up/Tear down?

Visit their website to get the pertinent information. Often you can reserve on-line as well.

Birthday Gifts For Adults

What do you get an adult who already has everything, and what they don’t have can typically buy for themselves? Going by personal experience there is typically something a person wants but is unwilling to get for herself.

This is either because it’s too expensive or self-indulging, particularly if it means sacrificing getting something else more practical (like groceries), or worse, someone else sacrifices in order for the person to have it.

To help your guests know exactly what to gift the honoree, include a wish list in your invitations. Alternatively, say for a “big ticket item,” have guests donate whatever amount of money they feel comfortable with to be used toward the purchase of the item such as: a canoe, sports equipment, iPad, musical instrument, vacation, etc.

I would absolutely love to know what you have done to celebrate that special adult in your life. What made their birthday party one for the scrapbook!

If you don’t mind, I will share your favorite adult birthday party ideas here on the Hub with our other visitors. Please leave your ideas in the comments, or get in touch. Thank you so much! 🙂

Cupcake Photo Credit: Robert Anderson on Unsplash