20 Epic Ideas for an Unforgettable 40th Birthday Party
Look no further for the best party themes, including decorations and food, no matter your budget.
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When you're approaching a milestone birthday, it's normal to have...feelings. Feelings like, "If I hear 'Lordy Lordy Look Who's 40' or a joke about me being over the hill one more time, I'm gonna lose it." But you're also having feelings like "40 is fabulous!" and "40 is the new 30!" (Which is true, unless you're, say, 30.) So what's the best thing to do with all these emotions? Sure, you could obsess in front of the mirror looking for new gray hairs or spend your days searching online for the newest wrinkle remedies. But you'll be much better served if you focus on throwing yourself into planning mode instead. This birthday calls for a fantastic 40th party spent with all your favorite people. Keep it low-key and sophisticated or go all out and really throw down. It's your day!
If you're the main planner, you can decide what's most important to you. If you love to spend time in the kitchen, then bake up a homemade birthday cake and fix dinner for your friends. But don't hesitate to write a check to a caterer, make reservations at a local restaurant, or call for pizza delivery. It can be as hands-on or hands-off as you want. You'll be so excited that you'll want to keep the party going and start planning (way) ahead with some 50th birthday party ideas or even 60th birthday party ideas. In the meantime, here are 20 ideas that will make turning 40 fun!
Floral 40th Birthday Party
Host a feminine, floral 40th birthday party with a dogwood theme. Make tea sandwiches and cut them into dogwood shapes using a clover cookie cutter. Set the table with silk dogwood flowers and floral table linens. Make stem straws by cutting dogwood-shaped flowers from watercolor paper. Decorate edges with watercolor pens, punch a hole in the center, and thread through a straw.
Gather the props and set up a photo booth. Have your friends take snapshots for the 'gram (#40andfabulous). This glittery set includes 31 funny and festive props to keep the fun going.
40th Birthday 1980s Party
Convince your friends to dress up in their finest gear from the 1980s and invite them over to a party inspired by the year you were born. Load up a playlist full of hits from 1980 (think Blondie, Kool and the Gang, and Queen) and dance the night away.
Try your hand at these 1980 party games and see who can guess the celebrities born in 1980, the price of common items from 40 years ago, and the answers to other trivia.
40th Birthday Beach Trip
Because you only turn 40 once! Treat yourself and your significant other to an all-inclusive resort to soak up the sun, sand, and fruity drinks. Or rent an Airbnb with your girlfriends and enjoy a weekend of rest and relaxation. If you're short on time, have a staycation at a local hotel (don't skip the spa treatments!). Start your search with our list of the best beach towns in America.
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Have your party guests sign their names around the year you were born for a memento you can hang on your wall for years to come.
40th Birthday Pizza Party
Pizza is always a crowd-pleaser. Invite your friends over for a make-your-own pizza party. Grab pizza crusts (or unbaked dough) from the grocery store, along with a variety of toppings (sauces, cheeses, veggies, and meats), and let everyone make their own. Keep the decor simple with red-and-white-checked tablecloths and paper plates and napkins. Ask your friends to bring a favorite beer or bottle of wine to share.
Make that birthday cake extra special with a festive "Happy 40th Birthday" cake topper.
RELATED: 30 Easy Homemade Birthday Cake Ideas
Over-the-Moon 40th Birthday Party
Find the full moon closest to your birthday (The Old Farmer's Almanac has a complete list here) and plan a moon-themed outdoor party. Decorate with celestial-shaped balloons, and hang lunar lanterns by coating paper lanterns with spray adhesive and brushing with gray and black mica pigment powder. Serve up MoonPies and Moonshiner cocktails.
Call up your competitive friends and host a cornhole tournament! The Country Living Autumn Star Cornhole Set will get you started.
40 on the 4th!
Have a summer birthday? Then throw a patriotic party complete with sparklers, an all-American menu of burgers and hot dogs, and red, white, and blue decor. Let your town's fireworks display serve as the evening's entertainment.
40th Birthday Scavenger Hunt
Split up into teams for an Amazing Race-style scavenger hunt. Give each team a list of hints to find different landmarks, and tasks to do at each pitstop to earn points (hit up the karaoke bar and sing a song! take a video of a stranger saying happy birthday! go to the thrift store and put together a 1980s-inspired outfit!), then meet up at the end at your favorite bar for a celebratory drink. Losers buy the first round!
"Float" into 40 Party
Ice cream socials are not just for the kids! Set up a float party with an assortment of sodas and ice creams. Include some alcoholic options for the adults.
Talk your best girlfriends into donning these t-shirts and hitting the town with you for your big night. It will be just like your 21st birthday, except you'll be home by 10 p.m.! Or pair the shirts with leggings and sit on the sofa while watching Netflix and eating ice cream. No one will judge you. You're 40!
40th Birthday in the Barn
Put up your cowboy boots for a barn bash. Deck out a barn with hay bales and honeycombs, and put together a down-on-the-farm menu of Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork, Smashed Buttermilk Potato Salad, and a Bee's Knees Shandy.
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Pop some popcorn and invite your friends over to watch movies that (like you!) are 40 years old. Think9 to 5, Blues Brothers, or The Empire Strikes Back.
40th Birthday Garden Party
Keep your 40th birthday party sophisticated with an afternoon garden party. Set the table with flower frogs, plenty of plants, and a lotta terra-cotta. Stir up a pitcher of Campari Sangria and serve it alongside some finger foods like Chorizo-and-Manchego Crostini, Sweet-and-Salty Feta Cubes, and Bacon Lettuce Cups.
Bring the nostalgia with a 40th birthday photo bunting. Attach the photos with removable tape. After the party, the bunting can be taken apart, and photos you want to save can move to frames or a photo album.
40th Birthday Party in the Field
Okay, so you might not have a blooming sunflower field at your disposal, but you can drag a table outside, decorate it with vases of sunflowers from the florist, and invite your friends for an outdoor celebration. Get fancy and serve up Sweet-and-Smoky Planked Salmon, Whipped Ricotta and Grilled Bread, and Apricot Sparklers.
40th Birthday Fiesta
Put together a taco bar and host a 40th fiesta. A sl0w-cooker makes the Smoky Slow-Cooker Beef Tacos a breeze. Take it easy on yourself and pick up the sides from your favorite local Mexican restaurant, or go the homemade route and cook up Black Bean-and-Pineapple Salad, Lime Rice, and Pepita Guacamole. Don't forget the chips!
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