40th Birthday Party: A person's 40th birthday is a time to look back...
and to look forward to an exciting new chapter! Celebrate someone's 40th birthday with a bang! With the right planning, decorations and activities - you can put together a 40th birthday party your birthday honoree will remember for the next 40 years! Ideas: Greet your birthday guests with everything that celebrates "40".
Have a 40th birthday banner to sign in the entry way.
Hang 40th birthday swirls or cascades from the ceiling and decorate the walls with 40th birthday banners, balloons and photos of the "birthday boy/girl"(current photos or from his/her growing-up years).
For an extra touch, add a disco ball or two.
Spread a table with 40th birthday plates, cups, and napkins and a large photo of the 40th birthday honoree as a centerpiece.
Themes: A 40th birthday party can be celebrated as a family gathering or a group of friends.
Make it a 40th birthday luncheon or a special evening.
Just be sure you have plenty of space for colorful decor and room for games, dancing and fun! Go with a disco theme for someone born in the 70's and have all your guests dress accordingly.
Have a disco contest and see who has the best John Travolta moves.
Or maybe a little karaoke with 70's hits.
Find a couple pair of platform shoes and have a three-legged race.
Or a relay race - filling a bag with 70's clothes and dividing your guests into teams.
Each person on a team has to run to the bag, put all the clothing on, take them off again, and run back and tag the next person.
The first team finished wins.
If the 40th birthday falls in the middle of winter you can plan an indoor beach party where everyone wears Hawaiian shirts, leis and sunglasses.
Spread a tarp over a large area of the floor and spread sand on it.
Add a few large umbrellas and lawn chairs and you have your "beach".
Games/Activities: This is your life Remember the old TV show? It makes a great activity for a milestone birthday! This can be done verbally or as a PowerPoint presentation.
Have several family members or guests act as people from the honoree's past.
Have each one, in turn, stand behind a wall and say something like: "I met you at the drinking fountain in 1st grade.
I later stole a kiss from you at recess.
" Have the guest of honor try to guess who it is.
After he/she guesses right, have that actor or the host relate that story from the person's life.
(An additional gift idea is to compile newspaper clippings or write-ups from the week they were born and make a book.
) Can You Guess? Put several small items that relate to the birthday boy/girl into a brown paper bag (a favorite book, knitting needles, running shoes, measuring cup - if he/she likes to cook, i.
e.
).
Blindfold one person and hand them one of the items in the bag.
Give them a few seconds to guess what the item is.
If they are unsuccessful, they are out.
Then blindfold the next person and have him/her try to guess another object in the bag.
The game is over when all the items have been identified or only one person remains in the game.
"Party"-ing Gifts: Send your guests home with a 40th birthday candy bar featuring a personalized message from you! Help your special someone remember their first 40 years with a birthday party to remember!