20 Fun Things to Do on Your Birthday

Are you running out of ideas on how to celebrate your upcoming birthday? Or maybe you’re planning on surprising your significant other?

Let’s have a look at these ideas:

Do something special

I have a big birthday coming up. We are having a girls’ afternoon tea – just my daughters and me – at a tea restaurant on Friday without the guys, fancy hats, country tea type restaurant décor.

On Friday night, we are having a steak dinner – my favorite food with my close friends and family to celebrate. Then by Saturday morning, we are doing yoga at a “farm” restaurant and then having lunch there – daughters/husbands, grandkids, and us. Lastly, by Saturday night, there is a “lantern festival” here in Phoenix AZ.

That’s my birthday weekend coming up in 3 weeks. You might also want to substitute goat yoga for regular yoga.

Past ideas

• There was a year when we did a spa day just for mom and the daughters – massage, facial and swimming at a major hotel spa.
• For another big birthday, I took the immediate family to Disneyworld – kids and grandkids.  I don’t recommend this for anyone under 5.
• For my husband’s big birthday, we took a train ride with family, had lunch on the train, scenic trip – Grand Canyon Railway.

Other ideas

• Japanese steak house where they cook on the tables right in front of you.  Cooks put on a fancy cooking show.
• Weekend getaway to a fancy hotel.
• A week-long trip to Hawaii or some exotic location.
• Go to a water park or wave pool with kids and grandkids.
• Do a weekend getaway at a hotel – preferably not in your hometown, but possible.
• Spend for a luxurious hotel package.
• Ski trip.
• Beach trip – i.e. Florida.

I believe in creating memories on my milestone birthdays

One year I asked friends to meet me at the front gate of Disneyland. I would pay their entry fee if they did. Not many of my friends took me up on the offer, but for those who did, we had a grand memorable time.

Another time, this one for my 75^th birthday, I gave a disco party to celebrate the music of the seventies. I rented a nightclub that was complete with a mirror ball and a brass pole for pole-dancing. I also hired a DJ to spin lots of disco music.

But perhaps one the best birthdays of all was my 65^th. I invited 65 people to attend a Mad Hatter Tea party at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. The ballroom was lined with green hedges, one long table was decorated with pink flamingos, and a bunch of high school students dressed as characters from Alice in Wonderland interacted with the guests.

Best of all, the hotel provided a huge ornate chair at the end of the table for me to oversee the high tea.

Be surrounded by the great outdoors

What better a way to spend your birthday than being surrounded by the great outdoors?

With over 100,000 glamping sites across the globe to choose from, it’s time to pick an outdoor adventure for your next birthday getaway. Whether you are looking for a beach-side fiesta with some of your closest friends in a bungalow or a romantic celebration for you and your special someone in a treehouse in the woods, there are over 27 different types of glamping sites to choose from, including tree houses, tipis, igloos, tents, yurts, and more.

If you are looking to add some fun and thrilling activities, or something a little more on the relaxing side, no problem, because glamping offers it all.

Start your special day with a mimosa and brunch from the comfort of a retreat with a gorgeous view, to then spend your day exploring nature by hiking, zip-lining, or biking, and call it a night with a massage under the stars. This sounds like a pretty epic day!

Whatever you are looking for in a one-of-a-kind birthday, spent with friends, family, a special someone, or even on a solo adventure, ring in your new year of life on a glamping getaway.

Explore a new place

It’s common on your birthday to go to a favorite place, but you should try something different this year. Go somewhere you’ve never been and explore.

You can even pick a few random places around your city that are screaming to be explored. Bring along your best friends who will have just as much fun as you. Wear comfortable shoes because you don’t know where the day will take you.

Dessert Hopping

If your birthday comes and you have no plans, then get some friends together and go dessert hopping. Stop at every restaurant and order the best dessert on the menu.

Sure, you’ll probably feel sick by the end of the night, but everyone knows you don’t gain weight on your birthday. It will be a great way for you to find your new favorite dessert with your besties by your side.

Host a unique birthday meal

Everyone loves a good birthday meal, but this idea adds a little extra without extra work. Ditch the awkward bill splitting, planning around everyone’s dietary needs, and same old, same old.

Host a unique birthday meal without the hassle of planning. Book a progressive culinary experience with a food tour company and you’ll get to learn, taste, and celebrate.

At Avital Tours, you’ll experience four courses at four different restaurants. Your food tour guide will take you and your birthday crew around New York City, Los Angeles, or San Francisco on an eating adventure.

Decide on your group size, from 8 to 30 guests, and your guide will take care of the rest. After that, your job is to show up, eat, drink, and enjoy while meeting some of the chefs and owners the best restaurants in each city. If you’re interested in booze more than food, a cocktail tour is a great start to a big night out.

Try “The Crystal Maze”

The most fun birthday I had was getting a group of friends together to do The Crystal Maze!

Phones have to be left in lockers which is key as everyone is ‘in the moment’. There’s something for the sporty people (physical and agility tasks) and the geeks (mental & skill). You can create teams of 8 people (if there was a big group you could get a few teams together!). Everyone runs around like kids for a couple of hours – just good old fashioned fun!

Run your first marathon

On my 30th birthday (in 2011), I decided to run my first half-marathon. I was living in New York City at the time but signed up for a race in Wisconsin which is a few hours away from where I grew up and where my family still lives.

That race was my first half, and I ran way too fast at the start (a common mistake for many runners). I also was used to running NYRR races in the city which are huge (thousands) and this race was small (hundreds). But my friends and family came out and cheered me on with signs. They pointed out to all the other spectators and runners that it was my birthday and I got a ton of high-fives and congrats and support that I needed when I faded in the later miles. I did finish and felt hugely accomplished for having run so far.

Afterward, a friend from college and I drove back to my hometown where we went to a dive bar, blasted the jukebox and drank Moscow Mules. I’ve never forgotten that birthday.

Today, I’ve run four marathons, countless half-marathons and have become a run coach helping other people to enjoy their races the way I did. I’m an entrepreneur who lives in San Francisco.

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