Our Favorite 40th Birthday Party Ideas

So you’re saying goodbye to your terrific 30s and entering a new chapter of your life. Instead of trying to ignore it and pretend like it’s not happening, take pride in this important milestone! Celebrate the new wiser, more distinguished, and savvy you with a party to remember! Whether you want to keep it small and intimate or throw a real banger with all your friends and family, you’ll love these fun 40th birthday party ideas and themes.

Celebrate Your Favorite Things

This party is all about you so for this 40th birthday theme, we say you should run with the things you love most. Love everything about the sea? Make it nautical-themed just because you want to. Love sweet treats, casinos, or sports? Ultimate Party has you covered with all of those themes and many more unique choices you won’t find at the average party store. Make your chosen theme the star of the show in all of your food and drink choices, decorations, and tableware.

Sophisticated Tea Party

What better way to embrace a year-older and wiser you than with an elegant tea party in vintage style? If you don’t have a lot of tea cups, simply ask each guest to bring their own. Or, to make this 40th birthday party idea more affordable, pick up a bunch of mismatched tea cup styles from the thrift store that you can send home with each guest as a party favor. Serve a variety of hot teas, or mix things up with some adult spiked iced tea. Don’t forget the tea-style finger foods, tea party decor, and tea party tableware.

Carnival Throw-Back

Hitting the big 4-0 may have you feeling nostalgic and wishing for the days of your younger years. If that’s the case, you’ll want some 40th birthday party ideas that make you feel young again! We love the carnival theme because you can work in lots of fun games and carnival-style foods. Set up your own bottle and ring toss game, or throw a baseball at some cans for cool prizes. Borrow your kid’s cotton candy machine for a sweet carnival treat. Have a sack race with your friends. And if stuffed animals aren’t your prize of choice anymore, swap them out for penny bottles of liquor or some gift cards. Make sure you set the scene with carnival-themed decorations.

Wine Tasting Party

You’re aging like an expensive fine wine, so put your sophistication front and center with a wine-tasting party. If you don’t know much about wine but still want to pull this 40th birthday party idea off, just take a trip to your local wine specialty store. They will likely have a knowledgeable staff member who would be happy to offer tips and recommend good wine options. You’ll need several or so bottles and some standard wine glasses. The typical food pairing with wine is a charcuterie board with a variety of fine meats, cheeses, nuts, fruit, and crackers. Cheers to a well-thought-out and classy 40th birthday theme!

Kid’s Games Turned Into Drinking Games

This is another 40th birthday party idea that’s just perfect for the nostalgic kid-at-heart. Remember ‘Pin the Tale on the Donkey’ and piñatas? Well fill the piñata with penny bottles of liquor and make sure your guests catch a buzz before you start spinning them around and releasing them with a donkey tail. Pass the parcel is a good one that can also be tailored for adults. Wrap a bottle of booze with many layers of wrapping paper. As the music plays and guests pass the parcel, each person who unwraps a layer should drink. Don’t forget an egg and spoon race with boozy prizes! However, you may want to hard boil your eggs to cut down on the mess.

Elegant Dinner Party

If you or a family member loves hosting, cooking, and dressing to the nines, then an elegant dinner party is the perfect 40th birthday party idea for you. Go old school and send a fancy paper invitation in the mail. Be sure to note the attire that should be worn for your formal event. Break out your fine china, or if you don’t have any substitute for premium plastic tableware. To make this event easier on the host, ask your friends and family for help with various tasks. There will be less stress so you can enjoy toasting and meaningful conversations with those who matter the most.

You can trust Ultimate Party Super Store to always have high-quality party supplies that will elevate your event. For more 40th birthday party ideas and themes, hop on over to our birthday party supplies and explore our party collections. You’ll find tons of unique themes for birthday parties at any age.