Are you looking for fun birthday celebration ideas? Whether you are looking for ways to celebrate your birthday alone or planning some epic things to do on your birthday with friends and family, this list is the ultimate birthday bucket list!
Your birthday should be special no matter your age. Celebrating isn’t just for kids!
So with more than 100 things to do on your birthday, you’re bound to find some fun birthday ideas!
100+ Fun Things To Do On Your Birthday
I don’t know about you, but birthdays as an adult can so often feel a little disappointing. They rarely have that same magic that children’s birthday celebrations had growing up. Part of this might be our expectations for others to make the day truly special and memorable.
But let’s not leave our birthday celebrations in the hands of others when you can plan your own fun birthday celebration instead! Let’s get the celebration started…
Fun Things To Do On Your Birthday At Home
If you are planning a quiet birthday celebration at home, there are plenty of fun things to do at home on your birthday that will still make your birthday milestone feel special.
1. Slumber Party
You are never too old to enjoy a pyjama party with your besties! Relive your favourite childhood memories of sleeping bags, snacks, and movies, while you gossip until the early hours of the morning together.
2. Game Night
Play your favourite board games or have each of your friends bring a fun game to play together. This might even be a great chance to try a new game none of you has played before at your board game night.
3. Host A Movie Night
Turn your living room into a cozy home cinema with pillows, mattresses, blankets and loads of snacks as you settle in for a night of watching movies at home. This can be a great way to celebrate an adult birthday with your kids by sharing one of your favourite childhood movies with them.
4. Scavenger Hunt
Have someone put together a scavenger hunt or treasure hunt for you to find your birthday gifts, leading you on an adventure around your house and yard. Just like a kids’ Easter egg hunt, but just for you!
5. Have A Cocktail Night
Pick a couple of favourite cocktails to mix up with friends or family, or have each person arrive with everything they need to make their own favourite cocktail so you can have fun sampling the different drinks together.
6. Backyard Bonfire
Set up a fire pit, and have everything you need to make S’mores or toasted marshmallows ready for a cozy night by the fire enjoying one another’s company.
7. Karaoke Party
Who said you needed to go to a karaoke bar in order to enjoy some music? With all the technology we have today, it’s easier than ever to bring the karaoke party directly into your living room.
Get a karaoke machine and have fun belting out your favourite tunes. The neighbours will love it…
8. Host A Themed Dinner Party
Plan the perfect theme party at home with a dinner party menu inspired by the theme of your choice. Whether you go for a tropical luau theme or a fancy black-tie affair, it’s bound to be an epic night.
9. Set Up A Backyard Game Day
Take your love of games into the backyard with a little healthy competition. Invite friends over to play some outdoor games such as Finska, hoop toss, or even lawn Twister.
10. Make A Scrapbook
If you love to get creative, why not get the family involved in creating your own special scrapbook full of memories you never want to forget? This might be a birthday-themed scrapbook all about you or maybe documenting the previous year.
This might even become a new birthday tradition for you!
11. Backyard Camping
Don’t have time to head on a proper camping trip? Why not set up your tent in the backyard instead and pretend you’re camping at your favourite spot? This is a simple way to celebrate at home that will feel like you’re taking a trip.
12. Host A BBQ
A backyard BBQ is a great way to celebrate your birthday at home and share the fun with your family and friends, without having a complete house party. All you need is some delicious food for grilling and a few sides, cold drinks, and great company and you’re set for an awesome afternoon.
13. Have A Video Game Battle
If you love gaming, your day is the perfect day to show off your skills. Invite friends to compete in your favourite video games or play alongside you in a cooperative gaming mission.
14. Plan A Staycation
You don’t have to go far from home to feel like you’re on a proper holiday. Plan a birthday staycation by turning your living room into a day spa with face masks, massages, and relaxing music and having yummy food delivered so you don’t have to cook. Set up a spare bedroom like a hotel and pretend you’re anywhere but home.
15. Try A Virtual Escape Room
Escape rooms are all the rage these days and there’s no reason why you can do this activity from home. There are loads of cool virtual escape room experiences that you can share with friends and family who aren’t able to spend your birthday with you in person. This is a great way to celebrate when you are separated by distance from loved ones.
16. Cook Up An International Feast
Got a favourite international cuisine or one you’ve been meaning to try? Put your culinary skills to the test and make your own international feast at home. This might be a Mexican fiesta or an Italian banquet. So many delicious options to try!
17. Eat Breakfast In Bed
For this one, you, it is even better if someone else can prepare your breakfast for you but even if you are solo on your birthday morning, there’s no reason why you can’t take your breakfast back to bed with you for a lazy start to the day.
18. Do A Puzzle
While it might not sound like an exciting way to spend your day, doing puzzles can be a great mindfulness activity but also social if you challenge a couple of friends to help you try and finish in a day!
19. Play Would You Rather?
For a simple party game, ‘Would you rather?’ involves each person taking in turns asking a would you rather question such as would you rather eat chocolate or cheese?
20. Slip And Slide
Get a slip N slide and take turns sliding through the water across your backyard. This is something that will have you feeling like you’ve been transported back to your youth! Perfect for a hot day.
21. Play Classic Party Games
For another chance to relive your childhood, plan some classic kids’ party games for your adult birthday party and have loads of laughs as you work your way through the different party games. Things like musical chairs, pass the parcel, and Chinese whispers are all fun. For more game ideas, check my huge list of party game ideas and balloon games.
22. YouTube Quizzes
Sometimes when we can’t think of something to watch as a family, we end up doing different quizzes on YouTube and it’s a lot of fun with a bigger group too! There are quizzes and trivia games for just about every interest – guess the song, finish the lyrics, guess the movie scene, how much do you know about, etc.
23. Water Fight
Get some water balloons and cool off with an epic water fight in the backyard. This can get pretty competitive when there are teenagers or adults involved but it’s so much fun!
What To Do On Your Birthday Alone
The thought of celebrating a birthday alone might sound really depressing, but there’s no reason you can’t celebrate your birthday solo!
In fact, solo dates are perfect for a little self-care!
Or even if you are planning a birthday party with friends and family, on the day of your actual birthday, you might be looking for things to do alone on your birthday while everyone else is at work through the day.
In either case, this list is full of exciting ideas to spoil yourself on your special day!
24. Learn A New Skill From YouTube
If you’re looking for birthday ideas on a budget, YouTube is one of the coolest tools for anyone wanting to learn something new. You can learn just about anything online these days, so make your birthday the day that you finally learn that new thing you’ve been wanting to learn.
25. Redeem All Your Gift Cards
If you’ve received gift cards for this birthday or from your last birthday and other occasions through the year, but haven’t had the chance to redeem them yet, turn your birthday into a gift card redemption day and book all the experiences and spend all the credit.
What a fun way to end up with a haul of goodies without spending a thing! It also means you’re not going to forget to use them before they expire!
26. Take A Cooking Class
A cooking class is not only a fun way to learn new cooking skills, but it also means the chance to meet new people and enjoy delicious foods at the end of your class too. With any luck, you will also get to show off these new cooking techniques for a special occasion soon too!
27. Reread Your Favourite Book
Set aside a whole day to re-read a favourite book you love or to start a new book that you have been meaning to read for a long time. What a relaxing way to spend your birthday getting lost in a story.
28. Spa Day
Sometimes the best birthday is simply about making you feel like your best self and nothing much compares to a day of pampering to do this! Book yourself in for a complete day spa package with a massage, facial and pedicure.
Or go for a float tank session and infrared sauna experience to have you feeling like you’ve finally caught up on all the sleep you’ve been needing!
29. Take Yourself Shopping
Go on a solo shopping spree and make the most of not having to feel rushed by shopping with others. Try on clothes that take you out of your comfort zone and spoilt yourself with a new outfit that makes you feel amazing!
30. Get Your Hair Done
Fresh hair is one of the quickest ways to make you feel good! Book in for a salon haircut, colour and style and enjoy spending a few hours at the hairdresser.
31. Have A Birthday Photoshoot
If there is one thing that most of us aren’t great at, it’s getting photos of ourselves! Unless you’re the selfie queen, it might be long overdue for you to get on the other side of the camera.
Book in for a professional photoshoot where they style you for glamour portraits or a sexy boudoir photo shoot that makes you feel like the gorgeous person you are!
32. Take A Yoga Class
Feel centred and connected on your birthday with a yoga class. Yoga is great for calming the mind and releasing tightness from the body so you can feel your best.
33. Read A Book On The Beach
If you are lucky enough to live near the beach, grab a book, your towel, and an umbrella (and don’t forget the sunscreen. Spend a few hours enjoying the sound of waves crashing as you read your book on the sand. Being near the ocean is an amazing way to feel recharged!
34. Pamper Your Toes With A Pedicure
Give your feet some love with a pedicure. Choose your favourite colour of nail polish and enjoy the feeling of someone else taking care of you!
35. Volunteer At A Soup Kitchen Or Charity
Give back to the local community and give yourself those feel-good vibes while you do it. Spend your birthday volunteering at a local soup kitchen, animal shelter or charity and make a difference in someone else’s life too!
36. Visit A Museum or Art Gallery
Take some time for yourself and get inspired by visiting a museum or art gallery. Explore the works of other artists, immerse yourself in history, or take part in a guided tour to learn more.
37. See A Movie At The Cinema
Who says you can’t go to the movies on your own? If you don’t have anyone available to come to see the movie you’re wanting to watch, just take yourself! A solo movie date can be a fun way to spend the day and see that film you’ve been waiting for!
38. Get Yourself A Gift
Is there something you’ve been wanting for a long time but you know it’s not something other people would know to get you? Why not spoil yourself with your own birthday gift?
It may just be the best birthday gift of all since you know what you really want. It doesn’t need to be an expensive gift either unless you want to splurge on yourself.
39. Create A Vision Board
It can feel amazing to narrow down your goals and future vision, so your day could be the perfect opportunity for some big-picture planning. Create your own vision board from magazine clippings or printed images.
You could even make it a digital vision board that you save to your computer background as a frequent reminder of those incredible things you are manifesting in your life!
40. Do a DIY Project Or Craft Kit
Getting creative is something many of us don’t make a lot of time for so if that’s something you love, spending your day doing a craft project is bound to be so much fun! Start a DIY project from scratch or grab a craft kit ready for your special day.
Check out the Maker Crate from KiwiCo. These adult subscription boxes are perfect for the creative person.
41. Make A Gratitude List
Start your birthday off the right way by jotting down a list of things you are thankful for. Thinking about all the wonderful gifts and blessings that you have in your life is bound to leave you feeling so positive, and energised – ready for anything the coming year brings!
42. Bake Yourself The Most Awesome Birthday Cake
Even if you aren’t having a birthday party, there’s no reason you can’t have the most delicious birthday cake ever! Wish yourself a happy birthday by baking your very own favourite flavour cake with all the trimmings.
Will you choose mud cake or cheesecake? Maybe an ice cream cake if you’d rather skip the baking part!
43. Spend The Night At A Hotel
Treat yourself to a night away at a fancy hotel and make the most of all the facilities – a massage, room service, and a big bed all to yourself! Order a cocktail by the pool and have a good time all by yourself.
44. Plant A Garden Bed
Starting a garden bed is a great solo birthday activity if you have the space. A vertical planter is another option if you only have a small area. Plant some colourful flowers, herbs, or vegetables as a symbol of your birthday wishes and watch them grow over the coming year.
45. Write A Letter To Your Future Self
Birthdays are a great time for self-reflection and writing a letter to your future self might be a very meaningful ritual for you.
Take some time to think about what you want the future to bring and how you imagine yourself in a year’s time. Write with love from your biggest fan and put it somewhere safe. Set yourself a reminder for your next birthday to open your letter (and where you put it, just in case). This is a beautiful birthday tradition to continue each new year.
46. Do A Sip & Dip Class
Attend a local sip & dip class and create your own masterpiece while sipping on a birthday wine or mocktail! This activity is great for all skill levels and there are a lot of different classes that involve mixed media rather than just painting a canvas too.
You can often find local art classes on social media event listings.
47. Be A Tourist In Your Own City
When was the last time you explored your local city like a tourist? Maybe never! Today is a fun day to tick two things off your bucket list – touring your city and ‘solo travel’ since you can explore your way when there’s no one else to please.
Take a guided city tour or go on a walking tour through the city centre and learn something new about where you live.
48. Try A New Fitness Class
Forget birthday cake and treats – how about trying a new fitness class instead? Give yourself the gift of feeling strong for your birthday and take a dance, yoga, or pilates class.
It’s not only a great way to treat your body with love but also to find some new friends in the same hobby.
49. Have A Psychic Reading
Are you curious about what the future holds for you? Even if you’re not a big believer in spirituality and fortune-telling, you might have a lot of fun with this unique birthday activity.
50. Learn An Instrument
Book yourself in for music lessons to finally learn that instrument you have always wanted to play. What a wonderful way to put you first and start a new hobby!
51. Binge-Watch Your Favourite Show
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that we crave most and a day on the couch with your favourite snacks and your most loved tv show might be exactly what you want for your birthday this year!
52. Send Yourself Flowers
We don’t need to rely on others to buy us beautiful bouquets of flowers! Get your own flowers delivered or head to the local flower market and put together your own perfect bunch with all your favourite blooms.
53. Test Drive Your Dream Car
For those of us who can’t quite afford to buy our dream car yet, why not treat yourself to a birthday test drive? Get behind the wheel and really feel what it would be like if you owned that car.
54. Write A Song
For the musically minded birthday person, why not write yourself a birthday song? You don’t have to be a professional musician – just sit down with your notepad or instrument and get creative. It’s fun to express yourself through music!
55. Redeem Your Birthday Freebies
There are loads of places that offer special deals and freebies on your birthday. You just have to show them your ID with your birth date or redeem an email voucher to get your freebies. This is a fun way to make your day exciting without spending hardly a thing.
56. Organise A Home Reno Project
Do your own home renovation project on an area of your home you would love to upgrade or organise professionals to come to do one for you so you can enjoy your new space as a special gift to yourself.
57. Take A Day Off Work
Take a mental health day for your birthday and make the most of your time by filling it with some of the other fun ideas on this list of solo birthday activities.
Things To Do On Your Birthday With Family (And Friends)
Want to plan a big celebration with your nearest and dearest? There are plenty of fun things to do on your birthday with friends and family. These birthday activities will give you plenty of fun ideas for small groups and larger groups when making the day memorable.
58. Pool Party
If you’ve got your own swimming pool (or know someone who does), a summer birthday spent in the pool with friends is always a good day! Play your favourite tunes and float around on an inflatable unicorn for the day as the guest of honour!
59. Camping Trip
Grab your best friends and your camping gear and head off on a weekend (or week-long) camping adventure to your favourite camping grounds or a whole new place you’ve never visited before. This is a wonderful way to get back to nature and enjoy the fresh air and open spaces for a few days.
60. Fortune Teller
Hire a fortune teller for your birthday party and enjoy some mysticism, fun and insight. Fortune tellers can offer palm readings, tarot readings and other forms of divination that are a great birthday activity for adults.
61. Fancy Tea Party Or High Tea
Get dressed up nice and head out for a high tea experience with little sandwiches, cakes and perhaps a glass of bubbly. Or host your own tea party at home instead and treat yourselves with some fancy new tea varieties and morning tea.
62. Dinner At Your Favourite Restaurant
It’s a simple one but always a good one! Head to your fave restaurant or to a place you’ve been hearing rave reviews about and enjoy a night off from cooking or meal planning.
63. Have A Theme Party
Sure, a birthday party is an obvious choice when it comes to celebrating any birthday, but why not make it that little bit more exciting by turning it into a theme party? There are so many party themes for adults that are a load of fun!
Your theme can be as simple as a colour or type of cuisine, like a pizza party, or an elaborate affair with costumes and themed decor!
I am most definitely a fan of adult birthday party ideas with costumes since it makes the whole thing more memorable – like my Marvel themed 40th!
64. Amusement Park
Head to your nearest theme park for a day of thrill rides and way too much fun. Even if you’re celebrating your 50th, there’s no reason you can’t still enjoy amusement rides and park activities. Some things never stop being fun!
65. Organise A Potluck Dinner Party
This type of birthday celebration will be so much fun with all your friends and it’s low fuss since everyone brings a dish towards the meal. This is a great way to entertain without having to worry about cooking up a feast or hiring a caterer. There are so many great dishes to bring to a potluck party.
66. Movie Marathon
Grab the popcorn and line up all your favourite films for an epic birthday movie marathon! Get some extra comfy seating ready and let the laughs, tears and scares begin!
67. Host A Virtual Birthday Party
If you can’t be with loved ones in person, you can still join together online for a virtual party. Everyone can toast to you over Skype or another type of conference call program and you can have the best time from afar.
68. Do A Chocolate Tasting Tour
For the sweet tooth, plan the ultimate chocoholic day out by doing a chocolate factory tour or tasting experience. Some chocolate factories hold their own chocolate-making classes too which definitely means plenty of taste testing!
69. Attend A Festival
Enjoy your love of live music at a music festival or eat your way around the stalls at a food festival. There are different types of festivals held all year round so there’s a good chance there might be one on or near your birthday that you can turn into a celebration of spending time with friends and family.
70. Mini Golf
You don’t need to be a pro golfer to have fun at mini golf. Always a great time and lots of laughs (unless you’re a bad sport like me when it comes to mini golf… I’m joking). Compete with your companions to see who is the mini-golf champion!
71. Wine Tasting
Take a wine-tasting tour or head to some local wineries for their cellar door experiences. A tour means no one needs to worry about being the designated driver and you get to experience some of the best local wineries in a single day. Don’t forget to grab a bottle of wine to go.
72. Attend A Concert
If you love live music, a concert of a band or artist you love on your birthday is pretty lucky! It doesn’t always work out that way though so keep an eye out for what might be happening around your birthday. This might even be a tribute band playing songs from one of our favourite bands.
73. Go Dancing
Get ready for an epic dance party by heading out for a night of dancing with your friends! While your feet might not be so happy the next day, there isn’t much else that gives a high like a night of dancing your booty off with your closest friends or partner.
This is also the ultimate date night if your partner does love to dance too!
74. Hire A Chef For A Dinner Party
Gather your friends and family together and hire a chef to come in and make you a birthday dinner. This way, you get the best of both worlds – a birthday celebration that is sophisticated and a night off cooking! Bonus points if there’s dessert too!
75. Laser Tag
For a birthday activity that will bring out your inner child, go for a round of laser tag! Get your friends together and face off in teams to see who will be the winning team.
76. Go For A Picnic
A picnic can be a romantic birthday activity for a couple, or a family day out. This can be an easy way to enjoy a day outdoors together and keep it budget-friendly.
77. Murder Mystery Party
Gather your friends and family around for a murder mystery birthday party. Everyone will be assigned character roles and search the clues to work out who the murderer is in this interactive birthday activity.
You can purchase murder mystery party kits or hire a company with performers to host this for you at home or at a function venue.
78. Beach Day
How about a game of beach cricket? Or splashing in the waves? Fish and chips on the beach, building sandcastles and enjoying the sunshine are all good reasons to spend a day at the beach on your special day.
79. Attend A Comedy Show
Everyone benefits from some laughter in their life and a comedy show is a great way to enjoy a good belly laugh. There are plenty of comedy shows and open mic nights popping up all over the place so a birthday night out at the comedy could be just the ticket!
80. Go Bowling
Get your bowling shoes on and see who is the ten-pin bowling champ! There are sure to be lots of laughs and a little healthy competition.
81. Watch Your Favourite Sports Team
What could be better than watching your favourite sports team on your birthday? Whether it’s football, basketball, baseball or any other sport – make sure you get tickets to watch the game and cheer on your team with your friends and family. Bonus if it falls on your actual birthday!
82. Do A Ghost Tour
If you’re in the mood for something a little spooky, why not take a ghost tour? These are often run by local paranormal groups and can be quite an experience. Take your brave friends for peer support!
83. Attend A Circus
If the circus is in town, this is an exciting activity that is fun for all ages. This is a good activity to do with your family.
84. See A Musical Or Play
If theatre is your thing, then why not take in a live show such as a musical or play on your birthday? This can be a great way to enjoy a night out with friends and family while being entertained by talented performers and incredible stories.
85. Go Bike Riding
Exercise, fresh air, and beautiful scenery are some of the best parts of going on a bike ride. Try a new bike trail or revisit a much-loved spot.
86. Ice Skating
Channel your inner figure skater and enjoy an evening of ice skating with your birthday buddies! Whether it’s an indoor or outdoor rink, it’s sure to be fun and make memories. Unless you’re anything like my hubby who spends more time on his bottom…
87. Roller Skating
If roller skates are more your scene, have a retro throwback with a visit to the skating rink. Our local still looks like it did in the 90s, making it very nostalgic. A Splash of nostalgia is a great way to commemorate turning another year older.
88. Enjoy A Day Of Water Activities At A Lake
Hire a boat or canoe, or just bring your pool inflatables for a day floating around your favourite local recreational lake. This is a great activity for a big group and is bound to be plenty of active fun for everyone.
89. Go To The Drive In Theatre
While there aren’t so many drive-in theatres left these days, if you are lucky enough to live near one still, as we are, then a night at the drive-in can be a fun night out. Bring your favourite snacks and beverages or grab an ice cream from the snack shop and sit back and enjoy a movie in your car!
90. Barefoot Bowls
Barefoot bowls is always a laugh and a fun thing for those of you who are a little competitive. This more casual version of lawn bowling is popular for celebrations and quite often you can grab a meal or cheap drinks from your local bowls club too.
91. Go For Brunch
Start the day with a late breakfast and early lunch combination with everyone’s favourite meal – brunch. Head to a favourite cafe for a group brunch get-together.
92. Get Ice Cream
Head to the nearest ice cream parlour and sample some of the best flavours and desserts on offer. Get a huge indulgent dessert to share with friends.
93. Go To A Water Park
Hit the water slides and wave pool for a day of aqua fun at your local water park.
94. Visit A Planetarium
Take your stargazing indoors with a cool astronomy experience at your local planetarium. This is a great idea if you’re looking for birthday activities for rainy days too.
95. Try An Archery Class
Channel your inner Hawkeye or Katniss Everdeen with a beginner’s archery class. This might become your new favourite hobby!
96. Go Bar Hopping
Head out for a night of dancing, drinks and socialising as you hop from bar to bar or brewery to brewery around your city.
97. Plan A Progressive Birthday Dinner
Start at your first stop for an entree and starters then head to your next stop for the main course, before finishing at your favourite restaurant for dessert.
98. Escape Room
Challenge yourself and your near and dear ones with an escape room experience. This birthday activity is not only a great way to get your brain working hard but it’s also a thrilling birthday adventure!
My nieces and nephews love escape rooms and one of their favourite things is to conquer all the different ones nearby.
99. Do A Mystery Picnic
Plan a mystery picnic like the ones from AmazingCo that gives you clues to solve as you pick up the different foods for your picnic along the way and visit some cool places along the way.
This is a really fun way to learn new things about an area too. We did one with our kids and had a great time.
Birthday Bucket List: Epic Things To Do On Your Birthday
If you are planning an extra special milestone birthday, such as a 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th and so on, you might be looking for something epic to do beyond the usual celebrations. This list of birthday bucket list ideas is perfect for levelling up your annual day of birth festivities!
100. Hot Air Balloon Ride
Hot air balloons are a special way to enjoy the view from above in scenic regions and can be a very romantic way to spend your birthday with your partner too. This is a unique way to tour your local area and perhaps enjoy a glass of bubbly in the air too.
101. Skydiving
Always wanted to jump out of a plane? That’s a nope from me but if this is on your bucket list, skydiving is the ultimate daredevil way to make your day extremely memorable! What an experience it will be.
102. Indoor Skydiving
If actual skydiving sounds a little too intense, you can try indoor skydiving instead. This simulator experience gives you the same sensation although without the incredible views! This is one of the best ways to test the experience to see if maybe on your next birthday date, you want to try the real thing!
103. Adopt A Pet
If you’ve already been considering getting a new pet and are in a situation where this is possible, adopting a new pet on your birthday is a special time to do so. A new kitten, a shelter dog, a goldfish… pets make life better!
104. Take A Road Trip
Road trips are one of our favourite ways to travel these days and they are so much fun with friends or family, with a whole lot of quality time potential. Do a short or longer road trip over your birthday weekend or birthday week to explore some new places and rock out to your favourite road-tripping tunes!
105. Go On A Cruise
An all-inclusive cruise package can be a great value vacation and one of the best ways to enjoy the great open seas and a bit of luxury and excitement on board. There are short cruises for 2-3 nights or longer options, depending on where you want to cruise to and for how long. Bring a few friends and enjoy cheaper rates for a 4-berth cabin.
106. Rock Climbing
Whether you’re trying your hand at outdoor rock climbing or planning indoor rock climbing, this is a physical activity that will have you feeling proud of your accomplishments afterwards! What a way to feel all those muscles working.
107. A Wildlife Encounter
A lot of wildlife parks offer unique wildlife encounters with animals you would not normally be able to get up close with. While it is essential to make sure you are visiting a place that is committed to the conservation of the animals, a wildlife experience can be a really special experience.
108. Do A Food Tour
Foodies are always looking for a chance to sample new cuisines and local delicacies. Take a food tour and eat your way through the city or explore some of the local farmer’s markets with an experienced guide who knows exactly what to recommend!
109. Go For A Hike
There’s nothing like being surrounded by nature and fresh air to make you feel invigorated and alive. For those who love the outdoors, go for a birthday hike in your local park or further away in a national park.
110. Stand Up Paddleboarding
Stand-up paddleboarding is a fun way to explore the local lakes or rivers and it’s not as difficult as it looks. You don’t have to be an expert at all – it just takes a bit of practice and balance. And if you fall off, it’s all part of the fun!
111. Check Something Off Your Bucket List
Have something on your bucket list that you’ve always wanted to do? Now is the time to make it happen.
Whether it’s a cultural experience, a physical activity or something really unique that others may not get the appeal of, birthday celebrations are the perfect opportunity to finally check those dreams off your list!
It might even become a new birthday tradition to try and cross off a new bucket list activity from your list every single birthday!
112. Kayaking
Take a relaxing sunset kayak tour or wildlife tour, or just hire a kayak and explore the waters yourself. Bring a waterproof camera, like a GoPro and snap some cool photos and videos along the way!
113. Horseback Riding
Going horse riding is an excellent way to enjoy nature from a different angle. It’s one of the best birthday ideas for those with more experience riding, who can venture further away and explore new trails. It also makes a cool new experience for a newbie who’s always wanted to try riding.
114. Rent A Luxury Car
Spend the day cruising the coastline or around the city in your dream car! This is the next level from test driving your ultimate ride by having a full day (or longer) to enjoy your luxury ride!
115. Try Jetskiing
If you’re looking for birthday ideas with a bit of a thrill, try jet skiing. You can find this activity in local lakes or at the beach with plenty of places offering jetski hire and training. Or you can take a jetski tour instead and visit somewhere new.
116. Go Glamping
Glamping is an ideal way to combine luxury with the great outdoors. A safari tent is always fun or look at other types of eco-accommodation for a unique stay you won’t soon forget. Maybe a treehouse or a houseboat!
117. Take A Scenic Flight
Seeing the world from above is always a wonderful perspective, so your perfect day might be a scenic helicopter flight, a seaplane or a small passenger plane over a famous landmark or coastline. We did this for my husband’s 30th, taking a seaplane flight over the Gold Coast. It was a lot of fun!
118. White Water Rafting
This birthday adventure idea is guaranteed to give you an adrenaline rush! Whether you’re an experienced rafter or a newbie, white water rafting is a great idea to do with friends.
119. Hire A Boat Or Pontoon
One of our favourite ways to spend a day when staying near the water is by hiring a pontoon boat for the day.
This is usually a fairly affordable experience and you can get boats to suit different size groups and some with BBQs or toilet facilities onboard too. Cast a fishing line or jump out for a swim (if it’s safe to do so) and make the most of your day on the water.
120. Go Snorkelling
Snorkelling is an incredible way to see marine life hiding just below the water surface. This is a lot less daunting than learning to scuba dive (see below) but loads of fun! It’s something the kids can join in with too.
121. Scuba Diving
If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try a scuba diving course on your birthday? This is something that requires lessons and practice before you venture out into open waters but it might be the start of a new passion that you continue.
122. Do Something You’re Scared Of
It’s easy to feel good when we conquer something that scares us, so long as it feels safe and doesn’t put us too far outside our comfort zones! So why not try something new that you’ve never been brave enough to try and make your birthday a day of huge accomplishment?
123. Bungee Jumping
For a unique experience that will give you an instant adrenaline rush, why not try bungee jumping? This is one of those things that makes you feel a whole lot of feelings and it’s a great way to get right out of your comfort zone.
124. Get A Tattoo
Commemorate your special milestone with some new ink. A tattoo is a personal thing and something that you should give plenty of thought to first so make sure you plan ahead with this one. No one wants birthday regret!
125. Get A Piercing
A little less permanent than a tattoo, a new piercing could be exactly the activity you want to do on your big day!
126. Go Karting
Go-karting is a great birthday activity for groups of friends or family and can be found in many locations, with indoor or outdoor tracks. It’s loads of fun and a little competitive!
127. Do A Yoga Retreat
Getting away from your everyday surroundings to do something totally different (and maybe a little more relaxing) could be just the treat you need to recharge and realign yourself.
128. Hire Out A Cinema
For a birthday celebration that you won’t soon forget, why not hire your own cinema for a special private screening? Get your friends together while you watch a movie of your choosing. Many cinemas will offer special packages for hiring out a whole cinema for a special screening.
129. Go Stargazing
Head up to the countryside or the local astronomy association for a night of sky exploration through a telescope. This is a cool way to learn more about the solar system and our surroundings.
130. Go Skiing Or Snowboarding
Plan a winter adventure for some winter sports and go snowboarding or skiing. There are loads of other fun winter activities too, such as tobogganing, sledding or snowshoeing. Don’t forget to build a snowman!
131. Climb A Mountain
Take your hike to the next level and conquer a mountain trail for epic views and beautiful mountain scenery.
132. Make Your Own Movie
Create a short film with your loved ones, perhaps documenting the story of your life or a day-in-the-life type of scenario and have a little fun putting it all together.
133. Jet Boating
Jet boating is a wild ride that will give everyone a birthday thrill! Most jet boats can accommodate large groups of people and are suitable even for younger kids, so it’s a great birthday adventure with friends or family
134. Travel To Your Dream Destination
Your birthday could be the perfect day to start ticking off that travel bucket list! Find a destination you’ve always wanted to visit and make it your birthday adventure. This gives you time to plan ahead so you can schedule your memorable experience so you are away for your actual birthday.
Tips For Planning Your Own Birthday Celebration
Planning your own birthday celebration might not seem like the ideal scenario but trust me, it can be the best! It can mean you get a day that you will definitely love, without relying on others to plan it. Here are some tips for making it the best day ever:
- Choose something you want to do rather than what suits others
- Keep your budget in mind when planning
- Incorporate more than one birthday activity into your day such as a solo activity and a group one
- Create birthday traditions that you continue each year
Your birthday is a special day that should be celebrated in the best way possible. Whether it’s something adventurous and memorable or a more low-key special celebration spent with your favourite people… or on your own! There are plenty of exciting things you can do on your birthday! No matter what activity you choose, make sure it’s something you’ll enjoy and will create lasting memories.
I hope this list gets you inspired with plenty of fun things to do for your birthday!
Get more party planning tips and ideas:
- How to plan a kid’s birthday party
- The best kids’ birthday party games & activities
- Party bag alternatives that aren’t candy
- Cool entertainment ideas for children’s parties
- Birthday treats for school that aren’t cupcakes
- Lunch party food ideas
- Balloon party games
- How to plan a party for adults
- Party theme ideas for kids
- Party theme ideas for adults
- Gift ideas for active kids
- Toy story birthday party ideas
- Trolls birthday party ideas
- Bluey birthday party ideas
- LEGO birthday party ideas
- Marvel superheroes birthday party
- Fun activities for kids at home
- Fun activities to do in the backyard
- Practical gift ideas for kids
- Experience gift ideas for kids
- Creative play ideas for kids
- Peppa Pig party ideas
- Pokemon birthday party ideas
