Milestone Birthday Ideas for 30th, 40th and Beyond

by Shannon Salzano

Published October 03 2023

Milestone Birthday Ideas for 30th, 40th and Beyond

Voting age. The “Big 4-0.” Half a century. There are some birthdays that are just a little more monumental than others, we call them milestone birthdays. Sure, we like to think your 1st birthday to your 100th birthday is worth celebrating, but the ones that end in a zero always deserve a little more commotion, so we are here to tell you some of our favorite ways to ring in the big ones. What’s the fun in getting older if you can’t do it with a little fanfare, right? We’ve got milestone birthday celebration ideas for you, your friends, your family, pets or whomever. 

 

18th Birthday Ideas

After your 1st birthday - possibly the biggest milestone birthday ever - the 18th birthday is the first big one. Not only can you vote, but society sees you as an official adult, which sounds like a good reason to have a party. 18th birthdays are often spent with a combination of family and friends, so why not bring everyone together for a big party at home? Cook your favorite dinner, plan some party games, crank up your favorite playlist, and splurge on some super cheesy balloons - we’ll even ship our iconic birthday cake to your doorstep for you and your guests to enjoy for the special occasion. Make sure you store any extra properly. Wondering how long do birthday cakes last in the fridge? We’ve got you covered. If the party life isn’t for you, mark the occasion with a trip. A glass of champagne in Paris on your birthday sounds pretty classy to us! 

 

Birthday Cake

Enjoy 13% off Taylor’s favorite birthday cake. Enter code SWIFTIE13 at checkout now through 12/15.

You’ve never tried a birthday cake like this. Our bestselling Birthday Cake, inspired by the boxed vanilla funfetti cake we loved as a kid, has grown up and gone gourmet. It has three tiers of heavenly rainbow-flecked vanilla birthday cake, layers of creamy frosting & crunchy crumbs, all topped with rainbow sprinkles.

Select Size:

Buying multiple gifts or looking to send an e-gift? Get started here!

Get +62 points on this purchase to use towards *free* treats when you join The First Bite Club! Information Icon

21st Birthday Ideas

Turning 21 is a milestone birthday as it means you’ve entered legal drinking age - whether that’s your cup of tea or not, this new era means you can enter music venues, clubs, and casinos. Grab your crew of besties and take in a night on the town. Take your birthday party on the road with a cheesy limo ride to the casino, for some to try your b-day luck. Put on your best pair of leather pants and hit the bar for some Rock ‘n Roll karaoke - Pat Benatar is our go to song if you need a recommendation.  Dancing the night away at a club sounds like one of the most epic milestone birthday ideas to us too. 

 

30th Birthday Ideas

A 30th birthday is definitely one of the classier milestone birthdays, so do it up right with a sophisticated dinner. Book a table for you and your crew at your favorite upscale restaurant so there is room for everyone to help you celebrate. Send birthday invitations so they know the deets and get a few decorations for the table, but keep them simple and classy! Ask the restaurant if you can print custom menus with the birthday information at the top for a little something extra. Birthday cake truffles make a pretty awesome party favor. Hopefully you get some sparkly birthday gifts to suit the special occasion. You are the birthday star - it would only be fitting!

 

The Birthday Classic

A birthday-flavored no-brainer fit for any kind of celebration. 1 Birthday Cake + 1 dozen B'Day Truffles = 1 very yummy party.

Buying multiple gifts or looking to send an e-gift? Get started here!

Get +90 points on this purchase to use towards *free* treats when you join The First Bite Club! Information Icon

 

40th Birthday Ideas

The stresses of work, kids, and all of life’s responsibilities can be intense around 40, so celebrate this milestone birthday by giving into some ultimate self care. Go big on things that make the birthday celebrant feel at ease, whether it’s a lush trip to a spa, a day at the beach, a round of golf, or a staycation at a fancy hotel. Sometimes the best birthday gift you can give is a little time to unwind and take it easy, and a little dessert on the side doesn’t hurt either. 

 

50th, 60th, 70th, and Beyond

Milestone birthdays from 50 and beyond deserve something monumental. If you are scavenging the internet for the best birthday gift ideas, consider spoiling your loved one on their birthday with a cruise or safari. This feels like a proper birthday gift for such a big moment. A 70th birthday is the perfect time to get the whole family together for a reunion, spoiling the birthday person with attention from their favorite people might be the best milestone celebration idea. By these ages most folks might have a specific way they want to celebrate their birthday, so try asking what they have in mind before sending out the invitations - they might just want a nice birthday cake as opposed to a big surprise party

B'Day Truffle Dozen Box

We rolled all the childhood flavor of our signature cake into a single bite — no utensils needed. Made from Birthday Cake, these rainbow-flecked, vanilla-happy goodies are coated in a barely-there white chocolate shell and rolled in B'Day sand. 

Includes one gift box of 12 B'Day Truffles.

Buying multiple gifts or looking to send an e-gift? Get started here!

Get +40 points on this purchase to use towards *free* treats when you join The First Bite Club! Information Icon

 

How Do I Plan an Age-Specific Milestone Celebration

The truth is, everyone’s milestone birthdays are a bit different. For your bestie, being the birthday girl with the best party for her 35th might feel important. For your brother, his big birthday boy moment might be 42, everyone has their own milestone moments. No matter what the age, getting someone’s birthday numbers as candles for their cake is a nice touch, as is making decorations by hand. A birthday card signed by their friends and family is a great birthday gift no matter the number. Doing little things like serving their favorite cookies at their birthday party can be enough to make someone feel special on their big day. And if you don’t share a similar zip code as the birthday celebrant, count on us for all things birthday gift delivery to ensure they feel the love even from afar.

From a party at home for an 18th birthday to the trip of a lifetime for a 70th milestone moment, big birthdays have a lot of different ways of showing love to the people in your life. Party favors, invitations, decorations, cheesy cards and lots of love help celebrate milestones right. Maybe a big party is in order or maybe a trip to the spa, but no matter what the birthday has in store, we think a special birthday cake delivery should always be part of the equation.

About the author

Shannon Salzano is a New York Times best selling author and hospitality industry veteran. A graduate of Northern Illinois University's Literature and Communications program, Shannon spent half a decade in editorial publishing before making the pivot to hospitality. She served as the Creative Director to Chicago's lauded Girl & the Goat restaurant empire for five years where she oversaw the design and launch of several brick and mortar concepts, a line of home chef sauces and spices, and multiple cookbooks. In her Director of Special Projects role at Christina Tosi's Milk Bar, Shannon has executed partnerships with household names like Google, Verizon, Converse, Cheetos and Pillsbury, and oversees brand voice.