You’ve hit another year around the sun, and you deserve more than a dinner reservation and some awkward singing from a waiter. Many people leave activity-based, themed birthday parties in their childhoods, but we’re here to bring those back. Read on to get inspired with six cool birthday party ideas for adults that might just be the most fun you have all year.
Host a Backyard Olympics
Got a competitive friend group? Perfect! Grab some lawn games, split your crew into teams, and wage war. These are a few games that work great for this party:
- cornhole
- Spikeball
- ladder toss
- bocce ball
- relay races
- obstacle courses
Rent Out a Cooking Class
What if you cooked your own birthday dinner, but in a fun way? Book a private session at a local culinary studio. You and your friends chef it up together, eat what you make, and drink wine while doing it. It’s super fun and low-key, and you’ll probably surprise yourself with your cooking skills.
Take a Group Day Trip
Trips don’t have to be multiday, airplane affairs. Instead, pick somewhere within two hours of home and go on a short road trip with your besties. The location depends on where you live, but here are a few ideas to get you started:
- a state park
- a tourism town
- a vineyard
- the beach
- a resort
This birthday party idea gives everyone a welcome change of scenery without needing to take time off work.
Do a Murder Mystery Dinner
This birthday party is an immersive hit, even if no one in your group did theater. You can either hire a company or print a kit and run the event yourself. The premise is that everyone at the party is assigned a character, whom they embody in dress, personality, and backstory. Everyone goes about the evening, enjoying a real dinner party while in character and trying to figure out who the murderer is.
Plan a Casino Night
Is a trip to Vegas not in the birthday budget this year? No problem—you can set up a casino night almost anywhere with rented games and moderators. You just have to choose a venue for your casino party, and the rest comes together super easily. Nobody has to have experience gambling, and you don’t have to play for money.
Book a Private Art Class
The last idea for cool adult birthday parties we want to share is booking a private art class. Most people do painting or pottery for this event, but you can find other options depending on what your nearby studios offer. Most of these places either offer drinks or let you bring your own, and all of them offer expert instruction that will help even the worst of artists make something beautiful.
