Summer birthdays yield some really fun options for celebrating. With school out and vacations abounding, people have more time to plan and attend parties—more time than they might have at any other time of the year. So if your birthday is coming up, treat yourself to a good time. You deserve it! You work hard day in and day out on top of raising kids. So, how do you throw a party that’s really special and that stands out from the crowd? First, think about all the things your friends have been doing and then make sure you don’t do any of those things. Instead, check out some of these ideas.
- Celebrate Christmas during the summer. There’s a little less than 6 months until Christmas, so lots of people like to now celebrate a half-Christmas in the summer. If your birthday falls sometime around then, this could be a fun and unexpected way to celebrate your birthday. If you’re accepting birthday gifts, put them under a fake Christmas tree. Check out some ugly Christmas sweaters from Tipsy Elves for fun outfit ideas (bonus: a good ugly sweater will carry you through many holiday parties to come) and get antlers for the dog or bells for the cat. Instead of a flag or tassel banner, use some old Christmas ornaments. Serve summer versions of favorites like cold eggnog, iced (and spiked!) hot chocolate, and snow cone snowmen.
- Have a champagne brunch. Invite your friends over earlier in the day for an at-home, upscale meal. Take some long tables out to the porch or yard and decorate for a fancy summer garden party. Ask that guests come dressed to impress and decorate your table like a fancy spread from a magazine: folded napkins, pitchers of lemonade and iced tea, and mason jars of flowers at each place setting.
- See a show, attend a concert, or check out outdoor music festivals and street fairs. The summer is always full of these kinds of great outdoor activities so find out what’s going on nearby or wander around a popular area in the city to see what’s there. If you can find a concert or a show in the park, bring along some picnic lunches for a lazy afternoon of yummy food, drinks, and music.
- Take a tour of something interesting in your town: the historic sites, the famous landmarks, the museums, etc. Or check out local breweries for a tasting tour. And keep a watch out for block tours. Sometimes areas with lots of restaurants will have tasting tours where you can pay in advance to stop and sample something at every participating restaurant. This could be a fun stand-alone activity or a good complement to a brewery tour or bar crawl.
- Go for a bike ride or a hike. Getting your friends out into nature will be a really refreshing and enjoyable experience, especially if you have a few guests who aren’t normally that interested in exploring the great outdoors. Keep it simple and not too intense, but make sure to pick a route with lots of scenic views.
- Take a mini trip. If you don’t feel like throwing a big party for lots and lots of people, consider trimming down your guest list to just a few and taking everyone on a little road trip. Pick a fun destination like a nearby beach or mountain range, and make sure to stop at some fun attractions along the way like diners, roadside attractions, and landmarks. Download the Roadtrippers app to make sure you don’t miss out on any of these attractions.
- Have a craft party. If you and your friends are already the craft types, invite them to bring over projects to work on. Otherwise, spend some time on Pinterest and other DIY sites and find some fun and easy crafts to make. Set up little stations in your yard or living room with lots of fun and simple crafts to do. Ideas might include: learning to knit or crochet, making terrariums or hanging cactus gardens, making jewelry, or making scrapbooks or decorated frames.
- Have a cooking or baking party. If you and your friends love to cook, then don’t let them miss out on the fun of preparing your birthday menu. Invite them over early to help you with all of the stages of cooking and preparation. Be sure to pick out some fun playlists of good cooking music, and decorate your kitchen to make it festive. Go with some classic party themes like banners and balloons (but tape everything to the walls and ceilings to keep them out of the way while you cook).
Planning a really special and unique birthday celebration is all about figuring out what will be most fun and memorable for you and your guests. Think about the activities that you and your friends really enjoy and go with that! There’s no reason to throw a party that you don’t really want just because you think it’s the way birthday parties are supposed to go. Be creative and unique for a really memorable summer birthday.
