I’m in my mid-twenties and my birthday is coming up. My family and partner have been asking for gift ideas and it has been hard for me to come up with ideas. I’m lucky enough to feel like I have everything I need and want (at least tangibly), so I am looking for some ideas of experiences! Thank you!
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My friends took me go kart racing one year. It was a blast
I just got my 14 year old grandson a couple hours at a life size flight simulator
Tandem parachuting… which turned into the worst also… ended up relying on the emergency chute. Made me mad. Don’t go parachuting
On my 12th birthday me and my two best friends went to a pizza place and had an amazing pizza, that steaming, melty cheese sumbitch that comes out in the black iron pan…oh yeah. Then we spent a whole roll of quarters playing the Aliens arcade game and we beat it, we won on the last quarter. It was epic. That last birthday of childhood before girls and teenage drama kicked in.
Last year for my 47th I went to Universal Studios Hollywood and went through Super Nintendo World. It was like stepping into a Mario Bros game, it was a childhood dream come to life.
Those two were it for me. Simple, nothing grand, but they were things that made me happy.
Hot air balloon ride, mini bus rental with stops throughout my city at restaurants for various snacks (this was my birthday party planned by my husband as a surprise), series of massages, glassblowing class, jewelry making class.
Surprise birthday party for my 40th
At a certain age you don’t need anything other than your loved ones around you. You can ask for everyone to go out for dinner at a place you love or go on a trip or some kind of activity like wine tasting/concert/something fun you like. My husband and I go out for dinner at fancy places for our birthdays and it feels special because we save up for it and make it a thing.
Being out in nature is my happy place. We’ve gone for hikes at state or national parks and I love those times
I live in Philadelphia. One birthday a bunch of friends and my husband and I got together, went on a horse drawn carriage ride, on the duck, went out to Dave and Busters with more friends, then a special couple friend drove us to a farm show to see Davey Jones sing.
I just did one of those float tanks for the first time. It’s really cool if you like exploring your subconscious.
AC/DC at the Tacoma Dome.
Going to Hawaii for the first time on my 31st birthday.
My 30th was a weekend away with a girlfriend, we had a blast
and a surprise dinner when I got home
My 40th was a great dinner out with friends and family
I’ve always gotten something nice, but it was more about being with family and friends
My partner put together a book for me. It was a book where she answered questions and added pictures. She has also put together picture albums for me. All of which I treasure immensely. One year, for my birthday, she baked me a cake that looked like a beholder, which was special. It had to have been difficult to make, but what made it extra special was that I know that she made it with my kids.
For my last birthday, my kids and her did a lot of cooking for my birthday. Not only was it especially tasty, but it was also so meaningful to me.
I’m a simple man; I don’t require fancy or expensive presents. She could plan a dinner with me where we have a picnic in the backyard. She could put together some physical pictures for me. As I mentioned, she’s done that before – it’s something that I look at often. She could do a lot of things that are inexpensive that I would treasure. Shit, she could put together the time so that her, the kids, and I could play some D&D.
My favorite things are personalized things or time together. Like that book where she answered questions or just a day where we go to the Museum or whatever.
About 15 years ago, three of my friends and my bf took me on a road trip to Cedar Point to ride all the rollercoasters. It cost them some money, but it was awesome.
Blue Rodeo in Montreal at the venue the Montreal Symphony Orchestra used to play at, so the acoustics were impeccable.
An air show in Gatineau that featured the Snow Birds and the freaking Blue Angels! One of the best days I ever had!
Swimming with sea lions in the wild in Peru.
A flight lesson at a local/regional airport. I bought it for myself and it was worth every penny.
We like going to different places to celebrate with eating, drinking, shopping, spa-ing (is that a thing?). When my daughter was younger we use to go to all kinds of places for long weekends … New Orleans, Charleston, S.C., Mackinac Island, Mi., Traverse City, Mi, Door County, Wi., Charlotte, N.C. Now that we all live in Florida, we usually go places around here … Anna Maria Island, Mt. Dora, Boca Grande, Orlando. We usually stay two or three nights and just hang out on the beaches or parks, in Tiki bars, going to nice restaurants and mostly just enjoying each others’ company.
My family rented a huge house at Tahoe Donner for everyone for my 75th —it was great.
Happy Birthday! 🥳🎉🎊🎁🎈🍨🎂
My birthdays as a child weren’t very memorable. I actually learned to dislike them if I’m being completely honest.
The first time I actually enjoyed my birthday was the first one I had after I got my drivers license. After school, I simply got in my car and did whatever I felt like doing. That included getting myself some tacos, going to the mall and meeting up with friends. I’ve been practicing the ‘do whatever I want’ on my birthday rule whenever possible since then.
Hot air balloon ride? Rafting experience? Zoo pass? Deprivation tank session?
I take the day off and go to the spa alllll day
My wife and kids surprised me on my 60th by booking a trip for the entire family to Hawaii for a week. I ended up paying 🤣 for it but it was a great birthday. So I repeated it on my 70th birthday, renting a house and flying everybody over for a week.
We zip lined, whale watched, had great dinners, all in paradise
I’ve had a few best ones:
40th: Husband booked us on a surprise to me weekend getaway to Catalina Island via helicopter. The funny thing is that I am an overpacker and he just kept saying, YOU CANNNNNNOT BRING MORE THAN 25 pounds of suitcase but I won’t tell you why.
50th: We spent 12 days in Moorea and my 50th started out with a 2-hour spa day and then snorkeling and then a steak dinner.
My second son, four days after I turned 30. Surprise party when I turned 40.
Now it sounds lame because they went to DC. But when I was first dating my husband, we went to Dodgers Stadium. We had dinner at the Stadium Club. We saw Frank asinatra and Cary Grant with their wives. They were one table away.
I don’t remember the gifts but I do remember the show of love in the party they had for me. Reminds me that it’s not the material thing gifted as much as the show of love I felt surrounded by as they brought the lit cake over! (20 yrs ago btw)
When I was young, Me and my now ex husband went to macys. I tried on a coat that was out of our price range $130.00. It felt luxurious and I loved it. Reality hit, and I quickly took it off and put it back on the rack. Yep, he got it for my birthday. The gift said a lot. I cried when I opened the gift and saw the coat. And, I am not a cryer. So, yeah…
My parents would take the family out to dinner for our birthdays. When I was 12, I asked to go to a particular French restaurant (I had gone there on a field trip with my French class). They said yes without hesitation, even though it was very expensive. It’s hands down one of my favorite memories. The food was superb and we had a nice conversation with the chef-owner, who was probably curious about me – I doubt many children celebrated birthdays there.
Taking all my birthdays off work.
Never had a birthday party when I was a child. We were very poor. Now we” wife, me and our adult kids go on a 7 day cruise”. I never thought when I was younger that I’d ever be able to do this.
Have you been to Cirque du Soleil? I love gifting it to people – just took my niece to her first show last month after getting her the tickets for Christmas.
When I was in the 7th grade, my grandma got me concert tickets in the 8th row for my absolute favorite group. She said she called in a favor with a relative who worked in the box office for the arena.
In my mid-30s, my husband took me to one of those rooftop bars where you can look down into the baseball stadium and watch the game. All of the food and drink was comped.
On my 50th birthday I got my first tattoo and then I took myself to Costa Rica!
For Christmas one year I received 3 roundtrip flights from my wife so I could take a few long weekends, fly off by myself, and visit friends I had not seen in a long time. It was so simple to travel by myself and I just stayed with my friends and had such a lowkey visit.
Escape room gift certificate. we did it as a family and loved every minute. It’s a great, indelible memory.
My for 51st I took a 2 week trip to Wyoming camping and offroading the entire time. This was a trip I’d dreamed about for most of my life. This year’s birthday trip will be 2 weeks in Colorado doing the same thing. Next year either Montana or New Mexico.
My husband hired a guy who plays acoustic guitar. He asked a few friends to come, we sat on our deck in the evening enjoying wine and each other while listening to some beautiful music.
For my 30th my husband booked a plane ride that turned into a bit of a flying lesson. It was amazing! I absolutely loved it.
For my husband’s 45th, I bought him a flying lesson. He had always wanted to try it, and once was enough but he had a great time.
My birthday was earlier this month and Im treating myself to a concert thats evaded me my whole life. This summer, Im going to see The Offspring!
One of my favorite bands was coming to town, had missed seeing them several times/places prior and it looked like this time would be the same. Surprised with seriously decent tickets, a highlight of my life.
I was taken to see Motörhead opening for Alice Cooper. Ridiculously loud, absurd, drunken fun.
Theater tickets! I’ve enjoyed Broadway, local city, and community theater. Pick your price point and get tickets!
For my 18th birthday – I was in my first year of college but went home to a small town in ND, where on the same weekend, the MN Northstars were playing an exhibition game Friday night, and my dad took me. During the next day, though, was even better. I was quite the raquetball player at the time, and also at the time, Marty Hogan had been the National Champion several years running I believe. My dad took me to the local sporting goods store, which was right across from the YMCA (the only local gym at that time) and bought me a Marty Hogan racquet. We then went to the Y, where Marty Hogan was actually appearing. What my dad didn’t tell me was that I was going to get to play an exhibition game with Marty Hogan, with my new racquet. We hit kill shots into soda cans in corners for about 15 minutes. He signed the case after. It was amazing.
For my 50th birthday my husband surprised me with a hot air balloon ride. It was something he knew I had been wanting to do. It was the best experience! Really magical…. And we were supposed to be in a shared ride, but the other party didn’t show up so we had the ride all to ourselves. I highly recommend the experience.
hot air balloon ride, trail horseback ride, camping trip
After the pandemic, my kid rented a Slingshot for me for 12 hours. It was unreal for me. Best gift ever!
NJ Slingshot Rentals.
Eta: add rental place and correct time frame.
Are there any hobbies you’ve wanted to try? I gifted my mom pottery lessons and she became obsessed. Glass blowing, photography, jewelry making, niche culinary lessons, fiber crafts, welding, wood working – there’s something for every interest!
Spending time with people I love (the beach)
I went ziplining over a gorge and waterfalls. EDIT: 66th birthday
It was fantastic.
Helicopter ride or Hot air balloon ride. I’ve done each once.
Me and my best friend have birthdays close together. We took a week long road trip from up state NY (her home) to Florida (my home). It was fantastic. We did Niagara Falls, a drive thru safari, Pink Cadillac Diner, and a few other pit stops.
My best friend bought tickets to see my favorite band when I was 18.
My husband takes me to the horse races for my birthday most years, unless we go to the beach. I love the ponies!
I did gin making at a local distillery It was a lot of fun. The couple who own the distillery told us their story, which was interesting. They explained about the essential botanicals and the optional ingredients to make our own gin, then we each had our own mini still and away we went. While the still was doing its thing, we chatted, drank gin and ate snacks. Once the gin was made, we measured its ABV and diluted it down to an acceptable level, then bottled it, gave it a name, labelled it and added the tax sticker. Whatever didn’t fit in the bottle we drank. It was a great afternoon and luckily I had a lift there and back.
A few years ago I went on a work trip to Vegas took my daughter and stayed a few extra days.
It was a few weeks after my daughter turned 21 and a few weeks before I turned 50. It was the most awesome (work then birthday celebration)trip.
We saw my (since I was a child) favorite Donny and Marie Osmond, Criss Angel, Impractical Jokers, and did a bus trip to see The Grand Canyon.
I was gifted a cooking class in a small boat in Homer, Alaska. After cooking, we sat down and ate the food and had different wine pairings with it. Super fun experience.
I never liked birthdays ending in 9s. When my 39th birthday was approaching, I used to joke with my family about wanting a huge party with a marching band. Every time we talked about it, I added more extravagant details.
My birthday was on a Saturday and my husband said we were all going to lunch at a Chinese restaurant he knew I liked. We walked in and I started to head toward one end of the room when he stopped me and redirected me to the other side. There were about five or six women I was friends with, some newer acquaintances and some from where we used to live. He had arranged a luncheon, paid in advance and left with all four of our kids.
We had a wonderful time. He came back for me about two hours later, took me home and suggested I take a birthday nap and he would take care of dinner. I woke up and came downstairs to find a couple we were good friends with and their kids and ours with pizza on the way.
The next day we went to church. On our way home, he stopped at a deli to get bagels, something we occasionally did after church. I noticed he had a large bag, but didn’t think too much about it until we got home and my brother and his wife were waiting for us and we had another lunchtime birthday party. The bag was so big because he’d gotten bagels and cold cuts and salads.
It was the most extravagant birthday I’d ever had. Unfortunately it was one of the very few times in our life together that he did something this special and he’s now been my ex-husband for many years.
For my best friend’s 16th birthday in high school. I took him to the arcade and only let him win one time. While his parents and siblings set up the party at McDonald’s with the clown there. His youngest brother directed our friends to the McDonald’s when they showed up. He claimed he hated it. But dozens of hidden pictures show him having a great time. He swore he would get me for the idea
I got a bicycle for my 7th birthday. Probably the best gift I ever got in both it’s immediate impact and long term influence. Oh, and Evel Knievel was a big time celebrity in my house.
My wife got me a surprise trip to Lisbon for my 50th birthday. She booked the flights and a great apartment, arranged all the details, and cleared the time off with my boss. And we had an amazing time!
Skydiving
My boyfriend got me two tickets to the Cirque du Soleil. He didn’t want to go, the second ticket was for my best friend and we had the best time. I lost him 10 years ago but I still have the wonderful memories.
Massive massive hike on my 50th
I went bungee jumping for one of my birthdays. I enjoyed the experience and enjoyed the post-jump beer and steak even more.
For my 60th birthday my work colleagues purchased a photography experience at The Big Cat Sanctuary (near Smarden, Kent). It is not a zoo, there is no public daily admission, just a small number of visitors on experiences like photography or the zoo keeper experience. They have lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars and many smaller species. For the photography I was accompanied by a keeper who had a little photography knowledge for about 4 hours as we went round, I was able to get up close so the wires weren’t visible in the photos, the keeper kept me informed about the animals, made good suggestions on positions and what to be ready for, and made me step back from the fence when necessary. A tiger on its back legs only 6ft away is awesome. And being eye to eye with a lion at 6ft makes you think!
It was the most brilliant day, something I can wholeheartedly recommend if there is somewhere similar near you.
Edit. I added a photo from the day to r/BigCats https://www.reddit.com/r/bigcats/s/87y1NFX9ji
I hen I was a young sing mother of two toddlers my father loaded all three of us into the car for a birthday surprise. It was a tour carousels in NY. I have always loved carousels and to this day insist on riding any carousel at fairs and amusement parks. I was in my mid twenties at the time and what made it so special is things the first thing you n my life my father had ever put thought into doing just for me. I’m now in my 60’s, lost him seven years ago and this is the most precious memory I hold onto of him and my kids.
I saw a short news story clip in 1982-ish about an indoor skydiving place in Vegas. it was “Flyaway” at 200 Convention Center Dr, which is now permanently closed as of Jan. 2025.
going there was on my bucket list for years. so, for my 40th BD (19+ years ago), a few friends and I met in Vegas and went there. after our flight, one of the operators told me the best flights were first thing in the mornings when the cold desert air was denser, so I went back for a second flight next morning as they unlocked the doors.
this was years before iFly and the like.
some of the best BD memories from my childhood were going to Molly Murphy’s in OKC.
Molly Murphy’s Investors Video
when I was 8 my oldest sister was dating a guy with a pilots license the took me up for an hour in a 4 seat plane . 1st time i’d ever been in a plane
For my 50th birthday my friends took me on a weekend trip on a houseboat. The trip kind of sucked (unbelievably hot, no ladder to get back onto the boat so swimming was out, ac problems) but we really had a great time joking about the homemade boat and all the stuff that went wrong. Goes to show that you don’t have to have a great trip to have a great time. We still laugh our asses off about the “Hellboat.”
concert tickets!
So many! We went to the zoo one day, another time was a Broadway show for a milestone birthday. (This is my daughter’s taking me). For each of my daughters adult milestone birthdays (30) they did “kid” stuff; one had a bowling party, one had a roller rink party, one had a laser tag party like they did when they were kids but with all of their adult friends. There was also a theme. One I recall had silly cheap colorful wigs that everyone (male and female) wore for some of the party (“we are wigging out that Mary is 30”). It was just silliness but they had a blast
Some of my fav birthday experiences:
I know someone that makes sure they book a therapy session on their birthday each year.
Knowing what part of the world you live in would help. Otherwise, I’d ask everyone to take me on their favorite expierience or place.
We used to ride Harleys. My husband wanted a Streetglide. We couldn’t afford that but the dealership rented bikes, so I rented him one for the weekend and planned a trip to the mountains. We stayed in an.old hotel with shitty plumbing but it had a great underground bar and a cave where they used to.make liquor during prohibition.
We had a blast. I told him I was giving him a memory for his birthday.
Snow skiing but mine is in February.
My partner paid for a flight for me to visit a good friend on the other side of the country! It wasn’t super expensive (around $300 round trip) and I stayed with my friend so I wasn’t paying for lodging.
My hubby and I went indoor skydiving for my birthday one year.
An absolute nothing from anyone or anything, after the experience of empty comes humble beginnings. You can’t keep it unless you give it away, store your treasures where they will not rust. For finer than diamonds or gold are the treasures of the heart. Happy Birthday
On my 60th birthday, I went with family to a fancy hotel for an outdoor brunch. While there, there was a magician going from table to table performing tricks. It was great and proved to me that you’re never too old for a birthday magician.
For my birthday last year, my friend/lover took me glamping (mid august in the southern US, he wanted a cabin with air conditioning) in one of the top 50 stargazing zones in the lower 48, so that we could watch the percides meator shower. Ive always wanted to observe it. It falls near my birthday yearly, but I’ve always been either in a city with too much light polution or cloudy weather. It was the most amazing experience
Also, second to that, i had the opportunity to leave the country once (family marriage contract stuff), and I watched the last total solar eclipse of the melinium on my birthday while floating in the dead sea. Still have a scar from that day, cut my hand on a mollusk shell (i think? May have just been a sharp rock that looked like a muscle/clam type of creature). One of my best childhood memories, and I got a souvenier, lol
Its nice when the universe aligns to give you an event to remember.
My family and friends gave me a hot air balloon experience for my 70th birthday. It was amazing to see the various contours of wheat farming land, the long, early morning shadows of trees and the little trucks on the highway below. It was something I’ll never forget.
Live theater.
It all depends what you’re into, really. I went canoeing and loved it.
Went to Puerto Vallarta one year and Cozumel the next.