50th Birthday Party Theme

A 50th birthday party theme can go beyond the traditional "over-the-hill" for someone who is entering the next decade of life. Try coming up with adult birthday party ideas with a twist for the fifty year old in your life.

Plan a unique 50th party.

The 50th birthday is usually considered a milestone birthday. No longer a young adult, but not yet a senior citizen, the 50th birthday often marks a transition between two periods of life for the birthday celebrant. A birthday party for this milestone should be memorable for both the guests and the birthday man or woman.

Come up with ideas for a birthday party that reflect his or her hobbies, interests or experiences in life. If you want to play upon age or the year, remember to be sensitive to the person's wishes—not everyone enjoys letting everyone in on his/her birth year.

Develop a 50th birthday party theme that honors the person without poking fun at his or her age unless you are positive it is something he or she would want. A party can be a surprise party or not; either way, you should fully develop the theme for an unforgettable event.

Turn the birthday party into decades past. Incorporate all of the "nifty" things from the 1950's era and each decade the person lived in. You can do more than just ask guests to dress in costume with bobby socks and poodle skirts. Try some of the following:

• Make a timeline of historic events, interspersed with important life events from the birthday man/woman's life. Hang up with photos or illustrations around the party room.
• Play hit songs from the birth year of the 50 year old.
• Have plenty of nostalgic candies available as favors and goodies.
• Decorate the walls with jukeboxes, disco balls, grunge band posters, and more.
• Play board games that were popular in the birthday person's youth.

Have each decade in a separate area of the room, or move people through your home, with each decade being in a different room. Incorporating different years allows you to really give everyone, including the celebrant, a look back at everything that's happened during his/her lifetime.

Skip the usual old-age gags and give your friend or family member a proper roast. This is a dinner party style where honored guests give speeches or tell stories with great hilarity, sarcasm and just a hint of "bite." Ask several guests to write over-the top speeches and then give them during the dinner party. Be careful not to be too mean, however; this is all in fun, after all. Serve plenty of good party drink recipes and provide delicious appetizers and desserts for everyone.

The quest for the fountain of youth is something that many men and women have embarked upon during their lifetimes. This theme is perfect for a garden party in the spring or summer. Purchase a small child's plastic swimming pool with a "fountain" effect and have it flowing in the center of the garden. Fill the garden with additional flowers, benches and figures until you cannot see beyond the garden edges. Remember to serve punch in a fountain, and have a few chocolate fondue fountains available, too.

Have a toga party with a twist. Ask guests to dress in togas and wear wreaths around their heads to this fun costume party. Play a party ice breaker game where you try to guess who everyone is based on quotations they give out. Each person will be a famous person who provided wisdom in ancient times. Examples include Hippocrates, Aristotle, Plato or Socrates. Serve a meal with Greek or Mediterranean-inspired dishes for everyone to enjoy.

The 50th birthday party ideas you come up with should reflect the guest of honor's likes and tastes. Consider planning a unique milestone birthday theme for a twist on the traditional 50th birthday party. Remember to pick up plenty of birthday party supplies with "50" on them and to get the 50th birthday party invitations out early enough so everyone can attend.

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