48 Unique 50^th birthday ideas as major as the milestone.

Fun 50^th birthday party ideas, gifts, and trips to commemorate a milestone.

Turning 50 is nothing to sneeze at. That’s half a century of life experience. That’s five decades crossing paths with so many people that you’ve lost count.

The richness of 50 years of life begs the question: who’s planning this 50^th birthday party? 50-year-olds have a mix of friends, coworkers, family (older and younger), and countless contacts in their lives, all of whom look at the birthday star through a different lens.

For unique 50^th birthday party ideas that fit any mold — whether a surprise party a spouse is planning, a 50^th bash at work, or a major trip in honor of the milestone — study this list well. You’ll find birthday ideas that usher the golden years in with style.

Fun 50^th birthday ideas to prove there’s still fun to be had.

Kids in their teens or twenties might think that their parents turning 50 are ancient. It’s true that 50 isn’t as springy as 15, but there’s still fun to be had in our golden years. Turning 50 is a worthy occasion for some fun 50^th birthday ideas that also cross experiences off your bucket list.

Try a new class or activity.

Trying new things can be fun if you pick the right class or activity. Have you learned how to scuba dive in your 50 years? Could you have fun learning to play the ukelele?

50 video messages.

This requires a little organization in advance. Connect with friends and family to ask for video messages for the birthday VIP. They can be memories, well wishes, advice, or even a little razzing. See if you can collect 50 for the 50^th birthday celebration.

Throw a cocktail party.

Throw a party with the expectation of some fine drinks to usher in the next decade. Cocktail parties are extra fun when you set up a bar of ingredients and additions for people to invent their own.

Learn how to cook something you’ve always loved.

Think back to all the delicious things you’ve enjoyed in 50 years, and pick something you would love to know how to cook.

Golden champagne jubilee.

Playing off the “golden jubilee” celebration of any 50^th anniversary, serve champaign (since it’s close enough to gold, anyway), hang golden décor, and invite everyone to come in gilded attire.

1970s theme birthday party.

For more fun 50^th birthday outfit ideas, consider a 1970s theme to harken back to the decade when the birthday star was born.

Board and card game night.

Board games don’t jump off the page as something “fun” to everyone, but those who do like games see the value of a 50^th birthday board game party. It makes it easy to include multiple generations and spend time with those you love most.

Rock and roll 50^th birthday.

Trow a rock and roll 50^th birthday party where rock songs from your childhood are played all night.

50^th birthday trip ideas worthy of the milestone.

Instead of a 50^th birthday party, you could use 50^th birthday trip ideas for an adventure worthy of the occasion. The world is big, and in 50 years you haven’t seen it all. Even going to the next town over is an adventure if you haven’t been there yet.

The memories you make on a 50^th birthday trip could be more valuable than any other gift. Look for the perfect way to celebrate in these 50^th birthday trip ideas below.

The Gold Coast.

In honor of your “golden jubilee,” visit the Gold Coast in Australia.

Golden Gate Park.

San Francisco has a golden site to see, too.

Patagonia region of Argentina.

The Patagonia region of Argentina and Chile sits right where the 50^th parallel south crosses.

See the “big five” animals on a safari.

Celebrate 50 with a safari trip to Africa. You could see what are called the “big five,” with one extraordinary animal representing each decade. (The “big five” are the lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and cape buffalo.)

Spain and Italy.

Travel places where the local population ages especially well, and it could serve as a lesson and an inspiration. Italy and Spain are two countries known for their high quality of life for older community members, as is Japan.

Cross off the last of the 50 states.

If you’ve been to many states but not all of them, consider taking trips to cross the remaining states off your list.

50-mile radius road trip.

For a 50^th birthday trip idea closer to home, set a 50 mile radius and explore places you haven’t seen yet within that circle.

Hawai’i.

Hawai’i was the 50^th state in the union, so why not make the islands your 50^th birthday destination?

How to include others near and far.

By the time we turn 50, there are a lot of people in our lives.

To include those friends, family, and colleagues who live far away or who won’t be at the official celebration, reach out to collect more birthday greetings.

For example:

• If the birthday star uses a social network, encourage friends and family to post memories, photos, or anecdotes.
• 50^th birthday card ideas can play off any of the party ideas above, too.
• Collect letters from people for a personal touch.

Remember to think about all the people the milestone maker has treasured in each chapter of life. Find school friends from childhood, reach out to college buddies, and tap into friends at work.

Exercise: It’s time to write out that bucket list.

Turning 50 is a reminder of how much time has passed and how quickly it can keep on passing.

It’s likely that the birthday VIP already has a mental bucket list of things he or she wants to do with the years to come, but writing them out in a list is something a 50-year-old is wise to do.

You can make a bucket list in different ways, like:

1. Solo, with or without ideas or feedback from others later.

2. With friends or family while others simultaneously write out their own.

3. Or by letting friends and family crowdsource the bucket list they think you ought to have.

A bucket list isn’t a contract, either. If you go for the fun crowdsourcing idea, that doesn’t mean you ultimately have to do what everyone suggests.

Still, the time is ripe to write out your bucket list ideas now.

Adobe Express can help.

Adobe Express has templates and customization tools to put your favorite 50^th birthday ideas to work. If you want to use these 50^th birthday ideas in cards, letters, posters, banners, collages, flyers, announcements, or other creative projects, Adobe Express makes it as simple as picking a template and personalizing it, or making your own idea with easy-to-use tools. Whatever message you want to transmit, Adobe Express brings it to life, no experience required.

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