Turning 80 is a big milestone birthday to be celebrated with as many family and friends as possible! So, how can you make sure that you plan a very special birthday for the person turning 80 in your life? Here are ten different types of 80 year old birthday party ideas that we recommend:
1. Theme the party
Pick something the person loves, or pick a decade – like that in which they were born! Tell everybody to dress up a little based on the theme you have chosen. Parties like these can cause a lot of laughs and bring out the young at heart. As well, choose your decorations according to the theme you have chosen.
2. Play with the number
A common, but creative way to highlight someone’s 80th is to do 80 of something. Get 80 notes from friends and family that say why that person is great, or poke some fun at their age and get them a package of “80 things you’ll be needing after today” – this concept adds a fun element to the party, and other guests are often more than willing to help out.
3. Pick the right place
What does the birthday person love? Where would they like to spend their 80th birthday? If the person is an outdoorsy kind of person, maybe host it in someone’s backyard or in a park or greenspace somewhere (weather permitting).
Alternatively, rent out a hotel banquet room or keep it simple in someone’s living room if not as much space is needed. Whatever it is, pick a place that will make the person happiest and most comfortable on their 80th birthday. The birthday party can even be hosted at a retirement home, if that is where most of the 80-year-old’s friends are resided.
4. Have something to sign
What will be really special for the birthday person will be having something memorable to take away from it. Have a picture with a signable frame, or a memory jar where people can leave their favourite memories.
This birthday idea will not only add a creative flair to the party, but will allow the party to live on in the birthday person’s memory for years to come. Add functionality to the memory and have a piece of furniture, like a deck chair, to sign instead.
5. Show their life’s story
Collect as many pictures as you can from the person’s life and see if you can tell their story through them. Start at the beginning and create a gallery that everybody can look at and laugh at while remembering the good times.
6. Share the work
A potluck party is a great idea because it gets everybody involved in the food prep, and cuts down on the cleanup as well. Every person can get as creative as they would like with the food, and the birthday person will appreciate all of the efforts everybody has gone through to make their party special.
7. Hire a DJ
Music is a mood setter, a trendsetter, and overall the best way to get a real party started. You’re going to want to make music choices based on the preferences of the birthday person. However, regardless of whether you’re going for relaxing tunes or something to really pump everyone up and get them dancing, you may want to have a professional take care of the job.
If the vibe doesn’t really call for a professional DJ, at the very least assign someone to the music, and make sure they are prepared with the appropriate stuff for the event.
8. Put on a show
Something unique that could make for an interesting party is to hire a person or group to put on a show, whether this be a performer who sings, professional dancers, or maybe even a comedian. Those options may break the bank though, so another idea is to find the most talented friends and family in the birthday person’s entourage and have them put together a little variety show. It will cost a lot less and mean a lot more.
9. Plan an outing
Some people just don’t like being the centre of attention, and in this case, a big party centred around them may not be the right thing to do. Alternatively, maybe the person is more active and would prefer to be out doing something. If this is the case, it might be better to plan an activity out – maybe a game of golf, bowling, a hike or walk, a paint night or something else creative. The decision on this one will just depend on what it is the birthday person most enjoys doing.
10. Make a movie
Put together a collection of photos and/or videos – not too long, though – and show it at the party. This is something the birthday person can keep with them for years to come, and will be a fun walk down memory lane for everyone present. You can also have people record themselves wishing the person a happy 80th while sharing their favourite memories.
