Well, the time has come. This is the year I reach that usually scary age milestone: 40. It’s very weird to think about it, honestly. I certainly don’t feel like I am 40, but when I say that, I’m using the reference of what the 15-year-old me thought being 40 would feel like. Which is basically, old.
The idea of being 40 changed A LOT in the past 25 years. Most women I know are having kids a lot closer to 40 than to 30 so turning 40, by no means, indicates reaching that middle-age stage of life. I feel like I’m still climbing the ladder. I haven’t started to go down hill just yet.
So to celebrate all the good things that being 40 entails – feeling more confident, caring less about what other people think, being wiser and more mature – I decided I must have an effing awesome birthday party.
And what could be more awesome than partying like it’s 1982? Hmm, nothing, that’s what! So come with me as I share a few ideas and references of what I’m starting to plan for my 80s-theme 40th birthday party.
The hardest part for me has been telling apart the 80s from the 90s. I was born in 1982 but I was a tween and teen in the 90s so the memories get a bit mixed up. That’s why I researched what would be typical 80s symbols and icons.
- Neon and bright colors
- The perm, the mullet, the Jheri curl, the hi-top fade, and big hair.
- Cassette tapes and CDs
- Arcade
- Video games
- Early-career Madonna
- MTV and the videoclip era
- Rubik’s Cube
- Iconic cult films about rebel adolescence
- Freaking iconic music
With that research in hand, I started structuring the main elements of my party.
Decorations
I’ll basically try to incorporate as many of the list as I can in the decor, being very careful not to get overwhelming. Essentially, I’ll work with neon and bright colors and splash around some of the iconic objects like cassette tapes, stereos, rubik’s cube etc. Check out these cool references:
Menu
I’d really love to have a very typical 80s birthday party menu but I also don’t want to spend all my time prepping in the kitchen or taking care of refilling dishes so I’m looking for some simple options that can make my life practical and, at the same time, help set the throwback mood.
Activities
This is usually an important topic for me. And if we’re talking about going back to the 80s there are TONS of very fun and funny possibilities to work with. I have so many ideas that it makes me sad to know I’ll probably have to pick only a couple to actually do.
- Super Mario Bros championship
- Trivia competition
- Guess the music
- Giant Jenga
- Piñata
- Twister
Music
That’s the easiest part. I already have my go to vintage playlist so I’ll just have to make a sub-selection with the best of the best. You can easily find public playlists as well on Spotify but nothing beats selecting your personal favorites. 😉
Party Favors
I really want to wrap up the event with a taste of nostalgia for all my guests so I’m looking into a few cool options that totally threw me back to the good ol’ days. Check it out:
I hope you had fun with these ideas. Check out our Pinterest board for even more.