4Oth Birthday Ideas

Sky Diving

Pack up your parachute and jump out of a plane into the free fall of your life. This is especially daring if you've played it safe for the first 40 years, and you're looking to challenge yourself, as well as to experience that rush of adrenaline that keeps you feeling young. Whether you are jumping from 3,000 feet or 13,000, this is an extraordinary way to start off a new decade. Invite your friends and family along to watch your daring feat or, if they're feeling especially daring themselves, to follow your lead.

Go scuba diving in the deep, blue sea. While you might not be old enough to require an actual breathing apparatus, you might try on a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus, otherwise known as SCUBA. What better way to dive into your 40th birthday than by treating yourself to a great underwater adventure? Scuba diving can be a lot of fun and a great opportunity to do something you never thought you'd do. And if you really want to up the ante on the thrill of a lifetime, consider a shark dive with professionals who manage to get you up close and personal to a real, live shark encounter.

Pick a body of water and go on a cruise. Whether it's a dinner cruise on a long, lazy river or a luxury cruise on the open sea, climb aboard a ship that will sweep you away from the everyday minutia of your life. What makes cruises so attractive is that they offer a good many amenities to a good many people, depending upon the type of cruise vacation you're looking for. Whether you're looking to take a single's cruise or a cruise that is suitable for the whole family, you are surely apt to find the birthday vacation that you are looking for.

If you're looking for something a little more practical, but not totally traditional, plan a party that is themed in the year that you were born. For example, if you were born in 1971, you could do a little bit of research and see what was going on during that year that stood out, aside from your birth. What songs were playing on the radio? What were people wearing? What movies were showing? Who was president of the United States? Invite your guests to play along, encouraging them to dress up as their favorite actor, songstress, author or politician of the time. Plan for some fun trivia questions and games to be played, as well as serving up some party food to match the night's theme.