How2Day: 30th Birthday Family Party Ideas

Celebrate your 30th birthday with a family picnic. Darrin Klimek/Lifesize/Getty Images
Turning the big 3-0 is a landmark day in a person's life that calls for celebration on a huge scale. It signifies the end of the carefree 20s and the start of a new decade filled with more responsibilities and plenty of adventure. Use the upcoming 30th birthday as an opportunity for the entire family to collect and unite in the festivities. Include activities that appeal to a broad range of ages.

Celebrate your 30th birthday in a park or favorite outdoor spot with your family. Pack a large basket with assorted finger food, paper or plastic cutlery, plates, cups and plastic drink bottles. Take lots of blankets, portable music system, folding chairs and umbrellas. Take a soccer ball or Frisbee for outdoor activities to keep family members of all ages occupied. Serve two cakes put together -- "3" and "0" to make the number 30. Take lots of photos to create family memories.
Alternatively, set up a barbecue grill in your backyard and host a family cookout. Use 30th birthday banner, streamers, posters and balloons to decorate the yard. Play music from the year the guest-of-honor was born. Let dad cook lunch or dinner like when you were kids while you catch up with the family.

Take time out from your busy schedule for your birthday weekend, and celebrate it at a local resort with your family. A weekend getaway provides an opportunity for the family to bond and spend quality time together. Convey your desire to your family members beforehand so that everyone has time to rearrange work schedules. Finalize all the details so everything is taken care of by the time you reach the destination. Rent a van and travel together for added entertainment. Share rooms with your siblings like you did when you were younger, and participate in activities, such as sightseeing and exploring, together. Click away with the camera to preserve precious moments spent with the family. Prepare a bouquet of 30 long-stemmed flowers for the birthday celebrant to depict each year of his life. Select the recipient's favorite flowers, and place the bouquet in his room for a pleasant surprise.

Celebrate the 30th party at a beach if the weather permits. A beach party allows guests to soak up the sun while catching up on the latest events in their lives. Pack snacks for the family to munch on while playing ball. Divide the family into two teams and play volleyball or charades. For added entertainment, give members of each team T-shirts in the same color with a different number on the back, Make sure the celebrant's number is 30. Organize games that generate plenty of laughs, such as rewarding the person who eats 30 cookies in one minute or collects 30 shells in the shortest time.

Throw a surprise party for the guest-of-honor's 30th birthday. Invite the entire family so the recipient is surrounded by her loved ones on her milestone birthday. Decorate the venue with streamers and balloons in the guest-of-honor's favorite colors. Create a picture collage on a wall, with photos from the guest-of-honor's birth up to today. Serve specialty wine -- preferably 30 years old, to show the recipient that growing older is not always bad.

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