Birthdays are special, and we wish to make them as memorable as possible for those we care about, whether it’s your wife, husband, girlfriend, boyfriend, children, or friends. Planning a surprise birthday for a loved one, regardless of your age, is an excellent way to place a smile on their face. Finding unique birthday party surprise ideas can be difficult, so we’ve compiled a list of 20 unique birthday surprise ideas that you’ll love!
Newspaper Ad
Have you ever seen an ad in a newspaper where people wish someone a happy birthday? They are typically a small space in the newspaper, but you can reserve this space in any newspaper that person reads daily and use it to display a nice ad wishing the celebrant a happy birthday.
These ad spaces are not expensive and are well worth the surprise. Imagine reading the newspaper on your birthday and finding your picture and birthday greetings. How surprised are you going to be?
Send a Special Delivery to the Office
It’s always wonderful when a birthday falls on a non-working day. If that chance is out of the question, the next best thing is to incorporate a warm glow into a day spent under fluorescent lights. Deliver pizza, cupcakes, balloons, flowers, singing telegrams, fruit bouquets, and other goodies to an office space.
Treasure Hunt
This is one for adults and children! You can’t ever be too old to go on a treasure hunt. You can also make this unique. It’s also an all-day occasion that gets funnier as the day goes on!
The plan is to leave clues throughout the day to lead them on a hunting expedition. Each new clue must lead them to a new location and can be quickly followed by an alcoholic beverage. The final surprise is entirely up to you—a trip to the theater, a dinner with friends, or perhaps a surprise themed celebration at a venue you’ve hired, complete with balloons, confetti, and party poppers.
Hidden Notes
It is a fun and exciting birthday surprise that you can give to anyone. Take some view pieces of paper or notes. Fill in the blanks with a birthday message. Now that you’ve written all of those messages, you must hide them in items that the person uses or in a location where they spend most of their time.
Say “Happy Birthday” on an Ad Space or Blog
The best birthday surprises occur when the recipient is least expecting them. So include them in their daily routine. A fabulous way of doing this is through blogs or online news sites that they read every day. When your special someone comes across a personalized wish in a sidebar or banner ad space, pay a small price for the huge smile caused by utter disbelief!
Book a One-of-a-Kind Event
If you’re hunting for a unique way of celebrating a birthday, consider an experience day. Why not try something new? You can find some excellent deals on unique events.
From relaxing spa days to adrenaline rushes, there is something for everyone. You can plan an experience day that your loved one will remember for years, no matter your age.
Hire a Limousine to Chauffeur Them in Style
When’s the last time you took your best friend out in a limo? If they were in high school and going to the prom, it’s finally time they were driven around in style!
Arrange for the limo to be available to them while they attend client meetings, run daily errands, or want to drive along the beach. Have the driver pick you and your friends up and take you to a fantastic restaurant. Set out a birthday centerpiece and toast to their happiness and health in the coming year.
Fly in a Long-distance Family Member or Friend
When it comes to surprise party ideas, quality should take precedence over quantity. A large gathering has a lot of potentials. However, having your best college buddy or sibling show up at the door for a mini-reunion weekend after months or even years apart will bring unrivaled amounts of memories and excitement for all.
Tea Time
Tea parties are excellent for any age if you’re searching for a more laid-back surprise birthday party idea! It’s a great way to celebrate birthdays, whether you choose a Mad Hatter Tea Party, a classic afternoon tea, or a boozy tea party for adults.
Gifting Around the Clock
Everyone enjoys receiving gifts, so why not extend that feeling throughout the day? You could give a birthday gift every hour (or every few hours), saving the best/biggest gift for last.
A Birthday Flash Mob
Is there anyone more deserving than the person you’re surprising if you have the skills to pull off a flash mob? How surprised will they be to learn that their loved ones have spent a significant amount of time organizing a flash mob? What a pleasant surprise!
12 Days of Birthday Excitement
It’s similar to the Christmas tune, but with a birthday present preceding someone’s birthday. If your big birthday present for someone was a special trip to the beach, each smaller present for the first 11 days could be a hint leading to the big gift — sunglasses, a pair of flip-flops, or a bottle of suntan lotion, for example.
Discover Uncharted Territory
Everyone has at least one location that makes them think, “I’d like to go there one day,” or “I wish I’d gone there before.” So get them there! A birthday surprise of this magnitude can range from a simple fix of a local restaurant that has yet to be tried to a grandiose trip to an entirely new country that has yet to be discovered.
Film Montage of Memories
Invite friends and relatives worldwide to send you a digital video recording of a favorite memory or a wish for the big day. Compile them all, being as creative as possible, to make one big, personalized DVD/file overflowing with surprise birthday cheer for the unwitting honoree.
Avalanche of Balloons
Nothing says “birthday” more than balloons! As soon as your significant other, children, or roommate opens the door, shower them with balloons. This is typically done while the birthday celebrant is sleeping, but it would also be fantastic for a surprise party!
You could also put a birthday present in a closet and then fill their closet with balloons so that when they open it, all the birthday balloons fall out!
Snail Mail
Oh, the lost art of letter writing and delivery. Strange but true, people nowadays don’t anticipate receiving fun mail from the good old USPS. That calls for a terrific surprise birthday idea. Send the lucky recipient an “old school” letter or card.
Want to take it a step further? Send a total package of happy birthday wishes. Alternatively, send several letters/cards over a few days!
Rad Radio Message
What are some short and sweet surprise birthday party ideas for a loved one? Greetings sent via the airwaves!
You’ve probably spent enough time in their home or car to know which radio station they prefer. So turn on the radio and give an on-air shout-out or request a song dedicated to the celebrant. It’s guaranteed to make their radio listening experience more exciting, whether commuting or just kicking it.
Personal Chef at Home
When they thought you were going to cook for them, make them reconsider! Surprise birthday ideas for friends or family like this whet the appetite while neither of you lifts a finger. Hiring an in-home chef to prepare a delectable meal is a simple way to spend a relaxing evening with quality time, elegance, and favorite gourmet foods.
Yarn Trail
Place a gift wherever you want—near or far. Tie one end of your yarn to it, then go for a walk. Stroll around your yard, house, or wherever the birthday celebrations occur. When you reach the string’s end (or your ambling limits), tape it to a card or small box for them to open, along with instructions to follow the string for a birthday surprise!
Adult Piñata
This is ideal for a surprise 30th birthday celebration. Or any mature age who still feels like a kid at heart. The fact that you can fill the Piñata with much more than candy adds to the adult fun. Consider age-appropriate items such as a gift certificate to fulfill a bucket list wish, shooters, or a desirables collection that comprises a kit of some sort.
Are you done with thinking of the perfect surprise for your birthday celebrant? See how you can successfully throw a surprise party next!