Look back
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Write a list of things you love, one per year
Turning 40? List 40 things that make your life good, from people to a particular breakfast. Read it on the day.
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Make a playlist with a song from every year
One song for each year you have been alive, ideally the one that meant something then. Play it in order at the party.
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Make a photo retrospective
Dig out one photo from every year or so and lay them out in order. Notice the haircuts, and the people who were always there.
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Ask people for one memory of you
Ask a handful of friends and family for a short memory or a photo with you in it. Collect them in a folder to open on the day.
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Find the number one song on the day you were born
Look up the chart for your birth date and listen. Make it the first song of the night, however awful it turns out to be.
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Watch the biggest film of your birth year
Look up the top film from the year you were born and watch it. Notice what the world looked like when you arrived.
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Read the news from the day you were born
Libraries and online archives keep old newspapers. Read the front page from your birth date and see how much has changed.
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Look back at the last decade
Write down the biggest moments of the last ten years, the good and the hard. You will be surprised by how much you have done.
Look ahead
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Write a letter to your future self
Write to yourself at the next big birthday: what you hope will have changed and what you hope never will. Seal it and date it.
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Write a list for the next decade
Ten things you would love to do before the next milestone, from a big trip to learning one song on the piano. Be realistic and a little bold.
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Try something you have never done
A pottery class, a climbing wall, a solo trip to the cinema. Pick one thing your younger self would be surprised to see you do.
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Plan a small adventure
A night in a cabin, a sunrise hike, a train to a town you have never visited. Something that feels like an occasion without costing much.
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Learn one small skill before the day
Juggling, a card trick, a perfect omelette, a toast in another language. Something small you can show off at the party.
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Put together a small time capsule
Gather a receipt, a ticket, a photo and a note about your life now. Seal it in a tin to open at the next big birthday.
Your people
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Get back in touch with an old friend
Message someone you have lost touch with and suggest a call or a coffee. A milestone is the perfect excuse to reconnect.
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Thank someone who shaped you
Write to a teacher, mentor or relative who changed your path, and tell them exactly how. They will treasure it.
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Plan a dinner with the people who matter
Not necessarily a party: a long table, good food and the people you most want to sit with. Choose the menu as a treat.
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Take a weekend away with friends
Rent a house with a few close friends somewhere you can cook, walk and talk late. A birthday weekend beats a birthday night.
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Play the games from your childhood
Dig out the board games, card games or video games you played as a kid and invite friends round for a nostalgic evening.
The last days
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Ask about the day you were born
Ask a parent or relative to tell you the story of the day you arrived. Write down the details before they slip away.
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Dance to the album you loved at 16
Put on the record you played to death as a teenager and dance around the kitchen. Loudly. The neighbours will cope.
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Plan the morning of your birthday
Decide how you want to wake up: a particular breakfast, a walk, an hour with a book before anyone calls.
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Mark the threshold with a swim or a walk
A bracing dip in the sea or a lake, or a long walk with a view at the end. Something physical to cross into the new number.
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Take a last walk at your current age
On the eve, take a short walk alone and say goodbye to this decade. Think of one thing to carry into the next.
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Choose three words for the next decade
Pick three words for how you want the next ten years to feel. Write them somewhere you will see them every day.
The practical bits
Questions people ask
What can I do to count down to my 40th birthday?
Try a list of 40 things you love, a playlist with one song for every year, and a letter to yourself at 50. Then plan one small adventure and one dinner with the people who matter.
What are good birthday countdown ideas for a husband or wife?
Collect a memory from each of their friends, make the one-song-per-year playlist, and cook their favourite childhood meal. A Gladsoon countdown can be shared with friends who are in on it, so you can plan together.
How long before a big birthday should a countdown start?
Two or three months gives time for the slower ideas, like a photo retrospective or collecting memories. A few weeks is enough for the smaller ones.
Is a birthday countdown just for kids?
Not at all. The ideas here are written for adults marking a milestone: looking back, looking ahead and seeing friends.
More guides
- Wedding countdown ideas for the two of you.Wedding countdown ideas for the bride and groom, or any couple: small things to do together in the months, weeks and last days before the wedding.
- Things to look forward to, from this week to next year.Ideas for things to look forward to, small and big, plus simple ways to make any plan more fun to wait for. No spending required for most of them.
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