35 Amazing And Funny 70th Birthday Ideas To Make It Memorable
Fill your loved one’s day with fun, love, and lots of energy as they turn 70.
JoAnn MooreMaster Wedding Planner
Expertise: Green Weddings
Experience: 25 years
JoAnn is a Master Wedding Planner, a Certified Professional Wedding Consultant, a Certified Green Wedding Planner, and a Certified Sandals Specialist. She has 25 years of experience and has also authored a book titled “Laughing All the Wa... more
Expertise: Relationships
Experience: 5 years
Reshma is a content writer with a penchant for writing articles on relationships. She started her writing career in 2007, soon after graduating from Mahatma Gandhi University. What began as a love for... more
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Seventy incredible years is indeed a milestone to celebrate. Making their birthday unique and enjoyable is the best gift you can offer. For any senior citizen, the celebration of their 70th birthday is also special as it gives them yet another occasion for personal celebration after retirement. So, roll up your sleeves and get ready to execute the party with some amazing 70th birthday ideas.
The guest list may have people of different age groups, which is the challenge of hosting a 70th birthday party. There may be childhood friends around the same age as our septuagenarian as well as the little boy next door who is a newfound friend. Other than party planning, there are different creative ways to make the day memorable for your parents, grandparents, friend, or spouse on their 70th birthday. Read on as we provide 35 foolproof 70th birthday ideas.
In This Article
35 Amazing And Funny 70th Birthday Ideas
70th Birthday Ideas For Dad
1. Karaoke Night
The 1950s to 1970s was a great era for music. Play songs by Elvis Presley or Chuck Berry, and your dad will get singing along. Get the karaoke playlist ready with popular hits, funny songs, and classic numbers from 1950 to the 1970s. Inform the guests of the plan and prepare a list of karaoke songs in advance.
2. Fun And Frolic
There needs to be more than a simple dinner outing to celebrate your dad’s 70th birthday. Surprise him and plan a fun day at an escape room or a murder mystery zone. These are things that they would never bother to gift themselves with but would love to indulge in. Bring together people whose company he loves; it could be friends or family, or both. Such shared fun experiences will make them lose all their worries and be present in the moment. Be sure to encourage guests to wear the right attire for the theme. It really makes the party, a party.
Quick Tip3. Surprise With Wishes
Put in the effort and find friends from school, college, or his office. It might not be possible to bring them all down for the party, so go ahead and ask them to send in 30 seconds of pre-recorded wishes for the birthday boy. It will require proper planning to collect the maximum number of videos and edit them into a single video. Surprise him by playing it on a projector screen in his room when he wakes up; that will surely make his day. This can also be done with a facebook page made special for the guest of honor.
4. Adventure Outing
If your dad is a sports and adventure lover, he will love the day out with friends and family. He will enjoy showing off his sporting skills on his 70th birthday, which is one way to make him feel young and energetic. Make sure to consider the safety and health concerns and plan accordingly. The adventure game can be a paintball session, a safari drive, or a segway tour.
5. A Trip Down Memory Lane
Do you know where your dad’s fondest memories lie? Pull out the car and take him through a memory drive of his childhood home, school, college, hostel, wedding venue, or any other nostalgic location. Put some effort in and plan with his friends and family to find out about the places where they used to have coffee, chit-chat, or musical nights. Make it even more endearing by bringing in real people from his yesteryears to recreate past moments. It will be more interesting if you can place signs with the memories for the guest of honor. Most establishments will permit signs as long as they are taken down within a few days.
70th Birthday Ideas For Mom
1. Culinary Treat
Hasn’t mom been cooking all those mouth-watering dishes for years? It’s time to give her a surprise culinary treat now. There might be a restaurant downtown which she’s always loved going to. Most moms have a gourmet palate and love fine dining. Gift her with the most exquisite food from the chef’s special treats.
Quick Tip2. International Trip
Did your mom ever tell you that she wanted to go somewhere, but you could not fulfill that wish? Now, on her 70th birthday, gift her an international tour. She might have wanted to feel the romance of Paris or explore the mystery of Egypt. So, take her there and let her live her dream. Make sure her passport will not expire before the trip is planned.
3. Flower Shower
Send in all her favorite flowers on her birthday. Flowers are always a unique way to express love. Include a card with a toast for her achievements in life and make her feel special on her 70th birthday. Gifting a potted plant or a bouquet of their favorite flowers also makes for great gift ideas. Also, if she is proud of her garden or it needs some updating, hire a gardener to add new blooms to the garden.
4. Vacation Together
Mom is all about family bonding, and her most cherished moments are those spent with family. Get the whole family together for a vacation at a resort. Get a family photo clicked with all the children and grandchildren. This is one of the best 70th birthday party ideas for a woman who loves bonding with her family. If a vacation together isn’t possible, organize a family gathering at one of the family members’ homes and do get that special photo. Hire a photographer to capture the day’s events.
5. A Gift An Hour
Hide gifts around the house and put out clues to help find one gift every hour. Keep personal messages with the gifts to add some emotion to this 70th birthday idea for mom. Send a message or call them every hour with a clue to the gift of the hour. The hourly call will make her happy as well as the care put into the birthday plan. Involve more people by asking friends and family to contribute gifts.
Themes For 70th Birthday Party
1. 70s Theme Party
The retro theme is the best for celebrating a 70th birthday, where the birthday person can best relate to that time. Things have changed tremendously over the years. Therefore, bring back the fashion statement and retro-inspired supplies. Pick up stuff from a collectors’ store or the attic to add to the theme.
2. Nowhere To Wear Fashion Party
As the years pass, there are stacks of dresses that accumulate in the closet. These dresses are sparkly or overly fashionable and thus set aside as being suitable for “nowhere to wear”. Host a “Nowhere to Wear” party and ask all guests to wear their most sparkly and wild dresses to make it a hip and happening event.
3. Disco Party
Disco-themed parties are a forever favorite and have ruled as a theme since the 1970s. The septuagenarian must have spent the prime time of their life at happening discos. Deck the party hall with shimmering disco balls, colorful lights, and groovy music. Mention the party theme on the invite and let the lads and lasses come in their glimmery disco costumes. You can also include a fashion show with all the guests in their outfits. Be sure to add the right music to rock the runway with the moves.
4. Sports Theme
If the birthday bud is a baseball, soccer, or golf champion, look no further and jump in to host a sports-themed party. One can easily find party supplies online. Start with a sporting event ticket invite and jersey dress code. Display the sports achievements, old jerseys, and sporting bats and balls. Rent miniature games like foosball, soccer corner, or golf trail.
5. Classic Car Theme
Find the car the guest of honor flaunted in his prime teens and get the same on rent, or rent a vintage car garage with a collection. Place a vintage car as a photo booth to recreate old memories. Organize a remote-controlled vintage car race as well. You can check for a local vintage automobile club. They love to make guest appearances for a cause. But be careful, since it is an adults’ party, do not overwhelm the guests with kiddish decor.
70th Birthday Party Decorations
1. Photo Booth
Setting up a photo booth to match the decor has become necessary nowadays. Liven the place with custom photo props, speech bubbles with common words or sayings of the honoree, and of course, themed decor. Create a custom hashtag for the event and let the birthday bud get trending on social media for their 70th birthday.
2. Drive-In Backyard Theater
Drive-in theaters were a remarkable element of the 70s culture. Watching a movie in vintage cars with popcorn will be a memorable experience for the young and the old. Finding a drive-in theater might not be possible, so try to set one up in the backyard. Hire a projector and screen to recreate that classic movie experience under the stars. Hire a local waitstaff person to dress up as a carhop and provide boxes of popcorn and beverages. Google the old songs from the pre-movie food ads and play them before the show. Add some lap blankets to keep warm.
3. Jumbo Birthday Wishes Poster
Guestbooks are touching keepsakes for any birthday event. Place a jumbo birthday wishes framed poster with a picture of the honoree, and stock up on a few sticker sheets to add color to the messages. Let the guests write birthday messages and add their signatures.
4. Photos Through The Years
Create a timeline wall with photos from over the years and hang them on lighted clips. Make it enjoyable by adding fun facts about the honoree to the photo wall. These can be hung on hydrogen balloons or set the vibe at the entrance by lining them up in the lawn area. Include milestone events like graduation, wedding, children, etc. Reach out to the guests of honor’s friends from the past for old photos.
5. Talking Life Size Cutout
It is not always possible to greet the guests at the entrance, that’s why these talking cutouts can help automate the process. Put up life-size cutouts on an easel with a motion sensor video player, and warmly welcome all guests to the party.
Games For 70th Birthday party
1. Guess The Tune
Take music from the 60s to the 80s from the playlist of the birthday honoree and make short snippets of them. Let the guests try guessing the song from the snippets. This game will be a massive hit if you can successfully get their old friends to the party.
2. Bingo Night
Rather than play the cliche with the average number bingo, print custom bingo cards. Use words that the person usually uses, things they love to do, memorable places, etc, and let the guests discuss the words and have fun over a game of bingo.
3. How Well Do You Know The Person
This game is a great way to show how much people know about the birthday honoree. With so many friends and family acquired over the years, they will enjoy learning how much people know about them. Prepare and print the trivia quiz cards with a space for the answers. Ask the birthday bud to fill in a card and let others do it too. Have fun reading out the answers after collecting the cards, which is a great way to share memories. This can also be done with True or False questions. The one who answered the most questions correctly will win a prize.
4. Retro Trivia Quiz
Quiz apps like Kahoot can be used to create the questionnaire and send it to the players’ phones. Add questions from the growing up years of the honouree, i.e., from the 1950s to 1980s. Splitting the guests into teams will increase the competitiveness and double the fun.
5. Price Is Right
Fill a big board with names/pictures of products related to the birthday person. Let the guests guess the price of the product in the 50s and the price now. It will be a fun session, and the product or its miniatures can be given away to those who guess it right. Google the item online and be sure to include a photo of various products from the past. Let’s face it, phones don’t look the same as phones today.
70th Birthday Party Invitation
1. Snail Mail
Personalized invitations display the effort that goes into them, making it difficult for the guest to disregard them. Hand-addressed cards delivered personally or landing in the rusted mailbox is always a great surprise.
2. Website
Event websites are commonplace, and they help to keep track of the RSVPs and streamline communication. Booking hotels, planning transportation, posting memories, and even planning a surprise becomes much easier.
3. Yesteryear Postcards
Postcards have vanished from the face of the earth, and those in their 70s will have fond memories linked to them. Reinforce the theme while hosting a retro-theme party by sending invitations using traditional mail as it used to be in the 70s.
4. Emotional Flashback
Create photo invitations with a photo for each decade that will invoke fond emotions in the guest. Go into hyper custom mode and print a picture of the honoree with the guest or a group photo and create that emotional connection to call them for the event.
5. Fun Wordings Invite
Parties are meant to be fun. Start the fun with the 70th birthday party invitation card. Come up with funky phrases like -” Forever 21 (since 49 years)” or “It’s a forty-something birthday (who’s counting now, anyway).” Put up a childhood photo of the honoree and use words like “This young lad is turning 70 this year” to add cheer to the party. Do mention on the card if it is a surprise party.
Memories On The 70th Birthday
1. Photo Video Slideshow
Pull out all the milestones photos from birth through high school, marriage, kids, workplace, and even recent ones. Add home video snippets, and ask loved ones, family, and friends to share rare finds that will surprise the honoree.
2. Turn Up The Music
Creating a nostalgic playback track will take them through their amazing yesteryears. Try sneaking out their playlist. Consult with the spouse or family to create an extensive playlist for the party. Start with slow numbers and add the peppy ones to rock the dance floor. Hiring a band is an excellent idea for some live music.
3. Toast Or Roast
Ask the guests to present a toast to the honoree to show how much they are loved. If the guest of honor is fun-loving, then feel free to go overboard and relish memories over a good roast session. Let the guest of honor have a fun memory refreshed by being reminded about all the shenanigans they have pulled over the golden years.
4. 70 Friends 70 Memories
How about a slam book after all these years? Send cards to 70 friends/ family members and ask them to add photos, stickers, memories, or messages. It could be anyone who has played a part in their life. The more unexpected the person, the more it will surprise the birthday bud. Put up pin boards at the venue where they can pin the cards.
5. Photo Books And Posters
Create small photo books as return gifts for celebrating 7 decades. Customize them with notes thanking the guests for making it to the party. Print collages of photos as a poster and prop them up on easels.
Infographic: Top Tips To Plan A 70th Birthday Party
Seventy years calls for a platinum jubilee celebration. It is an exceptional milestone, and planning it for a dear one is about showing your love for them. There is a ton of stuff to consider when planning the day for the lucky 70-year-old. Check out the infographic below for some quick pointers about planning a 70th birthday party to ensure you do not miss out on anything.
Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
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The Final Takeaway
Every decade calls for a milestone celebration. Planning a 70th birthday party for your mom, dad, grandparent, or any loved one is a great responsibility. Proper organization and planning can bring together friends and family. The guest of honor should be comfortable with themed party settings, food, games, and the number of guests. Surprises, fun, and games form the core of any birthday party. You should be able to bring all these together in a perfect cocktail for the birthday bud to create an everlasting memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is age 70 a milestone birthday?
The most common milestone birthdays are 16,18, 21, 40, 50, etc. After the age of 40, every decade is a milestone. After 60 years, every 5 years is a milestone birthday too.
What can I do for my 70th birthday?
After the 60th birthday, every milestone birthday celebrates aging gracefully. What you do for your 70th birthday depends on where and with whom you want to spend time. You can meet old friends, spend time with your children and grandchildren, take a vacation, or host a fun birthday party.
What is the flower for the 70th birthday?
The Rotary Sunrise Rose is the flower for the 70th birthday. Just as the person still shines under the sun, the rose has a stunning sunshine color and comes in shades of yellow and pink. You can send a bouquet or a full potted plant as a gift.
Is 70 a platinum birthday?
The color for the 70th anniversary is platinum. Similarly, the 70th birthday is also known as the platinum birthday.
Key Takeaways
- At 70 years, the birthday honoree is at a significant crossover when they have retired from work and have lots of time to spend with friends and family.
- Fill the day with memories, surprises, and care to make them feel special and loved.
- After having lived for several years, they would like to be gifted with experiences they have never indulged in, like a relaxing vacation.
Shower them with love and joy on their 70th birthday! Take a look at this video for earnest quotes and messages that will brighten their special day even more!
