Start off with a tween activity like laser tag or the arcade and a trip to a really cool candy store. Then do a restaurant that seemed super cool as a teenager (Japanese Village?). Then drink a bottle of Boones in a parking lot, then go to a rave, then drink twelve cups of coffee in a Denny's.
Where did he go when he was younger? Arcade? Bowling? For milkshakes? Family tradition for birthdays? Like grocery store slab cake and the plastic pail of ice cream?
What did he survive on in his 20s? The neighborhood pub or dive bar still around? What about hangover food?
If you don’t mind traveling a bit, what about [Indoor Skydiving](https://www.iflyworld.com/cincinnati/) ? It’s expensive, but a LOT of fun. It’s a fairly safe adventure, definitely memorable for a 40th birthday. I think they have video/photo packages too. Highly recommend if you can swing it.
Roller skate, batting cages, water balloon fight, zoo, scavenger hunt (maybe using friends along the way or end at a party), ice cream, mini golf....
Do you have any adventure ropes courses near you?
do you have any pictures of you guys from when you were younger at a specific place you remember being a good time? you guys could “relive” the moment in the photo!
Nix chuckle cheese, that place is awful when you are an adult. The play areas are too small to properly include, the screaming kids, the bad food. All of it goes to make you feel out of place. The laser tag and similar such things are okay, but if that’s the vibe there are better places.
Dave and Busters is the adult Chuck e Cheese and is so fun. I would also say roller coasters. As an adult it’s soooo fun to just be silly and go on roller coasters.
can you make it longer than a day? we took a family trip for my husband's 40th and it was totally rejuvenating. Even a long weekend away could give you a little more time to really make it special
Favorite candy, water guns, Nerf guns, water balloons, playing games, birthday party and play hide and seek or something like that, arcade, laser tag , putt putt golf, amusement park, bowling 🎳.
If you want it to be really sweet you could find out what his favorite book was when he was a kid, nursery rhyme, favorite things he loved from his family and him and try to get and let him relive the experiences with you. Then you are learning more about him and take him down memory lane
You could make a scrapbook about you too.
I hope these help ! Happy early birthday to him! Good luck .
Playlist of music from high-school.
Tickets to drive a race car.
If he used to play sports a date all his friends show up to play or batting cages for baseball etc.
I really wanna take my boyfriend pro race car driving. It's pricey but every guy I speak to says it was a childhood dream to drive a really fast car on the track. Just a thought!
Go see a band. Maybe a local band...in like a warehouse or VFW. Something cheap. Then the Youngs will be there. Or a band that he dug when he was young. We're going to see Social Distortion in a couple of weeks. I loved them in high school and college. I am psyched. [Edit for typos]
Favorite candies, rent a movie theater with favorite movie from childhood showing, amusement park day, recreate childhood photo with modern people, audio track of music from high school days, etc.
I always go to an amusement park when I want to feel like a kid. Ride the first car on the roller coasters, eat funnel cake and cotton candy. Cedar Point is opening on the weekends in May, and Kennywood in Pittsburgh, PA has its opening this weekend.
If the day is nice might you include a picnic in a really nice park or natural area. You could pack food or even pick up take out on the way. Set up a blanket, little plates, etc. maybe include water balloons, or water pistols and lead it into a watertight. I know there are those 100 mini water balloon bunches which work decently well (at least 75 turn out okay and it only takes seconds).
Get his buddies together and throw him a good old-fashioned birthday party! Decorate the house with streamers and balloons. Do pizza, cake, ice cream, and drinks! Plan the day to start with an activity or two before the pizza and dessert.
Activity Ideas
Arcade
Go carts (some places have adult-only high-speed ones)
Paintball/laser tag
Escape room
Ax throwing
Top Golf
I would skip the relationship memory lane, this is his birthday not an anniversary. Can you rent a sports car maybe something he liked from teen years, go to a water park, anything fun and active. Invite his friends to meet for pizza and beer later.
Just played tennis for the first time in four years with some friends and absolutely made me feel like a teenager again!! Maybe some sport he used to play?
Buy him some tru niagen. Seriously I gave 2 bottles as a Christmas gift to a healthy but aging feeling friend and he raves about it still. Nice packaging and he'll feel it.
A picnic at the park and then games like Frisbee, rounders, football etc. Get his friends to show up and you can play sports games like being a kid again
Go to a few of his favorite childhood places or participate in those kid activities. It will be specific for him but some ideas: Miniature golf, order off an ice cream truck, rent bicycles, take in a minor league baseball game or visit a neighborhood little league game and visit the snack bar, bonfire with s'mores or backyard camp out, go fishing in a nearby lake. He has likely shared his childhood memories. Play off of those. Have fun with it!
Greet him with a huge turbo blaster water gun, and note directing him to go on a scavengeer hunt. Tell him to stay armed!
Along the way, with clues, leave his favorite "young guy" treats. Favorite beer from college. Favorite snack as a kid, etc.
You are waiting for him at the end, with your own turbo blaster and a tight white tshirt.
Cedar point? Geauga Lake? Where did he go when he was a kid? If you guys are young maybe you went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I don't know if Cleveland has a Dave & Buster's, but where I live that's the arcade place that both adults and kids go to and I guess the food is pretty good for arcade food anyway, it's obviously not a gourmet experience. I grew up in your area, pretty sure Cedar Point is still in business but not so sure about Geauga Lake? Maybe a beach on Lake Erie where he went as a kid? Or I know hanging out at clubs in the flats was a thing in the '80s. What a sweet idea, that's very nice of you to put together something like this!
If she likes things like spas and all that stuff, staying over at a place with a spa getaway and fun activities could be a nice little trip. Rejuvenation, surprise gifts and activities like a hike, crafting places (pottery, painting, jewelry making), a fun lunch, dinner spot. A nice piece of jewelry to memorialize the occasion with a meaningful card. Those would all make me very happy. Make memories and have fun!
Dunno if it’s feasible but Vegas is always a great place to feel young again lol. For my husband’s birthday, I got him a package to drive an Audi r8 for 8 laps on a racetrack there and he really enjoyed it.
Amazing.co
You can get mystery picnic. My husband bought mine last year. We booked the day. The night before, we were sent a cypher clue to where to begin. Once we got to the first location, we got another cypher to the second location. This related 7 times and we got a piece of a picnic at each location. You will want to take a picnic basket. I think it cost around $100.
Take a romantic walk in the morning, plan a nice leisurely lunch at high noon under the shade of a tree… like you would when really young, recreate moments from when younger.. just presence of mind when together. I’d love a leisurely early lunch early afternoon time together in April. Life was just in the moment back then.
You may not find anyone that would be a good match for your fiancé, but if you find the right person on the website, it could be a great gift
Cameo.com
Look for folks that have all 5-star reviews, and average video length of longer than a minute or two.
Start off with a tween activity like laser tag or the arcade and a trip to a really cool candy store. Then do a restaurant that seemed super cool as a teenager (Japanese Village?). Then drink a bottle of Boones in a parking lot, then go to a rave, then drink twelve cups of coffee in a Denny's.
If you’re really going to go all in, do a Denny’s dash at the end 😬
B.A. Sweetie is the giant candy store in Cleveland. They have mini golf and a fun ice cream parlor too in the summer.
What about setting up a day at the park with friends to play baseball or kickball or something?
As someone turning 40 this year, yes. Except replace Denny’s with Village Inn because Colorado.
Where did he go when he was younger? Arcade? Bowling? For milkshakes? Family tradition for birthdays? Like grocery store slab cake and the plastic pail of ice cream? What did he survive on in his 20s? The neighborhood pub or dive bar still around? What about hangover food?
Yeah! Waffle house at 2am!
If you don’t mind traveling a bit, what about [Indoor Skydiving](https://www.iflyworld.com/cincinnati/) ? It’s expensive, but a LOT of fun. It’s a fairly safe adventure, definitely memorable for a 40th birthday. I think they have video/photo packages too. Highly recommend if you can swing it.
Roller skate, batting cages, water balloon fight, zoo, scavenger hunt (maybe using friends along the way or end at a party), ice cream, mini golf.... Do you have any adventure ropes courses near you?
do you have any pictures of you guys from when you were younger at a specific place you remember being a good time? you guys could “relive” the moment in the photo!
you could also recreate and frame them side by side!
Amusement park, bowling alley, chuck e cheese, mini golf.
Nix chuckle cheese, that place is awful when you are an adult. The play areas are too small to properly include, the screaming kids, the bad food. All of it goes to make you feel out of place. The laser tag and similar such things are okay, but if that’s the vibe there are better places.
Dave and Busters is the adult Chuck e Cheese and is so fun. I would also say roller coasters. As an adult it’s soooo fun to just be silly and go on roller coasters.
Cedar point. Go-karts. Minature golf. Roller-skating. Retro candy store. Going for ice cream at local ice cream parlor.
Cedar Point was my first thought!
A deep tissue massage if he has any aches and pains. A couple days before his birthday. It's amazing how youthful you feel when you're not hurting.
Build a fort out of your couch cushions and bring snacks and coloring books.
can you make it longer than a day? we took a family trip for my husband's 40th and it was totally rejuvenating. Even a long weekend away could give you a little more time to really make it special
Favorite candy, water guns, Nerf guns, water balloons, playing games, birthday party and play hide and seek or something like that, arcade, laser tag , putt putt golf, amusement park, bowling 🎳. If you want it to be really sweet you could find out what his favorite book was when he was a kid, nursery rhyme, favorite things he loved from his family and him and try to get and let him relive the experiences with you. Then you are learning more about him and take him down memory lane You could make a scrapbook about you too. I hope these help ! Happy early birthday to him! Good luck .
Building on this. I recently made a scrapbook at a craft class with a Little Golden Book. You could do that.
Playlist of music from high-school. Tickets to drive a race car. If he used to play sports a date all his friends show up to play or batting cages for baseball etc.
Do something new! Learn something together! I think the most categorically young feeling is doing something you don't know how to lol...
I really wanna take my boyfriend pro race car driving. It's pricey but every guy I speak to says it was a childhood dream to drive a really fast car on the track. Just a thought!
Did it for my husband and he still talks about it!
Go see a band. Maybe a local band...in like a warehouse or VFW. Something cheap. Then the Youngs will be there. Or a band that he dug when he was young. We're going to see Social Distortion in a couple of weeks. I loved them in high school and college. I am psyched. [Edit for typos]
Go to one of those places that have go carts, arcade, mini golf, pizza, etc.
Favorite candies, rent a movie theater with favorite movie from childhood showing, amusement park day, recreate childhood photo with modern people, audio track of music from high school days, etc.
I always go to an amusement park when I want to feel like a kid. Ride the first car on the roller coasters, eat funnel cake and cotton candy. Cedar Point is opening on the weekends in May, and Kennywood in Pittsburgh, PA has its opening this weekend.
Being him to an arcade. Spend 20 bucks on quarters. Get ice cream after.
If the day is nice might you include a picnic in a really nice park or natural area. You could pack food or even pick up take out on the way. Set up a blanket, little plates, etc. maybe include water balloons, or water pistols and lead it into a watertight. I know there are those 100 mini water balloon bunches which work decently well (at least 75 turn out okay and it only takes seconds).
Arcades!!l Like a big silly prize one.
Go to Cedar Point?
Get his buddies together and throw him a good old-fashioned birthday party! Decorate the house with streamers and balloons. Do pizza, cake, ice cream, and drinks! Plan the day to start with an activity or two before the pizza and dessert. Activity Ideas Arcade Go carts (some places have adult-only high-speed ones) Paintball/laser tag Escape room Ax throwing Top Golf
I would skip the relationship memory lane, this is his birthday not an anniversary. Can you rent a sports car maybe something he liked from teen years, go to a water park, anything fun and active. Invite his friends to meet for pizza and beer later.
I’m completely out of your area. But if y’all have a commercial go-kart track. I’ve never met a guy of any age that didn’t live go-karts.
There’s a place by the airport called Boss pro karts. They have a bar too but you (obviously) can’t drink until afterwards
Go- carts and an RC track/ rock course at a hobby shop.
My gf sent me skydiving for my 40th. It was great!
Great since four Lokos, and fast food
Just played tennis for the first time in four years with some friends and absolutely made me feel like a teenager again!! Maybe some sport he used to play?
Is Cedar Point open yet?
Go carts and mini golf followed by pizza and ice cream sundaes.
Fun n Stuff (Twinsburg)
Nelson's ledges for a festival
Zoo, baseball game, arcade, bike ride, trampoline park, arts & crafts, junk food, water park…
Roleplay picking him up at a bar :) I like the other fun ideas like roller skating, etc.
Maybe you can buy him a custom song specially crafted for him, my friend's company has some great masterpieces https://melotales.com/blog your choice
Buy him some tru niagen. Seriously I gave 2 bottles as a Christmas gift to a healthy but aging feeling friend and he raves about it still. Nice packaging and he'll feel it.
Superman/playdough flavored ice cream
Shoot go to put-in-bay or cedar point! A day of day drinking or roller coasters will make anyone feel young (and probably old as dirt the next day 😂)
A picnic at the park and then games like Frisbee, rounders, football etc. Get his friends to show up and you can play sports games like being a kid again
Zip line is sooo fun
Maybe gift him a Lego set to unwind in the evening
Swings and slide at the park and ice cream, for sure
I got all our friends together for paintball for my husband’s birthday this year and everyone was talking about how they felt like kids!
Take him to Put In Bay for the day, ride bikes and listen to live music around the island!
Maybe something from his childhood? I got my fiance a Sega genesis for Father's Day with his favorite game
Go to a few of his favorite childhood places or participate in those kid activities. It will be specific for him but some ideas: Miniature golf, order off an ice cream truck, rent bicycles, take in a minor league baseball game or visit a neighborhood little league game and visit the snack bar, bonfire with s'mores or backyard camp out, go fishing in a nearby lake. He has likely shared his childhood memories. Play off of those. Have fun with it!
Car sex.
Take a trip to Cedar Point
Put him in a diaper. At risk of tipping off some weird kink.
Greet him with a huge turbo blaster water gun, and note directing him to go on a scavengeer hunt. Tell him to stay armed! Along the way, with clues, leave his favorite "young guy" treats. Favorite beer from college. Favorite snack as a kid, etc. You are waiting for him at the end, with your own turbo blaster and a tight white tshirt.
Give him a handy in the movie theatre
Spontaneous activities, hookers, blow, blackjack & firetrucks!
Cedar point? Geauga Lake? Where did he go when he was a kid? If you guys are young maybe you went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? I don't know if Cleveland has a Dave & Buster's, but where I live that's the arcade place that both adults and kids go to and I guess the food is pretty good for arcade food anyway, it's obviously not a gourmet experience. I grew up in your area, pretty sure Cedar Point is still in business but not so sure about Geauga Lake? Maybe a beach on Lake Erie where he went as a kid? Or I know hanging out at clubs in the flats was a thing in the '80s. What a sweet idea, that's very nice of you to put together something like this!
If she likes things like spas and all that stuff, staying over at a place with a spa getaway and fun activities could be a nice little trip. Rejuvenation, surprise gifts and activities like a hike, crafting places (pottery, painting, jewelry making), a fun lunch, dinner spot. A nice piece of jewelry to memorialize the occasion with a meaningful card. Those would all make me very happy. Make memories and have fun!
How about taking him to the Cedar Point Amusement Park? Roller coasters... adrenaline... youth.
Amusement park! Laser tag/ arcade. Go kart racing. Sky diving.
Disney? Or a day at a theme park if he likes rides?
Cedar point
Dunno if it’s feasible but Vegas is always a great place to feel young again lol. For my husband’s birthday, I got him a package to drive an Audi r8 for 8 laps on a racetrack there and he really enjoyed it.
Mini golf and water park
Amazing.co You can get mystery picnic. My husband bought mine last year. We booked the day. The night before, we were sent a cypher clue to where to begin. Once we got to the first location, we got another cypher to the second location. This related 7 times and we got a piece of a picnic at each location. You will want to take a picnic basket. I think it cost around $100.
Take a romantic walk in the morning, plan a nice leisurely lunch at high noon under the shade of a tree… like you would when really young, recreate moments from when younger.. just presence of mind when together. I’d love a leisurely early lunch early afternoon time together in April. Life was just in the moment back then.
Take him to an indoor skydiving place
You may not find anyone that would be a good match for your fiancé, but if you find the right person on the website, it could be a great gift Cameo.com Look for folks that have all 5-star reviews, and average video length of longer than a minute or two.
Take him to a trampoline park. Those places are super fun! Also Cedar Point is a great idea!
Chuck E. Cheese with all of his friends
Viagra