Turning the big 5-0 can be an exciting. Friends and family usually gather together for a huge bash with dancing, laughing, cake, and of course…50th birthday presents. So the trick is figuring out what to buy for the guest of honor at a 50th birthday gala. Well, with 50 being the new 40 (or so they say) the selection of birthday presents interesting to the modern 50 year old is much larger than it used to be. Follows are 5 fabulous ideas for fantastic 50th birthday presents.
1. ‘This is Your Life’ – Once a popular television show, “this is your life” gifts spotlight the first fifty years of the birthday guest’s life. There are several formats that can be used to create such a gift. A scrapbook is one good way to celebrate someone’s life, provided you have access to photos or memoirs from the birthday guest’s past. A photo collage is another good choice and gives the birthday “boy or girl” the chance to display your thoughtful gift in their home afterwards. If the guest of honor enjoys the digital way of life, you can even convert old home movies into a DVD at an affordable price. Just search online or in your local phone for home movie conversions.
2. Adventure vacation – a more extravagant idea for a 50th birthday gift is an adventure vacation at any of the hundreds of places around the world that specialize in exciting vacation getaways. Hang-gliding, hiking, skiing, deep sea diving and mountain climbing are all available choices for the risk-seeking birthday honoree. So if your 50-year-old loved one enjoys taking a trip on the wilder side of the road, an adventure getaway may just be the way to go for a perfect gift idea.
3. Relaxation Presents – If, on the other hand, the birthday guest of honor in your life has quite enough adventure in their life already, a relaxation gift may be a better option. Relaxation presents can be anything from a day at the spa to a back massager. For the 50-year-old gentleman a great way to relax can be a day of golf or fishing. Ladies may enjoy the day at the spa mentioned earlier or a home facial kit with the lotions, cloths and aromatherapy candles included. Either gender may enjoy a good book and some imported coffee, tea, or whiskey (depending on their preference).
4. Gag Gifts – While this wouldn’t be my first choice, many people enjoy laughing at themselves and what better time to find humor than at a 50th birthday celebration? For gag gifts you can search online or at the local mall. ‘Over-The-Hill’ themed items are usually popular for making light of the guest of honor’s age. Before you decide on going with a gag gift, I would make sure that the party is casual enough to warrant it. Also I would stick to giving gag gifts only to people you know really well and are sure that they won’t take offense. Keep in mind that while 50 surely isn’t considered as old as it used to be, some people can still be sensitive about hitting that half-century spot.
5. Digital Gifts – Digital gifts can be great gifts for anyone’s birthday and since technology changes so quickly, you can almost be assured that your loved one doesn’t already have a duplicate of your gift at home. Digital cameras, hand-held video recorders, as well as the popular DVD players are all excellent ideas for 50th birthday presents. However, an Ipod or generic MP3 Player is the best idea for a gift for the 50-year-old who doesn’t already have one. Whatever digital gift you consider buying, make sure to do your research first and keep in mind the knowledge level of the person you are buying for. If the person turning 50 has only a limited understanding of digital cameras, don’t buy them an advanced set-up with all the bells and whistles. Just a basic aim-and-shoot camera would be best.
As you can see the options are almost limitless.
