Turning 40 is one of those birthdays that actually means something. It is not just a number on a card. Most people reaching it have spent the previous few months quietly wondering whether the occasion is going to be marked properly, and those buying a gift are in a similar position: the usual options start to feel a bit thin when the milestone is this size. Here are three 40th birthday gift ideas from A Year of Dates that are made specifically for the occasion, all personalised and all free to deliver.
What makes a good 40th birthday gift?
A 40th birthday tends to call for something more considered than a voucher or a bottle. The person receiving it is likely to remember turning 40, and the gift is part of that. Three things tend to separate a good 40th birthday gift from a forgettable one: it is personalised with their name or something specific to them, it gives them something to look forward to rather than sitting on a shelf, and it is substantial enough to feel right for the occasion.
All three gifts below are made with the 40th in mind. One gives them 40 activities to work through across the year. One bundles that with a journal and a memory box so they can keep everything from their 40th year in one place. And one looks back over 40 years with 40 photos on the lid of a keepsake box. Each one is different, and which suits best comes down to the person you are buying for.
40th birthday gift ideas
40th birthday gift
Forty Things To Do When You Are 40
A personalised black gift box with 40 sealed cards inside: 36 contain surprise activity ideas to open one at a time across the year, and 4 are left blank for you to add your own. Activities are a mix of things to do at home, nights out and day trips, so there is always one that fits. A leaflet explains how to use it. Choose your print colour (white, blue, green, yellow, orange, red, purple or pink), and add a name or short message for £4 extra. Free UK delivery, letterbox-sized, suitable for any gender. You can also add the Making Memories Journal for £7.50 at checkout, to keep the opened cards, photos and notes from the year.
Shop Forty Things To Do
40th birthday gift
40th Birthday Bundle: Forty Things To Do, Journal and Memory Box
The complete version of the gift above, bundled together in one box. The Forty Things To Do activity box sits inside a larger memory box, both personalised in the same print colour with the recipient’s name. The memory box (large enough to hold tickets, notes, photos and anything else worth keeping) is there to store everything from a year of 40th birthday adventures. The Making Memories Journal is included too: stick the opened cards, photos and receipts to the pages and write notes to look back on. £34 with free UK delivery, personalised as standard.
Shop the 40th Birthday Bundle
40th birthday gift
40th Celebration Photo Collage Memory Box
A large white keepsake box with 40 photos printed across the lid in a grid collage, plus two lines of personalised text below. The box measures 40cm x 30cm and is 11cm deep, so it holds a great deal more than photos: letters, cards, tickets, anything from 40 years worth keeping. You upload your photos after purchase and can request a proof before printing if you want to check the layout first. The box arrives empty, ready to fill. £32 with free UK delivery.
Shop the Photo Collage Memory BoxA 40th birthday is worth getting right. The activity box gives the person something to look forward to across the whole year, rather than a one-off evening that is over by midnight. The bundle adds a way to keep everything from that year in one place. And the photo collage memory box is the gift for someone who has been part of 40 years worth of moments: a way of showing that, with their name on the side and 40 photographs on the lid. All three come with free UK delivery and can be sent straight to the recipient if needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good gift for someone turning 40 UK?
Something that feels made for the occasion rather than grabbed off a shelf. The Forty Things To Do When You Are 40 box gives the recipient 40 sealed activity ideas to open one at a time across their 40th year, personalised with their name and in their choice of print colour. For a bigger gift, the 40th Birthday Bundle includes the activity box, a Making Memories Journal and a memory box to hold everything from the year, all at £34 with free delivery. Both are suitable for any gender.
What do you buy someone for their 40th who has everything?
Something to do rather than something to own. The Forty Things To Do When You Are 40 box gives 36 surprise activity ideas to work through during the year: a mix of nights out, days out and things to do at home. The activities prompt the person to try something they might not have organised for themselves, from a comedy night to a train trip to an afternoon at a museum. It lasts all year, and the memories that come from it last longer than that.
Is the 40th birthday gift suitable for a man or a woman?
Yes, all three gifts above are suitable for any gender. The activity ideas in the Forty Things To Do box are not aimed at a specific gender and cover a wide enough range that most people will find things they want to do. The photo collage memory box and the bundle are equally appropriate for a man, woman or anyone turning 40.
Can I have a 40th birthday gift personalised and delivered directly to them?
Yes. All three gifts can be personalised with a name, message or photos and sent straight to the recipient. Add a gift note at checkout and the order goes in plain packaging with no prices shown. Order before 12pm on a working day for same-day dispatch, or choose express next-day delivery at checkout if the birthday is coming up soon.
Browse all 40th birthday gifts at A Year of Dates. Personalised, posted free, made for the occasion.
