Recently, a growing trend in baby showers has been to throw a separate “Man Shower” for the expectant father. But why not bring everyone together and throw a co-ed shower inviting close friends of both parents-to-be? From the invitation to the food, games, and favors, here is your guide to throwing the ultimate shower both parents will enjoy, brought to you by Evite in partnership with Pampers Swaddlers®.
Choosing a Theme: First, ask the parents-to-be if they’ve chosen a theme for their baby’s nursery, and if so, consider using the same one. However, if you’re starting from scratch be sure to choose your theme with both parents-to-be in mind. A “Jungle” or “Animal” theme is great for a baby boy or girl and still festive without being too cutesy.
The Guest List and Invitation: Consult with both parents-to-be when creating the guest list, and make sure to choose an invitation that is gender neutral. Include both expectant parents as your guests of honor on the invite, and spell out the fact that this is a party for men and women alike. Highlight the fact that the celebration is intended to help them prepare for the new baby, and be sure to include registry information. When addressing the invites to couples, be sure to include both names on the envelope, or when sending an Evite invitation, just to help reiterate that both parties are invited.
Food for Everyone: This seems like a no-brainer but if you are serving a bunch of men, make sure you have plenty of food. Think burgers instead of tiny cucumber and cream cheese tea sandwiches. Other crowd-pleasing options include: a “make-your-own” taco bar or a casual backyard BBQ. Guests can gather around the grill and you can even make it a friendly competition to see who the best grill master is. Also, when deciding on your menu, remember, any buffet style food that allows guests to serve themselves guarantees that even the biggest of appetites will get their fill.
Play Partner Games: Consider your crowd when it comes to planning activities, and incorporate games that involve both partners—and that both male and female attendees will want to play.
- Guess the Baby: Add a personal touch to your party and let guests relive their childhoods. To prep for this party game, start planning at the invitation stage. Ask everyone to bring (or email) a baby photo of themselves (preferably under age two). As guests arrive at the party, discreetly collect their photos. Create a poster display of all the photos with corresponding numbers and give each guest a sheet of paper for their guesses on who’s who. Whoever guesses the most babies correctly wins a prize. Alternative: If the parents-to-be are into pop culture, try a celebrity baby guessing game.
- Blindfolded Diaper Challenge: If there’s one thing new parents need to be prepared for, it’s changing diapers. The ability to pull off a diaper change with your eyes closed definitely can come in handy for middle-of-the-night diaper changes. Put your guests to the test by handing them a blindfold, baby doll and diaper, then compete to see who can change a diaper the fastest! If the parents-to-be can change a diaper blindfolded, they should have no problem when the real baby arrives!
- Diaper Raffle: Combine practicality and party fun with a diaper raffle. First, inform guests in advance that they will receive a raffle ticket for each package of diapers they bring to the shower. If they want more chances to win a prize, then they have to bring more boxes. After all, there’s no such thing as too many diapers when you’re getting ready to bring a new baby home (plus, 90% of experienced moms wish they had registered for more diapers). You’ll want to pick a prize that’s suited both for men and women, of course, like a gift card. Check out our article on how to host a diaper raffle, and to see more baby shower game ideas, check out our Top 5 Baby Shower Games.
Give Gifts for Him and Her: Encourage guests to bring gifts from the couples’ registry, as well as some things to specifically honor the expectant dad. We are a big fan of a “Daddy’s Doody Duty Kit” as a gift for the DTB (Dad-to-be). It’s both fun and functional, as it can also include registry items, and is guaranteed to get some good laughs while the couple opens gifts. And for the football fan, we love this “DIY Diaper Football Field.” But when it comes to gifts for a couple, you can never go wrong with gift certificates for movie rentals or food delivery as there are probably quite a few nights at home in the expectant couple’s future. In the end, it’s all about ensuring both parents are honored in the celebration and have fun opening gifts.
Favors: Don’t forget to thank your guests for coming by sending them home with a little something. A good rule of thumb is “favors should favor everyone,” so remember to choose something that can be enjoyed by all, like a baby themed cookie or candy. Customized sweets are always a fun way to show that extra bit of thoughtfulness and care to a shower and a great way to send off your guests.
Start planning your next co-ed baby shower by sending the free Evite invitation below.
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