Sometimes ladies have all the fun, especially when it comes to preparing the nursery, gabbing with girlfriends and, of course, being the honoree at a party thrown for her and the little one she’s growing inside.
There’s a new trend emerging, though, where baby showers are thrown for the father-to-be. Sometimes it’s a surprise shower, other times the soon-to-be-poppa is in the loop. Either way, we’re embracing this uptick in “for him” baby showers. To help you embrace it, too, we’re giving you pointers on invites, food, games and presents to make it the best baby shower for dad ever.
Father’s Baby Shower Invites
It all starts with an invitation. Believe it or not, there are a number of great options out there with a fatherly twist, including hand-designed invites on websites such as Etsy, convenient e-vites and even DIY invites. Below are just a couple options to inspire you.
Burgers, Beers and Diapers Invite by MolsDesigns on Etsy.
Beer, Brauts, Bows Invite by SWAKStudio
You can also compare prices on Amazon.
Food and Beverages
Sure, sure. Dads are a little less likely to get into the hand-carved fruit or froofy cupcake thing, but you can still get creative when it comes to food. One idea is to come up with a theme (in addition to the baby theme, of course). For example, themes such as video games, golf, bowties, bands, mustaches, sports, etc., are all bound to make dad and his guests happy.
As you can see from the invitations above, beer, BBQ, burgers, brats, steaks and otherwise “manly” food options seem a popular choice for a father’s baby shower. Hey — why not just go with a “manly dad” theme? Easy enough!
Regarding the actual food, it’s a good rule of thumb to stick to finger foods or easy-to-consume meals and snacks. A round of beers, bloody marys, or margaritas are a good go-to where drinks are concerned. If you prefer a dry party, go for sodas, alcohol-free mocktails or zesty punches.
Games and Activities
Ice breakers and planned activities are a good way to maintain momentum and keep energy up throughout the course of a father’s baby shower. Don’t hesitate to get creative — guests will be a good sport. Below are just a few ideas:
– Diaper Changing Competition
Yep, this is a classic one that’ll surely end in laughter and excitement. Divide guests into two even teams with one doll for each team. When someone says, “Go!” each team member will remove the old diaper and place the doll in a new diaper. Whichever team finishes first is the winner.
– Kids’ TV Shower Trivia
“Dads need to be savvy about those kids’ shows their babies will eventually watch, so why not test out their knowledge?” writes Melanie Edwards on Disney Baby. “Put together a couple of trivia questions on current TV shows to see who knows the most!”
– Don’t Say Baby
This game comes to you from Beau Coup, where they feature 19 other co-ed baby shower games.
“Mum’s the word when it comes to saying ‘baby’! Get this great icebreaker started the moment your guests walk through the door. As you greet each guest, give each a diaper pin to wear on his or her shirt. Once all of your guests have arrived, tell everyone that they can’t say ‘baby’ for the duration of the shower (or until it’s time to open presents). If anyone hears someone else saying the forbidden word, he or she can steal the rule breaker’s pin. At the end of the game, the person with the most pins wins a gift.”
– Baby Gambling
Get bets going amongst guests for what day the baby will arrive, how much he or she will weigh, how long the baby will be, how many hours of labor, time of birth, etc. You can have everyone put in a dollar to bet and give the pool to the winner, or you simply create a contest and give a prize after baby’s been delivered.
Presents
As with any party that involves gift-giving, it’s wise to consider the honoree’s personal tastes and go from there. Since this is a father’s baby shower, go ahead and stick within the realm of dad appropriate gifts. Below are a just a few ideas!
Dad will definitely get a kick out of silly baby clothes, like this “Miles Davis” T-shirt from BadMouthBaby.com.
Lillian Rose Daddy’s Special Project Diaper Bag Toolkit
If baby gets clothes, so should dad. For example, this Daddysaurus shirt from InspirationxCreation on Etsy is pretty darn adorable.
