12 Brilliant Ideas For Throwing A Memorable Co-Ed Baby Shower

From pregnancy must-haves like baby strollers to picking a baby name, there are so many things expectant parents need to think of. That’s why it falls on their nearest and dearest to organize the ideal baby shower. But what if the future parents request a co-ed baby shower?

While a traditional baby shower focuses on honoring only mom-to-be and baby, a co-ed baby shower is, let’s say, a modern, improved version.

So, what is a co-ed baby shower anyway?

Co-ed baby showers include both male and female participants: the mom-to-be, dad-to-be, male and female friends and family members – pretty much anyone you want.

A co-ed baby shower is a great way to gather everyone to honor this priceless time in the lives of expectant parents.

If you’re the lucky person to throw a party for your loved ones, don’t worry, I’ll help you with all the details right here.

From fun baby shower games to thoughtful favors, here are some amazing co-ed baby shower ideas that will make your baby shower one for the books!

1. Choose a gender-neutral baby shower theme

There’s a lot of people who wonder if men should go to baby showers but the truth is that the decision is up to you. However, if you do decide to throw a shower with both men and women, you should make certain adjustments.

Since it is a co-ed baby shower where both male and female guests will be attending, it’s wise to choose a theme that is gender-neutral. Make sure you can implement this theme into as many aspects as possible, be it from decorations to party favors.

Here are some interesting ideas for a gender-neutral baby shower theme:

• Floral

• Cactus party

• Geometric patterns

• Ocean or beach

• Jungle

• Alphabet party

If you’re not sure which one to choose, I suggest floral baby showers because it’s both elegant and gender neutral if you go for the right colored flowers (think sunflowers or lilies, perhaps).

And don’t forget the details! Complete the baby shower theme with an eye-catching centerpiece, matching glasses, napkins, table runner, and other decorative elements.

For a special touch (and if you have time), you can make DIY baby shower decorations for baby boy and baby girl. Also, some of the above party themes are great for bridal showers and birthday parties as well!

2. Find a male co-host (if needed)

Sure, baby showers are for gifting great nursery additions, but they’re also about moms (and in this case, dads) having a great time together with their loved ones.

So if you ask me, finding a male co-host is great for two reasons:

• He will help you make the celebration fun and suitable for males too.

• You get an extra helping hand with planning beforehand and facilitating the events on the day.

A male perspective is welcome when it comes to a non-traditional baby shower like this, so enlist an uncle-to-be or close friend of the parents.

You want to get everyone engaged equally and you want them to have loads of fun, right? Then a guy’s take on things will make all the difference.

3. Send out co-ed baby shower invitations

Before sending couples baby shower invitations, you need to make a guest list. I suggest choosing an equal number of male and female baby shower guests.

If you invite more women, then the baby shower might partially revert to a traditional one. The same thing would happen if you invite more men (only it wouldn’t be called a baby shower, but a men’s gathering).

When it comes to invites, opt for themed baby shower invitations. You can hand-make your own or create them online to print or send electronically.

As always, the choice is yours to make!

However, my humble opinion is that classic, printed invitations are the best bet because they also make a great memorable keepsake for guests.

Indeed, there is something truly special about traditional invitations and I’m sure the guests will feel the same way.

4. Get creative with food

While traditional baby showers mainly revolve around cakes with messages or mini-cupcakes, non-traditional baby showers should be more versatile.

Why not organize a backyard BBQ (I’m sure male participants would love this idea). You could serve pizza, fruit and veggie trays, chicken wings, burgers, chip and dip – you name it.

Or create a taco bar where everyone can serve themselves and make their own tailored tacos.
And if you’re not sure what time to organize the party, a safe bet is to make it a brunch party.

Basically, there are no rules here. The only thing you need to do is to get creative with the food preparation and presentation. If you’ve chosen a floral baby shower theme, you can use plates, glasses, and other items with floral patterns.

But, keep in mind not to overdo it. As the good old saying goes: Less is more. (Okay, not when it comes to food.)

5. Offer a wide array of drinks

Just like mini-snacks, non-alcoholic drinks are also a trademark of traditional baby shower parties. But even though alcoholic beverages won’t be served to the mom-to-be, it doesn’t mean the guests and dad-to-be can’t enjoy a glass or two.

Every man out there will confirm that barbecues are not legit barbecues if there’s no beer. To satisfy both your female crew who prefer mocktails and male crew of beer lovers, here are some drink ideas for your party:

Non-alcoholic drinks:

• Mocktails (virgin cocktails)

• Non-alcoholic champagne

• Infused water (a healthy and colorful option, especially during summer)

• Fruit smoothies (a great idea if your baby shower party is held during breakfast time)

Alcoholic beverages:

• Punch

• Cocktails (mojito, margarita, cosmo, bloody mary, daiquiri, etc.)

• Beer

6. Choose fun co-ed baby shower games

The most fun part of the baby shower! Choosing interactive and engaging games for both genders should be a priority! And the bonus is many of these games will even work if you’ve decided on throwing a virtual baby shower.

Here are some of the best games for both boy and girl baby showers.

Guess Who

This is one of the funniest baby shower games ever. What you need to do is indicate on the baby shower invite that each guest is to bring a baby picture of themselves.

Then have every guest guess who is who in the picture. You can add a number to each photo and then ask your guests to match the baby photos with their corresponding adults.

Her/She Gender Reveal

For this game, have a piece of paper or a framed picture where guests are to write their name in a pink or blue colored heart (or any other shape). As customary, pink stands for a baby girl, whereas blue for a baby boy.

Whoever has guessed the right color gets rewarded. This is one of the easiest baby shower activities to pull off, plus it’s also a beautiful keepsake for both parents and baby.

Baby Beer

Baby beer is a drinking contest for which you need baby bottles! Fill these bottles with wine, water, beer, soda or whatever you prefer and give it to your guests. Whoever empties their bottle first wins. To spice things up, you can create two teams: boys vs girls.

Baby Gift Bingo

Another fun game includes baby shower gifts. Before the new mom and dad-to-be open their gifts, they give their guests a piece of paper and a pen.

Then the guests need to guess which presents they think the parents will receive. Guests cross off every received item on their bingo list. The first one who gets, for example, five answers in a row is the winner.

Who Said It

This co-ed baby shower game is about matching childhood memories of the parents-to-be. Both parents share a few interesting memories from their childhood (the funnier, the better) by writing them down on pieces of paper.

Place them all in a hat and mix them up. Then as you’re showing them one by one to guests, they need to guess whether it is written by the mom or dad-to-be. As with other games, whoever has the most correct answers wins.

Here are some extra fun games, including game cards as well:

• Baby Shower Jeopardy: Best Ways For Fun And Exciting Baby Shower

• Fun & Free Printable Baby Shower Word Scramble Game + 2 Bonus Games

7. Play games outside

Keep in mind that baby shower games don’t necessarily need to be played indoors. You can also play them outside (especially if you’ve opted for a BBQ).

One of the best outdoors baby shower games is water balloons where guests throw and catch the balloons with their game partner. The pair who manages to stay dry wins.

There are so many different games your guests could play outdoors – a simple Google search will give you loads of ideas. Also, why not ask some of your friends to suggest what kind of games they prefer so that you can be sure they will enjoy it.

8. Include thoughtful prizes for the winners

Including co-ed baby shower prizes is one of the best party ideas (I’m sure all the guests would agree with me on this one)! To make games even more entertaining and exciting, include thoughtful and fun prizes for the winners.

These don’t need to be big or overly expensive. A prize can be a chocolate, keychain, book, self-care products, clothing items, and so on.

If you opt for a self-care product, keep in mind that you need to either keep it unisex or have separate products for each gender.

You can also give personalized prizes. For example, if you’re good at painting and creating things, you can put that into the equation as well.

I always say that the best gifts are those that have that personal touch because you just can’t put a price tag on them.

9. Create a photo booth

Photo booths are always popular because you can use them on various occasions (birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc.). So, why would a baby shower be any different, right?

To help your guests memorize this special occasion, create a fun photo booth. In order to stay consistent with your baby shower theme, be sure to add some elements in line with it.

You can customize the photo booth to your heart’s content. As long as it’s light-hearted and entertaining, you can’t go wrong.

Another great idea is to add a fun hashtag and write it on the photo booth so that your guests can use it when uploading their pictures on social media.

It could even be a fun post baby shower game: Pick the funniest photo booth picture! And if you add a prize to the equation as well, I’m sure all your guests will do their best to be truly comical in their poses.

10. Encourage guests to give gifts to both parents

Baby shower gifts shouldn’t only be reserved for the guest of honor (a mom-to-be) and new baby. An expectant father should also be honored! After all, that’s what a co-ed baby shower party is all about.

Getting a meaningful and fun gift means a lot to any dad, especially first-time dads. Onesies, baby food, baby gear, baby dolls, and other toys are considered classic baby shower gifts, but when it comes to gifting a dad-to-be, guests will need to be more creative.

Things like a masculine diaper bag (yup, that really exists), guide books for dads-to-be, new dad keychain, or baby bodysuits with fun prints like “I’m watching the game with dad” and so on will work great. Perhaps the funniest gift of all would be a collection of dad jokes.

For this reason, it is important that you accentuate that your baby shower is co-ed so guests keep in mind that they should honor both new parents and baby.

For guests: If you’re not sure what to write on a gift card, here is a collection of new baby wishes and quotes for the perfect baby card.

11. Thank the guests with baby shower favors

Party favors are the best way to express gratitude to your guests for attending. See them as a token of your gratitude and love for them. Still, this doesn’t mean that you need to get them some extravagant gift in order to show your ultimate gratefulness.

A small, thoughtful, and memorable gift is more than enough. Thank the guests by giving them items like candy bars, hair ties, bath bombs, scented candles, a bottle of mini champagne, lip balms, soaps, personalized cups, a bottle opener.

Of course, you won’t gift a male guest something like a bath bomb – that would just be weird. But you can always give them a personalized cup, beverages, a bottle opener, candy bars, and other things that are considered more gender-neutral.

12. Write Thank You notes

Another perfect way to show your appreciation for your guest’s attendance is by writing Thank You notes. As a matter of fact, it would be ideal if you added these notes with some of the above-mentioned party favors.

Just like your baby shower invitations, these notes serve as a heart-warming reminder of your amazing baby shower. Again, make sure that Thank You notes also resemble your baby shower theme.

No need to overdo it. Just write something simple; for instance: “Thank you so much for making the anticipation of our newest arrival all the more special. Your attendance truly meant a lot to us!”

Tips on how to write a thank you card:

• Address the guest by name

• Choose a thank you card that matches your theme

• Express gratitude for the gifts by mentioning them by name

• Include a heart-warming note to express your gratitude for their attendance

• Use the words “Thank you!”

• Wrap it all up with a sign off such as “With Love”

And remember to have fun!

I hope these co-ed baby shower ideas will help you with planning and bring plenty of fun moments with loved ones! Remember that the best baby shower is not the one where everything is perfectly decorated, but where everyone is having a great time!

With that in mind, I wish you happy planning and a co-ed baby shower for the books!

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