How to Throw the Ultimate Coed Baby Shower
If you’ve decided to throw a coed baby shower, you’ve come to the right place. From the theme to the invitations, games, and favors, we’ve got you covered. Before we get into the nitty-gritty of planning, here’s a quick look at some of our top picks:
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Quick Picks
- Best Theme: Tacos and Tequila
- Best Favor: Cookies and Candy
- Best Prize: Small gift cards
Are you ready to start planning?
Let’s get going so you can see how throwing a coed shower can be so much fun for the guest of honor and everyone attending!
What is a Coed Baby Shower?
A coed baby shower allows both men and women to come and celebrate the momma-to-be and spoil her with gifts! While they used to get a strange reception, coed baby showers are becoming more of the norm as everyone wants to get together and celebrate.
Coed Shower vs. Traditional Showers
Unlike traditional showers where only a group of women close to the guest of honor would attend, both men and women are invited. Coed showers are more inclusive and allow families to celebrate together rather than splitting up. Ultimately, the parents-to-be can decide whether they want to take the coed route. But, many are seeing the many benefits of couples’ baby showers and family baby showers versus going the traditional route.
How to Throw a Coed Baby Shower
When it comes to how to throw a coed baby shower, think inclusivity. You want all of your guests to feel welcome and want to come. You don’t want all of the women to feel as though they have to drag their significant others to your shindig. Avoid this by carefully paying attention to every detail, starting with the invitations.
Invitations
Think of coed baby shower invitations as little teasers or hooks. You want them to be attractive so that people will want to come. Use inclusive language on the invitations so everyone won’t think this is a ladies-only event. Be sure to specifically say that it is a coed shower because many people won’t assume that.
Once you get your wording down, look for an invitation to reflect your theme. For example, if you’re going for a BBQ or a picnic theme, you can get invitations that are in the shape of a grill or picnic basket. Etsy has some great ideas if you’re going the printable and mailing route.
If you are mailing your invitations, be sure to address them properly. If a couple is invited, address the invitation to Mr. and Mrs. If it’s a family, be sure to address it that way. Many people do look at the envelope to determine who is and is not invited to special occasions.
Some couples prefer electronic invitations because it can be easier to keep track of responses. If that is more of your jam, Evite can hook you up with some fun coed baby shower invitation ideas.
Whichever way you go, you want your invitation to reflect the theme and tone of your shower, as well as give a personal vibe, and be clear that it is a coed party.
Decorations
Coed baby shower decorations should be fun and vibrant. Pass on the pastels because they can give off a girls-only vibe. Sticking with a neutral palette is generally a good idea for these types of gatherings. Amazon has decoration packages that will give you everything from balloons to centerpieces. You can also get some great theme ideas so your color scheme blends in with your theme.
Venue
It’s all about location, location, location when it comes to finding a great coed baby shower venue. Think about a place that the guest of honor would love and that would also jive with all of the guests.
Some baby shower venue ideas include hosting it at someone’s house (if they have the room), a local park, the beach, a brewery or vineyard, or a restaurant. Whichever place you choose, be sure it can accommodate all of your guests and is accessible to everyone. It’s the worst when not all of the guests can get to the venue or everyone is packed in like sardines.
Also, consider a venue that reflects your theme. If you’re going for a rustic theme, a barn (minus the animals) may be a fun place to host a coed baby shower. The more out-of-the-box you can get, the more interested people will be, making them not want to miss your coed shower for anything!
Coed Baby Shower Theme Ideas
If you think having a theme complicates things, think again. Coed baby shower themes actually make it easier to plan and throw your party. They help to tie everything in from the invitations to the decorations and food.
Here are some coed baby shower ideas to help you find a fitting theme.
BBQ Time
If you’re having a coed baby shower, you need to serve food that all of your guests are going to like and food that will fill them. Finger sandwiches and cucumber water isn’t going to cut it!
A BBQ theme not only gives you plenty of food choices like burgers, hot dogs, salads, and more, but it also lends itself to some fun decorations and invitations. Plus, barbecues are generally inclusive events, often centered around family and friends. Since all of your guests are familiar with how a BBQ goes, they should feel comfortable coming to one for a coed shower.
Camp Theme
If the parents-to-be are big-time outdoorsy types and campers, it’s time to start a campfire! A camp theme is cozy and fun, not to mention easy to pull off. You can put some food on the grill, have some sandwiches and other snacks, and you’re good to go. Whatever you do, don’t forget the s’mores! That would be a major shower snafu for this theme.
Tailgating Time
Keeping with the outdoor theme, how about a tailgating coed baby shower theme? This will make many of your male guests feel right at home. Food for this type of shindig is going to include many fan favorites like wings and nachos! Decorations should be football friendly and you can even request that all guests wear their favorite team jersey, mom-to-be included.
You can take this theme to the next level by even asking guests to bring a onesie with their favorite team’s logo for your baby. You can never be too young to become a fan!
Tacos and Tequila
Tacos for the mother-to-be, tequila for everyone else! This is a super-fun theme where you can have some great food. Set up a taco bar, serve up some nachos, and mix up pitchers of margaritas for a coed baby shower to remember. This theme is so much fun that some of your guests may even forget that they are at a baby shower!
The decorations for this theme call for bright colors and lively music. Everything about this coed shower theme screams fun!
Coed Baby Shower Game Ideas
If you cringe when you hear baby shower games, that just means you’ve been playing all of the wrong ones. That is until now. Coed baby shower games can be fun if you’re choosing the right ones. Here are some “must-plays” to add to your list.
Guess the Baby Food
Grab a bunch of different baby foods and remove the labels. Give each person a spoon and have them guess what they’re eating. The person with the most correct guesses wins. If you have a lot of guests, split up into teams and take turns. The team with the most correct answers wins.
Obstacle Course
An obstacle course is a great coed baby shower game, especially if you’re having your party outside. Whoever can get the baby stroller from point A to point B through all the obstacles the quickest with the baby still in tow, wins.
Baby Shower Bingo
This is an easy baby shower game to play with all of your guests no matter their gender. Everyone knows how to play bingo so this is a game that requires few materials and is easy to pull off.
Baby Pong
Baby Pong is a spinoff of the popular beer pong drinking game. Instead of using ping pong balls to throw into the cups, pick up some tiny plastic babies at the craft store.
Place 6 cups in the form of a triangle at the end of the table. Split your guests into teams. The more players, the more teams you’ll have. Each team tries to get a plastic baby into one of the opposing teams’ cups. When the baby lands in a cup, that cup is removed from the table and that team has to drink what’s inside. This goes on until one team has no cups left.
You can choose to put any beverage of choice in the cups. But, if you’re choosing something alcoholic be sure to drink responsibly.
Alternative to Shower Games
Not everyone is into playing games at a coed baby shower, even if they are the cool ones we’ve told you about. That’s okay. No need to panic. There are plenty of other activities to keep your guests busy and having fun.
Photo booth
A photo booth is a great idea to get your guests together and create memories. You can buy silly little props from the party store that go with your theme. If you have a printer on-site, you can ask your guests to leave a copy of the photo behind and put it on a poster board with a message. This way you’ll have plenty of photos and memories from your coed shower.
Karaoke with Songs with “Baby” in the Title
Karaoke is always a crowd-pleaser. You either have the people who love to sing and want to be the next American Idol, or you have the people who laugh at those people.
Since this is a baby shower, tell the guests they can only choose songs with the word “baby” in the title. If you don’t think there are a lot of songs with “baby” in the title, think again. Here’s a list of 100 to choose from!
Chill Games like Cornhole
Cornhole is another fun activity to add to your baby shower, especially if you’re having an outdoor event. While this is still a game, it’s not a traditional baby shower game.
Favors and Prizes
While the baby shower is to honor the mother-to-be and baby, treating your guests to favors and game prizes is always a plus. While you don’t have to go overboard, throwing a little something their way to say thank you is always appreciated.
Favors
When it comes to coed baby shower favors, you want them to be gender-neutral and something that people will actually use. How many baby shower favors do you have that just end up at the bottom of your junk drawer? Don’t give something that would add to that pile.
Cookies or Candy
Cookies or candy are always good go-to’s when it comes to coed baby shower favors. Box them or bag them and give them to your guests as they leave. After all, who doesn’t enjoy a sweet treat?
Popcorn
Popcorn is another good favor idea. If you search Etsy, you’ll see cute stickers you can put on the bags that say, “Someone is ready to pop”…get it? This is another cute and tasty favor idea.
Footprint Keychains
Footprint keychains with bottle openers are another handy option for baby shower favors. You can grab a bunch in bulk from Amazon for cheap. This is a good idea if you have a lot of guests to give favors to and don’t want to spend a lot of money.
Prizes
If you want to give some incentive for people to play your coed baby shower games, offer a prize!
Small Gift Cards
Small gift cards to a local coffee or sandwich shop make good game prizes because they’re useful and convenient.
Bottle of Wine or Liquor
A bottle of wine or liquor also makes a good prize. If the recipient doesn’t drink, they can always re-gift it.
Gift Basket
Small gift baskets are good baby shower prizes too. Giving each basket a theme is a fun idea. How about a coffee or tea basket or one full of snacks? Even a basket of cooking supplies is a good idea. Anything useful and practical works here.
Related Post: Baby Shower Prize and Favor Ideas
Tips and Tricks for Throwing a Coed Baby Shower
If you’re thinking of hosting a coed baby shower, here are some things to consider:
Go Over the Guest List Together
If you’re throwing the baby shower for a family member, be sure to go over the guest list with them. When you’re going the coed route, you may only want to include spouses and not boyfriends. Decide where you’re going to draw the line so that everyone is on the same page.
Have Coed Hosts
If you’re going to have a coed shower, have coed hosts. This will help to make everyone feel included.
Plan a Menu That Makes Sense
Make sure to know your audience when it comes to your menu. If you have vegetarians coming, be sure to have plenty of options for them, not just a salad. Be sure your menu is diverse so there is something for everyone. Whatever food you choose, you want to have plenty of it. Nothing is more embarrassing than running out of food or beverages.
Include Gifts for the Dad-to-Be
While the baby and mom-to-be get plenty of gifts, don’t forget Dad! A special gift for him is a nice touch if you’re going the coed route.
Don’t Forget the Desserts
Having a wide variety of desserts is always a good idea at a baby shower. People like to have their sweets, and even take some home too. If you’re having a big spread, provide bags or containers for your guests to take some items home.
Final Thoughts
Coed baby showers are a great way to include everyone in your celebration. If you go this route, be sure to have invitations that convey that it’s not a girl’s only event. You want the invitations to also clearly state who is invited.
Choose a gender-neutral theme and decorations. When you’re thinking about your theme, consider your venue. An outdoor party can lend itself to a BBQ or camping theme. Also, decide whether you want to include games. If so, make them gender-neutral and fun so everyone will want to play. Also, provide other activities for people who may be a little game-shy.
When it comes to favors and prizes, think of items that are useful and convenient. Gift cards and food items are often good choices. This way, you won’t waste your money and your guests will have something they’ll really enjoy.
Finally, having coed hosts for a coed shower is a good idea so that everyone feels included. Remember, always have plenty of food and don’t forget the desserts!
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