Planning A Baby Shower For Daddy: Our Top Tips
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Do you think baby showers are reserved for moms-to-be?
Think again! Dadchelor parties are all the rage, and this guide will show you how to throw the perfect baby shower for dad.
Whether it's for your best friend or a relative, this article lists tons of ideas for activities, themes, and catering to create an event the new dad will remember forever.
It doesn't have to be an expensive affair either, what matters the most is the thought you put into the event, and that the father-to-be is able to celebrate this big step surrounded by people who love him.
If you enjoyed this article about baby shower ideas, why not give preparing for fatherhood and being a first time dad a read?
Why Have A Dad's Baby Shower?
A dad's baby shower (or Dadchelor Party, if you will) is essentially the same event you would throw for a woman having a baby. It is a celebration of the new child about to arrive involving friends and family, food and drinks, and gifts!
While these events have traditionally been held for women (often with dads not even attending due to a 'no men' rule! ), there has been a rise in the phenomenon of dad baby showers in the last few years. Jakc and Jill baby showers have also grown in popularity.
This is a baby shower enjoyed and shared by both parents, and both parents' friends and families. And why not?
It shouldn't be up to moms to receive all the gifts, celebrate and make all the nursery choices! Men should be equally involved in the parenting process. Dads-to-be are about to become a parent too, and that should be a cause for celebration.
Think of a baby shower as a way of supporting a friend who is about to enter parenthood, of celebrating the change (pun intended) they are about to undergo. It could be a good opportunity for experienced parents to offer advice and help, too! The new dad will love being surrounded by friends and family at this special time.
Last but not least, a baby shower is a great opportunity to relax and celebrate with friends before the new daddy is spending a lot more time changing diapers!
Themes
While a theme is not compulsory for a baby shower, here are some ideas of the roads you could explore to organize the most fun Dadchelor Party!
Sports themed. Make your event an Olympic Games-style competition featuring competitive games and medals.
Baby themed. An obvious one here, but this theme could involve the guests dressing up, drinking out of bottles, and plenty of baby-themed games. You could even enforce that adults wear diapers, for example, either on top of their clothes or on their heads!
B themed. B is for baby, BBQ, beers, and bowling! You could encourage guests to dress up as something beginning with the letter B, too.
Your party does not have to have a theme. Some people choose a weekend away with a group of close friends such as skiing or a city break. Otherwise, you could turn the Dadchelor Party into a usual group activity (golfing, book club, etc), but make it festive and bring a gift!
Party Games
There are plenty of fun baby shower games for daddy to play, as well as lots of baby shower games for mommy and daddy to enjoy together. Below are just a few ideas of baby shower activities you could organize to entertain the guests at your party.
If you are having an Olympic Games-style event as described above, don't forget to prepare medals, a podium, or a trophy!
To begin with, a classic: baby gambling. Give each of your guests one dollar that they can gamble on what they think will be the baby's weight, birth date, or gender for example. After the birth, give the winner the pot!
Baby bottle chug. Fill baby bottles with the beverage of your choice (alcoholic or not!) and have a competition to see who can drink it the fastest.
Don't say "baby". This game consists of outlawing certain obvious words such as "baby" and giving dares out to anyone who uses them.
Baby speed games. This will favor the experienced parents in the crowd, test everyone to see who can prepare a bottle or change a diaper the fastest.
Changing diapers in the dark. Ask each guest to change a doll's diaper as fast as possible in a dark room to replicate changing a baby in the middle of the night, then laugh when you observe the results!
For guests who are not parents, it could be useful to show a tutorial on how to change a diaper first.
Stroller obstacle course. Line up a backyard with chairs, balls, and other obstacles and get two participants to race strollers with dolls in them.
Kids TV quiz. Prepare some questions about popular kids TV shows to test the parents-to-be's knowledge!
Fun Questions To Ask Dad
The conversation at a baby shower has mostly one topic: babies. Here are some baby shower questions for daddy at the Dadchelor Party. Which of these questions to ask daddy for baby shower game ideas is your favorite?
Questions About His Family And The Baby
Do you know the gender yet?
Have you thought of a name?
What were you almost called when you were born?
What are you most looking forward to when you have a child?
What will you miss the most?
Baby Trivia For Parents
Question: Approximately how much does it cost to raise a child from birth to its 17th birthday in America?
Answer: About 285,000 USD.
Question: True or false? Babies are born without kneecaps.
Answer: It's true, they originally have cartilage on their knee that then develops into a bone.
Question: How big is a newborn baby's head compared to the rest of its body?
Answer: About 1/4.
Question: How far can a newborn baby see?
Answer: Only about 8 to 14 inches.
Food And Drink
Here are some suggestions of food and drinks to serve at a Dadchelor Party.
Privilege food that will be easy to access and eat for a lot of people, depending on how large your event is. Think finger foods, a buffet of cold sandwiches and pies or snacks.
If the weather is sunny and you have a backyard, a barbecue is always a good idea! This tends to be a popular option for men organizing parties. Also, it involves little prep and cooking!
Drinks-wise, make sure to provide non-alcoholic options such as virgin cocktails or kombucha. For alcohol, beers and themed cocktails are a good option! As a fun touch, you could serve drinks in baby bottles.
Gift Ideas
Wondering what to gift the new dads in your life at their Dadchelor Party? Below are some baby shower gifts for daddy-to-be.
A dad survival kit. This could be a bag or hamper containing anything you think might help your friend through the early days of fatherhood: energy drinks, aspirin tablets, a change of clothes, coffee, diapers...
This gift is very personal and can be customized according to taste. A daddy survival kit for baby shower gifts is always a great idea!
Parenting books. Dads can never have enough.
Dad-specific baby products, such as a stroller adapted to a man's height or a "masculine" diaper bag.
A subscription to a streaming site or some DVDs for the nights dads will be spending trying to get the baby back to sleep.
Matching t-shirts for the new dad and his baby. This can be a cute, customizable gift!
If you found this article about baby shower ideas for the daddy-to-be helpful, then why not take a look at these [mothers day ideas for wives], or getting ready for [baby's first Christmas]?
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Bachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia StoneBachelor of Arts specializing in French with Film Studies, Bachelor of Arts (Year Abroad) specializing in Literature, History, Language, Media, and Art
Georgia is an experienced Content Manager with a degree in French and Film Studies from King's College London and Bachelors degree from Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her passion for exploring the world and experiencing different cultures was sparked during her childhood in Switzerland and her year abroad in Paris. In her spare time, Georgia enjoys using London's excellent travel connections to explore further afield.
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