This article was co-authored by Kayla Tschumper and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Kayla Tschumper is a DONA-trained birth doula and assistant midwife based in Rochester, Minnesota. Prior to getting into birth work, Kayla was a pediatrics nurse for nearly 10 years and now is the founder of My Birth Choices, a business providing birth education and doula services. Through My Birth Choices, she partners with families to achieve a peaceful and powerful birth. Families served by Kayla’s clients have offered 5 star reviews of her services on Google and other online testimonial sources. She is Gilligan's Guide trained and has supported births at Mayo Clinic, Olmstead Medical Center, and in homes across Southeast Minnesota. As a mom of three herself, she is passionate about providing tools to mothers-to-be that promote a peaceful and powerful birthing experience. She received a BS in Nursing from Winona State University.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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A baby shower or gender reveal party is an incredible way to anticipate the arrival of your child, all while making unforgettable memories with your friends and loved ones. The games and activities you play at this gathering play a huge part in the memories you create—and we’re here to help you choose the best ones for your party. Read on for a variety of games you can play before revealing the gender, plus games that will help you reveal the gender to your guests.
Disclaimer: Although the word “gender” is most commonly used in reference to these reveal parties and is used throughout this article, "biological sex" is more accurate.
Steps
Games to Play Before Revealing the Gender
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Celebrity baby game Write down the names of really famous celebrities onto slips of paper, along with the names of one of their children. Then, invite your guests to match the celebrity with the child.
- Consider putting the celebrities and their children on differently colored slips of paper so they’re easier to sort through.
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2Alphabet baby name game List out the alphabet on sheets of paper and hand them to your guests. Then, invite them to write down baby names in alphabetical order. Whoever finishes their list first (with legitimate answers) wins!
- For an extra challenge, limit guests to writing down only boy or only girl names.
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Necklace guessing game As your guests arrive at the party, ask them to guess what the gender of your baby is. Give them a blue or pink necklace depending on their answer, and ask them to wear it throughout the party. Once you announce the gender of your baby, give a small prize to everyone who guessed correctly.
- This prize doesn’t have to be anything big! A small token, like a piece of candy or party blower, will do.
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4Sonogram guessing game Print out a big picture of your ultrasound sonogram before the party and display it in the center of the party space. Then, give out blue thumbtacks and pink thumbtacks to your guests and have them guess the baby’s gender, placing a thumbtack on the image to record their vote.
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5Guess my age picture game Dig out some old family photos and display them at the party. Then, ask your party guests to guess how old you are in each picture, along with the ages of any relatives that are in the photos.
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Guess the birthday game Chances are, your party guests will have a rough idea of when your baby will be born—but not the exact date! Give everyone a chance to predict what day (and exact time) your bundle of joy will be introduced to the world.
- To raise the stakes, have them guess your baby’s length and weight, too.
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7Guess the price game Baby supplies sure can be expensive—but how much do they really cost? In this game, come up with a list of common baby items (e.g., stroller, a pack of diapers, a crib, etc.) and have your guests estimate how much those items sell for.
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8Guess the movie game Jot down a list of movies that have words like “baby” in the title, and pick out a few iconic quotes from each one. Then, invite partygoers to guess the name of the movie you’re referencing.
- Expand your pool by including movies with words like “blue” and “pink” in the title.
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Guess the lyrics game Print out a few sheets with song lyrics (or song lyric excerpts) that have song titles with words related to a gender reveal party (e.g., “baby” or “girl”). See how many songs your guests can guess correctly with the clues you give them!
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10Disney parent guessing game If lots of your guests love Disney movies, put their knowledge to the test by showing them pictures of parental figures from iconic Disney films (like Zeus and Hera from Hercules or Maurice from Beauty and the Beast). See who can guess the most parents correctly!
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11Candy guessing game Head to your local grocery store and stock up on pink-colored candy and blue-colored candy, like jellybeans. Pour them into a large jar, and then have your guests guess the total number of candy pieces.
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Guest book guessing game As your party guests arrive, invite them to sign a guestbook—but in addition to their name, have them include their guess on what gender your baby will be.
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13Baby gear memory game Think fast! Ask your guests to write down as many (real) baby supplies they can think of on a piece of paper in a set amount of time (like 1 minute).
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14Finish the kid’s rhyme Write down all the nursery rhymes you can think of off the top of your head (or feel free to look some up online). Then, blank out some of the words to these rhymes and see if your guests can remember them.
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Baby-themed bingo Plan a traditional game of bingo for you and your party guests, but give the game a little bit of flare for your gender reveal party. For example, you might have the bingo cards be printed on blue or pink paper, or have special pink and blue cupcakes be prizes for the winners.
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16Baby bump measuring Cut a long piece of string and hand it to one of the guests. Then, have the guest wrap the string around your (or the mom-to-be’s) baby bump to see how large it is.
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17Wives tales games Pull up a list of classic wives tales that are used to determine a baby’s gender. Then, make a game of comparing your (or the mom-to-be’s) symptoms to the classic stereotypes and see if you can identify what type of baby she’s having.
- Feel free to use wikiHow articles like Tell if You’re Pregnant with a Girl or Boy as a starting point.
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Baby Mad Libs Use a site like TheWordFinder to make a custom Mad Lib/word fill-in puzzle for you and your guests to complete together at the party.
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19Don’t say “baby” game How hard would it be to not say “baby” during a gender reveal party? This game puts you and your guest’s willpower to the ultimate test as you try to avoid this obvious word throughout the gathering.[1]
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20“What will my baby look like” game If you’re preparing for the arrival of your little one with a partner, print out blown up pictures of both your face and their face. Then, cut both pictures into even horizontal strips (wide enough for each one to capture obvious features, like the eyes, lips, and nose). Then, invite guests to mish-mash the paper strips and reconstruct a guess of what your baby might look like.
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“What should I name my baby” game Sure, you probably have some names in mind for your baby already—but why not give your guests a chance to throw their ideas into the ring? Have jars or bowls labeled as “boy” and “girl” and have guests submit baby name suggestions to them throughout the party.
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22Baby food tasting contest Buy several jars of baby food before the party, blocking out the labels with tape so guests can’t see them. Then, have your guests sample and guess what’s in each jar of baby food.
- To really up the ante, have a speed-eating contest where guests compete to see who can eat baby food the fastest.
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23Pregnancy cravings game One classic wives tale indicates that new moms tend to crave a lot of sweet food if they’re pregnant with a girl, or salty food if they’re pregnant with a boy.[2] While this myth is totally false, you can play into it at your gender reveal party by serving foods associated with the gender of your baby.
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Juice pong What’s better than beer bong? Juice pong, where all the cups are filled with a pink-colored juice or blue-colored juice (depending on the gender of your baby). Or, keep things interesting and serve both pink- and blue-colored juice in the game!
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25Baby-themed piñata Piñatas are a fun addition to any party, and gender reveal gatherings are no exception. Get a piñata in the shape of a stroller, baby bottle, or similarly themed item, and let your guests take turns in whacking it.
- Alternative: Buy a special gender-reveal piñata and fill it with blue or pink confetti, colored powder, or glitter.
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26Cupcake decorating activity Bake a batch (or several batches) of cupcakes before the party and set them out on a large table, along with tubes of blue and pink frosting, sprinkles, and other fun decorations. Invite your guests to decorate and enjoy a sweet treat while they’re at the party.
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Baby-themed charades Gather your partygoers around for a rousing game of charades, where people will act out prompts related to babies (e.g., shaking a rattle, pushing a stroller, etc.). Try to see how many funky prompts your guests can guess![3]
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28Scavenger hunt Plan a scavenger hunt for your guests around the general location of your party. Instead of a prize, though, they’ll find something even more special at the end of their journey: the gender of your baby!
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29Pin-the-pacifier game It’s not quite pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, but this fun twist on a classic party game is sure to entertain your guests. Print out or buy a large picture of a baby, along with several cutouts of a pacifier. After blindfolding and spinning your guests around, have them try to “pin” the pacifier in the correct space.
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Don’t break the egg game As each guest arrives, give them their own piece of precious cargo: an egg (raw or hard-boiled, if you don’t want to risk making a mess). Encourage your guests to go the entire party without breaking their eggs.
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31Themed corn hole Pick up some pink bean bags and blue bean bags to put a thematic twist on this classic party game.
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32Collecting advice game If a lot of your party guests are parents/guardians themselves, ask them to take a moment and write a piece of parental advice on a sheet of paper. You’ll have tons of funny (and probably heartwarming) suggestions to read once the party is over!
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Quiz about the mom Where were you (or the mom-to-be) born? What’s your favorite color? What smell can you absolutely not stand? These are all great questions to include on a party quiz about you (or the mom-to-be), which you can hand out to all the guests.
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34Toy decorating Create a special memento for your little one by having your guests paint and customize blank building blocks. Alternatively, pick up a big teddy bear for your baby and invite all the guests to sign it.
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35Bib-making activity Buy plenty of plain, adult-sized bibs before the party (enough for all your guests). Then, have each guess paint, bejewel, or otherwise decorate their bib for a fun memento they can take home from the party.
- Alternative: Get lots of baby-sized bibs for your guests to decorate that you can hang onto long after the party is done.
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Splatter art activity Grab a few water guns and fill them with nontoxic pink paint and blue paint. Then, hang up a large piece of canvas somewhere in your yard (or somewhere you don’t mind being paint-covered) and spray it down with paint. You now have a fun (and colorful) memory of your party!
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Sculpture contest Gather plenty of pink Playdoh containers and blue Playdoh containers and ask your guests to make their version of a baby with the clay.
Games & Activities to Reveal the Gender
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Colored cake pop reveal Buy or ask a friend to make a variety of cake pops that are either blue or pink and covered in frosting or chocolate. Hand out a pop to each person and ask everyone to take a bite on the count of 3. The cake color will reveal your baby’s gender!
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2Confetti balloon game Ask a friend to fill up a large, dark balloon with either blue confetti or pink confetti. At some point in your party, pop the balloon and see what color confetti comes out!
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3Milk-drinking game Fill 2 dark baby bottles with milk, and have a friend or loved one pour a lot of pink or blue food dye into each one. Compete with your partner to see who can gulp down the milk the fastest—the color of your tongue after the fact will reveal your baby’s gender!
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Silly string reveal Pay a friend or loved one to buy lots of mini silly string cans in either pink or blue (enough so that each partygoer can have one). At the party, distribute the cans and have everyone spray them at the same time to reveal your baby’s gender.
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5Tic-tac-toe Ask a friend or loved one to write “Boy” and “Girl” on the back of 9 paper plates, arranging them face-down in 3-by-3 grid (like a tic-tac-toe board), with the gender of your baby creating a winning row, column, or diagonal. Flip over the plates one by one until you’ve “won” the game (and discovered your baby’s gender!).
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6Stacked cup game Have someone write “boy” and “girl” on an odd number of paper slips and place them face-down on a table. Then, create a large pyramid with lots of plastic cups (for bonus points, opt for blue cups and pink cups to really stay on theme), with each cup from the bottom row sitting on top of the paper slip. Throughout the game, you (and your partner) can consolidate columns of the up pyramid to reveal the gender on the slip below. Whichever gender has the most slips of paper at the end is the winner!
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Find the pacifier game Ask a friend to fill up two buckets with really cheap, clear pacifiers. Then, have them stick a blue pacifier or pink pacifier in each bucket, hiding it carefully among the clear ones. Compete with your partner (or another partygoer) to find the colorful pacifier first (and reveal your baby’s gender).
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8Mystery toy box reveal Ask a friend or loved one to help you put together a special toy box filled with toys themed toward a boy or girl (e.g., a bear wearing a blue shirt for a boy, a bunny wearing a pink dress for a girl). At the party, slowly unpack the toy box to reveal what baby you’re having.[4]
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9Colorful pillow fight Assemble tons of empty pillow cases, filling most of them with white feathers. Then, fill a single pillowcase with pink feathers or blue feathers, depending on the gender of your baby. Let the antics begin, and see if you notice any blue or pink feathers flying around!
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Custom party poppers Purchase gender reveal party poppers for yourself (and your partner, if you’re celebrating with them), and assemble all of your partygoers in one place. Then, explode your party poppers to reveal the gender of your baby!
- To amp up the surprise factor, have a friend order these for you ahead of time.
- Make sure to point the popper away from you so you don’t breathe any of the material in.
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11Custom lottery tickets Preorder custom gender reveal scratch tickets, which have “boy” or “girl” printed beneath the scratch-away film. Hand one out to every guest, and then invite them to scratch their tickets at the same time.
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Custom fire extinguishers Hang up a picture of a fire, or set out a bowl of steaming water to emulate smoke. Then, spray down the “flames” with special gender reveal fire extinguishers that are filled with either pink or blue solution.
Expert Q&A
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QuestionAre there any other ideas for gender reveal activities?Kayla TschumperKayla Tschumper is a DONA-trained birth doula and assistant midwife based in Rochester, Minnesota. Prior to getting into birth work, Kayla was a pediatrics nurse for nearly 10 years and now is the founder of My Birth Choices, a business providing birth education and doula services. Through My Birth Choices, she partners with families to achieve a peaceful and powerful birth. Families served by Kayla’s clients have offered 5 star reviews of her services on Google and other online testimonial sources. She is Gilligan's Guide trained and has supported births at Mayo Clinic, Olmstead Medical Center, and in homes across Southeast Minnesota. As a mom of three herself, she is passionate about providing tools to mothers-to-be that promote a peaceful and powerful birthing experience. She received a BS in Nursing from Winona State University.
Certified Birth DoulaI think the key to planning a gender reveal is to make it fun and personal. It’s always extra special when a family can tie in their own interests. One example that I’ve seen families that are big into sports incorporate that into their reveal. One time, the dad was up to bat, and the gender reveal item—filled with either blue or pink powder—was pitched to him. When he hit it, the powder exploded, revealing the baby’s gender. It was so fitting for them because they were sports and baseball fans. Another idea is to get pets or older siblings involved. Maybe the family dog carries a colored bandana, or an older sibling pops a balloon filled with confetti. Some families even use edible items, like cutting into a cake or opening a box of donuts with colored filling, which adds a tasty surprise to the excitement.
Tips
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about gender reveals, check out our in-depth interview with Kayla Tschumper.
References
- ↑ https://www.scarymommy.com/gender-reveal-games
- ↑ https://www.nct.org.uk/pregnancy/worries-and-discomforts/common-discomforts/gender-positions-and-cravings-pregnancy-truth-or-myth
- ↑ https://www.scarymommy.com/gender-reveal-games
- ↑ https://www.dujourbaby.com/blogs/baby/7-diy-gender-reveal-games-for-your-big-announcement
- ↑ https://utswmed.org/medblog/gender-reveal/