Your Ultimate Guide to Throwing a Diaper Party
If you’re expecting, celebrating baby is simply a must—whether it’s a small family party or a huge bash. Maybe you already had a baby shower and you’re looking for a party to celebrate the father-to-be, or maybe you want to combine your baby shower with a celebration of Dad. Enter the diaper party! Focused on a dad-to-be, it’s typically a casual, laid-back celebration where your guests bring diapers and wipes (after all, you’ll need those once baby comes!), and you provide the games, snacks and brews. Get tips and ideas for how to throw a diaper party, ahead.
A diaper party is basically a baby shower for a dad-to-be and his friends. Some people also call it a “dad-chelor party,” or even a diaper keg party. (You can probably guess the reason for that!) While it’s less common than a baby shower, it’s popular in some regions of the US.
“In our area, many couples do baby showers and then also diaper kegs,” says Jackie Jane Slater, a mom of one and lifestyle blogger in Minnesota who hosted a joint baby shower and diaper party with her husband. She adds that for the diaper party, people typically bring diapers and wipes as gifts, while the couple provides food and (quite likely) a keg.
The top tip for throwing a diaper party? “I think the biggest thing is keeping it casual,” says Renée Patrone Rhinehart, owner of Party Host Helpers, an event planning company in Philadelphia. “That’s the vibe you’re going for, versus sit-down, formal and fancy.”
“We kept the party super-simple, which made it easy to plan,” shares Slater. “Nothing too fancy! We hosted it at my parents’ shop, which was great for set-up and [meant there was] no time limit.”
Slater says she’s glad she combined her baby shower with a diaper party. “Planning only one event during pregnancy was the best decision ever!” she says.
Slater offers some advice for creating diaper party invitations:
- Keep it digital. “I made and ordered my invites through Canva.” she says. “We sent out some invites and also created a Facebook event page with all the info, knowing many of our friends would appreciate it on there!”
- Minimize clutter (and maximize meaning). Instead of a card, Slater asked guests to bring a favorite book to add to baby’s collection.
- Keep the expectations clear. Since the party’s main gift will likely be diapers and wipes, she suggests naming your preferred brands and sizes on the invite.
- Give them a little preview. For example, Slater specified on her invitation that the couple wouldn’t be opening gifts in front of everyone so they can focus on spending time with friends and family. “We saved the gifts to open with family the next day at our home, which was more intimate and fun,” she says. Make sure the event is full of what you and your partner enjoy!
Of course, you can play a lot of the typical baby shower games at your diaper party. (Hint: We have tons of ideas!) But here are some of the most popular diaper party games:
Pass the dirty diaper
Melt some chocolate and pour it into a diaper. Pass it around like “hot potato” as music plays. Whoever’s holding the diaper as the music stops is out of the game. The “last man standing” is the winner.
Diaper-changing challenge
“Bring in baby dolls and have a diaper-changing contest for speed!” suggests Patrone Rhinehart. After all, the dad-to-be has to hone his diaper-changing skills sometime! Extra points if you do it blindfolded.
Diaper raffle
Maya Mahoney, owner of Honey & Lavender Events in Washington, DC, suggests holding a diaper raffle. As guests arrive, give raffle tickets to those who brought diapers. Halfway through the shower, pull a ticket and award the ticket holder a prize.
Baby bottle beer chug
Each guest takes a baby bottle and drinks as fast as possible; the one who finishes first wins a prize. You can use whatever beverage your guests prefer, including nonalcoholic drinks.
Diaper pong
Before the diaper party, make a diaper pong board; basically a big piece of cardboard (or whatever you want to use) with diapers in the shape of “baskets” attached to it. (One Sweet Nursery has directions.) Label each diaper with a certain amount of points. Have guests (or teams of guests) take turns throwing balls into the “baskets.” The guest or team with the highest score wins a prize!
Trivia games
There are never-ending options for diaper party trivia games: Patrone Rhinehart suggests something centered around baby-themed movies. Three Men and a Baby, anyone?
The world is your oyster when it comes to diaper party decor—but, of course, the more diaper-filled the better. Hang a garland made of diapers, or feature a diaper cake as your centerpiece. “Keep it minimal and practical,” suggests Mahoney. (Particularly if you already went all out for your baby shower!) But do include the sentimental stuff if you want. “We had a little welcome table with a baby book for guests to sign, which turned into a fun keepsake!” says Slater.
Depending on Dad’s interests and preferences, there are plenty of diaper party theme ideas to choose from. If you’re combining your diaper party with a baby shower, you may want to choose a more traditional theme—Slater’s was “a little wildflower is on the way.” Otherwise, Patrone Rhinehart suggests a food-centric theme like “donuts and diapers,” “pizza, brews and diapers,” or “Huggies and chuggies.” Mahoney suggests a “sports, BBQ or outdoorsy vibe.” But, of course, Dad knows best!
Simple is the name of the game. “We served BBQ, pork sandwiches, beans, potato salad, pickles, chips and desserts,” says Slater. “We made some food ourselves and had some catered. It was an easy comfort-food menu that everyone enjoyed.” She adds that the couple put snacks like peanuts and M&Ms on each table. For a diaper keg party, Patrone Rhinehart recommends a fun pairing like “brats and beers.” You can get creative with your presentation too. “Hot tip: Use kiddie pools and fill with ice for the coolers; you then will have them for your sweet babe!” says Slater.
The bottom line: Keep it easy and fun. Helping plan a diaper party shouldn’t add too many extra to-dos to your list as you’re navigating pregnancy. Finally, Slater shares that timing is key: “A hot tip for you mamas doing any planning… Do the party when you’re still feeling comfortable! I was 28 weeks for ours, and I thought it was perfect timing. My bump was bumpin’, but I didn’t feel uncomfortable yet!”
Plus, more from The Bump:
Maya Mahoney is the owner of Honey & Lavender Events in Washington, DC.
Renée Patrone Rhinehart is the owner of Party Host Helpers, an event planning company in Philadelphia.
Jackie Jane Slater is a Minnesota-based lifestyle blogger.
Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.
