Everyone seems to know what a baby shower is, but what do you do if you receive an invitation to your friend’s “Diaper Party”? You may even be asked to throw the diaper party for your friend. From what a diaper party is, to diaper party ideas and the components that go into throwing one, this guide covers all there is to know about the rising trend of diaper parties.
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What is a Diaper Party
For those of you who are not familiar with a diaper party, the idea of it may seem strange to you. Also known as a “Dadchelor Party” or a “Man Shower”, a diaper party is a baby shower for guys. Normal baby showers are held for the mother. Gifts for the baby, such as clothes or strollers, are also given. However, a diaper party is not a typical baby shower. If you are invited to a diaper party, you are expected to give diapers to the couple rather than a stereotypical baby shower gift. Diaper parties last between 2-4 hours and are much more casual than a baby shower. They are more of a “come and go as you please” type of event. However, guests are still expected to RSVP and baby shower etiquette should still be shown, such as couples sending out thank you cards.
How to Have a Diaper Party
Even though a diaper party and a baby shower have their differences, it may be confusing what aspects of a baby shower you should still include when planning a diaper party. Typically, a male family friend or a friend of the father-to-be is the one that hosts it.
As stated before, it is a casual event. It is usually held in the backyard of a house rather than an expensive venue. Think of having it at a friend or family member’s house. However, if you don’t want to hold it at a house, then it can be held at a brewery or a sports bar. If you are holding it at someplace like this, keep in mind that you may be limited in activities and games that can be played.
Diaper parties are also a lot less expensive than typical baby showers. The price can fluctuate based on whether or not you get the food catered or buy it from a restaurant. It can normally cost as little or as much as you want, but it is mainly dependent on your choices.
Diaper Party Invitations
Even though it is a casual event, there are still invitations involved when planning a diaper party. Diaper party invitations are considered a “manly” version of a baby shower invitation. Most places do not have invitations specifically tailored to diaper parties. However, you can create a custom invitation to tailor to your diaper party needs!
Diaper Party Themes
Diaper party themes? More like theme. A typical diaper party only has one theme: beer and diapers. While there is normally only one theme, there are a lot of ways that it can be presented. Some have themed their party “Baby is Brewing” or “Beer, BBQ, Baby”. If you are having a lot of people and want to buy a keg for the occasion, people call their party a “Diaper Keg”.
While baby showers definitely stress decorations to fit with the theme, diaper parties do not. There is no need to stress about decorations. However, if the father likes something in particular you can feel free to decorate it however he may like. Most of the time people choose to emphasize food and drinks for the party instead of decorations.
Activities and Games for a Diaper Party
As you could probably guess, most of the games incorporated into diaper parties are surrounding beer. Mixing the two ideas of diapers and drinking games, a fun idea is a chug contest. Instead of chugging beer out of a can, participants can chug beer out of baby bottles. If guests want to play a classic drinking game, they can always play beer pong. Remember that even though all of the drinking game ideas involve beer, they can all be played with non-alcoholic drinks too.
If guests are looking for an activity that doesn’t involve drinking, consider getting toy dolls and diapers. See who can put a diaper on their doll the fastest! The winner of any of the games could get a small prize, such as a pacifier made out of candy!
Diaper Party Food
As stated before, beer tends to be the chosen drink for diaper parties. However, you can also serve water or other refreshments for those that do not drink. What food pairs the best with beer? The answer is barbecue.
If you are trying to throw the party on a budget, consider grilling the BBQ yourself. You can grill hot dogs, hamburgers, or even smoke ribs. You can also see if a friend wants to be in charge of grilling as their present to the couple rather than buying them diapers. If you are willing to spend the extra money, you can get it catered by the future father’s favorite BBQ place.
Other than the BBQ, think of also including some side dishes or appetizers for the guests. You can have coleslaw or macaroni and cheese along with the barbecued meat. Before everyone eats place chips and salsa or the future dad’s favorite dip out for everyone to eat. With all of the activities you don’t want anyone to get hungry!
Along with the BBQ, there should be some sort of dessert present. If you want to keep it somewhat “classic” with a cake, consider making the cake in the shape of a beer bottle with a diaper on it. If you do not want to go through the trouble of making a cake, you could always get cupcakes. The cupcakes can be placed in the shape of a stein or even spell out “Future Dad”. Try to think of something creative to mix the two ideas! Whatever you choose for dessert, it is a good idea to have it on display throughout the party. That way you are able to add decor in a subtle way.
Gift Ideas for a Diaper Party
This kind of baby shower is not called a diaper party for no reason! Diapers are what is the most important part of this. Couples go through diapers extremely fast when they have a newborn. It is important that you are giving them diapers as a gift for the shower. You can buy them in bulk on Amazon or at Costco for a fairly cheap price. It is also recommended that you buy disposable diapers rather than cloth ones. However, if the couple specifies that they want cloth diapers then go with that. If you are planning the party and the couple tells you this, make sure you inform the guests. This is because cloth diapers are harder to come by and it will give guests ample time to pick them up. If for some reason you really cannot buy diapers, it is also acceptable to buy them packs of baby wipes. It is within the same category for baby care, but still try to get them diapers if you can.
Diaper parties are supposed to be fun, so remember to enjoy it! It may seem like something silly, but it is a good way for the couple to get diapers. It could also be seen as one of the bigger celebrations the father-to-be is going to have with his friends before having a child! The more silly and out of the box the better when it comes to the celebration.
