Today, we continue with Part 2 of the “Baby Shower Fun” series. If you missed Part 1 where I gave a brief history of baby showers, read it here. Now let’s fast-forward to today. The latest trend is to have a “Jack and Jill” baby shower that includes the father-to-be and his friends. Have you attended a “Jack and Jill” shower or perhaps one was thrown in your honor? How many times have you heard “Are you sure this is for guys”? Although there is still some reluctance from some men to attend, a great time is usually had by all.
In order to get “Jack” to attend, it is important to keep him in mind during the planning stages. Three ways to include him is to offer an enticing theme, cool games and great food. Read on for a breakdown of each.
Three cool themes that will appeal to Jack.
1. Sundress and bow-tie: a semi-formal shower where the women wear sundresses (hat optional) and the men wear bow-ties with a jacket. If the theme includes a bow-tie, men will know for sure they are invited and it isn’t a “girls only” affair.
2. Outdoor barbecue: a very casual shower held in the backyard with traditional “barbecue” food such as grilled chicken and burgers. You can even put one of the father-to-be’s friends in charge of the grill?
3. Nautical or sports theme: is dad a fan of sports or loves to go boating? If so, these are great themes especially if mom and dad are expecting a boy.
Three games Jack may want to try.
Games are always fun for the women. At times, it is hard to get men involved in this aspect of the shower. However, if you have enticing prizes, they may want to participate. Note: the games below are not necessarily related to the above themes.
1. Drink from the bottle game – The men will drink juice from a baby bottle. The guy who finishes first wins a pair of tickets to a local sporting event. I bet that will be an incentive to play!
2. Blindfold Diaper Game – Teams are paired up by couples and each team member is blindfolded. Jill puts the diaper on a doll. Afterwards she passes the doll to Jack. He must remove the diaper and re-diaper the doll. The team who finishes first wins the game. Don’t forget these tasks are completed while blindfolded. A dinner for two at a hot restaurant just might increase the competitive play amongst the teams.
3. The traditional bingo game is always fun. Instead of the winner shouting Bingo, the word “stork” or “baby” can be the magic word. Baby pins, crayons or some cute baby related item are great ways to mark the spot on the board. As a prize for winning the game, offer a free hair cut at a local salon.
As a freebie download, I have included a bingo game card. I encourage you to re-arrange the words and think of other baby related words to add to different cards. Note: The card can be reproduced and altered but not sold.
FREE DOWNLOAD – BABY BINGO GAME
An abundance of food for Jack
With a “Jack and Jill” baby shower, it is very important to have alot of food and a variety is always a plus. This is not a great time to serve only crudités or dainty tea sandwiches. Perhaps, if there are any men who may still feel uncomfortable with the activities of the shower, he is sure to participate when the food is served.
I believe, extending the invitation to Jack is a trend that will be here to stay so I hope this gives you some insight into planning a baby shower that includes him.
Please share with me in the comments, what are some ideas you have to include men in a baby shower?
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Hope you enjoy the free download. Remember, I plan and design milestone celebrations as well as weddings. If you or someone you know need extra planning help, feel free to contact me.
Photo: Unsplash – Olu Eletu
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