Bridal shower games for women & men at the party - any ideas?

[lizaanne]

Hello!

I’m going to be hosting a bridal shower for a friend and her fiance in November. They will both be there, and her female and male co-workers are the main bulk of the guests. So not really a “couples shower”.

I would like to have about three games to play that aren’t too girly, but still fun for everyone there.

Any ideas?

Thanks so much!!

~Liza

 

[SeekerJen]

Um…don’t have games?

I’ve never been to a co-ed shower where games were played. Women will be polite and put up with them, even those of us who hate the games. I can’t see men sitting through them.

I guess the only ones I can think of that might work are:

1. sticking a tag under a chair- whoever gets that chair wins a prize
2. a person scavenger hunt- make a list of things that could describe someone, like “Has backpacked through the mountains” or “Speaks a foreign language” or “Is wearing blue today”, etc. Print up these lists with blanks to write in the person’s name. Each guest gets a list at the beginning of the shower, and goes around to the other guests, looking for people who fit the descriptions. The first person to have all their blanks signed by other guests wins a prize (note- if someone has already signed off on one of your blanks, they can’t sign anything else on your sheet).

We did the second game at a friend’s recent bridal shower, as well as last weekend at my school department’s retreat. It’s a fun ice breaker and the men at the retreat got as involved as did the women.

 

[lizaanne]

Um…don’t have games?

Well yes, this is certainly an option, and would be my first choice actually. But if I CAN come up with something fun for everyone to participate in I think it would be nice to do.

I like the scavenger hunt idea!

Keep 'em coming!

~Liza

 

[jrabs]

I’ve gotta agree. Not big on games especially with men in attendance.
Not sure men will participate and you may find yourself frustrated after you have put so much effort into the day.

How about a list of unusual questions about the bride and groom to see who knows them…like where they met, middle names, siblings, etc. Who ever fills in the most wins.

 

[BamaRider]

Hello!

I’m going to be hosting a bridal shower for a friend and her fiance in November. They will both be there, and her female and male co-workers are the main bulk of the guests. So not really a “couples shower”.

I would like to have about three games to play that aren’t too girly, but still fun for everyone there

Y’all got men comin to the bridal shower???

Are they gonna be playin games and stuff too?

What if the Packers are playin they still gotta go?

If y’all see me at a bridal shower call the law, cause I’m being held hostage at gunpoint.

 

[1ke]

I hate games. I would not have any.

Isn’t eating, visiting with each other, and watching the bride open gifts fun enough?

And, who said “bridal shower games” are fun??? UGH. I hate them.

 

[SeekerJen]

Isn’t eating, visiting with each other, and watching the bride open gifts fun enough?

It was for all of the co-ed bridal showers I’ve attended. DH’s family has a tradition of throwing co-ed wedding showers for all engaged couples (including us). These involve lots of good food and beer and are really just family parties with gifts for the couple.

 

[lizaanne]

It was for all of the co-ed bridal showers I’ve attended. DH’s family has a tradition of throwing co-ed wedding showers for all engaged couples (including us). These involve lots of good food and beer and are really just family parties with gifts for the couple.

Hey! I agree with all this! I’m just considering options - that’s all!

I promise I’m not going to make the men wear cute little paper hats and count how many ribbons she breaks!!

Besides - Notre Dame will be playing that afternoon, we need to get the shower done so we can get down to business!! Just kidding. sorta

If we can’t come up with anything that will be fun then we won’t do it - it was just an idea.

Typically I don’t like games either - but the other women planning this with me suggested it and I said I would see if there are any good ideas out there for a mixed party. If nothing good comes up then we are not going to do anything but eat and visit and open gifts. And have amazing cake.

~Liza

 

[SeekerJen]

Yeah, probably the scavenger hunt is your best option if the other ladies are insistent on games.

Whatever you do, don’t subject the guests to the games I was forced into years ago: the bride’s grandma hosted the shower. She was a very opinionated and forceful lady, so there was no opting out of the games. The game involving how many cotton balls one could scoop out of a bowl with a teaspoon in a minute was bad, but the game of “guess which white kitchen powder is in each baggie” was so much worse.

 

[Maxply]

As a man, I’ve been invited to things like these, and for me, they always seem like an imposition. Men don’t do showers. At least almost all men are not trained to do so, so they do not know how to do them well. Basically, it would just become, I would guess, something like a company cocktail party.

Again, it seems like an imposition.

 

[os_justi]

Shower games = bleah. I’ve been to showers both bridal and baby, and while there have been games that I found amusing, I’d much rather have just brought a present to a party thrown for the intended persons.

 

[Mary_Gail_36]

For my sister’s 30th B-Day, we had a trivia contest, so questions about my sister were printed up and passed around, and the one who got most of the answers correct was the winner.

So you could do a couple trivia contest…questions about the couple.

 

[MsAnnie]

I’m not a fan of shower games either. But at the one co-ed shower I’ve been to we did gift bingo. Everyone had to fill in a bingo card with possible gifts. As shower games go it wasn’t bad. The amusing part was that several of us already knew that the big tall gift was a weed whacker!

 

[lizaanne]

As a man, I’ve been invited to things like these, and for me, they always seem like an imposition. Men don’t do showers. At least almost all men are not trained to do so, so they do not know how to do them well. Basically, it would just become, I would guess, something like a company cocktail party.

Again, it seems like an imposition.

Our situation is a bit different - we are all friends outside of work and all get together often anyway. It is a very tight knit small group of people - not your typical office bunch.

So far I’m leaning toward the scavenger hunt idea - depends on how many RSVP. Only one game, just something to break up the morning.

~Liza

 

[Brenda_V]

What about a simple memory game? Put up to 10 baby items on a tray and cover them up - put them in the center of the room, tell everyone you will uncover it for 1-5 minute and then cover it again, they will have 5 minutes to write everything they remember that was on the tray - accept butt covers for diapers, toy for rattle or other baby toy you have - tie breakers would be the one who called the item the right thing. See ideas below from a website (sited below also) for a variation on this game.

From babyshower101.com/baby_shower_games_3.html

51) Baby Diaper Raffle (Materials: Pen, Invite, special gift for baby shower guest) - Make it known on everyone’s invitation, that if they bring a pack of diapers (for a newborn) to the baby shower that they will be entered into a drawing for a gift. This is a great way for helping make sure the new parents will have enough diapers to start with! Thanks to Jessica for this idea which she did at her baby shower.

or

64) Baby Hold’em (Materials: deck of cards, baby shower gifts and baby shower poker lovers) - Just like playing Texas Hold 'Em. Instead of using money the “buy in” is with a baby gift. This lets the men (or women) play a little poker and those who do not or do not know how to play can learn and not lose any money. The winner of the Hold 'Em tournament wins a gift instead of cash. You’ll be surprised at how “big” the bets and raises are in this hold em game which benefits the parents-to-be. Thanks to Sonya for this idea!

73) Memorize It - (Materials: Piece of paper and a pencil for each guest) - Have a tray filled with lots of baby items; bottle, rattle, jar of food, etc. Have the mom-to-be walk around and show the tray to each guest. (They will begin to try to memorize what’s on it!) Then, having pre-prompted the mom-to-be, to excuse herself to the restroom. Direct the guests to write down what the mom-to-be was wearing, NOT what was on the tray! You might have the mom-to-be wear extra jewelry, sweater, etc. beforehand. Thanks to Debbie G. for this great babyshower game idea!

98) Don’t Forget Daddy! - (Materials: Paper copies of the questions created prior to the party, pens) - Make a list of questions with multiple choice answers pertaining to what the Daddy-to-Be said and feels since finding out about he and his wife’s baby. Click here to find 10 examples and add your own. Thank you Marie for this wonderful baby shower game idea! babyshower101.com/baby_shower_games_print2.html

I tried to find games that could be played by both men and women. Definitely keep the games to a minimum but they can be fun - the diaper raffle game is a great idea as it is really not played during the shower, just won at the shower .

As far as that goes, I love games and enjoy when my now grown up daughters get their friends to come over and we play such games as Apple to Apple or Charades which you could play at a shower if you want to. Charades is the only one of those though that you can tailor to a shower.

 

[lenni]

try getting a wii and play wii sports
or
Get a playstation and play singstar
or
Get an eyetoy with playstation and play the eyetoy sports or wtvr it is called.
or
Get all the above!!
trust me, everyone loves all the above! no matter the age.

 

[Rach620]

For my sister’s 30th B-Day, we had a trivia contest, so questions about my sister were printed up and passed around, and the one who got most of the answers correct was the winner.

So you could do a couple trivia contest…questions about the couple.

I was going to suggest this. It was a hit at my shower, but there were only ladies there! They had 20 questions, about me individually (“Name the 3 states where Rach has lived.”) and about us as a couple (“Where did they get engaged?”). My mom won .

We also did gift-opening bingo. Each guest had a different “bingo card” with typical shower gift items drawn from my registry randomly arranged on it (grater, nonstick skillet, china place setting, sheet set, etc.). They would check them off as I opened gifts, and the first to yell out bingo got a gift. I think it helped pass the time to have people have something in their hands during that looooong process!

 

[KaiteK]

At my friend’s shower we did a couple of different quiz sort of games.

“Him, Her, Both or Neither,” have a list of random facts that could or could not apply to the couple. Everyone answers them with Him, Her, Both, or Neither and whomever gets the most right wins a prize.

“Guess the mysterious white kitchen substance,” Have numbered ziplock bags each containing a white substance commonly found in the kitchen. We used baking powder, flour, sugar, powdered sugar, cornstarch, etc. Give each guest a list of the substances and have them write the correct number next to each one. No opening the bags to sniff!

 

[SeekerJen]

“Guess the mysterious white kitchen substance,” Have numbered ziplock bags each containing a white substance commonly found in the kitchen. We used baking powder, flour, sugar, powdered sugar, cornstarch, etc. Give each guest a list of the substances and have them write the correct number next to each one. No opening the bags to sniff!

I have to disagree. I posted above about my experience with this game. If I hadn’t been in the bridal party, I would have hidden in the bathroom during this game. I can’t see any man sitting through this. Most women probably wouldn’t.

Otherwise, I like the trivia game idea, especially if the co-workers are all friendly and would know many of the answers. The bingo one isn’t bad either, we did that one at a recent baby shower and it was okay.

 

[Chovy]

I like the hold’em game. Probably the only other one I would do with men, because it has the ick factor is the diaper candy bar game. In this game you melt different types of candy bars in disposable diapers, pass them around, and have people guess the candy bars. The one with the most right wins.