There is a good chance most baby showers you have attended have been a girls-only event. Even the coed baby showers were plagued with pastel colors and feminine themes. Maybe the guest of honor even opened all the gifts by herself rather than asking her partner to join in on the fun. Coed baby showers are a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, while in other countries they have celebrated the coming of the baby as a coed party for centuries.

Keeping Him Involved

The key to throwing the perfect coed baby shower is to throw out every traditional notion you have about baby showers. Those frilly pink bows and girly invitations have to be replaced with guy-friendly invitations with a little less pink and a little more him. When sending the invitations, add an equal number of his friends to the party or ask the female guests to bring “dates” to even out the gender pool. Continue the coed baby shower renovations by switching those girly baby shower games with couple’s games so everyone involved can have a little fun.

Gifts for Everyone

You have to address gifts at the coed baby shower from two angles. First, party favors need to be gender-neutral so the male guests are not running around with baby animal figurines or washcloths folded into baby bunnies. When it comes time to open the guest gifts, the guest of honor should open gifts with her partner. Taking turns is a great option.

Food, Food, and More Food

Most coed baby showers feel more like a gathering of friends and family than a baby shower. Family get-togethers are often centered on the food, so play up the menu and add extra dishes for all the men in the crowd. When beefing up the menu, keep the guest of honor in mind. She should stay away from undercooked meats, lunch meat, unpasteurized cheeses, and high-mercury fish.

Planning on throwing a coed baby shower? With a few simple changes, you can turn any baby shower into a coed-comfortable celebration. Just remember to invite plenty of male guests, throw out the girly party games and change up the decoration to reflect the men who will be attending the celebration. Offer plenty of food and party until the last guest is tired, then send them all home with a huge plate of food.