Tips and Ideas For A Fun Gender Reveal Party
The Ultimate Planning Guide for a Fun Gender Reveal Party
Planning a gender reveal party is a fun and exciting adventure! You get to decide the theme, the party games and activities, the food, gifts, and more. And even without knowing the baby's gender yet, there's still a lot of activities to do if you want to be surprised too.
But as fun and exciting as it seems, you still want every detail ironed out, ensuring everything, especially the gender reveal object, is perfect on this memorable day. You want everyone to enjoy, and of course, the gender reveal to be surprising and successful!
Here are some tips and tricks to help you plan the ultimate gender reveal party and make it a fun and memorable experience they’ll remember (plus a fun conversation topic at the baby shower)!
What is a gender reveal?
You’ve probably seen it everywhere on social media. Pink or blue paint, balloons, cake, confetti, or smoke. A gender reveal party is a celebration where expectant parents announce the gender of their unborn baby to friends and family, and they’re usually included in the discovery. They don’t know it either!
Some may wonder why it's necessary to have an additional celebration before the baby's arrival, but gender reveal parties can be a fun and exciting gathering with your favorite people for some quality time before the chaos of parenthood begins.
Who usually plans a gender reveal party?
Traditionally, a close friend or family member plans the gender reveal party, much like a baby shower. This allows the expecting parents to be surprised along with their guests.
However, expectant parents themselves can also plan gender reveal parties whether or not they know their baby's gender in advance. The reveal object– a cake, balloons– can be ordered with an email or an unopened note about the gender from the doctor.
Whether you're a friend, family member, or the parents-to-be, planning a gender reveal can be a rewarding experience, filled with joy and excitement.
When to do a gender reveal party
The timing of a gender reveal party is based on when the expectant parents gain information on their baby's gender, which is typically around the 20-week ultrasound. This is before a baby shower, which is usually held during the later stages of pregnancy in the third trimester.
Most choose to host the party soon after this milestone, ensuring that the news remains a surprise! However, it is alright to hold the party earlier or later, depending on personal preferences and schedules.
Ultimately, the main goal is to create an event that fits comfortably within the pregnancy timeline while still allowing for an intimate and joyous event with close friends and family.
How to Plan a Gender Reveal Party
Decide who will be surprised
Once the expectant parents have done their ultrasound, they should decide if they want to know the gender beforehand, or if they want to be surprised alongside their guests.
If they choose to know the gender in advance, it is best for them to take charge of planning the gender reveal themselves.
And if they want to be surprised alongside their loved ones, a trusted friend or family member can plan the reveal and help with the party, or completely take over while keeping the secret.
The expectant parents can ask the doctor or ultrasound technician not to tell them the gender and instead have them write it down on a sheet of paper to be given to the party planner/s, or the facilitator/supplier of the actual reveal object.
Pick a date, time, and venue
Pick a date, time, and place where the party will be held. Choose an easy-to-access location that can accommodate the number of guests you'll be inviting. But most likely, the best option for a gender reveal party is your home, where you can be messy and comfortable, and cleaning afterwards won't be a hassle.
Also, consider important factors such as weather, availability, and budget. Make sure everything’s comfortable and safe for the mom and baby.
Choose a theme
This is one of the most fun parts of gender reveal parties, and party planning in general: choosing a theme! Choose a theme that's simple but fun, where everyone can have a good time.
Some of the themes you can use are:
- Both blue and pink or a completely neutral color for the decorations
- Sports-themed party, with a team color reveal
- Rainbow-themed party, with balloons in various shades that will pop to reveal the gender color inside
- Prince or princess-themed party, with a crown reveal for the gender
Just be creative and have fun with it! Incorporate your theme to your invitations too, so everyone will have an idea on what to expect at the party.
Set up the food and drinks menu
Food and drinks are always a highlight of any party! Decide if you'll keep it simple with some snacks and some light refreshments like punch or lemonade, or if you'll go all out with a full spread of appetizers and desserts, or if you'll serve meals.
Don't forget to include pink and blue colored treats to keep with the theme! And if you want an extra element of surprise, you can even have the gender reveal incorporated into the food or drinks!
Plan the guest list
Planning the guest list helps you envision how the party will go. And of course, you live to see their reactions and happy faces on this important day! You can also keep this guest list if you’re planning for a baby shower.
It's also essential to consider if the event will be adults-only or kid-friendly. If kids are invited, plan some fun activities or games to keep them entertained.
Send out invitations
Once the date, time, venue, food, and guest list are set, it's time to send out invitations. You can choose to go digital or traditional with your invites.
Make sure to include all the essential details such as the party theme, dress code (if there is any), what guests should bring (if anything), and any other important information.
Don't forget to include an RSVP date so you can have a final headcount for the party!
Organize fun games and activities
Keep all the guests entertained with games and activities, especially when the actual gender reveal object is still being prepared. Games make a gender reveal party more fun, and choose ones that are easy and enjoyable.
You can try gender reveal-related games too without actually revealing anything yet, like old wives' tales or a baby name guessing game. Do it to test their guessing skills a little and hype them up!
Decide the reveal mechanism
Finally, plan how you want to reveal the baby's gender. Here are some popular gender reveal ideas:
- Cutting a cake with pink or blue filling inside
- Popping balloons filled with pink or blue confetti
- Releasing colored smoke bombs
- Opening a box filled with small gender reveal items, such as onesies or toys, wrapped in the corresponding color
A more detailed list comes in the next sections, so read more to get baby gender reveal ideas!
Capture the moment with photos and videos
To make sure the event and the magical gender reveal moment is captured and memorialized in a video or photos, you can hire a professional photographer or videographer, or you can designate a friend or family member to take photos and videos during the party.
Don't forget to encourage guests to take their snaps too! You can give them disposable cameras at the start of the event and have a designated hashtag for them to use when posting on social media!
Thank your guests
After the gender reveal, spend some time thanking your guests for coming and celebrating. A gender reveal party is a special moment, and tell them how much you've appreciated their presence.
Don't forget to give the game winners the prizes they won. You can also choose to give out a party favor or thank-you notes as a token of appreciation for their support during this exciting milestone.
Fun and Classic Gender Reveal Ideas
The Gender-Revealing Piñata
This gender reveal idea is easy to achieve, and is also best for a fun and kid-friendly gender reveal party party! The piñata will do all the revealing, all you have to do is order a piñata with a gender neutral appearance on the outside but filled with blue or pink candies or confetti.
At the party, let everyone join the whacking until the piñata explodes for a fun reveal!
Cutting the Cake
The cake-cutting gender reveal party idea is a classic. All you have to do is order a white or neutral-colored cake with either pink or blue frosting on the inside, depending on the baby’s gender.
You can also choose to fill the cake with candies, sprinkles, or colored batter for an extra surprise. When it's time for the big reveal, cut the cake and let the color do all the talking.
Gender Reveal Punch
Among many cool gender reveal ideas, gender reveal punch is not only easy and delicious, but it's also budget-friendly! You'll need two punch bowls with different colored drinks inside - one with blue and the other with pink.
When it's time to reveal, pour both punches into a final bowl or container, and voila! The color of the final mixture will reveal the baby's gender!
Gender Reveal Cake Pops
For a twist on the classic cake reveal, try these cute and yummy cake pops! The idea is to make neutral- or white-colored cake balls with either pink or blue centers. You can even add a touch of creativity by dipping them in colored chocolate coating.
When it's time for the big reveal, let your guests bite into the pop to discover if it's a boy or girl! Even better: there’s only ONE gender reveal cake pop and only ONE guest actually bites into the right cake pop! You can rig this so it’s a special person who gets the special cake pop, like the grandma or a particularly excited future auntie.
Gender Reveal Confetti Cannon
These types of gender reveal ideas are perfect for outdoor gender reveal parties or a big reveal moment with all your loved ones. All you need to do is buy ready-made confetti cannons in either blue or pink and hand them out to all the guests.
When it's time, let everyone fire their cannons simultaneously, creating a colorful explosion of confetti while revealing the baby's gender in a grand way!
Pink or Blue Powder Balloon
One more gender reveal idea involving balloons is the balloon pop! These balloon gender reveal ideas are so simple yet fun to do.
Fill a large black balloon with either pink or blue powder. When it's time to reveal, pop the balloon with a pin or needle, revealing the gender in an exciting cloud of color. It's a great photo opportunity too!
Unique and Original Gender Reveal Ideas
Scavenger Hunts
Scavenger hunts are always a fun game at parties, and you can do it on a gender reveal party too! Organize a treasure hunt and cater it to the venue: whether at home or outdoors.
Leave clues everywhere, you can also use pink or blue paint for fun, and encourage everyone to participate. Be creative with your clues - it can be gender-specific nursery rhymes, baby-related hints, hidden baby items, pregnancy and giving birth facts, and more!
It will take some preparation, but you will have a lot of fun organizing the treasure hunt, seeing everyone run about seeking for clues, and, of course, witnessing the great reveal.
Pink and Blue-themed Gift Boxes
This idea belongs to memorable and personal gender reveal ideas. Create pink and blue gift boxes with some baby items inside, like onesies or socks, which are easy to find in either color. Or you can give them a gift box with items they can use for themselves, but still pink or blue-colored. This way, using your gifts will remind them of this memorable event you witnessed together.
You can also add a note saying "boy" or "girl" for an extra hint!
When it's time for the reveal, ask everyone to open their respective box at the same time - revealing the gender of the baby! It's a great way to involve and surprise your guests.
You can customize your gift boxes here and pick what items to include.
Bath Bomb Gender Reveal
If you're looking for a unique and relaxing gender reveal idea, then a bath bomb reveal is a fantastic choice! Purchase a gender reveal bath bomb and make sure to select one that is wrapped or packaged to hide the color.
During the party, fill a clear container or a baby bathtub with warm water. Make sure it's big enough for everyone to see!
When it's time for the big reveal, gather everyone around. Drop the bath bomb into the water and watch as it fizzes and dissolves, releasing a cloud of either pink or blue to indicate the baby's gender.
This unique gender reveal idea lets everyone celebrate the reveal and enjoy the soothing aroma that the bath bomb leaves as a delightful bonus!
Tic Tac Toe
This creative gender reveal idea is perfect for a large backyard, but it can also be done in small areas while modifying the size of the grid.
First, create a 3x3 grid for the game. Then, make circular cardboard cutouts and use pink and blue paint on one side, and the other side black or any other solid color. Put these cutouts on the blank places on the grid, the solid color facing front.
Then, have someone flip the cutouts. Whichever color matches diagonally, vertically, or horizontally reveals whether it's a baby girl or a baby boy!
Glow Stick Party
This gender reveal idea is best done when your party is held at night! Prepare glow sticks with the color that indicates the gender of the new baby. When it's time for the reveal, distribute them so everyone has one at hand.
Then, turn the light off and ask them to turn on their glow sticks. If it's a boy, the glow stick will glow blue; if it's a girl, the glow stick will glow pink.
The beautiful lights in the dark will add a special effect to gender reveals, making it a wonderful memory for everyone.
Bonus: How to Plan a Virtual Gender Reveal Party
Perhaps friends and family are scattered throughout the country — or maybe around the world — and throwing a party in your home isn't an option right now. Instead, why not organize a virtual gender reveal party?
Here are some tips on how to plan a virtual gender reveal party.
Choose a virtual platform
First, choose what platform you want to host the virtual party. Consider options like Skype, Zoom, or Google Hangouts, or other video conferencing apps. Check what features are available on your chosen platform so you can maximize them during the party.
Before the day of the event, make sure to test the platform beforehand to ensure a smooth and seamless experience for everyone.
Send virtual invitations
Next, send out virtual invitations to your guests. You can use free online invitation tools or create a simple graphic yourself and send it through email or social media platforms. Make sure all of your guests have internet access.
Don't forget to include the date and time of the party, as well as the link or login details for the chosen virtual platform.
Organize online games and activities
Plan fun games and activities to liven up the event. You can start with a little ice breaker as some friends and family might be seeing each other for the first time in a while.
Then, prepare virtual gender reveal-related games to bring the energy back to the party's main event. Some ideas are guessing the baby's gender based on old wives' tales or playing charades using baby-related terms.
Select your gender reveal idea
Virtual gender reveals can be as fun as in-person ones. The element of surprise remains, so everyone will be overjoyed that they were able to share this memorable occasion with you!
Choose from the virtual gender reveal ideas on the next section and make sure to inform your guests ahead of time so they can prepare for the big reveal!
Capturing the moment: screenshots and recordings
Don't forget to capture the moment! You can record the entire party and ask a friend or family member to take screenshots so you can save and share these memories with the baby in the future. Make sure to do a recording test run before the actual event.
That's the beauty of virtual parties and technology: the opportunities are limitless and you get to look back on these photos conveniently anytime you want.
Send out virtual thank-you cards
Lastly, don't forget to send out a party favor! You can create your own virtual thank-you cards after the party. Let everyone know how much you appreciate them being a part of this special event.
You can also include a link to a shared photo album or video recording of the virtual gender reveal party as an added bonus!
Virtual Baby Gender Reveal Ideas
Virtual Gender Reveal Bingo
A gender reveal bingo is a fun and interactive gender reveal idea that adds excitement to your virtual gender reveal party. To play, you'll first need to create bingo cards with a mix of gender predictions and baby-related items. For instance, you could have squares that say "Pink onesie," "Blue pacifier," "Stuffed animal," and "Diapers."
Once everyone has their virtual bingo card, the game can begin. The host can pull out items or predictions one by one from a bag or hat, and participants will mark off the corresponding square if they have it on their card. The first person to complete a row, column, or diagonal wins!
However, the twist of this game is the final reveal. You'll have a special square on each card labeled "Gender Reveal." When the baby's gender is revealed, everyone can mark off their "Gender Reveal" square.
Word Search
Another fun virtual gender reveal game is a word search. Create a custom word search with words related to your baby's gender, or you can slip in the words 'boy' and 'girl' on the word search.
Share it on your screen or send the photo to a group chat that everyone can access. During the party, have everyone race to find all the hidden words indicating the gender, or count which among the words 'girl' or 'boy' appeared more than the other, within a set time limit.
The first person to find all the words related to the right gender, or the first one to count which appeared more, 'boy' or 'girl', can shout the gender!
Riddle You This
If you want to be more creative, you can create a funny or a sweet riddle about the baby's gender and have your guests solve it. Write a simple riddle, then reveal the answer at the party!
Check out this example from Pinterest:
Create a Song
This time, your love for music and your audio editing skills will be tested. To successfully execute this cool gender reveal idea, you’ll need to prepare a mashup of songs that use gender-reveal lyrics like “my baby” and “baby boy/ girl.”
First, do some research and collect different songs with the lines "my baby" and "baby girl/boy”. Then, use an audio software to piece together parts from the songs.
Begin with the song that contains the phrase "my baby," and try to find at least four or five clips so your audience becomes antsy (part of the fun, of course)!
You can choose to edit several 'my baby' song parts consecutively before finally dropping the song with the lyric 'baby boy/girl', or you can edit them alternately, and the final part should be the lyric revealing the real gender.
Bonus: Gender Reveal Gifts for Expecting Parents
Here's a bonus section if you're soon to attend a gender reveal party, and you don't want to come empty-handed! Although it's not really expected of guests to bring gifts, it's always nice to show your love and support by bringing a little something. Just like party favors, this is a thoughtful addition to the celebration, offering a small token of appreciation for your presence.
Gift boxes are one of the best options for gender reveal parties or baby showers, offering practical items in one box that can be used once the baby arrives, or for the parents themselves. They can be filled with essential items and unique gifts that reflect the parents' tastes and interests.
Here are some gift boxes perfect for gender reveal parties:
Spa, Bath & Beauty Gifts
Pamper the expecting parents with some spa, bath, and beauty gifts. They deserve to relax as they await their little bundle of joy, and they deserve to relax too after the baby arrives! You can add items like:
- Scented candles for a calming ambience
- Bath bombs or bath salts for a luxurious soak
- Moisturizing lotions or body oils for skin nourishment
- Face masks for a rejuvenating skincare routine
- Essential oils for aromatherapy
- Organic lip balms
- Hand creams enriched with natural extracts and more
Mom and Baby Gifts
Show you care and support to the soon-to-be mom and give her a gift box that's curated for her and her baby's needs! These gifts will make her, and the baby, feel loved and welcomed, letting them know that you got their backs no matter what. Some items to include are:
- Muslin swaddles for the newborn
- Onesies and baby clothes in neutral colors
- Baby blankets for snuggles
- Newborn accessories such as snack cups, teethers, bibs, and pacifiers
- Plush toys for play and a relaxing sleep
- Mommy relaxation items
Food and Snacks Gifts
A box of food and snacks is a practical gift for expecting parents! With the busy days ahead, having quick and easy snacks on hand can make things a little easier. You can include:
- Healthy snack bars
- Protein-packed trail mix
- Instant meal kits
- Gourmet chocolates or cookies for something sweet
- Nutritious dried fruits and nuts
- Teas and coffee for a caffeine boost
Personalized Items
And finally, include personalized items that will make your gift more special. You can customize items with the parents' names, or a meaningful text, such as the date of the gender reveal! You can also customize and add photos for a more visual representation of memorable events that will bring warmth and joy to the new family.
Some items you can include are:
- Customized marble coasters for the new home
- Personalized water tumblers or coffee mugs
- Personalized cutting boards for kitchen use
- Customized t shirt for the soon-to-be dad or mom
- Pine boxes with customized text on the lid, perfect as storage for memorabilias on a special day
In conclusion, gender reveal parties are a joyous occasion to celebrate the arrival of a new life, and adding a twist of mystery makes them even more memorable! Our quick guide for cute gender reveal ideas can help make your party interactive and fun, while also maintaining the suspense until the big reveal.
And remember, if you're a guest and you wish to bring a gift, our curated gift boxes are ready for you, whether you want them customized or ready-to-ship.
After all, the goal is to celebrate this special moment and show love and support to the parents-to-be, and the baby on the way! So, get creative with gender reveal ideas and have a blast at your gender reveal party. Happy planning!
Delve into our latest articles for gift-giving inspiration: