Is it a boy or a girl? At gender reveal parties, the guests (and sometimes the parents as well!) wait eagerly to learn the answer to that question. When a box full of blue balloons bursts open or a pink-filled cake is cut, friends and family exclaim and celebrate.
Finding out whether you’re expecting a boy or a girl is an exciting moment! Why not share the joy with those closest to you by throwing a gender reveal party?
Here at Newton Baby, we’ve made a guide to help you plan a great gender reveal party. Stick around to figure out the who, what, when, where, and how of throwing this sort of celebration!
How To Plan A Gender Reveal Party
1) Schedule Your Ultrasound
Needless to say, in order to throw a gender reveal party, you’ll need to have an ultrasound to find out if the bun in your oven is a boy or a girl! You can do this during your second trimester — around 18 or 20 weeks.
2) Decide Who Will Be Surprised
Once you’ve scheduled your ultrasound, decide who will be surprised at the gender reveal party — you and your guests or only your guests.
If you want to wait and be surprised right along with your guests, ask the doctor or ultrasound technician not to tell you what they find when you go for your ultrasound. Instead, have them write the gender of the baby on a piece of paper and slip it into an envelope for safekeeping.
3) Pick A Date, Time, And Place
When it comes to picking a date for your gender reveal party, it might be best not to plan it for right after your ultrasound.
If the baby isn’t in the right position, there’s a chance that the ultrasound may not show whether it’s a boy or a girl. In that case, you’ll have to go back a different day for another ultrasound.
Where you host the party is totally up to you. Depending on how many people you want to invite and the atmosphere you want to create, your home, a friend’s house, or an event venue will all do the trick!
Settle on a date, time, and place so that you can be ready to send out invitations.
(Read below to discover ideas for hosting a virtual gender reveal party.)
4) Choose A Theme
Before you send invitations, go ahead and pick a theme. That way, you can incorporate the theme into your invitations.
This is your party, so anything goes! If simple is your style, go with neutral colors and whatever decorations you want. Or let pink-and-blue be your theme and deck everything out in both colors.
If you want a more unique theme, consider one of these:
- Ties or tutus?
- Team girl/team boy (great for sports fans!)
- Prince or princess?
- Moustache or lips?
- Staches or lashes? (Moustaches and eyelashes)
- Waddle it be? (Duck decorations, anyone?)
- What will it bee? (Think bumblebees and honeycombs)
5) Send Invitations
Send electronic invitations or head to the post office with old-fashioned cards and stamps. Either way, be sure to include all of the information your guests need on the invitation.
Depending on the crowd you’re inviting, it may be helpful to include a short explanation of what a gender reveal party is or what you’ll be doing at yours.
Since gender reveal parties are a relatively new tradition, some of your guests may have never experienced one.
In your invitation, you’ll also need to let guests know if they should wear anything special. Sometimes the host asks the guests to come dressed in pink or blue to show whether they think baby is a boy or a girl.
As far as gifts, what should you expect? Good question.
Do Guests Bring Gifts To Gender Reveal Parties?
Usually, the gender reveal party is separate from baby showers, so it’s not typical to give gifts.
But there are really no rules for gender reveal parties. So, if you want to combine it with your baby shower, just let your guests know and include your baby registry information on the invitation.
If you go this route, your guests will need to bring gender-neutral gifts. Make sure you put plenty of gender-neutral items on your registry.
Consider adding Newton Baby’s breathable Crib Mattress in white or gray, our organic cotton sheets in a neutral pattern, or our organic swaddles that can be used for a little boy or a little girl.
6) Prepare The Games
Some people don’t enjoy party games, but if you do, opt for games that will get everyone even more excited about finding out if you’re expecting a boy or girl.
For example, hold a guess-the-gender raffle or have everyone guess your favorite boy and girl names from a list. Prizes for the winner make games like this even more fun!
You could also frame a photo of your ultrasound and have guests play doctor and take a guess at the gender. Laughter guaranteed!
7) Plan The Food And Drinks
Mmm, time for the yummy part! First, decide if you’ll be serving a meal or simply appetizers, desserts, or drinks.
Then get creative! If you’ve chosen a theme, serve food and drinks that go along with it, like cookies shaped like mustaches, lips, or sports jerseys.
And, of course, if your theme is pink and blue, the possibilities are endless — pink and blue deviled eggs, popcorn, cake pops, or strawberries and blueberries.
8) Plan The Reveal
It’s time for you and your guests to find out if you’re expecting a boy or a girl. This is the most important moment of the party. After all, it’s why your guests have come!
There are lots of cute ways to spill the beans. Here are a few of our favorites.
Break A Piñata
Break a pink- or blue-stuffed piñata open in front of your guests. Have someone else fill the piñata if you want to be surprised as well.
Cut A Cake
Every party needs a cake, right? Order a cake that’s pink or blue on the inside but neutral on the outside. Slice into the delicious dessert when you’re ready to find out if it’s a boy or girl!
Eat Cake Pops
If you want to serve cake but want all of your guests to be able to join in on the big moment, opt for pink- or blue-filled cake pops instead of one large cake. Three… two… one… bite!
Eat A Fortune Cookie
This is another way to get your guests in on the fun. Order personalized fortune cookies for everyone to discover what your future holds!
Open A Box Filled With Balloons
Fill a large box with pink or blue helium balloons (or both for twins!). When you’re ready for the reveal, open the box and watch the balloons fly!
Play Darts
See who’s got the best aim with a game of gender-reveal darts! Fill balloons with pink or blue paint, hang them up on a canvas (or something similar), and have at it.
Play Football
For a sports-themed party, purchase a pink- or blue-filled football (or baseball, golf ball, etc.) Sports fans will love throwing or punting an exploding football to find out if it’s pink or blue inside!
Go On A Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a fun and interactive way for adults and kids alike to get involved! Follow the clues to find out if a baby boy or baby girl is on the way.
Cue The Confetti
Gender reveal confetti cannons are little poppers filled with colored confetti — either pink or blue. They have a string at the bottom that you can give a good tug to release the confetti.
Once the cannon opens, confetti goes flying everywhere! Make sure someone has the camera ready because you’ll want a snapshot of this colorful moment.
If you have an older child, consider letting them pull the string on the popper for your reveal. It’ll make their big brother or big sister status even more real to them. Plus, they’ll feel so special that they were the one to do the reveal!
Another option is to have confetti poppers for all of your guests. Then, when it’s time for the reveal, have everyone pull the string at the same time!
Engage In A Silly String War
Before your gender reveal party, cover silly string cans in decorative paper so no one can tell what color they are. When it’s time for your reveal, give each guest a can.
Stand outside with your partner and let your guests have all the fun by covering both of you in pink or blue silly string for your big reveal!
Paint A Shirt
For your gender reveal, wear a white shirt. Have your significant other stand behind you while someone paints their hands pink or blue.
But no peeking, so make sure their eyes are closed! Here’s the big moment you’ve been waiting for!
Have them wrap their arms around you from behind and place their painted hands on your belly. Get a quick picture of their hands on your belly before they take them off for the reveal.
After the picture, they can take their hands off to see what color the handprints are on your shirt! Surprise!
If this is baby number two and you want to include your oldest child in this gender reveal idea, let them be the one to place their hands on your belly for the big reveal!
Take A Swing
If you and your family are avid golfers, you’ll want to take a swing at this gender reveal idea! Simply order a golf ball filled with pink or blue powder. If the reveal is a surprise to you, have someone else order the golf ball for you.
To reveal your baby’s gender, take a swing with the golf club. Once you make contact with the ball, it will explode into pink or blue powder!
Pass The Box
Wrap a box in several layers and have something pink or blue inside the box. Then start passing.
Just like in “pass the potato,” play some music and continue passing the box until the music stops. Once the music stops, the person who’s holding it can unwrap one layer of the box.
Continue playing until the box is completely unwrapped. Whoever it lands on last is the person who gets the honor of revealing your baby’s gender!
9) Decorate
When the day arrives, you’ll decorate and set out food, games, and the like. Start well in advance in case you need a break to put your feet up and rest for a few minutes.
Your second trimester might have you feeling good, but you still need to take care of yourself!
10) Enjoy The Party
Everything’s ready to go and guests are arriving! Now is the time to welcome all your friends and family, enjoy the time together, and find out if your precious little one is a boy or girl. How exciting!
Make the most of the moment and don’t forget to document it on camera.
11) Thank Your Guests
A gender reveal party is a special moment to share with your family and friends! At the end of your party, thank all of your guests for coming. Tell them how much you appreciate them rejoicing alongside you.
One way to thank your guests is to give them a special treat, whether that’s giving away little party favors at the end or giving away a prize to whoever guessed the correct gender.
To determine the winner of this prize, have each guest place their name in a pink or blue jar upon arriving. If they think it’s a girl, they would put their name on a piece of paper, fold it up, and place it in the pink jar.
After the reveal, go to the correct colored jar and pick a name out of it. The name you choose is the winner. A gift card, scented candle, soap, or lotion make great gift ideas for the winner.
Virtual Gender Reveal Party Ideas And Tips
Maybe your friends and family are spread out over the country — or even the world — and coming to your house for a party just isn’t an option right now. Why not plan a virtual gender reveal party instead?
While we know you want to be with your loved ones in person, we also know that sometimes this just isn't a reality, especially right now. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t have fun celebrating your new little one!
We want to help you make this event just as special as an in-person party, so we created a few ideas to help get you started planning your virtual gender reveal party. Take a look!
1) Create An Invite
First, send out your invites via email or social media and make sure all of your guests have internet access. From here, you can create live events or send out a link for your party.
2) Take A Poll
Get your guests engaged by taking a poll of what gender they think the baby will be. There are several ways to do this, especially on social media. This way, you can get an idea of everyone’s guess!
3) Choose Your Background
Choose your background wisely to make the virtual event fun for your guests. Determine whether you want to have your gender reveal outside or inside.
From there, create a decorative background with balloons or whatever else your heart desires for a festive party!
4) Select Your Gender Reveal Idea
Is the big reveal for everyone (including you), or is it just for your guests? If it’s for everyone, you’ll need to recruit a friend or family member to help with the surprise.
But if you’re already in on the secret, plan and prepare ahead for your big reveal. Take a look at our gender reveal ideas to really nail down your decision!
5) Arrive Early
This is one party you don’t want to be late for! “Arrive” to your party early to check for any technical difficulties before your guests start hopping on.
6) Greet Everyone
If your party is quite large, you have the option to mute all of your guests if you wish because it will be hard to hear everyone with all the background noise. Instead, give everyone a chance to chime in and say hello one at a time.
7) Grab A Snack And Play A Game
Tell everyone beforehand to have a snack prepared — like popcorn, chips, a fruit and veggie tray, or cake — to make your party more interactive. It will be just like you’re eating together as you would in person!
Before your big reveal, build up the excitement by playing a virtual game. Just because you can’t be together doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun!
Take a look below at some virtual game options.
Mythical Questions
Give each guest a turn to ask you questions about your pregnancy based on old wives’ tales and myths. Record each answer so all the guests can follow along.
Have each guest reveal their hunch about your baby’s gender to the rest of the partygoers based on your answers.
Scavenger Hunt
Draw in your guests with a virtual scavenger hunt! If you’re in on the secret, create a list of clues for your guests so they can search around their homes for items and share their findings on the screen.
Eventually, this will lead up to your big reveal!
8) The Big Reveal
After everyone has their snack and plays a game, it’s time for the big reveal. Choose from our list of gender reveal ideas above to surprise your friends and family virtually.
So grab your cake, piñata, popper, box, darts, or whatever idea you decided to go with and have at it! Your guests will be so excited that they were able to celebrate this special moment with you!
9) Record Their Reactions
If you found out the gender before the party, make sure your reaction was recorded. This way, you can play the recording at your virtual gender reveal party!
And that’s the great thing about technology: the opportunities are endless, including recording their reactions! (It might be a good idea to do a recording test run before the actual event.)
After all, you might miss the reaction of your friends and family from being caught up in the moment. This allows you to go back and watch after it’s all said and done!
10) Mail Thank You Cards
Sending out cards is a sweet and scarce gesture in a technology-based world. Your guests will love getting a personalized card in the mail.
Take it up a notch and mail all of your guests a little party favor as a way to express your appreciation!
Get Ready To Welcome Your Little Boy Or Girl
Take the stress out of party planning by following our 10 steps for throwing your gender reveal party. But we’ll let you in on a secret — the party is only the beginning of the fun!
Knowing if your baby is a boy or a girl opens up lots of possibilities for decorating their nursery, buying cute baby things, and preparing your home for their arrival!
It’s time to outfit your baby’s room with the necessities (like a crib, crib mattress, and sheets) and stock up on all the baby essentials, like bottles, swaddles, and diapers.
Enjoy what’s left of your pregnancy as the anticipation builds toward welcoming your new little girl or little boy into your home and family!
