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Diaper Raffle — baby shower game

✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Diaper Raffle

Drop one line on the shower invitation: bring any pack of diapers, get a raffle ticket. Multiple packs, multiple tickets. One ticket gets drawn at the end for a real prize. The mom-to-be walks out with a six-month diaper stash and one lucky guest walks out with a $25 gift card.

  • 🤝 Low-pressure
  • 🍷 Coed-friendly
  • ✅ Crowd-pleaser
⏱ Prep
5 min
👥 Best for
Any size
🍷 Coed
Yes
📹 Virtual
In person

What you'll need

  • A roll of double-stub raffle tickets (Staples or Amazon, about $4 for 2000 tickets)
  • A small glass bowl or basket for the ticket draw
  • A folding card table near the front door for diaper drop-off
  • A small printed sign explaining the raffle (cardstock, optional)
  • One named prize worth at least $25 — a gift card, candle, or wine bottle
  • A backup pack of diapers at the door for forgetful guests

Before the shower (setup)

  1. When you send the baby shower invitations, add one clear line about the diaper raffle: "Bring any pack of diapers in any size — each pack gets you a raffle ticket. We'll draw one winner at the shower for a $25 Target gift card." Don't specify a brand or a size. Guests will bring a mix of Pampers Swaddlers, Huggies Little Snugglers, store brand from Costco, and a random pack of size 4 from Aunt Karen — and that mix is what new parents actually need. Babies don't stay newborn-size for long, and you want the stash to span the first six months.
  2. Pick up a roll of raffle tickets at Staples or on Amazon — the double-stub kind, about $4 for 2000. Grab a small glass bowl or wicker basket for the drawing. Both live on a folding card table that you'll set up near the front door on shower day. The prize sits visible on the same table — a $25 Target gift card in a clear envelope, a Yankee Candle in a plastic sleeve, or a bottle of wine wrapped with a bow. Guests should see what they're competing for the second they walk in.
  3. Twenty minutes before the baby shower starts, set up the drop-off table. Sign on the front saying "Diaper Raffle — drop your pack here, take a ticket" (optional but helpful). Stack any early-arrival diaper packs behind the table so the table itself stays clear for new arrivals. Keep one backup pack of newborn diapers under the table for guests who forgot — Aunt Karen will forget once, swear she didn't get the message, and you'll hand her a courtesy ticket anyway. That backup is goodwill insurance.
Front-door setup for Diaper Raffle — basket of clothespins and a chalkboard rule sign by the entryway
Set up at the front door so the game starts the second guests walk in.

How to play

As each baby shower guest walks in, greet them at the diaper-drop table. Take their pack (or stack of packs), add it to the growing pile behind the table, tear off the matching raffle stubs, and hand them their tickets. Multiple packs means multiple tickets — somebody who shows up with a Costco box of 198 newborn diapers gets a serious advantage and that's the whole point. Drop your half of each stub in the bowl as you go. Tell the guest the drawing happens at the end of the shower so they hold onto their tickets.

The diaper pile becomes part of the decor. Stack the packs behind the mom-to-be's seat or next to the gift table — the visual is the reward. Guests notice it building and start joking about whose pack is on top. The mom-to-be will quietly do mental math at some point and realize she just got two hundred dollars of diapers without anyone breaking a sweat. The raffle ticket bowl sits on the front table all party, the prize next to it, so people keep glancing over.

Run the drawing near the end of the baby shower — after gifts are opened, before cake. Get everyone's attention, swirl the bowl, and have the mom-to-be pull a ticket. Read the number out loud. The matching guest claims the prize. Take a quick photo of the winner, the mom-to-be, and the diaper pile behind them — it's the photo every shower group ends up sharing in the group chat afterward. The diapers go home with the parents; the prize goes home with the lucky guest; the host did almost nothing.

A hand lifting a clothespin off another guest's shirt — the steal moment in Diaper Raffle
The moment of the steal — someone slipped, someone caught it, pin changes hands.

Variations to try

  • Wipes-and-creams expansion. Expand the raffle to include diaper wipes, butt cream (Aquaphor, Boudreaux's Butt Paste), and travel-size baby essentials. One ticket per item brought. Stocks the parents up on more than just diapers and the table looks fuller. Best when the guest list overlaps with another shower the mom-to-be has already had.
  • Size-specific draws. Run three separate raffles — one bowl for newborn and size 1, one for sizes 2–3, one for sizes 4 and up. Three smaller prizes ($15 gift cards each). Encourages guests to bring the bigger sizes that everyone forgets, which are the sizes the parents will actually need at the six-month mark when the shower stash runs out.
  • Bundle bonus tickets. Extra ticket for guests who bring "hard mode" items: size 6 diapers, overnight diapers, swim diapers, sensitive-skin wipes. Adds a strategy layer to the baby shower game. Print the bonus list in the invitation so guests know which packs score the bonus.
  • Diaper cake double-duty. After the raffle, use the donated diapers to build a diaper cake centerpiece (or pair with [[diaper-cake-decorating]]). The cake becomes the photo backdrop. The diapers later get unwrapped for the parents to use — no waste, double the visual moment.
  • Photo-raffle keepsake. After the drawing, snap a photo of the winning guest, the mom-to-be, and the diaper stash. Print it as a 4×6 and slip it inside a thank-you card to the winner. Tiny touch, lands hard for older relatives who love a printed photo.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

  • Put the raffle on the invitation, not in a follow-up group text. Last-minute requests get missed by half the guest list and the diaper stash ends up half what it could have been.
  • Use one premium prize, not five small ones. A single $25 Target or Trader Joe's gift card competes better than five $5 gift cards — guests bring a second pack for one good prize and skip the effort for five small ones.
  • Accept any brand and any size. Diapers go home; the mom-to-be uses every one. Brand strictness backfires and makes guests feel judged for the Kirkland pack from Costco.
  • Stash a backup pack at the door for forgetful guests and hand them a courtesy ticket. The goal is participation and goodwill, not strict enforcement.
  • Draw the winner near the end of the shower, after gifts are opened. Draws made too early kill the anticipation; draws made too late risk guests already leaving for the parking lot.
  • Photograph the diaper pile and the winning guest. The pile is the visible "thank you" to the room, and the photo gives the mom-to-be a great keepsake of how stocked her nursery became in two hours.
  • Pair with [[diaper-pong]] or [[diaper-bean-bag-toss]] for a fuller diaper-themed games block — the same packs can do double duty as props.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Leaving the raffle off the invitation. Guests need at least a week's notice to remember to grab diapers on the next Target run. Day-of asks get ignored.
  • Picking a tiny prize for the raffle drawing. A $5 gift card doesn't motivate anyone to bring an extra pack. The prize is the engine of the game — make it real.
  • Restricting to one brand or one size. The mom-to-be needs variety because babies grow fast and skin reactions vary. Open the door wide.
  • Drawing the winner at the very start of the baby shower. The diaper pile doesn't have time to build, the visual reward is gone, and the energy peaks too soon. Always draw near the end.
  • Letting guests forget their tickets at the table. Mid-party, the bowl looks half empty because half the guests stuck their tickets in their purse and walked away. Tell them clearly at handoff: "Hold onto this — drawing's at the end."

Best prize for this game

Pick a single prize worth $20–$50 — that's enough to motivate the second-pack run without breaking the host's budget. Strong picks: a $25 Target gift card (always wins), a Yankee Candle in "Lemon Lavender" plus a $15 Trader Joe's gift card combo, a Bath & Body Works hand-cream and body-wash duo, or a bottle of wine from Total Wine for an over-21 crowd. Display the prize visibly on the drop-off table — guests need to see what they're competing for to play hard.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

Easiest baby shower game on the list. Runs itself, costs the host five bucks, gives the parents a real diaper stash worth $150–$250, and the prize keeps guests competitive enough to actually show up with three packs instead of one.

Diaper Raffle — FAQ

Should I specify a diaper brand on the baby shower invitation?

No. Accept any brand and any size. The mix is what helps the parents — they'll discover which brand and size their baby actually fits as the months go on. Brand strictness makes guests feel judged and shrinks participation. Pampers, Huggies, Kirkland from Costco, Honest Co. — they all go home with the mom-to-be.

How many raffle tickets do I need for a Diaper Raffle?

One roll of double-stub raffle tickets from Staples or Amazon (about $4 for 2000 tickets) covers any baby shower from 10 to 100 guests. The roll lasts you for years of showers, so it's the kind of supply that earns its $4.

What happens if a guest forgets to bring diapers to the shower?

Offer them a "courtesy" pack from a backup stash you keep at the door for forgetful guests, or hand them a single ticket as a goodwill gesture. The goal of this baby shower game is participation, not strict enforcement. Aunt Karen forgets every time and gets a ticket anyway.

When should I draw the Diaper Raffle winner?

Near the end of the baby shower — after gifts are opened, right before cake. Drawing too early kills the anticipation; drawing too late risks guests already heading to the parking lot. Aim for about 30 minutes before the official end time.

How much value in diapers will the mom-to-be actually get from a Diaper Raffle?

For a 20-guest baby shower with a 90% participation rate, the mom-to-be walks away with roughly $150–$250 of diapers retail. That's enough to cover most of the first three to six months for a newborn. A 40-guest shower routinely produces $400+ of diapers.

Is Diaper Raffle good for a coed baby shower?

Yes — it's one of the best coed baby shower games because the dads, uncles, and guy friends are happy to grab a pack at Target on the way over. The raffle is gender-neutral, low-pressure, and the prize draw keeps everyone engaged through the end of the party. Pair with [[diaper-stacking-tower]] or [[diaper-pong]] for a full diaper-themed games block.

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About the author

Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team — Party planners, parents & writers. We’re a small team of party planners and parents who’ve hosted — and been guests at — dozens of baby showers. Every game here is sorted by what actually lands in a real room, not by what just looks cute on a Pinterest board.