✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

He Said, She Said

Ahead of the shower you ask both parents-to-be the same set of questions, separately. At the party you read each answer out loud and guests guess who said it — him or her. The mismatches are where the laughs live, and the mom-to-be reacting to the dad's answers steals the show.

✅ Crowd-pleaser
🍷 Coed-friendly
🧊 Icebreaker

⏱ Prep: 30 min+
👥 Best for: Any size
🍷 Coed: Yes
📹 Virtual: Works on Zoom

What you'll need

A list of 15–18 questions to ask both parents — write your own or start from a free Canva baby-shower template
A way to record the answers — the notes app on your phone is plenty
Guest answer sheets numbered 1–18 with a "HE" and "SHE" box per line, OR two-sided "HE SAID / SHE SAID" paddles
Ballpoint pens — a 10-pack from Target runs about $5
Cardstock if you're printing answer sheets or paddles — Michaels sells a 50-pack for around $8
A named prize like a $25 Amazon gift card or a candle from Bath & Body Works

Before the shower (setup)

A week or two before the shower, write fifteen to eighteen questions you'll ask both parents. The best ones invite different answers — "who will be the stricter parent?", "what was your first thought when you found out?", "who is more excited to do the 2 a.m. feedings?", "what will the baby's first word be?", "who's going to cry first on the first day of school?", "describe the other parent in three words." Mix light logistics with a couple of sweet ones so the game has range. Skip anything genuinely private — this is played out loud in front of grandma.
Interview both parents separately, and keep them apart while you do it — the whole game falls apart if they compare notes. A quiet phone call each, or catch them in different rooms, and type their answers word-for-word into your notes app. Word-for-word matters: "uhh, probably me, I guess" is funnier read aloud than a tidy paraphrase. If the dad-to-be won't be at the shower, this is also the moment to record a short video of him answering — playing it back is a guaranteed hit.
Build the guest side. Two options: numbered answer sheets where guests circle HE or SHE for each quote, or a pair of paddles per guest — "HE SAID" on one, "SHE SAID" on the other — for a louder, more visual round. Paddles are more fun for a big or coed crowd; sheets are easier to score precisely. Print on cardstock so they hold up, lay them out with pens, and keep your master answer list somewhere the parents can't peek before the game starts.

How to play

Gather everyone with their answer sheet or paddles and seat the two parents-to-be where the room can see them — they're the live entertainment for this one. Explain the rule: "I'm going to read an answer one of them gave me. You decide — did HE say it or did SHE say it? Mark your guess. We'll find out who's right after each one." Read the question, then the answer, in the parent's own words. Guests lock in their guess.

Reveal after every single quote — don't save them all for the end. Call out "that was… DAD" and let the room react. The energy comes from the gap between the guess and the truth, and from the parents themselves: the mom-to-be hearing the dad's answer to "describe her in three words" for the first time is the moment the whole game is built around. Give the parents space to laugh, protest, and explain. Keep a light pace so it doesn't drag — fifteen to eighteen quotes in about fifteen minutes.

Guests keep a running tally of correct guesses. After the last quote, the highest score wins — for a tie, re-read one quote nobody got and the first tied guest to shout the right answer takes it. Hand over the prize, then let the parents have the last word: ask each of them which guest answer surprised them most, or which of their own answers they'd change now. That wrap-up keeps the spotlight warm and sends the game out on a laugh.

Variations to try

Paddle round. Skip the answer sheets — give every guest a "HE SAID" paddle and a "SHE SAID" paddle and have them raise one after each quote. Louder, more visual, and you can see the whole room disagree at once. Best for big or coed crowds where energy beats precise scoring.
Daddy questionnaire. Only the dad-to-be answers, and the questions are all about the mom and the baby. Read his answers aloud and the mom-to-be guesses or grades each one. Perfect when the dad can't make the shower — film him answering and play the clip. Pairs with [[who-knows-mom-best]].
Live hot seat. Skip the pre-interview. Sit the parents back to back, ask a question, and both answer at the same time on a count of three. Guests scored whether the parents matched. Higher risk, bigger payoff — only do this with an outgoing couple.
Grandparents edition. Interview the two grandmothers-to-be instead — "who spoiled their kids more?", "who gave the worst baby advice?". A warm twist that pulls the older guests into the spotlight. Lovely at a multi-generation shower.
Virtual version. Record both parents answering on video beforehand. On the Zoom call, read each question, let guests type "HE" or "SHE" in the chat, then play the clip of the real answer. The reveal lands even better on video. Works for any remote group size.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

Interview the parents completely separately and tell them not to compare answers. One spoiler conversation and the surprise — the whole game — is gone.
Write their answers down word-for-word, filler and all. "Honestly? No idea, ask her" is funnier read aloud than a polished paraphrase.
Reveal after each quote, not at the end. The laugh is in the immediate reaction; saving them all kills the rhythm.
Front-load one or two easy, sweet questions so the game opens warm before it gets competitive.
If the dad-to-be can't attend, film his answers. A thirty-second clip of him guessing the baby's first word outperforms anything read off a card.
Keep it to fifteen to eighteen quotes. Past twenty, guests stop caring about the score and the parents run out of reactions.
Steer clear of private or touchy questions — this is read in front of family. For a gentler companion game, run [[mom-or-dad-quiz]] or [[mommy-daddy-prediction-cards]].

Common mistakes to avoid

Letting the parents answer together. If they hear each other, every answer converges and there are no funny mismatches left.
Cleaning up their answers. Paraphrasing into neat sentences strips out the exact wording that makes a quote land.
Saving all the reveals for the end. Guests lose track, the parents have nothing to react to in the moment, and the game flattens out.
Writing questions that are too similar. Eighteen versions of "who's more excited?" gives the game no range — mix logistics, silly, and sweet.
Going too long. More than twenty quotes and the room's energy is gone well before the final tally.

Best prize for this game

A $25 Amazon gift card is a safe, wanted prize for the guest who reads the couple best. A Bath & Body Works candle or lotion set (around $20) suits any crowd. For a coed shower, a six-pack of a local craft beer or a bottle of wine from Trader Joe's rewards the winner without feeling fussy. A $20 Starbucks card is the easy crowd-pleaser. Whatever you choose, name it when you start the round — "whoever knows these two best walks away with this $25 Amazon card" — because a vague "a little prize" gets a fraction of the guessing energy.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

It turns the parents-to-be into the entertainment without putting either on the spot live. The prep takes real effort, but a good question list lands laughs the whole way through and works just as well with the guys there.

He Said, She Said — FAQ

How do you play He Said, She Said at a baby shower?

Before the shower, ask both parents-to-be the same 15–18 questions separately and write down their answers. At the party, read each answer aloud and guests guess whether HE or SHE said it, marking a sheet or raising a paddle. Reveal after each one, and the guest with the most correct guesses wins.

What questions should you ask for He Said, She Said?

Ask things that invite different answers from each parent: who'll be the stricter parent, who's more excited for night feedings, what the baby's first word will be, your first reaction to the news, describe the other parent in three words. Mix logistics, silly, and sweet — and skip anything too private.

Is He Said, She Said good for a coed baby shower?

Yes — it's one of the best coed options. Both parents are featured, the humor comes from the couple rather than from the guests, and the paddle version gives the whole mixed crowd something loud and visual to do together.

What if the dad-to-be can't come to the shower?

Film him answering the questions beforehand on your phone. At the shower you read the question, guests guess, then you play his clip for the reveal. A short video of the dad actually answering usually gets a bigger laugh than reading it off a card would.

How long does He Said, She Said take to play?

About fifteen minutes for fifteen to eighteen quotes, since you reveal and react after each one. The real time cost is the prep — interviewing both parents beforehand takes thirty minutes or so, which is why it's a plan-ahead game.

Can you play He Said, She Said on Zoom?

Yes. Record both parents answering on video ahead of time. On the call, read each question, let guests type HE or SHE in the chat, then play the clip of the real answer. The video reveal actually plays even better remotely than in person.

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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.