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Mom or Dad? (Parental Prediction Quiz) — baby shower game

✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Mom or Dad? (Parental Prediction Quiz)

A printed worksheet of future parenting moments — the 3 a.m. feeding, the forgotten diaper bag, the first milestone tear. For each, guests circle whether Mom or Dad will be the one to handle it. The parents react live as the host reads the room's tally. Light, funny, perfect for coed showers.

  • ✅ Crowd-pleaser
  • 🧊 Icebreaker
  • 🍷 Coed-friendly
  • 📹 Works on Zoom
⏱ Prep
15 min
👥 Best for
Any size
🍷 Coed
Yes
📹 Virtual
Works on Zoom

What you'll need

  • Printed Mom or Dad? prediction worksheets — one per guest (DIY in Google Docs or an Etsy template for $3)
  • A pen for every guest
  • A separate master copy filled in by the parents themselves (kept hidden until the reveal)
  • A small prize for the most accurate guesser ($20 gift card, candle, or wine bottle)
  • Optional: a small whiteboard for tallying votes live

Before the shower (setup)

  1. About a week before the baby shower, draft your prompt list. Aim for 15–20 prompts about future parenting moments — funny but never mean. Strong picks: "first to wake up for the 3 a.m. feeding," "first to forget the diaper bag," "first to cry at the first day of school," "first to teach the kid to drive," "most likely to over-pack for a 2-hour trip," "first to spoil the baby." Crowd-source 4–5 prompts from the friend group two weeks in advance; friends know the inside jokes that produce the loudest laughs.
  2. Build the worksheet in Google Docs or grab an Etsy printable template ($3 for a polished design). Add the parents' names at the top ("Sarah or Mike?") and list the prompts down the page with two circle-boxes next to each — "Mom" and "Dad." Print one sheet per guest plus 5 spares. Also pre-fill a master copy with the parents themselves a few days before the shower — they'll be the answer key for the reveal portion.
  3. Have the prize visible near the seating area — a $20 Target or Trader Joe's gift card, a candle, or a bottle of wine for over-21 winners. Stack the sheets and pens on a side table ready to hand out during the seated portion of the party. Optional: bring a small whiteboard or chalkboard for tallying votes live during the reveal — adds drama and helps guests follow.
Front-door setup for Mom or Dad? (Parental Prediction Quiz) — 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

Hand out the sheets and pens during the seated portion of the party — right after food, before gifts. Read the rules out loud: "For each prompt, circle whether you think Mom or Dad will be the one to handle it. Be funny, be honest, be merciful. You have 10 minutes." The parents play along too — they fill out their own sheet so the reveal becomes a comparison. Guests scribble, occasionally laugh at their own answer, and finish in 8–10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, collect every sheet. Tally votes for each prompt one at a time — call out the prompt, count Mom votes, count Dad votes, announce the room's verdict: "Most of you said Mom will be the one to forget the diaper bag — that's 12 votes to 3." Then pause. The parents react in real time — one nods, the other rolls their eyes, the room laughs. That's the whole game. The slow reveal is the joke.

After all 15–20 prompts are read, hand each guest back their sheet so they can count how many they got right (matching the parents' own master copy). Most matches wins. Hand the prize to the winner. Then give the whole stack of sheets to the parents to keep — they'll re-read them in 5 years and either laugh at how accurate everyone was or how wildly wrong.

A hand lifting a clothespin off another guest's shirt — the steal moment in Mom or Dad? (Parental Prediction Quiz)
The moment of the steal — someone slipped, someone caught it, pin changes hands.

Variations to try

  • Anonymous tally. Tally guests' answers anonymously instead of tied to names. Read only the totals per prompt, not who voted which way. Less personal pressure on guests, especially for sensitive prompts.
  • Reveal at the end. Don't tally votes live. After all sheets are filled out, the parents reveal THEIR predictions one at a time, and guests check their own sheets against the parents' answers. Whichever guest matches most parents' picks wins. Better for showers where you don't want a live tally.
  • Pair with [[mommy-daddy-prediction-cards]]. Run both back-to-back. This one is about the parents now; the other is about the baby. Together they form a 20-minute prediction block with two distinct reveal moments.
  • Roast round (friend-group only). Add 3 "roast" prompts only the close friends would catch — references to specific inside jokes from the parents' college years or college rivalry sports teams. Inside-joke gold for friend-only showers; absolutely skip for family or work-friend showers.
  • Zoom version. Send a Google Form or Typeform link in the Zoom chat. Each guest submits their predictions online. The host tallies during the gifts segment and announces the totals live, with the parents reacting on camera. Same fun, no print costs.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

  • Crowd-source prompts from the friend group at least 2 weeks ahead. Friends know the inside jokes that produce the loudest laughs.
  • Skip mean prompts. The point is light ribbing, not actual roasting — read every prompt out loud to yourself first; if it makes you wince, cut it.
  • Read the tally as a dramatic slow reveal. "Most of you said Mom… that's 11 votes to 4." Pause. Watch the parents react. That's the joke landing.
  • Give the sheets to the parents to keep afterward. They re-read them years later and laugh at how accurate (or wildly off) the predictions were.
  • Pair with [[mommy-daddy-prediction-cards]] for a longer prediction block — that game predicts the baby; this one predicts the parents.
  • Read prompts in increasing intensity. Save the funniest one ("first to cry at the high school graduation") for the final reveal.
  • Have both parents fill out their OWN sheet too. Comparing their answers to the room is half the comedy.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Including mean-spirited prompts. "Most likely to bail on parenting" lands like a knife, not a joke. Keep everything affectionate.
  • Skipping the parents' own sheet. Without their master copy, there's nothing to grade guests' predictions against.
  • Reading the tally too fast. The slow reveal IS the joke — don't rush through 20 prompts in 90 seconds. Take a beat after each tally.
  • Including prompts about one specific side of the family. "Most likely to be like your mother" cuts wrong. Keep prompts neutral.
  • Forgetting to hand the sheets to the parents afterward. The keepsake aspect is half the value — don't toss them with the napkins.

Best prize for this game

Match the casual coed energy — a $20 Target, Trader Joe's, or Starbucks gift card, a candle from Yankee Candle or Bath & Body Works, a small bottle of wine for over-21 winners, or a basket of fancy snacks. Wrap it visibly near the seating area so guests see the prize when they start filling out their sheets.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

Light-touch ribbing the parents are in on — friend-group showers love this game; family showers might wince at the dad-roast questions, so keep prompts gentle. Pair with [[mommy-daddy-prediction-cards]] for a 20-minute prediction block.

Mom or Dad? (Parental Prediction Quiz) — FAQ

How many Mom or Dad prompts should be on the sheet?

15 to 20 prompts. Fewer than 15 and the round ends in 5 minutes; more than 20 and energy crashes by prompt 16. Stick with 15 for older crowds, 20 for younger or trivia-loving ones.

What if a prompt could offend one of the parents?

Cut it. The point of this baby shower game is laughter, not awkwardness. Run the prompts past a close friend of both parents before printing — they'll catch anything that lands wrong from either side.

Should the parents fill out the sheet too?

Yes — and reveal their answers at the end. Compare their answers to the room's tally. Adds a "couples revealed" mini-round and is half the entertainment. The parents' own predictions become the master answer key for grading guests.

Is Mom or Dad good for a coed baby shower with grandparents?

Yes, if you keep the prompts light. Skip anything pointed at one specific family side or any sensitive history. "Most likely to over-pack the diaper bag" works for any room; "most likely to repeat their own parents' mistakes" does not.

How long does this baby shower game take?

About 15–20 minutes total — 10 minutes of guests filling out, 8–10 minutes of reading the tally aloud with parent reactions. Don't try to cram it shorter; the slow reveal is the whole point.

Does this work on Zoom?

Yes — see the Zoom variation. Send a Google Form link in the chat. Each guest fills it out privately. The host tallies during the gifts segment and announces totals live on camera with the parents reacting. Works just as well as 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.