✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Pacifier Toss

Cornhole, but with pacifiers and buckets. Three buckets at three distances, each worth one, three, and five points. Each player gets five pacifiers and one chance to look like they had a backyard hoops dream growing up. Highest total wins. It's the lowest-pressure filler game at a coed baby shower and it folds in the kids without anyone having to babysit.

🏃 Active
🧒 Kid-friendly
🍷 Coed-friendly
🤝 Low-pressure

⏱ Prep: 15 min
👥 Best for: 6–20 guests
🍷 Coed: Yes
📹 Virtual: In person

What you'll need

10–15 cheap silicone pacifiers from Dollar Tree or Amazon (a 12-pack runs $8 on Amazon)
3 small buckets, or galvanized pails from Hobby Lobby for around $4 each
Painter's tape from Michaels ($4 for a roll) or sidewalk chalk for the throw line
A small whiteboard or notepad for scoring
A small named prize: $20 Target gift card, Yankee Candle, or Bath & Body Works set
A backup baseball or beanbag in case a player wants a heavier toss

Before the shower (setup)

Pick up 10 to 15 cheap silicone pacifiers from Dollar Tree or Amazon a day or two before the baby shower. Quality doesn't matter here — most will get tossed at the mom-to-be afterward as a joke or donated to a local diaper bank. Skip designer pacifiers; they're heavy and don't fly straight. The Dollar Tree 3-pack at $1.25 and the Amazon "baby shower pacifier bulk pack" both work. Grab 3 small galvanized buckets from Hobby Lobby ($4 each) or use whatever you've got — old paint cans, planters, even cereal boxes will do in a pinch.
About 15 minutes before the games block starts, set up the course in the backyard or a wide indoor space. Mark a throw line with painter's tape or sidewalk chalk. Place the three buckets at 8 feet, 12 feet, and 15 feet from the throw line, in a rough row or triangle. Assign points: closest bucket is worth 1, the middle is worth 3, the farthest is worth 5. Stick a small handwritten card by each bucket with the point value, or just announce them at the start. If you're playing with kids, shorten the distances by 2 feet across the board.
Set up the scorekeeper's spot near the throw line — a whiteboard, a notepad, or a Google Sheet on a phone. Grab the mom-to-be and offer her the scorekeeper job; she gets to sit, stay involved, and skip the throwing if she's not up for it. Pull aside any kids who want to play and let them go first while the energy in the room is fresh. Adult rounds run more competitive once the kids are out of the way.

Front-door setup for Pacifier Toss — 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

Line up the first player at the throw line with 5 pacifiers in their hand. On their turn, they throw all 5 pacifiers one at a time, trying to land them in any of the three buckets. The scorekeeper tallies points as the player throws — 1 for the close bucket, 3 for the middle, 5 for the far one. Missed pacifiers stay on the ground until the player finishes their round, then someone gathers them and the next player steps up. The whole turn takes about 90 seconds per player.

Run through every guest who wants to play. Encourage kids to throw from a shorter line — 5 feet closer is fair and keeps them in the game. Dads will absolutely throw harder than they need to and pacifiers will bounce out of buckets; that's part of the fun. The host's job is to keep the rhythm going ("who's up next?"), spot any near-misses for the scorekeeper, and call out big throws to keep the crowd engaged. A pacifier that bounces in and then back out doesn't count — pacifier has to stay in the bucket.

After everyone's thrown, the scorekeeper announces the highest total. Hand the prize to the winner on the spot. Pacifiers all go to the mom-to-be at the end — they're brand-new and unused, perfect for the baby. If she doesn't want them, most US areas have diaper banks or local moms' groups that gratefully take pacifier donations. Snap a photo of the buckets after the last player throws — the spilled pacifiers around the buckets are a sweet visual keepsake.

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

Variations to try

Cornhole boards. Use a real cornhole board and call the bottom hole a "slot" worth 10 points instead of 5. More committed setup; more authentic feel. Worth it if you've already got a cornhole board from your last 4th of July party.
Team competition. Split players into two teams of 3 to 5. Teams alternate throws and combined team score wins. First to 21 points takes the round. Better than solo for big showers where there'd be a long lineup.
Bullseye bonus. Add a tiny fourth bucket — a coffee mug works — worth 10 points. Land a pacifier in it and you win the round outright. Adds drama and a clear "big swing" moment to every player's turn.
Tournament bracket. Run it as a single-elimination bracket with 8 to 12 players. Each match is best-of-five throws. Final match goes to 21. Best for showers with a long games block and a competitive crowd.
Pair with [[diaper-bean-bag-toss]]. Two toss games back-to-back. Same energy, different items, no overlap in mechanics. Run as a 20-minute outdoor block.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

Cheap silicone pacifiers from Dollar Tree. Quality doesn't matter, quantity does — 15 lets the host stand back and gather them up only between players.
Mark the throw line with painter's tape on a deck or sidewalk chalk on grass. Don't use real tape on hardwood or stone — it strips finish.
8, 12, and 15 feet are the right distances for adult players. Shorten by 2 feet for kid versions and the energy stays high.
Run the game as a quick filler, not the main event. 15 minutes for 8 players is plenty.
Pair with [[diaper-bean-bag-toss]] for a 20-minute back-to-back toss block.
Donate the pacifiers to the mom-to-be (or a local diaper bank) at the end. New silicone pacifiers shouldn't go in the trash.
Score on a whiteboard, not in your head. Hosts always lose track of scores by player 6 if they're trying to remember.

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying expensive pacifiers. The Phillips Avent ones throw poorly because they're heavy and lopsided. Cheap dollar-store silicone is the right call.
Setting all three buckets at the same distance. The point values stop mattering and the game flattens out. Stagger them at 8, 12, and 15 feet.
Skipping the scorekeeper role. By player 6, no one remembers the totals and the winner becomes "whoever yells loudest." Always assign one.
Running it indoors with breakable stuff nearby. Pacifiers bounce off buckets hard, and one will absolutely hit a wine glass or a candle.
Forgetting to bring the pacifiers back to the throw line between players. The game gets agonizing if every player has to walk and gather. Have a runner or use the previous player to gather.

Best prize for this game

Pick a prize that lands with a mixed coed crowd, since dads and kids both play. A $20 Target gift card works for any guest. For a more themed pick, a Yankee Candle three-wick, a Bath & Body Works gift set, or a $25 Starbucks card all play well. If your shower leans dad-heavy, a six-pack of craft beer or a small bottle of bourbon hits the right note. Add a small "runner-up" gag prize — a single pacifier on a string — for the lowest scorer to keep the tone light.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

A cornhole-style filler that pulls in the dads, the kids, and the cousin who didn't want to play anything else. Setup is 10 minutes, the game runs itself, and the leftover pacifiers go straight to the mom-to-be at the end.

Pacifier Toss — FAQ

How do I play Pacifier Toss at a baby shower?

Set up 3 buckets at 8, 12, and 15 feet from a throw line. The buckets are worth 1, 3, and 5 points based on distance. Each player gets 5 pacifiers and throws them one at a time, trying to land them in any bucket. A scorekeeper tallies points. The highest total wins.

What are the rules of Pacifier Toss?

Each player gets 5 pacifiers and throws from behind the throw line. A pacifier counts only if it lands and stays in a bucket (bounces don't count). Players can't move forward of the line on their throw. The highest score after all players have thrown wins.

What if I don't have pacifiers?

Beanbags, ping-pong balls, or small plush toys work as a substitute. The pacifier theme sells the baby-shower bit, but anything tossable does the job. Most US dollar stores carry packs of small ball-shaped items that work for $1 to $3.

Is Pacifier Toss good for a coed baby shower?

Yes — it's one of the best coed games on the list. Dads, uncles, brothers, and kids all engage with it without any awkwardness. The simple bucket-toss mechanic levels the playing field across ages.

Can Pacifier Toss be played indoors at a baby shower?

Yes, but you need a wide open room and no breakables in the line of fire. A garage or finished basement is ideal. A carpeted living room works if you move the candles and wine glasses first. Outdoor on a flat lawn or patio is the safest setup.

What's the right age for Pacifier Toss at a baby shower?

Ages 5 and up. Kids and adults both enjoy it, especially with adjusted distances for younger players. Pacifier Toss is one of the rare baby shower games that genuinely works for mixed-age groups without anyone feeling left out.

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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.