✍️ Lauren Whitaker · Updated May 2026

Toilet Paper Belly Guess

Each guest tears off a length of toilet paper they think will wrap exactly once around the mom-to-be's belly. No measuring tape, no peeking. The host wraps every strip around her in turn and the closest fit wins.

✅ Crowd-pleaser
🧊 Icebreaker
🤝 Low-pressure

⏱ Prep: 5 min
👥 Best for: 8–30 guests
🍷 Coed: Yes
📹 Virtual: In person

What you'll need

A full roll of soft toilet paper Charmin or Cottonelle from Target works perfectly (around $6)
Sharp scissors optional but useful, one or two pairs from the kitchen drawer
A tape measure from the Walmart sewing aisle ($3) for tiebreakers
Small name-tag stickers or sticky notes to label each guest's strip Target's office aisle has a pack for around $4
A camera or phone to photograph the lineup of guesses for the parents' baby book
A named prize like a $20 Trader Joe's gift card or a Yankee Candle classic

Before the shower (setup)

A few days before the shower, send the mom-to-be a quick private text and ask if she's comfortable with the Toilet Paper Belly Guess. Most moms-to-be are fine with this version because the toilet paper makes it goofy instead of clinical the yarn version of the same game feels more body-focused. If she's a yes, you've got the green light. If she's a no, switch to the write-only variation (each guest writes their guess in inches on a sticky note) or pick [[guess-the-due-date]] instead. The asking-first step matters more than the game itself.
On shower morning, pick up a fresh roll of soft toilet paper. Charmin or Cottonelle from Target works perfectly for around $6 single-ply tears more cleanly than super-soft quilted, and a fresh roll means no judgmental "is this clean?" looks from guests. Grab a small basket from your kitchen to hold the torn strips after guests turn them in. Pull a tape measure out of the sewing drawer for tiebreakers. Print or hand-write small name-tag stickers one per guest so each strip gets labeled with its owner's name.
Set up the playing space near the seated guests, but pick a spot where the mom-to-be can stand and turn without feeling like she's on a stage. A clear stretch of living-room floor works. Keep a chair right next to where she'll stand in case she wants to sit between strips third-trimester standing for ten minutes is more than most moms can do without breaks. Have the named prize visible from the start so guests see what they're competing for.

Front-door setup for Toilet Paper Belly Guess 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

Pass the toilet paper roll around the seated circle of guests. Walk through the rule out loud: "Tear off a length of toilet paper you think will wrap exactly once around the mom-to-be's belly. No measuring with your hands, no asking your neighbor, no holding it up against her. Pure freehand. Tear, label with your name, drop it in the basket." The first three guests usually tear comically short. That's fine those guesses become the running laugh. The Toilet Paper Belly Guess works because guests are bad at it.

Once every strip is in the basket, the mom-to-be stands up at the spot you set aside earlier. The host pulls each strip out one at a time, reads the name on the tag, and wraps it around her belly. "Strip from Aunt Linda under by six inches." "Strip from Cousin Mike over by two feet." The over/under-by-how-much commentary is the whole audience moment. Strips that wrap with no overlap and no gap are "perfect fit." Strips that wrap around twice are "way over." Hold each strip up briefly so the room can see the result before moving on.

When every strip's been tested, announce the closest fit. Hand the prize to the winner. Photograph the lineup of strips on the floor tiny ones, huge ones, just-right ones for the parents' baby book. The whole round wraps up in eight to ten minutes for fifteen guests. After the prize, fold the strips into a labeled envelope for the baby book if the mom-to-be wants the keepsake, or recycle them. Either way, transition into the next game on your shower timeline.

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

Variations to try

Yarn or ribbon version. Use a ball of yarn or pretty ribbon from Michaels instead of toilet paper. Slightly more formal, pin the cut ribbons in a baby memory book as a keepsake. Works for a tea-party-style shower where toilet paper feels too casual.
Write-only version. Each guest writes their guess in inches on a sticky note. The mom-to-be measures herself privately later and reveals the real number. No public wrapping moment for guests who are body-shy. Closest written guess wins.
Dad-to-be first. Let the dad-to-be tear his strip first, before the rest of the room. His guess being off by a foot is the running joke that warms up the whole round. The wedding-band-on-the-table reveal of a dad who underestimated his wife's belly by twelve inches is universal comedy.
Belly and bust round. Run two rounds one for the belly, one for the bust (chest circumference). The contrast is funny because most guests get the belly wildly wrong and the bust roughly right. Skip if the mom-to-be flags discomfort with the bust round in advance.
Pair with [[guess-the-due-date]]. Both guessing games but without the body-focus angle. Run Due Date first as a seated round, then Toilet Paper Belly Guess as the up-and-moving second act. Twenty-minute games block.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

Always ask the mom-to-be first. Some moms hate body-focused games even when they're the friendlier toilet paper version. The asking matters more than the game.
Use single-ply toilet paper for cleaner tears. Quilted Charmin tears jagged and strips bunch up when wrapped.
Save the winning strip in the parents' baby book with the winner's name written on the back. Guests love seeing it again at the one-year birthday party.
Never comment on the mom-to-be's actual size while wrapping. The point is the guessing, not the body commentary. "Way over" and "way under" are fine; specifics about her measurements are not.
Have a backup roll ready first-time guessers always rip too short the first time and ask for a second try.
Label every strip with the guest's name on a sticky note before it goes in the basket. Without labels, you'll be guessing at the end.
Run this version instead of [[guess-the-belly-size]]. The toilet paper version is friendlier, faster, and gets more laughs.

Common mistakes to avoid

Running this without asking the mom-to-be first. Even the toilet paper version focuses attention on her body, and some moms-to-be quietly hate it.
Commenting on her actual size while wrapping. "Wow, she's bigger than I thought!" lands wrong every time. Stick to "over" or "under," never specifics.
Using a half-empty toilet paper roll. The judgment-call look from guests when you pull out a used roll kills the round. Buy a fresh one for $6.
Forgetting to label the strips. Without name tags, you'll be holding up unclaimed strips at the end and guests lose track of their own guesses.
Standing the mom-to-be for too long. Third-trimester guests can't stand in one spot for ten minutes. Have a chair ready and let her sit between strips.

Best prize for this game

Match the prize to the casual, laugh-driven nature of the Toilet Paper Belly Guess. A $20 Trader Joe's gift card hits perfectly. A Yankee Candle classic (Vanilla Cupcake or Clean Cotton) lands well for any age. A small Bath & Body Works lotion-and-soap duo ($20) is the safe coed pick. A $15 Starbucks card paired with a small box of Trader Joe's chocolates also works. For an over-21 shower, a small bottle of wine. Wrap visibly so guests see what they're competing for from the first tear of the roll.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

Zero prep, wildly fun, and the guesses are usually off by a foot in either direction that's the whole joke. The Toilet Paper Belly Guess is the friendlier cousin of the yarn version and almost always the better baby shower game pick.

Toilet Paper Belly Guess FAQ

Is the Toilet Paper Belly Guess uncomfortable for the mom-to-be?

Some moms-to-be hate body-focused games even when they're the casual toilet paper version. Always ask in private a few days before. If she hesitates at all, switch to the write-only variation or pick [[guess-the-due-date]] instead. The asking-first step is the difference between a fun game and an awkward moment.

How many sheets of toilet paper do guests need for the belly guess?

Each guest tears whatever they think will fit. Most guests use eight to fourteen sheets that's about the right circumference at thirty-eight to forty-four inches. Have a full fresh roll available so nobody runs out, and a backup roll for first-tear do-overs.

What's the right way to wrap each guest's strip around the mom-to-be?

A single wrap from the front, around the side, to the back, and meeting where it started. Closest-to-meeting wins. Overlap means "over by how many inches"; gap means "under by how many inches." Hold each strip up briefly so the room can see the result before moving on.

How long does the Toilet Paper Belly Guess take?

About eight to ten minutes for fifteen guests three to five minutes of tearing, five minutes of wrapping and announcing winners. Run it as a mid-party round, not an opener, so guests are warmed up before the up-and-moving moment.

Can multiple guests have the same length of toilet paper?

Yes. Closest to "perfect single wrap" wins regardless of how many other guests had similar guesses. If two strips fit equally well, use the tape measure to break the tie measure each strip and the mom-to-be's actual belly and pick the closer number.

Is the Toilet Paper Belly Guess good for a coed baby shower?

Yes the dad-to-be playing first usually delivers the biggest laugh because guys typically underestimate by a foot. Skip the bust-round variation for coed showers and stick to the belly-only version to keep the tone right.

Similar baby shower games

Browse by category

About the author

Lauren Whitaker is the founding editor of Best Baby Shower Games. A former Minneapolis event coordinator and mom of two, she has planned, hosted, or guested at more than 40 baby showers over the past decade. Every game on the site is one she has tested at a real shower before it earns a spot.