Diaper pong is beer pong for a baby shower: two teams take turns tossing ping pong balls into open diapers set up in a triangle at each end of a table, and the first team to land a ball in every one of the other team’s diapers wins. It takes about 10 minutes to set up, needs one pack of diapers and a few ping pong balls, and the diapers go home with the parents-to-be afterwards.
It works best at a coed baby shower, where a loud, competitive game gets the whole room around one table.
What do you need for diaper pong?
- 12 to 20 diapers, newborn or size 1. Six or ten per side, depending on how long you want a round to last.
- 12 to 20 small plastic cups, one inside each diaper to hold it open (optional, but the diapers stand up much better).
- 4 to 6 ping pong balls, plus a few spares that will roll under the sofa.
- A long table, ideally 6 to 8 feet. A dining table or two folding tables pushed together works fine.
- Painter’s tape to mark the throw line and keep the triangles from sliding.
- A small prize for the winning team.
How do you set up diaper pong?
- Open each diaper and pull the sides up so it stands like a little bowl.
- Drop a plastic cup inside each diaper to keep it open.
- Arrange the diapers in a triangle at each end of the table: 4-3-2-1 for ten per side, or 3-2-1 for six.
- Tape a throw line about an arm’s length from the table edge on each side.
- Split guests into two teams of 2 to 4 players. Mom-to-be against dad-to-be is a classic.
What are the rules of diaper pong?
- Teams take turns. Each player on the team throws one ball per turn.
- A ball that lands and stays in a diaper “sinks” it. Remove that diaper from the table.
- A ball that bounces on the table first and then lands counts too, but the other team may swat a bouncing ball away.
- If both players on a team sink a diaper in the same turn, they get the balls back for a bonus throw.
- When only one diaper is left, the shooting team may ask to re-rack it to the center.
- The first team to clear the other side wins.
How long does diaper pong take?
A round with 10 diapers per side takes about 15 to 20 minutes. With 6 per side it is closer to 10 minutes. For a big group, run a quick bracket of 6-diaper games and let the two winning teams play a final.
| Diapers per side | Triangle | Time per game |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 3-2-1 | About 10 minutes |
| 10 | 4-3-2-1 | 15 to 20 minutes |
What are some fun diaper pong variations?
Mom vs. Dad
Each parent-to-be captains a team. Guests pick a side when they arrive, which turns the game into a friendly rivalry for the rest of the party.
Bottle pong
Swap the diapers for open baby bottles (no nipples) filled with a little water. They are harder to hit, so use six per side.
Solo timed round
No teams: each guest gets 60 seconds to sink as many diapers as possible. Write the scores on a board and give the prize to the top three.
Mocktail pong
Put a small cup of a mocktail in each diaper. When a team sinks one, the other team drinks it. It keeps the beer pong spirit without the beer, so the mom-to-be can join in.
What do you do with the diapers afterwards?
Give them to the parents-to-be. A pack of 20 to 30 newborn diapers covers the game with some left over, and every diaper you use goes straight into the nursery. If you are already collecting diapers, pair the game with a diaper raffle, where each pack a guest brings earns a ticket for a prize at the end.
Need more games for the same party? These funny baby shower games and games for large groups pair well with diaper pong.
Frequently asked questions
Is diaper pong good for a coed baby shower?
Yes. It is one of the best coed games because it is competitive, easy to explain in one sentence, and works for guests of any age.
What size diapers should you use for diaper pong?
Newborn or size 1. They are small enough to make the game a challenge, and they are the sizes the parents will use first.
How many people can play diaper pong?
Two teams of 2 to 4 players each. For bigger groups, run several short games in a bracket.
Can you play diaper pong without cups?
Yes. Pull the diaper sides up firmly and tape the bottoms to the table so they stay open. Cups just make setup faster.
How do you win diaper pong?
The first team to sink a ball in every diaper on the other team’s side wins.