Games are a staple of baby showers everywhere. They range from silly and unique to traditional and simple. One of the most versatile of all of these games is what is commonly known as the Candy Bar Game. There are two main versions of this game that spring to mind when people hear the title, though both types have their own variations.
If you have never played either version of the game, you are definitely missing out! The games are easy to learn, easy to play, and will entertain your shower guests for sure. Your guests will be laughing, and will not forget the experience anytime soon! The two most common versions of the game include the Matching Game and the Crap Happens Game.
The Candy Bar Matching Game
The Candy Bar Matching Game is the most popular and most well-known iteration of this theme. It is not complicated, but sometimes will require a stretch of the imagination or some logic reasoning in order to come up with the correct answer for the game. It is a good game to play at the beginning of the baby shower as it acts as a fun icebreaker that helps to get the guests laughing with one another.
So how do we play?
The Candy Bar Matching Game is incredibly easy to play. In fact, all you need are the names of different popular (or even some obscure) candy bars or other types of candy and words or phrases related to parenting or baby items. The object of the game is to match the different terms and phrases with the closest candy bar that would be appropriate.
Additionally, you can only use each term and each candy name one time and one time only. The guest who is able to match the most phrases with candy bars is the winner, normally of a gift basket filled with each type of candy listed. The answer key is normally decided by the mother-to-be, or parents-to-be, so part of the game can sometimes be to guess the thinking of the guest of honor. This game can be played individually, in pairs, or even in teams.
Examples of Answers
Some examples of the types of matching answers you can have include the following:
-Breastfeeding = Milky Way
-Twin boys = Mike & Ikes
-College fund =100 Grand
-Choosing a Baby Name = Whatchamacallit
Variations on the game: One variation of this game is rather than have the guests complete a printable sheet, have the host or mother-to-be call out the term or phrase and have the guests shout out the answer from a list of candy names. For each correct answer, the guest who won the round would win the candy bar or candy that they guessed.
Another variation would be to twist the game into a jeopardy style event. With this style, the guests would be given a list of candy names, and the jeopardy categories could be things such as “People”, “Baby Items”, “Life Moments”, etc. The guests would then select a category, and when given the statement, phrase, or term, would guess the answer and receive points. The person or team with the most points at the end of the game would win a gift basket full of candy or something similar. Example style questions and answers could be as follows:
-“What new parents often call Grandparents.” Answer: Lifesavers
-“The cost of delivering a baby.” Answer: 100 Grand
A final variation on the game could be a simpler question and answer style sheet, with the candy bars functioning again as the answer. The style of questions would be similar to the jeopardy game, but printed out much like the original incarnation of the game.
-Daddy during delivery = Bonkers
-What do you call Mom, Dad, and baby? = Three Musketeers
-What does the doctor call 11-pound babies? = Whoppers
Crap Happens
Depending on where you are from and your experiences, your idea of the candy bar game for baby showers might be very different from what we have just described. For some people the game Crap Happens, also known as The Dirty Diaper Game, or Guess the Poo, is what comes to mind when asked if they want to play the candy bar game.
So how do we play?
Crap Happens is a game in which a multitude of well-known candy bars are melted or crumbled up into either a real diaper (can be cloth or disposable), or onto cute fake diapers. It is very easy to play, as long as you have a great sense of humor, are not afraid to do silly things, and can smell. To play the game, the “dirty” diapers are placed on display with their melted or crumbled contents.
Guests are asked to then put their face close to the diaper and sniff, trying to discern which candy bar is in which diaper. The more adventurous guests may also take a small sample of the candy bar poo, but many are repulsed, even knowing it is candy! The guest who guesses the most diapers correctly is the winner, normally of a candy bar gift basket like was mentioned above for the other game.
Easily recognizable Candy Bars: These include candy bars that have clearly identified fillings such as Snickers, Butterfingers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Almond Joy, Baby Ruth, Milky Way, or Nestle White Crunch. Twix would also be a super easy “give-in” if you are looking to not make it too hard on your guests.
Harder Candy Bars: The more difficult kinds of candy bar for this game include the candy bars that either have very little filling, or potentially just nuts. These candy bars will require the guests to actually smell the diapers instead of just look at them. This means candy bars such as Hershey’s, Milk Duds, Payday, Toblerone, or Junior Mints. If you want to award more points, you could include some of these in a “hard” category.
Whether “The Candy Bar Game” for a baby shower means a cutesy and funny matching game or a hilarious diaper sniffing game, either version is sure to be a hit at your shower! They will help break the ice between guests, and create a light-hearted atmosphere. Your guests will leave your shower sure to talk about the fun games they played!
