Reviewed by Sophie Bell, Editor
Written by
Gemma Brushneen | 16 Feb 2024
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Gender reveal ideas
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- Best gender reveal confetti cannon:
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- Best DIY gender reveal :
- Easy gender reveal:
- Best gender reveal cake topper:
- Best gender reveal for family:
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- Best gender reveal party decorations:
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- Best gender reveal party invitations:
When you’re expecting a baby, ‘do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?’ is a question you’re sure to get asked a lot. Deciding whether to find out the gender or to keep it a surprise is a very personal decision. If you decide to find out, it’s popular to hold gender reveal parties or do a special gender reveal post on social media to share your exciting news with friends and family. Not sure where to start? We’ve got advice, ideas and the products you need for the best gender reveal.
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Best gender reveal balloon
DS Living gender reveal balloon
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Amazon
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Parents-to-be in our Babycentre Community said: “We popped a balloon over our children for our gender reveal - they loved it.”
Popping a balloon is a fun way to reveal the gender of your unborn baby. This black balloon comes with ‘Boy or Girl?’ written across it, and with pink or blue confetti. There are two sizes available to best suit your needs, either 18 or 36 inch.
The only downside is that it can be a little fiddly to get the correct colour confetti inside the balloon before blowing it up. Also, clean up from this type of reveal could be extensive. Expect to find confetti everywhere for a while!
Best gender reveal confetti cannon
Hillylolly gender reveal confetti cannon
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Amazon
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A similar idea to the confetti balloon, these confetti cannons come pre-made. This means there’s less prep needed than the balloons but still as much fun when it comes to the reveal. In themed pink and blue tubes, containing biodegradable confetti, you simply twist the bottom and aim. The confetti should travel at least 5m. You just need to choose pink or blue when you order!
Best outdoor gender reveal
EcoVerse gender reveal smoke powder and confetti cannon
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Amazon
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Parents-to-be in our Babycentre Community said: “For after my gender scan, I’ve bought four cannons - a mix of smoke and confetti. My kids are going to reveal the gender, and it’s going to be recorded and sent to family members first, then friends.”
If you fancy a more dramatic effect than a classic confetti cannon, you can also get cannons that contain biodegradable confetti and smoke powder, in, you’ve guessed it, pink or blue. This is definitely one for an outdoor gender reveal!
Best unique gender reveal
Sass Party & Gifts gender reveal exploding golf balls
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Amazon
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Parents-to-be in our BabyCentre community said: “We made a gender reveal video - my husband hit a golf ball that burst into blue smoke while me and our boys burst blue confetti cannons!”
Want a gender reveal that’s a bit different? These exploding golf balls are a fun way to do your reveal, and perfect if you or your partner is a golf fan. They come in a pack of two - one pink and one blue. Simply take aim, swing, and as long as your shot is on target, when the ball is hit it will explode into pink or blue powder.
Best gender reveal fireworks
Big Star Fireworks gender reveal fireworks
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Big Star Fireworks
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Parents-to-be in our Babycentre Community said: “We revealed it with pink fireworks and all found out together with family on Bonfire night - it was really special.”
A really memorable way to reveal the gender of your unborn baby is with fireworks. This type of reveal is perfect for the winter months when an outdoor party with confetti could end up cold and soggy. These fireworks contain 36 pops of either pink or blue. It’s worth noting that fireworks must be used responsibly, and come with lots of safety caveats. Also bear in mind any neighbours or pets that might be scared by the noise.
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Best DIY gender reveal
Card Factory balloons
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Card Factory
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Parents-to-be in our BabyCentre community said: “We revealed the gender to family and our kids today. We had pink balloons filled with helium inside a box attached to balloon weights and then opened the box.”
Opening a box to have pink or blue balloons fly out to reveal the gender is another lovely idea. This is a good DIY option as it can be done yourself with a large box and some balloons on weights. Investing in your own helium canister could bring the price up, but there’s lots of places that will fill the balloons with helium for you.
Easy gender reveal
Partyrama gender reveal balloon in a box
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Partyrama
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This balloon in a box gender reveal is ready to go as soon as it arrives! The balloons will stay inflated for up to a week and come with the box and weight included, making it an easy, fuss-free option with lots of different design choices.
Best gender reveal cake topper
Gyufise glitter ‘Boy or Girl’ cake topper
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Amazon
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Parents-to-be in our Babycentre Community said: “I made a gender reveal cake when I found out for my son, and will do the same for this one.”
If you love baking, a gender reveal cake is a great choice. You can make the inside sponge coloured with pink or blue colouring so that when you cut into it, it reveals the baby gender. This cake topper would be a great addition to a neutral coloured iced cake for a gender reveal.
Best gender reveal for family
Amscan gender reveal party pull string pinata
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Amazon
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Parents-to-be in our BabyCentre community said: “I had a gender reveal piñata, although it wasn’t one you had to hit with a stick - I didn’t want any of the kids to get hurt!”
If you are looking for a way of getting the little ones in your family involved in your gender reveal, this pull string piñata is a great idea. Simply fill it with sweets - all pink or all blue ones, and then take it in turn to pull a string until the sweets rain down, revealing the gender! It’s a safer option for younger children than a traditional piñata.
Best gender reveal banner
OBYJCA ‘Boy or Girl’ banner
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Amazon
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Simple and classic, made from tinted brown card, this banner will look lovely hanging up at a gender reveal party, or as a backdrop prop for an announcement photo. It comes with the ribbon to assemble it, and can be reused again and again for future babies, or babies of friends and family.
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Best gender reveal backdrop
Pagezol gender reveal backdrop and balloons
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Amazon
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Parents-to-be in our BabyCentre community said: “We set up a gender reveal-themed backdrop and took pictures via timer. Then we used my phone and recorded the cannons going off, with a beautiful song in the background, and sent family a snippet of the video.”
This sparkly pink and blue curtain is a great backdrop for a gender reveal party or a gender announcement photo. It comes with blow up ‘Boy’ and ‘Girl’ word balloons. Measuring 2m by 1m, the curtain also comes with an adhesive strip for easy application and the balloons are easy to inflate with a straw.
Best gender reveal party decorations
Wayfun baby decorations box kit
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Amazon
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These baby decoration boxes will level up your party decorations and could even be used afterwards as memory boxes or nursery decor. They would make for a perfect prop for a social media gender reveal too.
Best gender reveal balloon arch
Patimate Store gender reveal party balloon arch kit
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Amazon
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Balloon arches will make any party look extra special, and they are usually quite inexpensive if you buy and construct them yourself. You can also make them as big or small as you’d like to fit the area you want to display them in. If you have a bit of patience and creativity it is the perfect show stopping party decoration!
Best gender reveal party invitations
The Little Party Company Store gender reveal party invitations
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It wouldn’t be a party without family and friends. These gender reveal pink and blue-themed party invitations come in a pack of 10 with envelopes, ready for you to fill out and send to the special people in your life. They make for a lovely keepsake and make sure they are there for the big reveal!
What is a gender reveal?
Anna Marikar, mum of four and writer of the blog In The PlayroomOpens a new window helped us with her ideas and advice on gender reveals.
Anna explained: “A gender reveal is a fun way to share the news of whether you're expecting a baby boy or a baby girl, and normally to involve family and friends in the moment of finding out, making it into an occasion.”
Depending on your hospital’s policy you may be able to find out the sex of your baby at your anomaly scan, commonly known as the 20-week scan which is usually offered between 18 and 21 weeks. This scan is a routine part of maternity care and is to check your baby’s body for conditions, such as cleft lip and spina bifida, and to check the position of your placenta. Sometimes the sonographer can’t get a good enough view to tell the sex at this scan. If this happens, you may be able find out at a later scan. You can also pay for a private scan to find out the gender of your little one.
Want more information on finding out your baby’s gender?
- Everything you need to know about the 20-week scan.
- Midwife Tracey explains when you can find out if you're having a baby boy or girl.
When should you do a gender reveal?
It is totally up to you, and depends on how much of an occasion you want it to be. “After finding out the gender at the 20-week scan is a popular time to do the gender reveal. Others may find out with a private scan a little earlier like 16 weeks but most gender reveal parties are done around 20 weeks plus,” Anna advised.
It is also up to you whether you find out the gender yourself before revealing it. But how do you do a gender reveal without knowing yourself? If you choose to be surprised too, you will need the help of the sonographer who you can ask to write down the gender and put it in a sealed envelope, and also a trusted family member or friend who can organise the way you want to reveal it whilst keeping the secret.
Gender reveal ideas
There are lots of ways you can reveal the gender of your unborn child and it’s a chance to get creative if you’d like to.
Anna suggests: “Some of the most popular ideas for gender reveals are to have a party where you can pop a balloon to reveal coloured confetti, or cut into a cake to reveal pink or blue. You can also make a video beforehand recording the guesses of all the relatives and guests before revealing the gender.”
If you do not live close to your family, it is easy to be able to involve them too. Anna suggested some options for bringing the excitement of a gender reveal to family and friends who can’t make the party:
- Use a live stream feature on social media to bring the the party and gender reveal to them.
- Invite guests to a video call where you share the news.
- Record a video for them to watch later.
You can also choose to involve your older children. This can make having a new sibling even more exciting for them and help them to feel involved. Anna recommends: “If you're popping a balloon, this is an easy way to get kids involved by letting them prick the balloon, or to open a box containing balloons and see which colour flies out. You could also get them to cut the gender reveal cake, or take a bite into a cupcake to reveal the hidden colour inside.”
Making sure the moment is captured is also so important. It’s a good idea to designate a family member or friend to video the occasion, or set a camera timer with multiple shots to capture the reactions when the gender is revealed.
Still looking for inspiration? Anna has gathered some more gender reveal party ideasOpens a new window.
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Gemma Brushneen
Gemma is a BabyCentre writer who shares the world of her large family from her home in Wiltshire, along with her unique buying expertise as a mum of four.
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