Last Updated on February 5, 2022
Becoming a dad is one of the most important events in a man’s life, so show him your support and surprise him with a perfect new dad survival kit. You can make a funny present or take a practical route; the choice is yours. Keep on reading to learn the most popular items in new dad survival kits and see examples for inspiration.
DadProgress is a reader-sponsored website, so all the product links are paid links and take you to Amazon for the latest price (without any extra cost to you)
Table of Contents
How to Make a New dad Survival kit?
1. Print this FREE PRINTABLE to get a shopping list and save some time thanks to predesigned labels
2. Choose a suitable vessel. Baskets, buckets, and different boxes are all trendy. Baby bathtubs are ideal if you’re planning to take a more practical route or just need a larger vessel
3. Choose and buy your items from the provided shopping list
4. Cut out your labels. The free printable also includes empty tags in case you’re not happy with our prewritten ones
5. Attach your labels to items using twine or clothespins
6. And…guess what… you’re ready to surprise the lucky new dad!
Funny new dad Survival kit Example
There are endless possibilities when it comes to creating a funny new daddy survival kit. A little laugh and friendly banter will help to remind the new father that he’s important too, despite all relatives circulating the baby and mother.
Item Suggestions:
- Coffee and Coffee mug
- Rubber Gloves
- Clothespins
- Air Freshener
- Condoms
- Bottle of Whiskey
- Earplugs
- Funny T-shirt
Practical new dad Survival kit Example
A modern father is expected to help out with a baby. That doesn’t mean he has to learn to breastfeed. There are other ways he can help his partner.
For example, he could (and very likely will) pull an all-nighter with the baby. He can repair the stroller and be ready for small emergencies. A practical new parents’ survival kit should hold items that will make these tasks easier.
Item Suggestions:
- Coffee and Coffee mug
- Oil
- Pump
- Band-Aids
- Ibuprofen
- Exercise Ball
- Earplugs
- Precooked Meal
- Pacifier
Comprehensive new dad Survival kit Example
You need a big vessel if you wish to include all the items that I’ve listed in the next section. Include all the mentioned popular items to make a really impressive gift.
List of 23 Popular Items in Funny and Practical new dad Survival Kits
Take a look at our list of items and enjoy our prewritten labels. They are all included in the DadProgress Free Printable!
Blue boxes provide additional information for some things because they may not be such obvious choices at first.
DadProgress is a reader-sponsored website, so all the product-links are paid links and take you to Amazon for the latest price (without any extra cost to you)
1. Coffee and Coffee mug
Label idea:
“Say goodnight to your beauty sleep, because it’s not coming back any time soon. That’s OK though, you’re handsome enough to get you by for the next couple of years of no sleep”
2. Snacks
Label idea:
“It’ll be a few years before you can parade your kid around on Halloween only to loot their candy later, for now, this will keep your sweet tooth smiling”
3. Precooked Meal
Label idea:
“Who has time to cook? Certainly not you. Ever. Get used to it”
4. Hand Sanitizer
Label idea:
“Think you’ll have even a nano-second to run to the bathroom and wash your hands after changing a diaper? Not going to happen. Make it quicker with hand sanitizer”
5. Air Freshener
Label idea:
“Does it smell like something exploded in here?” Yes it does. Your baby’s bum”
6. Rubber Gloves
Label idea:
“Changing a diaper can be like investigating a crime scene. Try your best to get in and out unscathed”
7. Baby Wipes
Label idea:
“Leave your baby’s bottom slicker and cleaner than an ice rink in December”
| Another option is to buy a separate backpack that includes all the essentials for diaper-change. Check out what HighSpeedDaddy has to offer to boost your new dad survival kit. The bag has an integrated wipe holder and a diaper mat. There’s also enough room for diapers, toys, and an extra set of clothes. This backpack is guaranteed to make him look…well prepared. |
8. Clothespins
Label idea:
“The more help you can enlist when changing diapers, the better. This little army of clothespins will be the closest thing to a best friend you’ll see for quite some time”
9. Exercise Ball
Label idea:
“Nothing better than helping your baby burp up those little air bubbles and get your daily squats in…because your gym time is going to be on hiatus for the foreseeable future”
| If your baby has trouble sleeping, then you have my sympathy. The first months were quite hard for us, and this thing helped a lot. Every father can take his baby and gently bounce on a stability ball. It’s an excellent way to soothe your infant. URBNFit is a popular brand! TIP: One of the reasons for infants to cry is gas, which means that you have to burp your little one. There are many ways to do that, but I found the exercise ball to be the easiest. There’s nothing special you have to do. Keep your baby close to your chest, support his rear with one hand, her head with the other, and gently bounce. You can always use it for actually working out. Is your baby crying all night? Give your partner some time to sleep! Do ten push-ups and crunches every 30 minutes. Next time try to do eleven every 30 minutes and so on. This routine helps you to stay awake. You may not get much sleep, but at least you’ll get killer abs. |
10. Oil
Label idea:
“Why does this stroller sound like a haunted house?” Nobody wants to hear the eek and creek of stroller wheels. This oil will make it sound a lot less scary when you need it”
11. Pump and Puncture Repair kit
Label idea:
“The last thing you need on your daily stroll is a flat tire – because there are no breakdown lanes for strollers. Make a quick fix and patch and get back to rolling your baby around like they’re royalty”
| A stroller maintenance kit is a useful thing to have! Air-filled tires provide the smoothest ride, but models with inner tubes deflate quite quickly. So if your stroller has them, then a pump is a necessity in the new dad survival kit. Additionally, you may also want to consider a puncture repair kit. I was quite happy about having it after discovering a nail in one of the tires. Consider a Vibrelli Performance Floor Pump that comes with a puncture repair kit. Sooner or later, your stroller starts to creak, and then you’ll need lubricant. |
12. Cozy Socks
Label idea:
“Welcome to the life of not leaving your house for several weeks at a time. May as well make the most of it and keep those hairy little toes of yours warm”
13. Whiskey
Label idea:
“Let’s be honest, you will need this…”
14. Condoms
Label idea:
“You can barely handle one baby, you think you’re ready for two?”
15. Ibuprofen
Label idea:
“Imagine that everything that bothered you caused you to scream as loud as humanly possible for an indeterminate amount of time. That’s your baby. You’re going to need lots of ibuprofen”
| Ibuprofen is an excellent pain-reliever for adults. That said, you should also buy paracetamol (acetaminophen) for children. It’s an excellent pain-reliever and a fever reducer for kids. Make sure the dosing is appropriate with your child’s weight: Paracetamol appropriate dose is 10-15 mg/kg/dose. |
16. Band-Aids or an Emergency kit (First aid kit, Nasal Aspirator, and Thermometer)
Label idea:
“Somehow your baby will find a way to get a paper cut, and they’re not even doing your paperwork (yet). For all the little nicks and scrapes, these are a lifesaver”
| Buying an “emergency kit “for your new dad survival kit is a practical choice. It’s better to have a first aid kit and never have to use it than finding yourself without one when in need. A baby first aid kit by PreparaKit is an excellent choice. I’ve discovered that first aid kits don’t hold a nasal aspirator or a thermometer. This means that you have to buy them separately. A nasal aspirator by FridaBaby is a popular choice. |
17. Earplugs or Headphones
Label idea:
“The only peace and quiet you’re going to get is either by moving into a cave in the Himalayas, or wearing these on a regular basis, the choice is your. You should note the weather in the Himalayas isn’t great”
| Earplugs are for a dad to get some sleep, but headphones may be a better choice. The last thing parents want is to wake up their baby. Will you need decent headphones? Well, that depends on three things. How big is your home (how likely is your baby to hear you)? How sensitive is he or she? How loudly do you want to binge-watch your favorite TV series? My answers were: “Not big enough! Very! Loudly!” So I ended up buying wireless noise-canceling headphones by Bose. |
18. Pacifier
Label idea:
“Your new little buddy wants something to calm down. You can’t share your whiskey. What do you do? Pacifier to the rescue!”
19. Toy Rattle
Label idea:
“Shake-a Shake-a Shake-a. Repeat process. For hours”
20. Funny T-shirt
Label idea:
“Instill the wonderful sense of humor you’ll need to have to raise a child with a t-shirt that let’s the world know “Comedian in Training”
21. Soft Baby Book
Label idea:
“You’re going to be reading a lot, and not a single piece of reading material has a centerfold. Get used to it”
| Soft baby books are for a dad to spend some quality time with the little one. A tablet will help to incorporate some “me-time “into the daily schedule as well. After becoming dads, men will discover that they have much less time for themselves. Spending time with the baby is essential for bonding and his development. Spending time at home is vital for your relationship. That said, he’ll have to get stuff done. Yes, a father can do almost everything with a mobile phone. If he has a lot of reading to do, then a bigger screen saves him time though. Does your baby sleep in a stroller? Great! The new dad can take a tablet with him, sit in a local coffee house, and binge-watch his favorite TV series. He may also get some actual work done. There are many different types and brands out there. My personal choice is the Apple iPad. |
22. Disposable Plates
Label idea:
“Wait until you see the extinction level event mess your little one can make during meal time. These disposable plates will make it a little more bearable”
23. Bib
Label idea:
“Imagine how hard it is to eat that fast food at 2am after a few hundred beers. That’s how your poor baby feels every meal. The bib will help”
That’s it!
Hopefully, this post will help you to make a perfect new dad survival kit! This FREE PRINTABLE will get you started! Thanks for reading:)
