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Baby Shower Ideas
You're planning a baby shower. What kind of get-together did you have in mind? Our fantastic customers have sent us themes and ideas, decorations, favors and games from elegant to hilarious. We thought we would pass them on.
Gift Games
- Guess the gift game: Get 10-15 little baby items such as nail clipper, toothbrush, bottle nipple, safety outlet plug, etc. and then wrap and number them. Let everyone feel them all and write down their guesses. Then let mom-to-be unwrap each one so people can see how many they got right. A great way to get a start on those little, but necessary, essentials since the mom-to-be gets to keep all the items.
 Gift bingo: Before you begin opening the gifts, hand out blank bingo sheets and let the guests fill in each square with the name of a different baby gift they think the expectant mom will receive (blanket, hat, onesie, rattle, book, etc.). Everyone marks his/her bingo card as the gifts are opened. Whoever gets bingo first, second and third wins a prize - usually a plastic baby bottle filled with jellybeans, M&Ms or other candy. At a couples shower, it's a great way to keep the guys' attention while the gifts are being opened.
For Game Lovers
- Baby shower game booklet: If you are planning on playing multiple games which require paper worksheets, you can create a cute booklet for each guest. Use baby wrapping paper and cut out the shape of a bib. Cut the paper that the games are on in the same shape and then attach the cover to the game(s) with ribbon at the top. The first page of the booklet could read:
The (family name) Production Company
Announces the Baby Model #1 (if it's 1st child, 2 for second and so forth)
Name of Father - Designer and Chief Engineer
Name of Mother - Production Manager
Model is due to be released in (Month and year of due date)
Two Lung Power. Free Squalling. Double Bawl Bearings.
Screaming Seats. Changeable Seat Covers. Economically Fed.
The Management does not plan to release another model during the balance of (year baby is due)
- Baby shower name tag ice breaker: Prepare name tags in advance with a picture of a baby related item (bottle, carriage, diaper, safety pin, toy soldier, theme from children's story... like Mother Goose, Jack & Jill, etc.). I just bought some stickers as I'm not good at drawing. If you know the guests names in advance, you can write their name on the tag before the party, otherwise, do it as the guests arrive. As each guest arrives, the tag is placed on their back so they can not see it. You tell each guest that the object of the game is to guess what baby-related item is on their tag with only asking other guests "yes" or "no" questions. Once they guess what's on their tag, they can then put their name tag on their front side. It is good for getting guests to interact. A prize could be given for the first or even the last person to guess their name tag baby item.
- How big is that belly? An interesting game for the forgiving mother-to -be is to have each guest guess the girth of the mother's stomach, cutting a piece of string to their estimated length. Then the mother-to-be cuts a piece of string to her actual size around and compares it to the guesses. Closest and most ridiculous can win.
- Memory game: An easy party game is to take baby items and lay them on a tray. The hostess makes one pass through the room slowly. After she leaves, the guests attempt to list everything that was on the tray. The tray items could also be gifts for mom to keep.
- Baby bottle race: Cooperative guests can race to drink punch from baby bottles. It is amazing how bad adults are at using bottle nipples!
- Grabbing clothespins: Get a rope put laundry pins all the way across the rope .The player has to get as many pins as possible with one hand .The player with the most pins wins.
- Baby food game: Get 10 jars of baby food. Number each jar then take the label off the jars and have guests try to guess what is in the jar. You may want to either leave the meat ones out, or warn the vegetarians in your group in advance that some are meat if they are going to taste.
- Baby bingo game: If you know what the baby's name is going to be, you can create bingo cards with the name of the baby at the top instead of BINGO (example: AARON, BRETT, BECCA, etc.) When a guest fills a row they shout the baby's name. Everyone enjoys it, but try to play it at the beginning of the shower because it has a tendency to take awhile!
- Baby pins in rice game: Put package of small safety pins in a bowl of dry white rice. Each guest has a turn to pick as many pins out as possible in 1 minutes time blindfolded. They sift through the rice with one hand and use the other hand to hold the pins they have removed. It is odd but the feel of the pins and rice are the same. The winner is the person with the most pins.
- Don't say baby: Ever try NOT to say the word "baby" at a baby shower? Make a necklace for each guest with cord or ribbon. Attach 3 to 5 small clothespins to the necklaces, by clipping them on. You can buy the miniature clothespins at a craft store, they come in several colors. As each guest arrives, give them their necklace and explain that anytime someone says the word "baby" they can call the person on it and take a clothespin from them. The person with the most clothespins wins!
- Baby bucks: Similar to the last idea, try "baby bucks." You pass play money out to each guest and when they catch another guest saying "baby," crossing her legs, or whatever you decide the action to be, you take her baby bucks. After playing games, take the "bucks" away from prize winners and auction off the last prizes to the guests who still have some bucks left so that everyone gets a chance to go home with something.
- Baby word scramble: Scramble the letters in baby-related words. For example, PEIADR is DIAPER and TALRET is RATTLE. Have guests race to unscramble a short list of words.
- Babies in ice game: The night before the shower, freeze small plastic babies (you can usually find at craft stores) inside ice cubes in ice cube trays. Freeze one per guest. When guests arrive, give then their "baby" in a plastic cup and have each guest guess when their "baby" will be born (when the baby will come apart from the ice cube). Make sure to write down each answer to the minute. The guests cannot hold the cup to get it to melt faster.
- Jelly beans in a baby bottle: Get a pretty baby bottle, fill it with jelly beans (I'm filling mine with all pink jelly beans as we know the baby is going to be a girl). Make little pieces of paper for the guests to fill out to guess the number of jelly beans in the bottle. Put the baby bottle on a table (I'm putting mine near the punch bowl...makes a nice pretty decoration) and put the little pieces of paper next to it (shows guests name and their guess of the number of beans). When the contest is over have one of the younger guests count the jelly beans (gives them something to do), or you count them before you put them in the bottle. You could give a prize to the one who is closest.
- Not for the faint-at-heart! A customer suggested this party game for a lot of laughs. Various flavors of chocolate were melted into diapers in the microwave. Guests had to guess which flavor of chocolate was in each diaper by smelling them.
- Diaper door prize: Hold a door prize drawing for any guests bringing diapers. Be sure to warn your guests on the invitation! Most guests will comply and the parents-to-be receive diapers in various sizes.
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