Fun Baby Shower Games and Ideas
Baby showers originally began with an expectant mother, her family, and close friends; however, those “traditional” times are beginning to change. Many showers now have guests from both genders. Baby showers are now also occurring before and after the child is born.
If you are interested in throwing a baby shower for an expectant mother, it is advisable to first talk to the mother’s family. The last thing you want to do in unintentionally cause a conflict if another baby shower is being planned. You can also talk to the mother and determine her interests in having a shower and determine any potential guests, unless you intend your shower to be a surprise. It is not uncommon for one mother to have more than one baby shower. When I was pregnant with my first child, I actually had three baby showers thrown for me. My parents got divorced when I was a child; therefore, my mother and my dad’s family each held separate baby showers. I was also later given one by the family of my baby’s father.
If there will be multiple baby showers given for different friends or family members, it may be a good idea to hold them at opposite times. For example, one of my baby showers was held before my child arrived and at that time I received lots of advice and gifts for a newborn. The other two showers where given after my daughter was born. I already had most of the essential items for a newborn and was later given items pertaining to older infants, which helped out a lot.
Hosting a baby shower can potential be costly and stressful; however, there are many tips to make the planning easier. As previously stated, it is recommend that you discuss the shower with the mother or her family. You may often find that someone else may be interested in helping you plan and share the cost of the shower. You can decide on a theme for a baby shower or just decorate based on the gender of the child, if it is known. When you send out invitations, you could list which items the new parents may need for their baby or include a retailer where they have registered for baby gifts.
On the day of the party, make sure you have plenty of snacks, drinks, and of course a cake! Many new mothers are developing scrapbooks for their children; therefore, make sure someone is always taking pictures. Before I started opening gifts at one of my showers, the hostess took a clothes line and hung it up across the whole room. Whenever I opened a present that contained a piece of clothing, she hung it on the clothes line. When all the gifts were opened, I was amazed to see the line was full and all the clothes were beautiful. This allowed all the guests to get a view of the clothing and it made a great picture when my daughter and I stood in front of the clothing line. The hostess also had taken a paper plate and connect a ribbon to it. Once each present was opened, the bow would be placed on the plate and once we were done, I had a nice colorful hat!
To game or not to game? Often times people will refer to the “silly” or “boring” games that they played at previous baby showers. There are a lot of baby shower games that can be fun and educational for the new parents. At the time of my first shower, we hadn’t decided on a name for my child; however, I had already decided the middle name would be Elizabeth, to honor my grandmother. My mother asked everyone to write down their top three favorite first names that would go with the middle and last name of my expectant child. After everyone finished writing their names, my mother read them out loud and everyone had to cheer when they heard a name that they liked. Another fun event that occurred at my shower was when my mother made up a story about my child; however, she left some blanks. Some of the blanks included the child’s name, favorite color, favorites animal, and occupation later in life. Each guest was given this sheet of paper and asked to fill in all of the information. It was fun to read what everyone thought my child could become.
There are many different gifts, themes, and games to play at baby showers. A baby shower can help give new mothers tips on raising children and by giving much needed baby gifts, can help save the expectant parents some money. Whether you are the expectant mother, guest or hostess, a baby shower is a terrific way to bring everyone together.
