If you are planning a baby shower for yourself or a loved one and want to include a host of exciting, hilarious, and downright entertaining baby shower games for everyone to enjoy but have no idea where to begin – relax. We’ve got you covered.
The key to a great baby shower is making sure all the guests – from the mother-in-law to the mom-to-be herself – have a great time.
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Who Should Plan the Baby Shower?
So, there’s no cardinal rule as to who should organize and host the baby shower. But it is generally concluded that it shouldn’t be down to the mom-to-be to do it.
It doesn’t matter who does the legwork, though, as long as someone does.
It can be a friend, relative, co-worker, neighbor, etc. It can even be the expecting mom if she’s the sort who likes to plan and host these events – or maybe she knows what she wants and doesn’t trust anyone else to do it – we’re not here to judge! It’s her day, after all.
Once the organizer has been nominated, it is then worth creating a line of communication between yourself, the guests, and the pregnant mom (unless it’s a surprise). Good ways of doing this include a Facebook group, WhatsApp group chat, or even a regular meet-up over coffee.
What Makes a Great Baby Shower?
Sure, the gift side of a baby shower is important. You’ll want to ensure all the guests know what to buy the new mom so that she’s kitted out for when the bundle of joy arrives, but making sure everyone has a great time is fundamental too.
The secret to baby shower success comes down to 5 key points:
- Good organization
- Delicious food
- Gifts (a gift list can be helpful)
- Location
- Entertainment
Also, it’s essential to carve out plenty of time for everyone to relax, chat, and enjoy themselves. There’s nothing worse than a rushed baby shower.
Where Should the Baby Shower Take Place?
For this area of baby shower planning, it’s wise to consult the mom-to-be about her preference. But, again, suppose the baby shower is to be a surprise.
In that case, you’ll need to do some sleuth work about where she feels most comfortable for this event. For example, is she a homebody, or does she have a restaurant or venue she adores?.
Choosing the right location can depend on a series of factors, including a budget, time of year, and practicality.
But really, there are no rules here. Many venues are happy to host a baby shower and will allow you to make reservations. Still, baby showers often take place inside a home/garden or even at a workplace. If the mom-to-be is a co-worker during lunch or even at the local park over a picnic.
The trick is always remembering that the day is about the mom, so her wants and needs should be the main focus.
Why Host a Baby Shower?
Baby showers are designed to help the pregnant mom prepare for the arrival of her baby. You’ve undoubtedly heard the expression, “it takes a village to raise a child” – while this may seem slightly OTT, it’s not far from the truth.
Bringing a new little human into the world is a huge and often scary thing for a mom (especially the first time around). So having the ladies in her life rally around is a pivotal way to show her some support.
Also – it helps her physically get prepared for the stalk to drop by providing gifts for both Mother and Baby to use. Gift ideas include:
- Baby clothes
- Diapers
- Breast pumps
- Baby toys
- Formula
- Maternity items, such as nursing bras
- Gift cards
- Spa treatments for Mom to enjoy
12 Most Popular Baby Shower Games
Games are designed to be fun, right? So the trick to a great baby shower is choosing some games to give everyone a giggle. The most popular games for baby showers in 2023 include:
“Because I Said So”
What you’ll need:
- Pens & paper (one per guest)
- A bowl for the paper slips
How it works:
- Each guest writes down a piece of clichéd advice from their parents’ heyday.
- Make sure all guests fold up their pieces of paper and place them in a bowl.
- Let everyone choose a slip and read the advice, and then guess who wrote the advice & whether they’d impart this wisdom to their own little ones.
“Guess Who?”
What you’ll need:
- Baby photos (from each guest)
- A big bowl
How it works:
- Each guest must bring a photo of themself as a baby and deposit it in the bowl when they arrive at the shower. Try to make sure no one sees each other’s picture.
- A designated host will then show each photo to the group, and everyone has to guess who the baby in the picture is. An excellent ice-breaker baby shower game if many of the guests do not know each other.
“Pregnant Twister”
What you’ll need:
How it works:
- It’s a regular Twister, but the participants place a faux-belly (the balloon) under their shirts and attempt to navigate this game with a big pregnant belly!
A guaranteed baby shower game to make everyone laugh! Please note: it’s probably best that the mom-to-be sits this one out….
“Name the Celebrity Baby”
What you’ll need:
- Pics of celebrity babies (e.g., Shiloh Jolie-Pitt) or current celebrities (such as Beyonce) when they were little. You’ll need a minimum of 10.
- Pens & paper for everyone.
- A prize/prizes (optional)
- A forfeit option (optional/your choice)
How it works:
- Each guest has a pen and a piece of paper, and a host will display the photos for everyone to see, allowing each guest to write down who they think the baby is.
- Whoever gets the most correct answers wins a prize. Whoever gets the most incorrect answers has to do the forfeit task.
Blindfold Diaper Game
What you’ll need:
- A fresh diaper (one per guest)
- A doll
- A blindfold
- A prize (optional)
- A forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- Each guest gets a chance to put their diaper-wrapping skills to the test – but with a blindfold on! Take turns putting a fresh diaper on the doll and blindfolding the participant.
- Whoever does the best job putting the diaper on the “baby” while blindfolded wins the prize. Whoever does the worst job gets the forfeit.
“Baby Drawings”
What you’ll need:
- Paper plates (one per guest)
- Sharpies (one per guest)
- A prize (optional)
- A forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- Each guest draws a baby on their plate, making it as realistic as possible.
- The mom-to-be judges the best artist (and the worst), divvies the prize, and forfeits accordingly.
“Pregnancy Cravings”
What you’ll need:
- Pens & paper per guest
- A prize (optional)
- A forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- The mom-to-be chooses 5-10 of her most bizarre pregnancy cravings and explains them without saying directly what they are.
- The guests write down what they think each craving is.
- Mom reveals each; whoever gets the most correct answers wins the prize. The biggest loser gets the forfeit.
“Baby Wordsearch”
What you’ll need:
- This printable word search (one per guest)
- Sharpies (one per guest)
- Prize (optional)
- Forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- Each guest has a copy of the word search and has to complete it in a certain amount of time.
“Worldly Baby”
What you’ll need:
- Pens & paper (per guest)
- 20-30 translations for the word “baby” (for the host only)
- Prizes & forfeits (optional)
How it works:
- The host will announce each translation for the word “baby,” and the guests will write down what country/language they think they’re from.
- Whoever gets the most correct answers wins.
“Babies Against Parenthood”
What you’ll need:
- This printable card game.
- Cardstock
Those familiar with Cards Against Humanity – this is the Baby Shower version! It’s also a tad more – ah – inappropriate than the other games mentioned, so be mindful of the guests and whether it’ll go down well or not….
How it works:
- Follow the card game rules.
“Baby Shower Charades”
What you’ll need:
- Charade cards (you can also create your own – make them baby-themed).
How it works:
- Like regular Charades, but with baby-related actions, such as realizing you’re pregnant, contractions, etc.).
“Pacifier Treasure Hunt”
What you’ll need:
- Plenty of pacifiers (depending on the number of guests), or you can use other baby items, like diapers, dummies, etc.
- Prize/s (optional)
How it works:
- Plant the items around the venue and whoever collects the most baby-related items wins a prize. Similar to a treasure or Easter egg hunt!
“Bobbing for Pacifiers”
What you’ll need:
- Enough plastic bowls for each player.
- A few pacifiers per bowl
- Prize (optional)
- Forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- Fill each bowl with water and pop in a few pacifiers per bowl.
- Each occupant has to “bob” for their pacifiers in a certain timeframe (up to you)
- Whoever completes this task wins.
“Don’t Say, Baby”
What you’ll need:
- Clothes pegs (5/10 per guest)
- Prize (optional)
- Forfeit/s (optional)
How it works:
- Each guest has 5 pegs you’ll give them to wear when they arrive; this means they have a limit of saying “baby” 5 times throughout the shower. Every time someone says “baby,” a peg is removed. Whoever has the most pegs left attached to them wins.
“Animal Babies”
What you’ll need:
- Paper & pens (per guest)
- Prize (optional)
- Forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- Beforehand, you need to make a list (15-20) of the names of baby animals (e.g.: a baby kangaroo is called a “Joey”).
- Call out the name of the adult version of the baby animal; whoever gets the most correct answers wins.
“Most Popular Baby Names/Guess the Year”
What you’ll need:
- Pens & paper (per guest)
- A list of baby names researched in popularity per year.
- Prize (optional)
- Forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- The host calls out a series of baby names, and each guest must write down what year they’re from. Whoever gets the most correct answer wins.
“Embarrassing Baby Stories”
What you’ll need:
- A prize.
How it works:
- Each guest has to tell a story from infancy or an embarrassing thing that happened to them as a parent. The host judges whose story is the most cringe-worthy and awards a prize accordingly.
“Chugging”
What you’ll need:
- A baby bottle per person
- Beverages of choice (tea, juice, alcohol, etc)
- Prize (optional)
- Forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- Everyone chugs their beverage bottle; whoever downs their drink the quickest wins.
“Relay Race”
What you’ll need:
- Various baby items require construction (diapers, breast pumps, etc.)
- Prize (optional)
- Forfeit (optional)
How it works:
- Each guest gets to race against time to fulfill various tasks (such as putting a diaper accurately on a doll). Whoever does the tasks in the shortest amount of time wins.
“Baby Bucket List”
What you’ll need:
- A box/bowl/hat
- Slips of paper
- Pens
How it works:
- As guests arrive, greet them with a slip of paper and a pen. They write down a “bucket list” goal they hope the baby achieves in their lifetime. Mom will hold on to these and give them to her baby when they turn 18.
“Name the Tune”
What you’ll need:
- A list of songs with the word “Baby” in the title.
- Pens & paper per guest.
- Prize (optional).
- Forfeit (optional).
How it works:
- The host calls out the name of each song with the word “Baby” in it (such as “Be My Baby” by the Ronettes), and each guest writes down who they think the song is sung by. The guest with the most correct answers wins. The guest with the least correct answers gets the forfeit.
Conclusion
The trick to a great baby shower that everyone can enjoy is providing delicious food that caters to everyone’s tastes.
An appropriate venue, a selection of gifts for the mom-to-be that she has specifically requested (unless she’s happy to be surprised), and – of course – a well-prepared selection of baby shower games!