Baby Shower ideas

yoyo1980

Hiya

I'm looking for baby shower ideas. Are there any things that you've seen / heard / organised / enjoyed at your own that really were great ideas etc for the event? Fab ideas for themes / games / food etc?

I've got a few ideas and will disucss with the mum to be exactly what she wants for the party etc but thought I'd see if you guys/girls had any suggestions?

Thanks in advance... :T

Marcheline

It depends on your friend really. Personally, I'm not so keen on baby showers as I think some people go way over the top, but my work did me one when I was expecting my litle one and it was a nice gesture. All that happened was we had a few nibbles and they gave me presents. That was more than I was expecting. These websites here might give you some good ideas for games etc if your friend decides she wants that sort of thing.

http://www.babyshowerhost.co.uk/

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/baby/traditions/babyshower/

http://www.plan-the-perfect-baby-shower.com/

RoxieW

Hi there
I'm throwing a bby shower soon so also looking for ideas
So far I have -
cupcakes and nibbles
nappy cake as table centre piece (see nappy cake thread on special occassions)
'retro' sweetie goodie bags ie sweets from the mum to be's childhood
game - match the baby name to the celeb
some kind of grown up pass the parcel??

Any other game ideas would be appreciated!

TotallyBroke

The whole point of a baby shower was to gain advice and experience from others who had been there and done that. So why not ask everyone that is coming to think about their top 5 tips to being a Mum or more. It could be things to pack to go to hospital, coping with colic anything else. They could all be put into a scrap book and she can take it away, then if she ever needs help she has a reference point from friends and family without feeling a failure (like some new mums do).

looktothefuture

) Guess Mom's Tummy Size: (Materials- String or yarn and scissors) Have each woman pull the yarn to the size they believe would fit perfectly around the Mother-To-Be's center of her pregnant tummy. After everyone cuts their string, compare the results to the Mommy-To-Be's actual tummy. Give a prize to the woman who is the most close! This is a baby shower favorite.
2) Never say "Baby": (Materials- baby safety pins or another type of baby object you can place on a string for each woman at the party as well as string or yarn, enough for each woman to wear as a necklace). Have each woman place the necklace with the baby safety pins around her neck when she gets to the party. The rules for this baby shower game are given out at the beginning of the baby shower that whenever someone says the word "baby" during the shower, any woman who calls it out gets a pin from the other woman who stated the word. At the end of the baby shower, the woman with the most pins wins a prize.
3) How Many Baby Items Can You Name: (Materials- pad of paper and pen for each woman). Have each woman write down as many baby products as they can name (bottle, blanket, pacifier, etc) within 5 minutes. Sure it is easy at the beginning, but towards the last few minutes, the women will start racking their brains for more Give a prize to the woman who gets the most baby products named!
4) Who Can Make The Mother-To-Be's Baby: (Materials - Baby magazines, Scissors, Glue, Paper). Have the women group up into teams of 3 and give each 3 baby magazines. Have them cut out pieces of different baby qualities and put together a picture of what they think the Mother-To-Be's baby will look like. Have the Mother-To-Be pick which baby would possibly look like hers the best! Give prizes to the winning team! One of the top baby shower games!
5) Guess The Gerber's: (Materials - Gerber's infant food, pads of paper and pens). Take the labels off of the baby food jars and have the women at the baby shower guess the food (carrots, peas, sweet potato). Most fun to play up to 10 jars of different kinds of foods. If there is a tie, blindfold the women and have them taste one of the jars and guess the right flavor to win their prize.
6) Guess How Many Safety Pins: (Materials- Safety Pins and Jar). Pass around a jar full of baby safety pins. The one who guesses the closest wins a baby shower prize. A baby shower game favorite!
One of our visitors, Lynn, stated that she filled a clear plastic container (about 50 qt size with disposable diapers) all the same size (size 1) and had people guess how many diapers were in the container. Of course, container and contents go to mom since, as we all know, you can never have enough diapers. This baby shower game is very functional for the mommy-to-be!
You can also add cute clothes pins by getting a few packs and using them for the baby shower game, then spreading them around the tables as decorations!
7) How Well Do You Know Mommy-To-Be: (Materials- Pre-Printed Form and pen for each woman). Have each women guess what features she wants most on the baby from either her or her husband (Daddy-To-Be). An example of this idea is found below:

AttributeMommyDaddyEyesX Ears XNoseX Legs XHairX Smile XIntelligence XHumorX OtherX

Select 25 attributes and ask everyone to fill in the form from what each woman feels the "mommy-to-be's" point of view" will be. After everyone checks off the list, have the mommy-to-be state her preference. The one with the most correct match to the Mommy-To-Be wins a prize. This is a great baby shower game!
8) Place The Baby On The Mommy: (Materials- Cutouts of a baby with tape and blindfold). Another one of our favorite baby shower games is the baby shower version of Pin The Tail on the Donkey. Blindfold each participant and then give them a paper baby to then approach the mom and place the baby as close to the tummy as possible. The one who gets closest to placing the paper baby on the pregnant tummy wins.
9) Bottle Races: (Materials- Baby bottles with Milk or alternate drink). Have each participant take a bottle filled with a liquid and suck the bottle as a baby would. The woman who drinks the most in an alloted time wins the baby shower gift. This baby shower game gets everyone laughing!
10) Baby Bingo: (Materials- Pens, Pre-Printed Bingo cards that use the numbers of how many people attend the baby shower) Prior to opening the baby shower gifts, number each gift on the box starting with one. If you know that 15 people will be attending your shower, pre-print bingo cards with numbers 1 through 15 and randomly place them on 15 cards. When the mommy-to-be's decides to open the presents, she grabs the present she wants to open and reads the number out loud. As soon as someone receives bingo, they win the baby shower game and the baby shower prize.
11) "B" is for Baby: (Materials paper and pens passed out to all the women). Each woman is told to write the babies Mom-To-Be and Father-To-Be's name on a paper going vertically down the page. Next to each letter of both names, create a word that is baby related or things that kids like. An example of using the names Kim and Dan:

K= kiteD=droolI= ice creamA=alphabetM= motherN=nap

The one who guesses the most words that are the same as the mother-to-be wins a prize.

12) Guess the baby item: (Materials- any baby products and blindfold). A bag of baby items are placed in front of the mother-to-be for her to take one item out at a time blindfolded and tell her baby shower guests what item she has in her hands. This is really fun baby shower game when you choose some crazy baby toys or products.

13) Finish the Baby Rhyme: (Materials- baby rhyme game or a book containing the rhymes). Have the host read out loud a part of the rhyme to be finished by the other women. Let's see how many Baby Shower Guests can finish the following Rhymes we have all grown up with:

1) Mary had a little lamb, it's _____________ was white as snow.

2) Baa, baa, black sheep, have you any _____________?

3) Mary, Mary, quite _____________, how does your garden grow?

4) Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub, and how do you think ____________ _____________ ____________?

5) Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, _________________ ________________!

6) Little Jack Horner, sat in a corner, eating his ______________ pie;

7) Little Miss Muffet, sat on a tuffet, eating her ________________ and _______________.

8) Peter Piper picked a peck of ____________ _____________.

9) One, two, buckle my shoe, three four, _____________ at the door.

10) Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater, had a wife but couldn't ____________ her.

11) Old Mother Hubbard, went to the _______________.

12) There was an old woman, who lived in a _______________.

13) Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no ___________.

14) Hey diddle, diddle, the ____________ and the fiddle.

15) Rock-a-bye baby, on the __________________.

Here are the answers below to the questions. It is great to give the winner a baby shower small gift for participating. Read the answers that people have put out loud since you will have some funny ones.

1) fleece2) wool3) contrary4) they got there5) Baker's man6) Christmas7) curds, whey8) pickled peppers9) knock10) keep11) cupboard12) shoe13) lean14) cat15) treetop

To print out this game, turn on your printer, click here, when the checklist comes up, click the "File --> Print Option" in your browser).

14) Guess the baby pictures: Ask for everyone's pictures prior to the baby shower. Have all the pictures in a collage and make lines for people to fill in who they think the babies are out of the girls at the baby shower. If most women don't know each other, just have the pictures of the mother, mother-in-law, sisters, and mommy-to-be. See how many people guess right. You can make copies of the baby picture collage to see how many can guess right

looktothefuture

Choose a Baby Shower Theme
Decide what type of theme you want for the baby shower. It will set the tone of the party and may impact where you host the baby shower, as well as its menu and decorations. Baby shower themes can be as simple as blue or pink if you know the sex of the baby. It's important to consider what mommy-to-be's style is and what theme she will like. You might also want to take the guest list into account. Click here to visit our baby shower themes page for help in deciding the best theme for the mommy-to-be's baby shower.
Determine the Baby Shower Date
You will want to host the baby shower on a Saturday or Sunday between four to eight weeks before the baby is due. With baby's due date in mind, decide on a few dates that you can host the baby shower. Contact important guests, especially out of town family, to make sure they are available on dates you have in mind. Remember that Friday night and Saturday baby shower parties are usually more expensive than Sundays if you are having it at a location other than a home.
Choose Baby Shower Location
The number one rule is to make sure that the baby shower location is large enough to accommodate your guest list. No matter if you have the baby shower at a home, restaurant, hotel or rented space, make sure everything is planned and it will be an excellent shower!
You will save a considerable amount of your budget if you will be hosting the baby shower at a home. However, you will spend money on plates, napkins, cups, eating utensils, and possibly table rentals.
If you will be hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, start looking for locations early. You will want to call and even visit locations to make sure it will accommodate your group, works with your theme and serves food that mommy-to-be and your guests will enjoy. Make sure you also consider whether the location you choose will match your shower theme and allow you to decorate it.
Order Baby Shower Invitations
At least 8 weeks before your baby shower, you should be finalizing your baby shower guest list. After sending out the baby shower invitations, if you have not received RSVPs from some invited guests, call those who have not yet responded. When you begin to look at baby shower invitations, remember that your invitations should:

• Match your theme
• Include its location, date, time, your phone number and the RSVP date
  (which should be about seven days before the baby shower).
• Include a map to the event location
• Send invitations five or six weeks before the event.

Choosing the Baby Shower Menu
Baby showers have lots of menu options. You can serve appetizers or a full meal.
If you're hosting the baby shower at a restaurant you will need to work with someone at the restaurant on the menu. If you're unable to visit the restaurant, which we suggest you do if you haven't been there, ask them to fax you their party menu. The restaurant may be able to provide food in a sit down setting or put out a buffet, and they may even be able to help you match the menu to your shower theme.
If you're hosting the baby shower at a home you can choose to cater, make your own food, or a combination of both. If you are having the baby shower catered, ask the caterer to fax you a menu. Again, you will have the option of setting up a buffet or cooking a sit down menu. Just leave room for cake! Click here to visit our baby shower menu page for tips on choosing the right menu including the Top 10 Easy Finger Foods for Baby Showers.
Buy Baby Shower Decorations and Supplies
You're going to want to buy balloons, streamers and other decorations. But if you're hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, find out what decorations they allow.
If you're not hosting the baby shower at a restaurant, you're also going to need plates, napkins, cups and eating utensils. Make sure you have enough napkins and forks for appetizers and cake as well as making sure you have cups for both hot and cold liquids. Visit our Baby Shower Decorations section for more information

looktothefuture

Does it show that I've just thrown a baby shower for my boss....? I've got more if you need it!

hayley11

I threw a baby shower for my friend, we played some of the games that looktothefuture has mentioned. I think it depends on the kind of people you have coming, we're a rowdy bunch and like silly games but you're friends might have liked something more "grown up"

"Don't say baby" was really funny, I got some rattle necklaces off ebay pretty cheap.

I also made some name tags (baby related names, such as mummy, daddy, milk, poo, wee wee etc) people picked a name at random at the start of the night, then we were only allowed to use those names, if you used their real name you had a forfeit. This was the best "game" we did, we were in stitches!

We played "name the baby food" - as the host I didn't have to eat any but it was funny watching them eat the yucky baby food!

Another funny was "smelly nappy" - got some cheap nappies from the quid shop, smeared them with things like brown sauce, mustard, chocolate sauce etc and then they had to smell them to see what was inside, it was so funny, some of them looked really icky!

Baby bingo was good fun too, we played a few games of that.

I bought some cheap prizes like mini box of chocolates, soap from the body shop etc. They all cost less than £1.

The theme was just "pink" - pink drinks, pink food, pink balloons etc.

I also did little favour bags with bubbles, a balloon and my friend had ordered some little thank you cards to go in them.

I did end up going a bit mad and it cost me quite a bit and it took me hours to get everything ready, it was good fun on the night but i'm never holding one again!!

Good luck

yoyo1980

Some great suggestions here

I'm going to have a go at making a nappy cake for the centre piece on table, it's likely to be mid October so a big vat of stew & a cob of crusty bread for the menu.

Games - I like the idea of "the price is right" where the mother to be has to guess price of the baby items and go higher or lower etc and then gets all the items at end of game.
- also like the idea of getting all guests to bring a baby pic of themselves and having to match it up.
- also a story with names & nouns taken out to see what people can come up with.

Defo - will have a scrap book for helpful and not so helpful hints and tips.

For my shower guests brought a small gift (max £3) and wrapped it up with a cryptic clue on the front - if I guessed correctly I got away without doing a baby related forfeit (wear a nappy (huge towel!), dummy, drink out a bottle, throw a tantrum etc etc!). I'm not sure my SIL will be keen on that one, it was fun though if your mum to be is happy to go with it.

I like the name tag idea too

mrcow

I've just thrown one.

I prepared some games just in case and didn't expect them to be as popular as they were.

One easy one I did was to print off several copies of a photo of the mum and dad and provided glue and scissors and let everyone have a go at making up faces of what the baby mighht look like in years to come. It was a real ice breaker and some of the results were blooming frightening.

Another easy one is to buy several jars of baby food and have a "guess the recipe" competition.

You don't have to spend load of money or have loats of prizes etc. Adults just like the idea of winning.

bb69

Hello Thanks for the info.. any ideas for venues in North/East London?
Thamks