While the purpose of a shower is to make sure that new parents have everything they need for the new life on the way, that doesn’t mean that attendees can’t have fun. Providing games gives your attendees something to do besides eat and watch the mother open presents.
Depending on the theme of your party, you can choose or modify a variety of different games to go along with your plans. Most games fall into one of three different categories: Paper and pencil games, action games and solo games. Paper and pencil games are completed at the same time by everyone involved. Action games are just what they sound like and encourage everyone to be involved, either as the actor or in laughter. Solo games are those games that you might put out and give people time to participate.
Paper and Pencil Baby Shower Games
There are many different types of paper and pencil games that can fit any party theme. Having a natural, animal of safari theme baby shower? Then why not print a game that matches each type of animal with the proper name for the baby. Did you ask guests to bring a book instead of a card in the baby shower invitation? Then why not allow people to decode emoji titles for classic children’s books. Planning a royal coronation for a new prince or princess? Then print a game that matches real princes and princesses from history with their royal, or not-so-royal parents.
Any of these games can be altered to suit other themes. If you’re having a Disney-themed shower, match Disney kids with their parents instead of royalty. Or match literary children with their parents for a book-themed baby shower.
There are other games that fit into any baby shower theme. You can scramble the names of mom, dad and baby along with baby needs such as diapers, bottles and strollers and let guests race to unscramble them. You can add family names to a baby word search, or a baby crossword puzzle. Of a group can fill in a baby themed Mad Lib type of story of how the Mom and Dad will cope with labor, delivery or the first night home.
Action Baby Shower Games
These games give your guests something to do, races to compete in or just a lot of belly laughs. Changing diapers is a basic skillset for any new parent, or even anyone who will be around the baby. Many say that they can do it blindfolded. Have some fun with it by asking participants to do it. Blindfold two or three participants at a time and ask them to diaper a “baby.” But don’t offer them a human shaped baby doll, give the participants a real challenge by handing them a teddy bear, a stuffed dog, or even a smaller-than-life plastic doll to diaper after they have been blindfolded. The first person to complete the task wins the game. You can repeat with several different teams.
Another fun diapering game pits teams of two people against each other. Ask one person to stand with their arms behind their back. The second person puts her arms through the hold between the first person’s body and arms. This gives the team a set of hands that can’t see the “baby” and a set of eyes that can’t change the diaper. The first duo that successfully diapers the baby wins.
Another fun game can take place over the course of the party. Simply ask everyone to attach a diaper pun to their outfit when they arrive. Ask each person to refrain from saying the word “baby” if they hear another person say the word, they get to take the diaper pin from the person. If they hear more people say the word than they do, they may end up with the most pins and win the game.
If you want an action game that everyone can play together, try playing “Bottles Up.” Before the baby shower, purchase enough baby bottles for everyone attending. If possible, purchase the type of bottle the mother has chosen to use for her baby.
Fill each bottle with punch or some other drink and cover with the nipple, then hand out the bottles. Ask everyone to try to drink out of the nipple as quickly as they can. The first person to empty their bottle wins the game. After the shower, wash the bottles in the dishwasher and give them to the expectant mother for her baby.
Solo Baby Shower Games
You can set up these games before the baby shower and let people participate throughout the party.
One game that involves everyone is match the person with their baby picture. Before the baby shower, aske each guest to email you a copy of their baby picture. Print a copy and hang the pictures on a board, labeling each picture with a letter. Near the board, place sheets of paper with everyone’s name and a pretty box. Ask your guests to write their names on the paper and match each name with the letter of the corresponding picture. The person who matches the most correctly wins the game.
In a similar way, you can create a game where you fill a baby item with other smaller items. Be creative! You can fill a baby bottle with small candies such as jelly beans. But you can also fill a baby bath with rolled up diapers, both of which can be given to the mom to use with the baby. Place small sheets of paper nearby and ask guests to estimate how many items are in the container. The person who comes closest wins the game.
Another game that doubles as a gift for the mom is the diaper bag game. If the mom has chosen a diaper bag, purchase it, and fill it with small items the new parents will need. They can be common things that you might find in a diaper bag, such as a pacifier or a diaper. Or they can be rarer things such as a nose bulb or baby fingernail clippers. Place about a dozen items in the bag and ask guests to take turns feeling around in the bag and trying to list as many items as they can. If you want to make the game a little harder, set a timer nearby to limit the amount of time guests can feel around. The guest who guesses the most items correctly wins the game. Then the diaper bag and it’s contents can go to the expectant mother.