Planning a baby shower is a wonderful way to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a little one and show the parents-to-be how much they are loved. Whether you’re an experienced host or a first-timer, this guide will help you organise a memorable event with a mix of fun games, delightful activities, and thoughtful gifts. Here’s your ultimate baby shower planning checklist!
Invitations and Themes
Start with the basics: invitations and themes. Decide on a theme that reflects the parents’ personality or interests. Popular themes often include woodland creatures, nautical adventures, or classic storybook characters. Once you’ve chosen a theme, create or purchase invitations that match. Don’t forget to send them out at least four to six weeks in advance to ensure guests have plenty of time to RSVP (you can always tell guests to ‘save the date’ if you’re unsure of details initially).
Venue and Decorations
Choose a venue that fits the number of guests and the activities you have planned. It could be a cosy home setting, a lovely garden, or even a village hall. Decorate the venue with themed items like balloons, banners, and table centrepieces. A photo booth with fun props can make for great memories and social media posts especially if you customise them to the parents’ names and date of the baby shower.
Baby Shower Games
No baby shower is complete without games. Here are some of our top ideas to keep your guests engaged and laughing:
- Baby Prediction Cards: Have guests fill out cards predicting the baby’s birth date, weight, and gender. These can also be a fun keepsake for the parents-to-be.
- Quiz Time: Test your guests’ knowledge with a baby-themed quiz. A good category is celebrity babies – see who knows the most about famous parents and their little ones.
- Colouring In an Alphabet Letter: Provide alphabet colouring sheets and crayons, pens or pencils. Each guest can colour a letter, which can later be assembled into a beautiful, personalised alphabet book for the baby.
- Design a Baby Vest: Set up a craft station with plain baby vests and fabric felt tips or iron-on transfers.
- Guess the Baby Puree Flavour: Blindfolded guests taste different baby food purees and guess the flavours. It’s more challenging (and fun) than it sounds!
- Mummy or Daddy: Similar to the game Mr. and Mrs., ask the parents-to-be a series of questions beforehand and see if the guests can guess who said what.
- Baby Bingo: Create bingo cards with baby-related items. As gifts are opened or certain words are mentioned, guests can mark off their cards. The first to get bingo wins a prize.
Activities
Instead of a baby shower party, you may prefer to organise an outing or activity to celebrate the little one’s imminent arrival. We love:
- Pottery Painting: Arrange for a pottery painting session where guests can decorate plates, mugs, or keepsake boxes for baby.
- Afternoon Tea: Host a relaxing afternoon tea with a selection of teas, sandwiches, and pastries. This elegant activity is perfect for a more laid-back baby shower.
Choosing Baby Shower Gifts
A baby shower wouldn’t be complete without gifts. Whilst many guests may know what they want to bring, some require a little bit more help and guidance. We have put together a curated range of Baby Shower Gifts, that any new parent would love. Some of our top picks include:
- Soft Toys: Every baby needs a cuddly friend and, we think, Nattou are the softest, cuddliest ones around.
- Baby Blankets: Warm, soft, and perfect for snuggling, every hospital bag should have at least one cellular blanket packed in it.
- Perfect Newborn Bundle: If you’re unsure what the parents-to-be really need, you can’t go wrong with a newborn bundle. A baby carrier, feeding pillow, cellular blanket and cuddly toy all in one!
Food and Drinks
Plan a menu that suits the theme and the time of day. Finger foods, sandwiches, and a selection of sweet treats are always a hit and easy to prepare ahead of time. Don’t forget to cater to any dietary restrictions your guests may have and avoid any foods mum-to-be can’t eat. For drinks, consider a mix of non-alcoholic options like mocktails, fruit juices, and flavoured water.
The Big Day
On the day of the baby shower, make sure to arrive early to set up and handle any last minute details. Make sure you are there well ahead of guests arriving so you can be there to greet them allow the parents-to-be to feel special and, most importantly, relaxed. Don’t forget to take lots of photos!
Baby Shower Checklist
Planning a baby shower can feel a little bit daunting at the start, so to give you a helping hand, we’ve pulled together a handy checklist to keep you on track:
[ ] Choose a theme
[ ] Send out invitations
[ ] Select a venue
[ ] Plan decorations
[ ] Set up a photo booth with props
[ ] Organise games (some examples below):
- Baby prediction cards
- Photo props
- Quiz (celebrity babies)
- Colouring in an alphabet letter
- Design a baby vest
- Guess the baby puree flavour
- Mummy or Daddy
- Baby bingo
[ ] Plan activities (some examples below):
- Pottery painting
- Afternoon tea
[ ] Organise food and drinks
[ ] Prepare a gift table
[ ] Set up the venue
[ ] Enjoy the baby shower!
Happy planning!
