One of the most beloved traditions during pregnancy is the baby shower. The birth of a baby has been cause for celebration since ancient times. Through the years, this joyous occasion has evolved into the modern shower party that has become extremely popular today. It is a time for loved ones to gather, laugh, eat, and bring gifts for the new member of the family. But what is a baby shower without games?
Baby shower games are fun and creative, while also providing a chance for those in attendance to get to know one another better. Are you planning such an event soon? Then some of these crowd-pleasing baby shower games should definitely be on your to-do list.
1. Pin the Baby on Mommy
Remember the classic birthday party game Pin the Tail on the Donkey? Here is a funny twist on that game that would be perfect for a baby shower. However, it does involve some preparation. A few days in advance, take a picture of the mom-to-be, from the side. Take it to a photo lab and have the picture enlarged to poster-size.
You will also need a drawing or picture of a baby, with some double-sided tape on the back. Blind-fold each guest and give them a couple of twirls, then let her “pin” the baby on the mom. The person who gets the baby closest to mom’s tummy wins a prize – like maybe a special cupcake or a goody bag.
2. Feed the Baby
The best baby shower games are those that keep the crowd laughing. On that note, is there anything messier than baby feeding time? While the mess may not be something the parents-to-be are looking forward to, it can be outrageously funny as a game for shower guest.
Arrange two rows of chairs across from each other. Next, divide guests in two groups: one group will sit on one row, the second will sit across from them in the other row. Tie a napkin on the people of one row—they will be the hungry babies. The other group will be blindfolded and will play the feeding parents.
Give each “parent” a little jar of baby food and a spoon, and set a timer for 60 seconds. The team who empties their jar to “feed the baby” first wins. Needless to say, this game is a messy riot that everyone will love!
3. Loaded Diaper!
Action baby shower games get more guests involved than traditional guessing games. Add in the fact that new moms need preparation for changing diapers, and there’s no better time than the present to give this fun game a go. You will need some inexpensive newborn diapers (folded napkins are fine, too), and a few varieties of chunky candy bars. Number each diaper with a marker and print off enough numbered papers for guests.
Before the party, put a melted dab of candy bar in each diaper (the messier, the better). Each player must smell the numbered diapers and write down what type of candy they think is in each. Tasting is also encouraged! The guest with the highest number of correct answers is the winner.
4. Fashion Designs for Baby
Not all baby shower games need to be a competition. For this game, parents will get to keep the results as wearable keepsakes. Buy enough plain white onesies for each person attending the shower, a variety of fabric paints, and brushes.
Next, place a piece of cardboard inside each onesie to turn the cloth into a canvas. All that’s left is to encourage guests to get creative and paint unique designs that the baby will be able to wear. If you want to make it a contest, have everyone vote for which design they think is the best.
5. Potty Race
One of the most frustrating parts of pregnancy? Going to the bathroom every 5 minutes. Some expecting mothers swear that the baby is “dancing” on their bladders. Have some fun with this concept by suggesting a game that will have guests make a wild dash to the potty. Provide a jar, a balloon, and a quarter for each guest.
To play, line the jars across the room. Have the guests blow up their balloons and tuck them under their shirts, as if they are expecting. Also, each player has to put the quarter between her knees.
When you give the signal, everyone hobbles as fast as they can to their jar, without dropping their quarter. If they drop it, they must put it back between their knees and start again. The person who drops the coin from her knees into her jar gets the blue ribbon and wins it all!
6. Baby Picassos
Many baby shower games tap into guests’ creativity—like this one. Each guest gets a paper plate and a colored marker. Tell everyone that they will be drawing a lovely portrait of the baby and tell them they can be as artistic as possible. That sounds easy enough, right? As they pick up their markers, tell them to stop, because you forgot to mention something. They must draw the picture while the plate is on top of their heads!
Now, the real fun starts! People will be laughing while they try to balance a paper plate and draw a baby without seeing anything. The results will be hilarious! Tell the guests not to show anyone their pictures, but just write their names on the back of the plate. Let the mom-to-be judge the best one and congratulate the winning artist.
7. Bottoms up!
Do you enjoy baby shower games that involve refreshments? This outrageous game offers your guests something cold to drink—only in a bottle! Buy a few inexpensive baby bottles (enough for each guest), and fill them with the drink of your choice. If you are serving alcohol, beer would work best. Alternatively, fruit juice or soda works just as well for children or for a shower sans alcohol.
Give each person a bottle and blow the whistle. The winner is the first player to drink her bottle dry. Remember that biting a hole in the nipple or removing it to drink from the bottle is cheating!
8. Don’t say ‘Baby’
When it comes to this shower, mum’s the word, at least as far as ‘baby’ is concerned. Let your guests know from the moment they come in that the word ‘baby’ is absolutely forbidden for the duration of the party – or for a set period of time, like until mom gets to open the presents.
If you’re serving alcohol, anyone who breaks the rule will need to do a shot. For alcohol-free showers, consider giving each guest a pin they have to hear for the duration of a challenge. When they hear someone else say ‘baby,’ they take that person’s pin. At the end of the night, whoever has collected the most pins wins.
To make things even more interesting, get out the karaoke machine and make your guests line up to sing tunes that heavily feature the word ‘baby’ – like Baby One More Time, Ice, Ice, Baby, Hey, Baby, Always Be My Baby, and so on. The rules remain the same, so the guest will have to awkwardly hum over that part or replace ‘baby’ with another word. Hilarity will likely ensue.
Final Word
When you play baby shower games, be sure to take a lot of pictures and videos. These are moments that parents and their new baby will cherish for years to come. So don’t be afraaid to have a blast with these games while making awesome memories.
Do you know other unique baby shower games that would be entertaining? Your suggestions are welcome!