Baby Shower Games: 21 Co-Ed and No-Game Ideas

How to choose games for your group

• Ask the parent-to-be first. Some people dislike being the center of a game.
• Plan two or three games at most. A two-hour shower has room for about twenty minutes of them.
• Pick games that work for every age in the room, from cousins to grandparents.
• Avoid anything about body size, such as guessing the bump measurement.
• Avoid games that depend on eating or tasting things guests can't identify.
• Let people watch. Nobody should be pushed to join.

Quiet games to play at the table

These suit guests who don't know each other well. They need paper, pens and very little explaining.

• Baby photo match: guests bring a baby photo of themselves. Pin them up and let everyone guess who is who.
• Guess the date: each guest writes their guess for the birth date and time. The parents check the cards later.
• Nursery rhyme quiz: read the first line and have guests write the next one.
• Price guess: show five baby items and ask guests to guess the total cost. The closest guess wins.
• Baby word scramble: mixed-up words such as "rattle" and "stroller", with a three-minute timer.
• Who said it: collect a few quotes from each parent beforehand. Guests guess which parent said which.

Active games for a lively crowd

• Diaper relay: teams race to put a diaper on a doll or stuffed animal, one person at a time.
• Bottle race: guests drink water or juice from a baby bottle. Short, silly and over in a minute.
• Blindfold change: dress a doll while blindfolded, with a teammate giving directions.
• Baby item memory: show a tray of baby things for thirty seconds, cover it, and have guests list what they saw.

Games for co-ed and couples showers

When partners, friends and coworkers are all invited, team games work better than quizzes about pregnancy. Mix the teams so people meet each other.

• Parent trivia: questions about both parents, such as who was the fussier baby or who will handle night feeds.
• Swaddle race: pairs wrap a doll in a blanket using one hand each, against the clock.
• Baby name draft: teams get a letter and list as many names as they can in one minute.
• Guess the baby gear: pass around less familiar items in a bag and have teams name them by touch.
• Advice showdown: each team writes its best and worst parenting advice. The parents pick a winner.

Activities that are not really games

If the guest of honor would prefer no games, plan something to do with your hands. It gives people a reason to move around and talk, and the parents keep the result.

• Wishes for baby: cards with prompts such as "I hope you learn" and "I hope you laugh at".
• Late-night notes: guests write short messages on diapers for the parents to find during night changes.
• Decorate a bodysuit: plain bodysuits and fabric markers on a side table.
• Build a library: each guest signs the inside of a children's book they brought.
• Time capsule: guests write a note for the child to open on a later birthday.
• A group photo and a toast, which is enough for many showers.

Prizes and practical details

• Keep prizes small and useful: a candle, a plant, chocolate, a nice soap.
• Print or write the game sheets before the day, and bring more pens than guests.
• Ask one host to run the games, so the guest of honor can sit and enjoy them.
• Play after people have eaten. Games on an empty stomach feel long.
• Stop while people are still laughing. One game too few is better than one too many.

Tell guests what to bring

The photo match fails if four people bring a photo, and the library fails if nobody brings a book. Anything guests must prepare has to be on the invitation, where every one of them sees it.

Blast is an animated video invitation with music that you send as a link. You can add a short note with the event details, such as "Please bring a baby photo of yourself", and guests RSVP from the same invite, so you know how many game sheets and pens to bring. Blast is free to create and send.