Baby Shower Ideas

Planning a baby shower can be a daunting task! Let us share some of our favorite ideas for baby shower themes, free baby shower games, decorations, food, and more. We want your baby shower to be an event to remember, and we hope you will find some fresh new ideas here!

Baby showers are all about celebrating a woman's passage into motherhood and anticipating the arrival of a new member of the family. We believe that every baby and every expectant mom deserve to be celebrated with a baby shower, regardless of whether the baby on the way is mom's first! We hope this page reflects that belief, and we keep our eyes open for new ways to make your event as special as it can be. So browse around, enjoy the page, and feel free to email us your own fresh ideas for celebrating and congratulating a growing family!

Great for "repeat" mommies. Guests bring either a pack of diapers or a frozen meal with reheating instructions. New mom gets a ton of diapers and frozen meals for the first few weeks with the new baby! This theme is especially appropriate if the baby shower is taking place after the arrival of the baby.

Monochromatic

Choose just one color, and decorate everything in different shades of it. For example, if you choose pink, you might decorate with two or three different shades of pink helium balloons, two different shades of pink streamers, different shades of pink for your plates, napkins, utensils, and cups, and you could even request on the invitations that your guests wear pink if they would like! This is so easy to do, but it looks so gorgeous when the room is completed. You could also do this with two different colors, for example, all different shades of pink and yellow, or all different shades of pink and purple, but you will get the most dramatic effect from not more than two colors.

All White

This is a variation of the monochromatic theme - instead of all different shades of one color, just choose all different shades of white! This theme is super versatile, because it works for a boy, a girl, or a baby whose gender is going to be a surprise! Fill the room with white balloons and white streamers, use white tablecloths and white slipcovers for the chairs, or swags of white tulle above doorways and windows. Tell guests that the theme will be white on the invitations, and request that they wrap their gifts in shades of white. Make the cake all white and ivory. This baby shower theme would be especially appropriate for a Winter months baby shower.

Garden Party

A personal favorite! This theme is wonderful for a Spring or Summer baby shower. Decorate with paper lanterns, butterflies, cute bugs, and silk flowers. For the food table, purchase terra cotta muffin cups, bake muffins in them, and top each one with a silk flower. The flower will look like it is growing in the muffin "dirt." Chocolate muffins make the effect most dramatic. In a clear punch bowl, combine a two-liter of ginger ale, a half gallon of vanilla ice cream (or sherbet), and a few drops of blue food coloring just before guests arrive. Float lily pad and froggy floater candles in the "pond." Choose a round cake, use basket-weave icing along the sides, and icing flowers on top. Add a handle, and you have a basket of flowers! And don't forget the centerpiece! We created this garden themed diaper cake with this baby shower theme in mind. Adorably decorated with wiggling ladybugs and flowers made from usable baby washcloths and spoons, this is a garden themed baby shower centerpiece that is sure to charm your guests and complete the garden themed decor.

Surprise! The Gender Reveal Baby Shower We think this is a great idea to surprise mom at her baby shower! We know a MTB whose shower hostess and best friend attended her ultrasound with her. The technician wrote down the gender of the baby and put it ina seled envelope for the baby shower hostess. Then, the shower hostess planned an "It's A Boy" baby shower. The day of the baby shower, MTB was the last to arrive, and they brought her in blindfolded. Once she was inside, they took off the blindfold, and everyone yelled, "It's A Boy!" There were blue and white decorations, and the cake and banners said "It's A Boy!" MTB just loved the element of surprise of finding out what she was having the day of the shower and opening all the little boy gifts. It was a very exciting day! You could easily do this as a co-ed shower, and invite MTB and DTB as well, and surprise them both at the same time.
For a variation of this theme, why not surprise the baby shower guests with the sex of the baby? It's a Boy! or It's a Girl! decorations are easy to find and perfect for this theme. As each guest arrives at the baby shower and sees the pink or blue decorations, there will be joyful hugs and congratulations for the MTB, and endless conversation over the wonderful news.

We Twins diaper cake for a pink or blue baby shower centerpiecejust love this one. The Pink or Blue? baby shower theme is for a mom-to-be who has chosen to be surprised by the sex of her baby. Decorate everything in pink and blue - pink and blue balloons, pink and blue streamers, pink and blue cups, plates, napkins and tableware. Put a few drops of blue food color in the punch, and instead of cake, make cupcakes, and ice half of them in pink and half in blue. You can order pink and blue MMs from MyMMs.com, and you can even have "Pink or Blue?" written on them. Request that guests show up wearing either pink or blue, according to their guess for the sex of the baby. You can also request that even though the shower gifts might be in neutral yellow, green or white, that they wrap their gift in pink or blue to represent their guess for the sex of the baby. Purchase pink "It's a Girl" ribbon and blue "It's a Boy" ribbon, and tie up little ribbon corsages, some in pink and some in blue. Have guests choose one or the other, and wear their "guess" during the baby shower. Separate them into teams for baby shower games, according to whether they are guessing pink or blue. A pink and blue diaper cake makes the perfect centerpiece for this baby shower theme. A wonderful and fun memento in baby's scrapbook would be a picture of mom-to-be with all the baby shower guests. Have the "pinks" stand on her left and the "blues" stand on her right. When baby arrives, s/he will be able to look in the baby book one day and see that Grama was convinced she was going to be a boy! Have fun with this one and be creative, the possibilities are endless!

Rubber Ducky
This is such a popular choice and such a favorite because it is so much fun. It makes a great baby shower theme when baby is a boy, because blue and yellow lend themselves so perfectly to this theme, but pink and yellow for a girl, or white and yellow for a neutral theme would work just as well. Combine Blue Hawaiian Punch, Ginger Ale, and vanilla ice cream, then float a couple of rubber duckies in the punch. For cake, get a white or yellow cake with an air-brushed blue pond, and add a rubber ducky or two, along with baby bath time decorations and a message. Miniature wash tubs can be used for favors and larger ones to hold food. Blue and yellow balloons and streamers will add color and movement to the room. Add a couple of rolled up baby towels, washcloths, and baby care items like baby powder and baby shampoo near the washtubs (these also make great balloon weights.)

For a helium version of this same idea, use one large round latex balloon, 5-6 smaller round latex balloons in a contrasting color, and one long skinny "balloon animal" latex balloon. Fill the large round balloon with helium, and use a balloon cup to secure it. Fill the smaller round balloons with helium, and arrange in a circle around the base of the larger balloon. Use a little double sided tape if you need it to make the balloons form a circle. Secure with a balloon cup. Finally, inflate the skinny balloon with helium, tie off, and secure with the balloon cup. Attach a string, and you're done! Since they are filled with helium these balloon pacifiers look adorable floating around the room!

Streamers - So inexpensive, but so festive! Twist two different colors together for a colorful spiral swag above doorways and windows, or along the edges of the food and gift tables.

Tablecloths - We know what you're thinking, but this is a simple opportunity to add a huge splash of color that many people miss. A paper tablecloth costs practically nothing, and they can be purchased in all sorts of gorgeous textures and colors. We recently found pink and blue opalescent paper table cloths at our local craft store for less than $5. The opally-pink effect was gorgeous, and really added a nice decorative element to the baby shower.

Diaper Cakes - Hey, we have to include our favorite idea for a baby shower centerpiece. If you are hostessing a baby shower, diaper cakes make ideal baby shower centerpieces. They can be purchased to match the theme of any baby shower, and your guests will rave. You can use the diaper cake to play a baby shower game (see below.) And mom-to-be can take the cake home as your gift to her when the baby shower is over. So you get a gift, a centerpiece, and a game all in one, which saves you money when you are throwing a baby shower, and saves mom money on disposable diapers. Perfect! ***TIP: When using a diaper cake as a baby shower centerpiece, try placing the cake on a cake stand or cake pedestal. This gives the diaper cake some extra height and presence as a centerpiece, and looks adorable because it is such a clever way to play up the baby shower 'cake.'

Are you looking for directions on how to make a diaper cake? Let us help you! Making your own diaper cake is fun and there is no better way to customize a cake to exactly match the theme you have envisioned. You can add your own personal touches as well, such as the baby's name. If you want to make a diaper cake of your own, why not start with one of our professionally made plain diaper cake bases? These diaper cakes make it easy to create a beautiful baby shower centerpiece or special new baby gift, in a small fraction of the time it would take you to make a diaper cake from scratch - and they eliminate the worry of trial and error and the possibility of embarrassing mishaps with cakes that don't hold together! We have several sizes to choose from, and every plain diaper cake comes with a Decorating Hints & Tips sheet to give you some pointers.

Free Baby Shower Games
Diaper Cake Guessing Game

Of course, this one is a personal favorite! A 5 tier diaper cake is perfect for this guessing game. With our do it yourself diaper cakes, you can decorate the cake to match your baby shower perfectly, and then add any number of useful baby items to the cake. Have participants guess how many diapers the cake is constructed with, and how many items are attached to the diaper cake.

The "Diaper Cakewalk"

This is a twist on the tired old "me

For a sneaky twist on this game, have the mom to be walk the diaper cake through the room for the guest to look at it. Give them LOTS of time to look and even let MTB walk through the room a second time if the guests wish. Then, have MTB carry the diaper cake out of sight, and announce to your guests that the REAL object of the game was the MOM TO BE! They must now describe as much detail as they can remember about her appearance (her clothing, jewelry, hairstyle, shoes, etc.) This is a fun and unexpected twist your guest will love!mory tray" baby shower game we've all played a million times. Instead, walk around the room with a diaper cake like the one pictured here, that has lots of baby care items attached to the outside of the cake. Let all the guests have a good look at the cake, then put it out of sight, and let them see how many items they can recall that were attached to the diaper cake. For a tiebreaker, let them guess how many diapers the diaper cake is made from.

What's in the Nursery?

This is a great game that keeps everyone engaged and using their noodle! The first participant (usually mom-to-be) names an item that you would find in a baby's nursery. The next player must repeat that item, and add an item of her own to the list. The third player must repeat both items, and add a third item to the list. Each player repeats these steps. As the list grows, if a player forgets a baby item or gets the items out of order, she is out. The last person standing wins the game.

Pass the prize

• The news is out, quick send a cable, the gift goes to the lady across the table.
• If someone wears a dress of blue, she must take this gift from you. If blue cannot be seen, it goes to the one wearing green.
• I will now read another verse...please pass it to the gal with the largest purse.
• We are getting tricky, here is a real humdinger! Pass it to the one with the most rings on her fingers.
• Wow! What a success! Pass it to the guest with the most buttons on her dress.
• Alas, this gift is not for you. It now goes to the one with the largest shoe.
• Let's get this party started girls..pass it to the one with the cutest curls.
• Mommy is anxious. Daddy is nervous. Now pass this to the lady who drove the furthest.
• There won't be time to practice, there won't be time to rehearse. Pass this gift to the gal with the most money in her purse!
• We hope you all are having fun. We have tried to include most everyone. From the largest purse to the largest shoe, pass this gift to the right of you.
• We're ending this rhyme, this is the last poem, the gift you are holding is yours to take home.

Left or Right?

Hand one person a wrapped gift/prize and read the following story. When they hear the word LEFT or RIGHT/WRIGHT, they hand the gift in that direction. The person who is now holding the gift passes it to the person on the side of them that's mentioned next in the story so it just keeps moving around - back and forth. The person holding the gift at the end is the winner. Total chaos and lots of fun as guests scramble to pass the prize as they listen to the story! Here it is:

Mr. WRIGHT prepared to take Mrs. WRIGHT RIGHT to the hospital just as she went into labor. As he LEFT in the car, he turned RIGHT out of the driveway. He had to go RIGHT back home because he LEFT Mrs. WRIGHT at home. As soon as he turned into the driveway, he went RIGHT inside and RIGHT up the stairs, where he found Mrs. WRIGHT sitting RIGHT beside her overnight bag. They both got in the car on the LEFT side as the RIGHT side door wouldn't open. Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT again LEFT for the hospital, turning RIGHT out of the driveway. An argument occurred about the RIGHT turn, as Mrs. WRIGHT said that Mr. WRIGHT should have turned LEFT. Mr. WRIGHT kept insisting that he was absolutely RIGHT, but Mrs. WRIGHT kept insisting that the hospital entrance was on the LEFT. Two blocks away after another LEFT turn they discovered they had LEFT Mrs. WRIGHTs overnight bag at home. So they made a LEFT turn, then a RIGHT to go back home to where they had LEFT the bag. As they turned RIGHT on to their street, Mrs. WRIGHT said "Let's just go RIGHT to the hospital and send someone else RIGHT to the house for the fact that we LEFT the bag on the couch". They went LEFT at the next block and turned RIGHT back around. Finally at the hospital Mr. WRIGHT pulled up to the front where he LEFT his wife to go RIGHT in. Inside the hospital they wheeled Mrs. WRIGHT away. Where is my wife? I only LEFT her for a minute! exclaimed Mr. WRIGHT. A nurse rushed him RIGHT down the hall, they made a LEFT turn, then a RIGHT, and a LEFT turn again. Mr. WRIGHT found Mrs. WRIGHT already in delivery. But he then realized that he had LEFT the video camera in the car. RIGHT away he ran out of the room and RIGHT back to the car. Not only had he LEFT the camera but he had LEFT the lights on too. Mr. WRIGHT wasted no time; he ran RIGHT back to his wifes room. As Mr. WRIGHT walked in he heard crying from his wife because he had LEFT her room and was nowhere in sight. Im sure you can guess what happened next. As Mrs. WRIGHT had the baby Mr. WRIGHT passed out on the floor. But when he came to he got a shock once more. For there he saw Mrs. WRIGHT embracing their new little bundles of joy. With two babies on her LEFT and one on the RIGHT, Mrs. WRIGHT turned to her husband and said There is one thing LEFT to do, I think we should name these WRIGHT babies, how about you?

Baby Concentration

This is a game where guests match the candy that best fits the pregnancy or baby-related description given. Here is a list, with answers in parentheses. List the baby-related items to the left, then list the candy on the right in random order. Have guests match the baby item with the corresponding candy from the list.

Twins (M&Ms)
Triplets (3 musketeers)
Epidural (Lifesavers)
Hospital bill (Payday)
Contractions (Whoppers)
Girls Name (Baby Ruth)
College Costs (100 Grand)
Breastfeeding (Milky Way)
Boys Names (Mike & Ike)
Moms tummy after pregnancy (Jelly Belly)
What you cant give baby enough of (Hugs & Kisses)

New Parent Questionnaire

The night before the shower ask the dad-to-be a series of questions about his knowledge of babies. At the shower have an envelope that has strips of paper, each of which has a different question on it that you have asked the father. At the start of the game tell all the ladies that you have asked the dad-to-be 15 questions and their goal is to guess how many of his answers the mom-to-be could get right. Have each guest write down their guess on a scrap of paper, then pass around the envelope and take turns asking the questions to the mom-to-be. The lady who guesses closest wins the game. Here is a list of sample questions. Add your own to make it really hilarious.

How many diapers do you think a baby needs each day?
How many diapers do you plan to change each day?
How many hours does a baby sleep each day?
At what age does a baby start eating solid food?
Do you think that your baby will be born with a lot of hair?
How many kids do you want to have?
Who will be the disciplinarian?
...and so on.

Baby Bag Mystery

Take about five baby items and place each in a paper bag. Staple the bags shut and number them. Pass out paper and pencil to the guests. Then pass the bags around and have them write down their answers. After all have finished, the one who gets the most right wins. Get some easy items like diaper pins, pacifiers, rattles, and a few harder items like fingernail clippers. Use items mom-to-be can take home after the shower.

Baby Fear Factor

Purchase an assortment of baby foods: green beans, carrots, bananas, etc. You can mix different flavors together or just put a couple of different ones on the same plate. Give one to each participant, with a baby spoon. First person to finish eating their baby food wins. This one is not for the squeamish!

Who Am I? Baby Shower Game

As your guests arrive, stick a label with the name of a celebrity or a fictional character onto their backs so they cannot see it. One person stands up to show her back and that person has to guess who she is by asking questions. For instance, you might be Martha Stewart, and you would ask questions like, Am I on TV? Am I young or old? Am I a performer? Am I a talk show host? Participants are only allowed to ask yes/no questions. The guests respond accordingly until you have guessed correctly. Then it is the next person's turn to guess which character she is. The guest who correctly guesses the name on her label with the fewest questions wins a prize.

Baby Memory Tray with a Twist!

Arrange about 20 baby items on a small tray. Use a bottle, a diaper, Qtips, nail clippers, a baby spoon, a washcloth, etc. Have the mom-to-be carry the tray around the room for guests to look at. Send her around the room again so they can have a second look. Then have her leave the room with the tray. Once she is gone, tell your guests that instead of writing down all the baby items they can remember, instead they have to write down everything they can remember about the appearance of the mom-to-be. They get a point for each detail, such as the color of her top or her skirt, style of her shoes, style of her earrings, etc. This is loads of fun because it totally catches your guests off guard!

Animal Families Baby Shower Game

Every animal has a unique name for a male, a female, a baby, and a family. For example, a deer would be a buck, a doe, a fawn, and a herd. List 10 animals to the left on a sheet of paper. On the right, place 4 columns: Daddy, Mommy, Baby, and Family. Guests have to fill in the names of each member of the family for each of the animals you've listed. This is a great baby shower game because most people know more of these than they realize. Another variation of this is to ask guests to list just the baby name for each animal or just the family name. Go to this website to choose your list of animals:

Enchanted Learning Animal Families

Role Reversal

If the baby shower is co-ed, blow up a balloon (as big as possible) for each man. Have them put the balloons under their shirts, then tuck shirts in. They have to take off their shoes and socks, and put on pink fuzzy pampering slippers without popping the balloon. (Remember to blow the balloon up as big as it will get, to give the men a better idea of what a mom is up against while she is trying to go about her daily life sporting that big belly! This makes the balloons easier to pop too, so you will get some surprises!) While the men are trying to get out of their shoes so they can pamper their tired pregnant feet in the slippers, the women will be cracking up. You can assign them any other task you would like that requires them to bend over! The man who completes the task the fastest (without popping the belly) wins the game. Mom-to-be can take the fuzzy slippers home after the party!

Baby Alphabet Game

Pass out a sheet of paper which lists all the letters of the alphabet with a blank next to each. Players must fill in a baby or pregnancy related item or word beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Once players have filled in all 26 words, the players compare one letter at a time. Players get a point for each word that is unique, or each word that no one else thought of. Player with the most points wins.

Multi-tasking Baby Shower Game

Gather some old baby clothes (from a thrift store) or purchase a few packs of onesies in different sizes, a bunch of clothes pins, a long string for a clothes line, a cordless phone, and a baby doll. Participants have 3 minutes to hang as many clothes on the line as they can, while holding the phone and the baby doll at the same time. This is lots of fun and guaranteed for laughs. If you really want to make it a challenge, have a volunteer stand in the next room, or outside, and call the cordless phone. Participant has to answer the phone, and answer the questions that the caller is asking, while they hang the clothes and hold the baby. Have the caller ask silly questions like What did you have for breakfast today? Did you wash those clothes with Downy or Tide? and just be as distracting as possible. If participants drop the phone, the baby, the clothes, or a clothes pin, they are out. Whoever hangs the most clothes successfully in 3 minutes wins the game, and mom can take the onesies home to use for the new baby.

Want to Skip the Baby Shower Games Altogether??

Some moms-to-be do not like baby shower games, and some baby showers are too large to play group games. A great idea to eliminate them altogether (but still make guests feel like they have played a game) is to do a 'Prize Swap.' This is especially useful if you are expecting more than 25 guests. Wrap a number of prizes (scented lotions or soaps, bath salts, scented candles, or something else consumable is your best bet) then choose a number; for example, if you choose the number 7, when the MTB opens the seventh gift, the person who gave the gift gets to go and choose one of the wrapped prizes, and open it. Then when MTB opens the 14th gift, the person who gave it gets to either choose a new wrapped prize, or go and take the first prize that was unwrapped from the other guest. If they take a prize from another guest, that guest gets to go and choose a new prize and unwrap it. This is lots of fun, and keeps a large group of guests engaged during a lengthy gift opening session. Choose a number that is evenly divisible by the number of guests present at the baby shower (for example, if you have 25 guests, you might want to choose the number 5, and make sure you have 5 prizes.)

Baby Shower Food Ideas

• Ice Cream Punch
• 2 two-liters Ginger Ale
• 1 box orange sherbet (or your favorite flavor)
• 1 box orange juice (or your favorite flavor)

In a large punch bowl, add the ginger ale first, then the box of juice. Add sherbet just before the guests arrive. Super easy, and delicious!

Watermelon Baby Carriage

Cut a thin slice from the bottom of a large watermelon to give it a stable base. Draw the outline of the carriage opening and the handle (as shown.) Use a sharp knife to cut this section out of the watermelon, cutting all the way through the rind in a straight line. Once this section is removed, use a sharp knife or a decorating tool to cut the fancy edge. Hollow out the inside of the carriage, and puncture 6 -8 drainage holes in the bottom of the watermelon. Cut the handle from the discarded section of rind. Attach the handle with toothpicks. Cut oranges in thick slices, and attach four 'orange slice wheels' with toothpicks. Place the carriage in a good size pan of ice, and fill with fruit salad. The ice will keep the fruit cool, and any excess juices will drain into the pan of ice through the drainage holes, preventing the fruit salad from getting soggy.

This amazing centerpiece is entirely edible and sure to delight your guests! Purchase fresh pineapple cores, grapes, cantaloupe, a melon baller, and long shishkebob skewers, as well as floral foam and a good sized vase or bowl to hold the arrangement. Slice the pineapple in 3/4 inch slices, and use a cookie cutter to cut the slices into flowers. On the skewers, first place a grape as a "stopper," then a pineapple flower, then finish with another grape or a ball of cantaloupe. Place the first flower into the floral foam at the edge of the container, and continue adding flowers around the edge until you've encircled the container you've chosen. Then, make a second smaller circle of flowers inside the first, slightly higher up than the first row. Finish toward the center. Fill in any gaps with skewers of grapes. Gorgeous, impressive, and completely edible!

Not feeling brave enough to try creating one yourself? Click the image and order a professionally made fruit flower centerpiece from EdibleArrangements.com. Your baby shower guests will rave!

Cupcake Tower

Instead of the traditional sheet cake, why not create a cupcake tower instead? These are less-mess, pre-measured, and easier to plan for since you know exactly how many cupcakes to make according to the number of guests you are expecting (plus a few extras, of course!) They make an attractive focal point on the baby shower table and there are endless creative possibilities for decorating them. Here are a few we like.

Any of these could be easily customized to fit the theme of the shower you are throwing. Note the cute little baby pacifiers made from two life savers and a jelly bean. They are held together with a dab of frosting. Easy and so adorable.

Easy and Super Cute Baby Bootie Cake

We love this cake because it is something that anyone can do with any off-the-rack cake from a grocery store to make it super special, without any baking! All you need is a bag of large marshmallows, toothpicks, icing, and a piping bag with tips.

• Attach two marshmallows end to end with a toothpick. Add a third marshallow with another toothpick, this one upright.
• Affix marshallow bootie to cake with two more toothpicks to stabilize.
• Repeat for second bootie.
• Use a small star-tip and cover the whole bootie with stars very close together. Repeat for the second bootie. Leave no white showing.
• Change icing tips and add a little bow to each bootie with a writing tip.