Our Top 5 ‘Tasteful’ Baby Shower Games

Are you in charge of organising a baby shower? Wondering how you are going to keep the guests occupied? We have come up with 5 of the most tasteful baby shower games for you and your guests to play.

Baby showers are an important milestone for a mum to be, and you want her to have fun.

But as we know, sometimes baby shower games can be a little tacky, and kind of weird. 

First things first, just in case you aren’t sure, what is a baby shower?

A baby shower is a traditional celebration held for expectant parents, typically during their last trimester of pregnancy, to mark the upcoming arrival of their baby. It’s a way for friends and family to show their support, love, and excitement for the parents and the baby.

The shower usually involves games, food, and gifts for the mum and baby. The parents-to-be are often the centre of attention, while guests typically bring presents for the baby, such as clothing, toys, or nappies. 

Baby showers can be hosted by friends, family members, or coworkers, and can be held at a home, restaurant, or event space. It's traditionally an all-female event, but co-ed baby showers have become increasingly common in recent years.

A baby shower is a fun and joyful celebration that honours the expectant mother and her new bundle of joy.

Top 5 Tasteful Baby Shower Game Ideas 

Game Idea One: Celebrity Baby Guess

This is a great game to play with guests of all ages and can be as quick or lengthy as wanted, simply add more photos to the mix to increase the playing time.

How to play:

• Collect the photos: To start with, simply search online to find 5-10 photos of celebrities as babies and save them to a document. 
• Print off: Next print off the saved photos, making sure to do so in colour, and trim to the appropriate size.
• Create a display:  Arrange the selected photos on a wall or board. They can be grouped together based on year or theme or mixed up randomly.
• Make name tags: Write the names of the celebrities on small cards or stickers and stick them next to random photos, making sure not to give anything away.
• Start the game: After a quick game explanation, allow the guests a few minutes to make their guesses before collecting the papers and announcing the right answer. The guest with the most correct guesses wins a prize.

This is an easy game that will inspire laughs for everyone!

Game Idea Two: Guess the date

How to play:

• Have the mum-to-be fill out a card or sheet of paper with her due date
• Ask guests to write down their guesses for the due date on their own cards
• Collect all the cards and keep them safe until the baby is born
• Once the baby arrives, announce the birth date and time. The guest who guessed closest to the actual due date wins a prize

A downside to this game can be the long wait time to find out when the baby is born and who therefore won the prize. To combat this, save your best prize for this game.

Game Idea Three: Wishing well

You can make a wishing well by decorating a large container, such as a basket or a box, with ribbon, flowers, and other decorative elements. Label the container "Wishing Well" or "Words of Wisdom”. This is a great one for the parents who need some extra love, support and encouragement.  

• Set up the paper and pens: Place some small pieces of paper and pens next to the wishing well, so guests can write down their advice and well wishes
• Explain the game: Before guests start writing, explain the purpose of the wishing well. Encourage guests to write down their words of support, advice, or encouragement for the parents-to-be
• Collect the notes: Once guests have written their notes, collect them and place them in the wishing well
• Read the notes: After the party, take some time to read through the notes with the parents-to-be. You can read them aloud or give them to the parents as a keepsake

This is a great way for guests to all give their best wishes to the parents-to-be without all crowding them at once.

Game Idea Four: Name the tune

This game is pretty self-explanatory, and can be adjusted to suit every baby shower. Here’s how to get it set up.

• Create a playlist: Create a playlist of popular songs that have "baby" or "child" in the title or lyrics. You can create a playlist on your phone or computer or make a cd to play at the venue. 
• Play a snippet of each song: Play a short section of each song on the playlist, about 5-10 seconds each depending on the difficulty level. The more time the guests have to listen the easier the guess will become.
• Have guests guess the title and artist: Have guests write down the title and artist of each song on a piece of paper. Collect the papers and score the answers, you can score one point for the title and one point for the artist or require both in order to get the point. 
• Announce the winner: The guest with the most correct answers wins a prize!
• Bonus round: For an extra challenge, you can also play snippets of nursery rhymes or children's songs and have guests guess the title

This game usually takes 10 - 30 minutes depending on how many songs you play.

Game Idea Five: Baby food guessing game

This game can be a hit for baby showers that include both adults and kids as guests, but don't be surprised when the winner is likely the most experienced mum who’s tried every flavour under the sun! 

• Purchase several jars of different flavours of baby food. Make sure to remove the labels or cover them up so guests can’t see the flavour
• Number each jar and write down the corresponding flavour on a separate piece of paper. Make sure to keep track of which number corresponds to each flavour
• Have guests take turns sampling each jar of baby food and trying to guess the flavour. Provide spoons and small cups for the guests to use
• Have guests write down their guesses on a piece of paper, along with their name 
• Once all guests have had a chance to taste and guess the flavours, reveal the correct answers and tally up the scores. The guest with the most correct guesses wins a prize

Optional: To make the game more challenging, you can also mix two different flavours of baby food together and have guests guess both flavours! This is best played as a bonus round once everyone has had a chance to get to know the flavours.

You can either have a table set up with the baby food and guess sheets on it for guests to complete in their own time, or allow time for a sit-down game. 

Ensure that all allergies are taken into consideration when buying the baby food so no guests have to miss out.

Need a few more games just as backups? 

The Price Is Right

Common baby items are listed and guests have to guess how much they would each cost. Whoever gets the most right wins. This game is easier with other mums and increases in difficulty if many guests don't have kids.

Blindfolded nappy change

Guests put on a blindfold and see who can put a nappy on a doll the fastest without looking. This one is always a laugh when taking off the mask to see how everyone did. 

Purse bingo 

A great game to play with other parents. Guests get a custom bingo card each and someone calls out common nappy bag items. If the guests have them in their bag with them they get to put a token onto their bingo card, and the first guest to complete their bingo card wins!

Some less tasteful baby shower games

You might love these games, and that's ok! But just FYI, they might not be nan's cup of tea. 

Measuring mum’s belly

This game involves guests cutting a piece of string to what they believe to be the correct length, before wrapping it around mum's belly to see who measured the closest. This game can affect mum's self-esteem, particularly if she struggles with self-image.

Diaper sniffing

This game involves guests smelling different types of melted chocolate or other strange textured foods to guess which type of baby nappy they resemble. It can unappetizing for many people.

Drinking games 

While alcohol may be served at some baby showers, drinking games can be inappropriate or uncomfortable for some guests, particularly those who are pregnant or refraining from alcohol for other reasons.

Some other things to do other than games at a baby shower

While baby games are popular, they aren't the only activity you can enjoy at a shower, here are some great alternatives.

Decorate onesies or bibs

Set up a station with plain onesies or bibs, fabric markers, and other decorations, and have guests decorate them for the new baby

Baby book signing

Provide a blank baby book or journal for guests to sign and write a message to the new baby

Photo booth 

Set up a fun and festive backdrop with props and accessories for guests to take photos with the expectant mother and each other

Nappy messages

Set up a station where guests can write encouraging messages on the front of clean nappies, whether that be funny messages or sweet encouraging ones. These are perfect for those overnight nappy changes and tough days, to help bring a smile to the new parents' faces.

Baby name suggestions

Have guests put name suggestions in a box to help the new parents decide.

Best baby shower prize ideas 

Planning the gifts can be difficult, so here is a list of some of the best shower game prizes. 

- Candles, diffusers

- Snack baskets

- Succulent plants

- Cookies

- Bath and body products - eg. bath bombs, moisturiser 

Tips for making sure your baby shower runs smoothly

Plan ahead: Start planning the baby shower early and make a to-do list. Set a budget, choose a theme, and send out invitations with plenty of notice to optimise the chances of everyone being able to make it.

Coordinate with helpers: Assign tasks to friends or family members who have volunteered to help with the baby shower, such as decorating, setting up the food and drinks, and organising the games. That is if they aren't organising the entire shower of course.

Make sure there is enough food and drinks: Have a variety of food and drinks available for your guests, and consider any dietary restrictions or preferences they may have. 

Plan activities: Ensure that all activities are accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

Relax and enjoy: Remember that the baby shower is a celebration of the new baby, so don't stress too much about the finer details. Relax and enjoy the time with your loved ones.

Do people in Australia have baby showers?

While they may be more extravagant in countries such as the US, Australian baby showers are quite common.

Similar to other countries, baby showers in Australia are held to celebrate the upcoming birth of a new baby, and to provide the parents to be with emotional and material support from friends and family.

Some cultural/religious groups in Australia may not celebrate baby showers, or may have different traditions around celebrating the arrival of a new baby.

However, baby showers are a popular and well-established part of Australian culture for many families.

Why do people play games at baby showers?

Games are often played at baby showers to add a fun and interactive element to the celebration. They can be a great way to break the ice among guests who may not know each other well, and provide a way to engage everyone at the party.

Baby shower games can help the expecting parents and their guests prepare for the arrival of the baby as some games may include guessing the baby's due date, naming baby items, or creating a list of helpful tips for the new mother.

Games can also help provide practical gifts for the parent’s to be. For example, guests may bring a package of nappies or a baby item as their entry fee for a game. The expectant mother can then use these gifts to prepare for the arrival of the baby.

Can you play games at a baby shower even if men are invited?

Absolutely! Men should not be excluded from the fun, playing games at a baby shower is a long-standing tradition, and with the involvement of men, it can be even more amusing.  

It is, however, a personal decision. 

If you or the expectant parents don’t feel comfortable playing traditional baby shower games with the invited men, that’s okay too. 

Remember that a baby shower is meant to be the celebration of a new baby and a very exciting time! Don’t forget to have fun with every stage of the planning and hosting. There are many games to choose from and they can all be altered to suit any theme of the shower.

Do you have a question about your Grace & Maggie Playmat? Feel free to email us.

Written by Laura Agrimi, mother of 2 and owner of Grace & Maggie.

Grace & Maggie

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