Baby Shower Ideas
An exciting part of any pregnancy is the all important baby shower. Often held in the last trimester, the occasion sees friends and family gather in celebration of the anticipated new arrival.
Mum-to-be takes centre stage enjoying food and drink, present giving and plenty of fun and games along the way. The perfect baby shower can be anything from a simple gathering, to a more lavish event with both being styled to perfection. Whether you are planning your own event or looking to surprise someone else, take inspiration from our baby shower ideas.
1. Decorating ideas
Styling an event like this can be done easily. By colour coordinating and matching decorations you can create a clear theme. Adding stylish touches such as eye-catching bunting and pom-poms can make a truly wonderful event.
Gold Bunting
Decorating themes could include a rustic neutral country feel, the classic gold with soft pastel shades.
Neutral Decoration Pack
Adding extra accessories such as posters or garlands really helps create the party atmosphere and helps to effortlessly bring your theme together.
Pastel and Gold Tassel Garland
You may also wish to consider adding personalisation to balloons, confetti or cute cake toppers to really make the occasion extra special. Mum-to–be can really stand out with her very own sash and badge to ensure she remains the centre of attention, with additional badges for the all important VIP guests.
Badges in Mint and Rose Gold
2. Games
With a little creativity, games can easily add some light-hearted fun to your party and are largely suitable for all ages. Ever popular games include baby shower bingo where guests tick off the baby items as the presents are opened, and the all inclusive blindfolded stick the dummy on the baby game to really get guests active.
Baby Shower Bingo Game
Keep everyone guessing with a humorous measure the baby bump game allowing each guest to estimate the size of the baby bump.
How Big is the Baby Bump Game
Or there is always the classic guess the baby food game. Sometimes served in a nappy for added hilarity, guests are asked to correctly guess which flavour baby food they are sampling. Add a little suspense and excitement with everyone’s party favourite pass the parcel where guests act out silly baby related forfeits after unwrapping each layer.
Oh Baby Pass the Parcel Game
To finish things off and for those with a sweet tooth, a hanging pram piñata filled with sweets or toys is an exciting party game addition. Guests take turns to hit the piñata in the hope it breaks apart and scatters its sweet insides.
Baby Pram Pinata
Don’t forget to offer up prizes or even medals for the winners of your party games.
Baby Shower Winner Medals
3. Other activities
It can be worth having a selection of other additional activities to keep your guests entertained and even create some memorable keepsakes for mum-to-be to take away.
Parenting advice cards allow guests to impart their parenting top tips and can offer inspiration and reassurance to new parents. A guest book allows guests to write a thoughtful message from the heart. A wonderful alternative to a book is a framed guest book where guests write a short message and drop it into the glass frame-which could always be hung in the nursery.
Cloud Frame Guest Book
The ever-popular baby prediction cards allow guests to guess the new baby’s anticipated date of birth, weight, eye colour, and other attributes, often with a prize up for grabs for the most accurate predictions once baby actually arrives. You might even like to consider tattoos as a temporary reminder of your fun-filled party.
Personalised Tattoos
Another amusing activity allowing guests to get to know each other better is a guess the baby game. Guests provide a photo of themselves as a baby, providing an entertaining anonymous photo gallery looking back at familiar babies from decades gone by. See if guests can guess ‘who’s who!’
Lastly a selection of photo props and a trendy backdrop always encourage guests to take lots of memorable photos alongside mum-to-be.
Rose Gold & Clouds String Decoration
4. Gifts for the baby
Most guests like to purchase baby a small gift to be opened at the shower. It can be great fun to all gather round and watch mum-to-be open presents for her new arrival, marvelling at the tiny outfits, petite accessories such as hats and socks, or the all important, yet slightly less glamorous bundles of little nappies and baby wipes. Give stylishly with nappies presented as a large multi tiered cake, tied together with ribbon or wrapped in cellophane.
Multi-packs of basics such as vests and sleep suits are always a winner, alongside hats and socks. Think seasonally when buying any clothing to ensure it will fit baby for the appropriate season.
More sentimental gifts can be given and kept for a lifetime such as hand and foot imprint kits, or a baby journal celebrating their first year. Milestone cards ensure every key event is captured, and even kept in baby’s very own first photo album. A month-by-month photo blanket provides the perfect backdrop for parents to remember to take regular photos to chart baby’s growth.
Baby gifts can also include gifts to go in the nursery. This could include cute artwork or a mobile to be hung above the cot.
5. Gifts for the mother
When choosing gifts for the mother why not consider contributing towards a pregnancy pamper session, or even a spa voucher to provide some much needed relaxation after baby has arrived. Presents that can be used in the run up to, and immediately after the birth can be incredibly thoughtful.
Consider writing up vouchers with personal offers of delivering hot meals, providing cleaning sessions, babysitting so mum can take a break, or offer to take older siblings out for the day to give mum some peace. Coffee shop vouchers or online shopping vouchers are always well received by new parents.
Alternatively a hamper with some essentials in is easy to create. Think hand cream, lip balm, nipple cream, pillow mist sleep spray, biscuits, hot chocolate and sweets-the options are endless.
Vouchers for a new-born photography session allow new parents to capture the early days with their wondrous baby and provide long lasting memories.
6. Invitations
Use the invitation to set the tone and give your guests the essential information they need. Make sure guests know what time they need to arrive and where, and most importantly whether the it's a surprise. Give details of whether food and drink will be provided or if you would like them to contribute.
Baby's Nursery Invites
Try to find a venue that suits everyone and perhaps ask guests to contribute with some help with setting up. Add details on the invitation of a baby shower gift registry if there is one to ensure mum-to-be gets the essentials for her new arrival.
7. Themes
A clear theme can really help bring your event together and creates a fantastic first impression to your guests. The theme can be guided by mum-to-be. Perhaps consider her own personal style and taste as a guide. For further inspiration consider taking a look at her favourite book/film and work from there such as Alice in Wonderland.
Alice in Wonderland We're All Mad Here Card Bunting
A nursery theme including rocking horse, dummy and cot images can work well.
Rock-A-Bye Baby Bunting
Add more detail to your theme with hand crafted (or even cheat hand craft style) accessories to really make the event stand out.
Die-Cut Kraft Paper Heart Bunting
A tea party theme allows guests to mingle informally. This works especially well with additional decorations such as bunting, ditsy floral mismatched teacups and saucers served alongside classic sandwiches and scones.
Boho Pom Pom Garland
8. Favours
There is a wide range of party favours available which can be given to guests as a fun reminder of the occasion. Miniature dummies, sweets, and biscuits work well as favours.
Favours can be presented in a party bag, matching the theme where possible. Personalisation also offers guests a little reminder of the event.
Personalised Favours
9. Ideas for baby boys
A boys shower does not need to stick to traditional blue, however this can always be used as a theme colour alongside another added element such as elephants. Use miniature elephant logos or teddy bears on the invite and repeat again on accessories such as napkins, balloons and the tablecloth to create an easy theme your guests will love. Add blue accents with simple accessories such as straws and balloons.
Personalised Cute Elephants Blue Bunting
Other ideas for a boys shower include the ever popular dinosaur theme, or even the alternative and slightly more adventurous pirate theme.
Roarsome Dinosaur Party Balloon Bunting
10. Ideas for baby girls
Pink is often a staple theme used for a girls shower. Allow your creativity to run wild by creating a theme with added extras such as pink pom poms paper straws and balloons.
Pink Paper Straws
However in recent years this has been mixed up with ever more eclectic and magical themes such as the unicorn.
Unicorn and Star Confetti
A feminine mermaid theme always works well for a girls baby shower. Link your theme together with paper cups, table centre pieces, candles and table confetti.
Mermaid Tail Glitter Garland
A vibrant eye-catching display of balloons can create a more dramatic entrance to wow your guests such as a balloon backdrop wall or an entrance archway especially if it contains eye-catching confetti filled balloons.
