A baby shower is a great deal of fun for everyone involved, especially when you plan it to be uniquely suited to the needs and personality of the expectant mother. Here are some suggestions for planning a very successful baby shower:
Gifts
Be sure to provide guests with information about what the expectant mother wants and needs. She may have filled out a baby registry at one or more stores, or she may have mentioned some needs to you personally. It's even okay to ask her if there is something specific she really needs; if it is a big ticket item then several guests might want to pool their money to buy it.
If this is not the first baby for the expectant mother, consider getting a small gift or two for the younger siblings. The impending birth of a new brother or sister is difficult time for young children, especially when they see lots of presents being given to the new baby. You can help head off jealousy and make the children feel special by including them in the gift giving, too.
Baby Shower Games
There are nearly endless variations and ideas for baby shower ideas. From different themes to different locations to different games and activities, you can create a unique and memorable event. The key is to focus your efforts on creating a shower that fits the tastes and preferences of the expectant mother.
Games are a baby shower tradition, but some women enjoy them more than others. You might want to limit yourself to two or at the most three games, or even consider not doing any at all. Some traditional favorites include:
- Pin the tail on the baby (variation of pin the tail on the donkey)
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- Bottle bowling, using empty baby bottles as "pins" and a tennis ball as the "bowling ball"
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- Word scramble, where you scramble the letters of common baby-related words and guests compete to be the first to unscramble them
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- Baby trivia, where you create a list of fifteen or twenty trivia questions related to babies, parenting, etc.
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- Five in ten, where you give each guest a baby-related category and she has to name five items in that category within ten seconds
These are just a few examples, use your creativity and imagination to come up with activities and games tailored to the expectant mother.
The Guest List
Work with the expectant mother to create a guest list for the shower. She might want to include her family (mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, aunt, cousin, etc.) or just friends. If you are planning a surprise baby shower, you'll need to enlist the help of the expectant father, a close friend, or someone else who knows the expectant mother well enough to know whom to include on the guest list.
Traditionally, baby showers were the domain of women only, but more and more expectant fathers are participating as well. A fun new trend is to make baby showers into a couples activity, inviting men and women to bring their spouse or significant other along to join in the fun. Again, talk with the expectant mother to get an idea of what would be most enjoyable and memorable for her.