Baby shower ideas
A long established tradition in America, but relatively new to the UK, a baby shower is a great way to show the mum-to-be in your life how much you value her, and how excited you are to welcome her new arrival into the world. Here are a few of our favourite baby shower ideas to get your planning process started…
Baby shower games
Baby showers can often involve bringing together people who don’t know each other that well, so games are a good way to break the ice and ensure everyone is having a great time.
A fun idea to get everyone giggling is ‘guess the size of the bump’ where guests guess the circumference of the mum-to-be’s bump by cutting a piece of string the length they think it is. Once everyone has cut their piece of string the mum-to-be puts them around her waist one by one until the winner is found. Other simple but fun games to try are ‘pin the dummy on the baby’ (a baby shower take on the classic ‘pin the tail on the donkey’) and a nursery rhyme quiz (search online for a template).
If you’re feeling more artistic, a ‘decorate the onesie’ contest can be a fun activity which doesn’t need to cost much. Buy some bargain white babygrows and fabric pens and get decorating. Award a prize for the winner, and be sure to get a photo of everyone with their entries.
Round off the activities section with something a little more sentimental - provide everyone with a small piece of card and ask them to write down their wishes for the new baby. The mum and dad to be can keep these thoughts and share them with their little one when they are old enough to understand, showing them how loved they were before they were even born.
Baby shower food & drink ideas
Baby showers aren’t usually sit down dinner events, so finger food is the name of the game. Asking all the guests to bring a dish allows everyone to feel involved and means less stress for the host. Some cute baby themed food ideas are cupcakes with baby footprints on top (you can buy pre-made ones from the baking aisle in the supermarket or craft shops), gingerbread men/women/babies and babies in pastry blankets (a take on pigs in blankets).
Other good finger food ideas are crudite and dips (who doesn’t love hummus?!), flavoured popcorn, sandwiches (use a cookie cutter to cut into a cute shape like hearts) and scones with jam and clotted cream.
If the mum to be has a sweet tooth then a macaroon tower or baby shower cake can make a delicious centrepiece to your baby shower feast. You can even get baby shower themed cake toppers for a fab finishing touch. Finally, don’t forget the cocktails, or mocktails we should say. There are a huge range of recipes online, so you can pick something original or recreate the mum to be’s favourite cocktail in virgin form (ironically!).
Baby shower decorations
Good decor can turn the drabbest space into something Pinterest-worthy, so it’s well worth considering for a baby shower, and it needn’t be expensive.
Tissue paper pom poms give a party feel and can be bought or made in the colour scheme of your baby shower to tie everything together. Compliment your pom poms with some fun helium balloons; there are a huge selection available online through sites like Not on the High Street and Etsy.
To up the baby-factor, make ‘bunting’ by pegging tiny baby socks to a length of ribbon using small wooden pegs, and get the mum to be a ‘mum to be’ sash.
Baby shower gift ideas
Last but certainly not least - the gifts! This is what the baby shower is really all about, furnishing the parents to be with everything they might need to look after their bundle of joy. Babygrows, bottles and adorable hats are good staples, but if you’re looking for something a bit more unique read on.
A gift certificate for a newborn photoshoot makes a lovely present and will help them remember those first precious moments as a family of now three (or four, five, six), while a necklace with the birthstone of the baby is a thoughtful and stylish gift for mum.
If you want to encourage a budding Matilda, ask the guests to ‘bring a book not a card’ and write their message in the front cover instead, meaning baby will always think of them when reading the story.
Finally, if you’re looking for something a bit fun and with wow factor, a box of ‘open when…’ gifts is a good option. These could include ‘open when baby says their first word’ (champagne), ‘open on 31st October’ (baby’s first Halloween costume) or ‘open when you need a gift for yourself’ (a voucher for her favourite shop) - the world is your oyster.