Pregnancy | Baby Showers

9 Interesting Baby Shower Games

Traditional baby showers, where we all sit around the new mom-to-be guessing what each present contains, can be extremely boring. So when looking at baby shower ideas, choose one or two interesting games that people of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy. We’ve searched for a couple of baby shower games that will appeal to most people – without being boring and predictable.

1. Toilet paper tips
Send a roll of toilet paper around and ask the guests to each tear off a section each – as big or as small as they prefer. Once the toilet paper has done its round, inform them that they have to each share as many baby tips or wishes for the mom-to-be as the sheets of toilet paper they’ve torn off. Give them some time to gather their thoughts or scribble down a few notes, before asking them to share their tips and wishes. Have someone record it in a little book of reference.

2. My water just broke!
Get tiny, cheap plastic dolls from a party or toy shop. Freeze each doll into an ice cube, and after the guests have arrived give them each a cup with an ice cube and tell them to watch their baby for the duration of the shower. The first one whose “water breaks” (when the ice cube melts and the baby floats around in the cup) wins a prize. Tell your guests that they are allowed to induce by holding the cup up to a lamp or warming it with their hands. The moment the baby is free, the guest must shout “my water just broke”!

3. What’s in a name?
Split the party into a few teams and get them to come up with three baby names each. Make up your own rules, such as having to use all the letters of your name or supplying them with other letters of your choice. The mom-to-be can choose the most unique or funny name, and the winning team gets a prize.

4. Put dad on the spot
Put together a questionnaire and ask the dad-to-be some baby-related questions. On the day of the shower ask the new mom what she thinks he answered, before telling her and having a good laugh. Questions can be:

• How many hours of sleep will you get per night during the first month?
• When does a baby start sleeping through?
• When can a baby have its first piece of biltong?
• How many nappies does a newborn baby need per day (24 hours)?
• How many kids do you want?
• If your wife goes into labour, how soon does she have to be admitted to hospital?
• What does a 6-month old baby eat?
• Between the two of you, who will be strict and who will be a softy?

5. ABC Book
Get some coloured A5 or A4 sheets of paper, kokies, crayons or pencils and write a letter of the alphabet on each sheet. Ask every guest to take one sheet and draw pictures of objects that start with that letter. They should also write their name at the bottom of the page. Suggest A for apple and aeroplane; B for Barney, bottle and book, and so on. If you have more than 26 guests present you can do shapes and numbers as well. Laminate and bind the pages, and you’ve got your child’s first Alphabet Book.

6. Mommy quiz
Give each guest a piece of paper and a pen before asking the mom-to-be to leave the room. Tell them to pay close attention to the mom when she returns. The guest of honour will come in carrying a tray with baby products such as powder, Vaseline, bum cream, wet wipes etc. Ask her to walk around the room once so that everyone can get a glimpse of what’s on the tray, and then ask her to leave again. When she’s out of the room, ask the guests to answer questions (by writing them down) such as:

• What colour is her nail polish?
• What is the pattern on her shirt?
• Is she wearing open or closed shoes?

Then watch them squirm and freak out when they realise that they were watching the products instead of the mom!

7. Smell the diaper
Melt three different chocolates separately and smear each chocolate on a diaper. Have your guests apply their senses to figure out what nappy contains what chocolate. This is definitely not a game for sensitive friends or family members! Choose chocolates that are quite different from each other, such as a Kit-Kat, a Lunch Bar and a Bar One.

8. Baby picture
Give each guest a pen and paper and ask them to draw a baby with their eyes closed. The best artist, chosen by the mom-to-be, wins a prize.

9. Parents’ stats
For a more sentimental approach, have the grandparents share some stories about the mom and dad-to-be. Birth weight, things they did as a baby, first words, funny sayings etc. This only works well is you have mostly family members present, however, as your new boss would probably not care how you pronounced the word hospital.

The secret to a successful baby shower lies in keeping it simple. Plan for some entertainment, but also allow for mingling and chatting – especially if your guests all know each other. If they don’t know one another, introduce a baby shower icebreaker to make them feel more comfortable and to get the conversation flowing. Add a pregnant fairy, a few snacks and some gifts, and you have yourself a successful baby shower!