8 baby shower games that won’t make you cringe
What is a baby shower?
Originally from the USA, the baby shower is an increasingly popular tradition here in the UK and it’s a lovely way to celebrate the imminent arrival of a brand new baby. Full of happiness, love and laughter, it’s a feel good event that focuses on the mum-to-be and this huge milestone in her life.
Most baby showers have a female focused guest list, rounding up the mum-to-be’s closest friends and family to all come together and celebrate. They are often hosted at someones house or in the function room of a cafe or restaurant and will include delicious food, cakes, decorations, drinks, gifts (8 perfect mum-to-be gifts) and, of course, baby shower games.
Why do we play games at a baby shower?
Baby shower games are a really nice way of bringing together a group of people that perhaps don’t know each other too well. They’re a great ice breaker and encourage people to mingle and talk to each other, helping to create a more enjoyable baby shower. They do, however, often get a bad rep. They can be very cringe and can seem more like an embarrassing chore that actual fun.
How many games should we play?
A baby shower usually takes place in the afternoon and is approximately 2-3 hours long. A lot of guests won’t have seen each other for a while, so you will need to allow time for people to catch-up and get drinks. There’s also often a buffet and time for gift exchanging, so you will need to allow time for these. With this in mind, I would recommend choosing a maximum of 2-3 games. Perhaps select 2 games that you will definitely play and then a 3rd game that you will prepare as a back-up should you need it.
Baby shower games
that won’t make you cringe
So if you’re planning a baby shower and you’re trying to work out which games to play, what options are there that won’t send guests escaping to the kitchen for refreshments? Below I’ve put together a list of my favourite baby shower games and, next time I’m hosting a baby shower, this is the games list I’ll choose from. I have played a huge variety of games at various baby showers over the years and these are the ones that people have actually enjoyed, without feeling uneasy or cringe.
Guess the bump size
Easy, fun and often quite surprising. Get a roll of twine and let guests pass it round during the course of the party, each taking turns to cut the length of twine that they think will wrap perfectly around the bump. In my experience, people always guess waaaay over, which can make for an amusing measure up at the end.
Music quiz
Create a playlist of 10 songs, all related to the word ‘baby’. Provide guests with a paper and pen (they could work in teams) and work through the playlist, playing just a few seconds from each song. Guests have to try and guess the artist and the song title, winning a point for each one.
Predictions
It wouldn’t be a baby shower without guessing the babies birth date, weight, name and gender (if not known). You can create little cards for each guest to write on or use a big piece of paper to list everyone’s guesses together.
Guess the baby (celeb babies or guest babies)
This one is always a good laugh and can be done using baby pictures of each of the guests or celebrity baby pictures off the internet. Organise the pictures onto a sheet of paper and number them. Guests will then work alone or in teams to try and guess who each baby is, writing their answers on an answer sheet.
The price is right
As a mother of two, I thought I would be shit hot at this game, but alas, I am not. I was way off and that’s what makes this game so good… it’s actually quite hard! Create a hamper full of basic baby items, all purchased from the same shop. This can include nappies, dummies, wipes, baby food, formula, baby grows, socks, hats, nipple cream, nappy cream, bottle cleaner etc. Guests then work alone or in teams to try and guess how much each item was, calculating the total shopping bill at the end. The winner is the one closest to the total cost. It’s a win win too as the mum-to-be then gets to keep the hamper.
Who’s watching baby?
Buy a small plastic baby toy for each guest (it doesn’t have to be true to size, one that fits in the palm of your hand is perfect) and present them with it the start of the baby shower. They have to look after their baby for the duration of the shower. If they accidentally leave their baby somewhere and another guest spots it, they keep it. The winner is the person with the most babies at the end.
Celebrity baby names
Get online and create a list of 10 celebrities along with the name of their child. Once you have your list, rearrange the names so that they’re all mixed up. Guests then have to try and match the child to the celebrity. This game is good for a laugh as some of the celeb baby names are very… unusual!
Playdough babies
Time for a little creative flair! Setup a table of different Playdough colours, tools and plates. Invite each guest to create their own Playdough baby model onto their plate. The mum-to-be then chooses the winning model at the end of the baby shower.