Baby showers are one of the most enchanting parties to plan, because they represent new life and the celebration of motherhood. Here are some ideas for the party you are planning for your friend or family member.
Baby Shower Invitations
If you are going to have a theme for the baby shower, decide right away so that your invitations match your theme. Some theme ideas for baby showers are teddy bear picnic, butterflies, frogs, Noah’s Ark, vintage alphabet blocks, farm animals, rubber ducky, nursery rhymes, peas in a pod or visit some websites like baby-shower.com for more ideas. You don’t need a theme, but it gives you a nice way of tying the party together. There are many online companies specializing in baby shower invitations, so once you have decided whether there will be a party theme you can begin searching for a lovely party invite.
Menu Planning for a Baby Shower
You will want to decide if your baby shower will include a meal, and time the party accordingly. A Sunday Brunch is a nice time for a baby shower, and a menu including fresh fruits and yogurt, banana or blueberry pancakes, cinnamon rolls or other pastries makes for a beautiful baby shower table buffet. Of course, hiring a caterer would be lovely, but normally the baby shower hostess puts together a small ‘committee’ of close friends and family who are happy to contribute to the shower by bringing a dish for the meal.
Baby shower cakes make a lovely centerpiece. Marthastewart.com (see picture) offers a recipe for these gorgeous fondant building blocks. One sheet cake makes 12 blocks. Another cute cake idea is a baby quilt cake. Take the time to Google ‘baby quilt cake’ (under ‘Images’) to see a fantastic collection of gorgeous cakes. The quilt concept is so perfect for a baby shower cake, and if you don’t feel like spending hours decorating, most bakeries offer this as a baby shower cake option.
Baby Shower Games and Activities
It’s traditional at a baby shower to have a few games and activities, and many baby shower guests actually look forward to these with enthusiasm! One cute decorating idea that also turns into a game is to buy some clothesline and wooden clothespins and hang two clotheslines across the party room. Attach baby items like onesies, small stuffed animals, baby hats, baby socks, a small baby blanket, pacifier, a diaper, etc. In another room (perhaps during cake or presents) pass out blank pieces of paper and ask people to write down the items that are hanging on the clotheslines. Whoever remembers the most wins a prize, and the new mom gets to keep the items.
Another great baby shower idea is (in the invitations) asking people to bring a baby photo of themselves and attaching all the photos to a large poster board during the shower. Give out paper with numbered lines, and it’s really fun for people to try to figure out which babies are which party guests! Another simple game is to have people cut a piece of ribbon that is how big they think the mother-to-be’s tummy is (and write their name on it), and the closest to the correct measurement wins!
There are many, many cute baby shower games. Your best bet is to check out websites like babybingo.com, because some of the cute games are kits you can simply order. There is a decorate-your-own onesie activity where party guests decorate onesies for the new baby!
Be sure to take lots of pictures of the baby shower- if you are planning the event, assign another friend or family member to be responsible for photography. Collect e-mail addresses at the shower and upload pictures right away so the mom-to-be and the party guests can all enjoy the party fun again by viewing the slide show.
Have fun!
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