Gone are the days of predictable baby showers with the same old games—this list is packed with creative, unique, and engaging ideas that will keep guests entertained while celebrating the exciting journey ahead.
From sentimental keepsake activities like a Baby Time Capsule to laugh-out-loud competitions like the Baby Bottle Chug Challenge, there’s something for everyone.
These baby shower ideas will ensure a day filled with fun, laughter, and plenty of love for the little one on the way.
Here are 20 creative and unique baby shower ideas, complete with setup details, materials, and tips for making them a success!
1. Baby Time Capsule
A baby time capsule is a sentimental way to preserve memories from the baby’s birth year.
Set up a decorated station with a sturdy box, blank cards, pens, and a few small items like newspapers, trending toys, or magazines.
Guests can write letters to the baby, offering advice, predictions, or special memories with the parents-to-be. Include a camera or instant photo printer for guests to add pictures.
Once all items are collected, seal the box with a label stating when it should be opened (e.g., the baby’s 18th birthday).
To make it extra special, ask the parents to write a heartfelt letter to their future child. For a fun twist, include trivia about the year or a playlist of hit songs.
Encourage creativity—small tokens, comics, and even printed social media trends can make it a fascinating time capsule to open years later.
Materials Needed: A decorative box or tin, stationery, pens, stickers, photos, and small trinkets.
Setup: Have guests write letters to the baby that they can open on their 18th birthday. They can include advice, predictions, or sweet memories.
Pro Tip: Encourage guests to bring items that represent the current year, like a newspaper clipping, a trending toy, or a playlist of hit songs.
2. Storybook-Themed Shower
A storybook-themed baby shower transforms the venue into a magical world of childhood classics.
Decorate different areas with themes inspired by books like Where the Wild Things Are or The Very Hungry Caterpillar. Ask guests to bring a book instead of a card and write a special message inside for the baby.
Create a cozy reading nook with plush cushions and fairy lights where guests can flip through books.
Set up a themed snack table with “Green Eggs and Ham” deviled eggs, “Hungry Caterpillar” fruit skewers, and “Goodnight Moon” cupcakes. For entertainment, guests can play book-inspired trivia, guess famous children’s book quotes, or participate in a live storytime.
A DIY bookmark station allows guests to craft keepsakes for the baby’s library.
By the end of the shower, the parents-to-be will have a beautifully personalized book collection, ensuring storytime is filled with love and memories.
Materials Needed: Classic children’s books, book-themed decorations, cozy reading nooks, and a guest book.
Setup: Each guest brings a book instead of a card and signs it with a note for the baby.
Pro Tip: Set up themed stations, like a “Dr. Seuss Corner” with whimsical treats or a “Fairy Tale Photo Booth.”
3. Onesie Decorating Station
A onesie decorating station adds a personal and creative touch to a baby shower. Set up a table with plain white onesies in various sizes, fabric markers, stencils, and iron-on patches.
Offer inspiration boards with funny sayings like “I just did 9 months on the inside” or cute designs like tiny animals and stars.
Provide a clothesline with clips where guests can display their finished onesies as a fun decoration.
To make things easy, pre-wash the onesies so they’re ready to use. Consider adding fabric-safe paint for guests who want to add extra flair.
Play music and encourage guests to take their time crafting something special. This activity ensures the baby will have a wardrobe full of unique, hand-decorated outfits from loved ones.
At the end of the event, the parents-to-be will have a heartfelt collection of onesies that make diaper changes a little more special.
Materials Needed: Plain onesies in various sizes, fabric markers, stencils, iron-on patches, and paint.
Setup: Set up a craft table where guests can customize onesies for the baby.
Pro Tip: Use fabric-safe paints and provide bibs or aprons for guests to stay mess-free.
4. Baby Advice Mad Libs
A Baby Advice Mad Libs station guarantees laughter and heartfelt wisdom for the parents-to-be.
Provide pre-made fill-in-the-blank sheets with prompts like “When the baby won’t sleep, just _____ and hope for the best!” or “A newborn’s favorite activity is ____.”
Set up a table with fun-colored pens, stickers, and a collection box for completed sheets. Encourage guests to be as funny or sincere as they like.
Once everyone has finished, read a few of the most hilarious responses aloud for entertainment.
At the end of the shower, collect the sheets into a scrapbook or binder as a keepsake.
This simple but interactive activity keeps guests engaged and provides the parents with lighthearted (and sometimes surprisingly practical) parenting wisdom.
To add extra fun, turn it into a game where the parents have to guess who wrote which response. This ensures a mix of laughter and love!
Materials Needed: Pre-made Mad Libs-style cards with fill-in-the-blank advice prompts.
Setup: Each guest fills out a humorous or heartfelt advice card for the parents-to-be.
Pro Tip: Read a few aloud for some laughs before collecting them for a keepsake book.
5. Baby Name Race
The Baby Name Race is a high-energy game that challenges guests to come up with as many baby names as possible under pressure.
Provide each guest with an index card and a pen, then choose a letter of the alphabet at random.
Guests will have one minute to write down as many baby names as they can think of that start with that letter.
The person with the longest list wins a small prize.
To make it more exciting, you can change the challenge by having guests write names that fit specific themes, such as “Names from Movies” or “Royal Baby Names.”
Set up a scoreboard and play a few rounds with different letters.
This game is a great icebreaker and sparks fun conversations about baby names. The parents-to-be might even discover a name they love!
Keep it lighthearted, and consider a tie-breaker round if needed.
Materials Needed: Index cards, pens, a timer.
Setup: Give guests one minute to list as many baby names as possible that start with a specific letter.
Pro Tip: Offer a small prize for the guest with the longest list!
6. Baby Around the World
A “Baby Around the World” shower celebrates different cultures and baby traditions across the globe.
Set up themed stations featuring international baby customs, such as a Japanese “First Smile Ceremony” or an Indian baby-naming ritual.
Provide a variety of global snacks like French macarons, Mexican tamales, and Italian biscotti.
Decorate with small flags, globes, and cultural symbols to create an immersive experience.
For entertainment, set up a name board featuring baby names from different cultures and have guests guess their origins.
Another fun activity is sharing baby superstitions or traditions from around the world. To make it meaningful, ask guests with international backgrounds to share stories about baby customs in their culture.
This theme is not only educational but also a beautiful way to celebrate the diversity of parenthood.
By the end of the event, guests will have learned something new while the parents-to-be gain a fresh perspective on raising their child.
Materials Needed: International-themed decorations, a buffet of global baby-friendly foods, and a baby name board featuring names from different cultures.
Setup: Decorate different stations with baby traditions from various countries.
Pro Tip: Encourage guests to share unique baby customs from their own backgrounds.
7. Stroller Derby
The Stroller Derby is an exciting, active baby shower game that turns guests into “stroller drivers.”
Set up an obstacle course indoors or outdoors using cones, ramps, tunnels, and small hurdles.
Each contestant gets a toy stroller with a baby doll inside and must push it through the course as fast as possible—without tipping over the baby!
Use a stopwatch to time each contestant, and the person with the fastest time wins. To make it more challenging, add fun obstacles like stopping to “change a diaper” (placing a cloth diaper on a teddy bear) before continuing.
Decorate the racecourse with banners, balloons, and checkered flags for a real racing feel.
Encourage guests to cheer for each other, and consider offering trophies or medals for categories like “Fastest Parent” or “Best Stroller Skills.”
This high-energy game brings out everyone’s competitive side and creates tons of laughter!
Materials Needed: Toy strollers, baby dolls, small obstacle courses (cones, ramps, mini tunnels).
Setup: Set up an outdoor or indoor stroller race where guests navigate a baby doll through obstacles.
Pro Tip: Time each participant and award the fastest with a “Super Nanny” trophy.
8. Baby Bottle Chug Challenge
The Baby Bottle Chug Challenge is a hilarious competition where guests must drink a beverage from a baby bottle as quickly as possible.
Set up a table with baby bottles filled with juice, water, or even milk, depending on guest preferences.
Each contestant gets a bottle and must drink all the liquid through the tiny nipple opening. The first person to finish wins a prize.
To make it even funnier, use different-sized bottle nipples to make the challenge more difficult. This game works best when played in rounds, with the winners from each round competing in a final showdown.
Guests will be laughing as they struggle to drink through the tiny opening!
For an extra twist, make the final round a blind taste test where guests have to guess the flavor of a mystery drink inside their bottle.
Guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!
Materials Needed: Baby bottles filled with juice, water, or another beverage.
Setup: Each guest gets a baby bottle and races to drink it the fastest.
Pro Tip: Use smaller bottles for a quicker, more competitive race!
9. Guess the Baby Food
The Guess the Baby Food game is both fun and slightly challenging, as guests attempt to identify mystery flavors of baby food.
Gather several jars of baby food, remove the labels, and number each jar. Set up a tasting station with small sample cups and spoons, and provide guests with scorecards to write their guesses.
Common flavors include mashed carrots, peas, bananas, and applesauce, but you can also include unexpected blends like pumpkin-banana or sweet potato-mango.
Guests taste each one and try to correctly identify the ingredients. To make it more competitive, award a prize to the guest with the most correct answers.
If you want to add a humorous element, include a couple of truly strange baby food flavors and record guests’ reactions.
This game is an interactive and lighthearted way to get everyone involved, and it might even give the parents-to-be ideas on what to feed (or avoid feeding) their baby!
Materials Needed: Jars of baby food with labels removed, spoons, blindfolds, and scorecards.
Setup: Blindfolded guests taste-test different baby food flavors and try to guess what they are.
Pro Tip: Mix in a few surprising flavors (carrot-mango, peas-peach) for a fun challenge!
10. Nursery Rhyme Pictionary
Nursery Rhyme Pictionary is a creative and interactive baby shower game that challenges guests to draw and guess classic nursery rhymes.
Set up a whiteboard or large sheets of paper and provide markers. Write different nursery rhymes on slips of paper and place them in a bowl.
Each guest takes turns picking a slip and drawing the nursery rhyme while the other guests try to guess what it is. Examples include “Humpty Dumpty,” “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star,” and “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” To make it more competitive, divide guests into teams and set a timer for each round.
Award points for correct answers and give a small prize to the winning team. This game is great for guests of all ages and brings a nostalgic element to the baby shower.
By the end of the game, everyone will be reminiscing about their favorite childhood rhymes!
Materials Needed: Whiteboard or large paper, markers, a list of classic nursery rhymes.
Setup: Guests take turns drawing a nursery rhyme while others guess.
Pro Tip: Add a timer to keep the game moving and the competition lively.
11. Diaper Raffle
The Diaper Raffle is a practical and fun way to help the parents-to-be stock up on diapers while rewarding guests for their generosity.
Before the shower, include a note in the invitations letting guests know that bringing a pack of diapers will enter them into a raffle.
At the event, set up a beautifully decorated raffle station with a drop box for tickets. As guests arrive with their diapers, give them a numbered raffle ticket.
Once all guests have arrived, draw a winning ticket and give out a desirable prize, such as a spa gift card, a gourmet food basket, or a luxury candle set.
To add excitement, consider drawing multiple winners. This activity ensures that the new parents will have a substantial diaper supply, making those late-night changes a little easier.
Plus, guests enjoy the friendly competition and the chance to win something fun.
Materials Needed: Raffle tickets, a decorated box, and a special prize.
Setup: Guests bring a pack of diapers for the parents-to-be in exchange for a raffle ticket.
Pro Tip: Offer a high-value prize (like a spa gift card) to encourage participation.
12. Build-A-Baby Mobile
A DIY baby mobile station lets guests create a beautiful, handcrafted keepsake for the nursery. Set up a crafting table with wooden hoops, pre-cut felt shapes (stars, moons, animals, etc.), string, glue, and beads.
Guests can design their own mobile piece, which the parents-to-be can later assemble into a finished mobile for the baby’s crib. Provide inspiration boards with different design ideas to spark creativity.
Encourage guests to write a short note explaining the meaning behind their creation. For added fun, turn it into a friendly contest where guests vote for the most creative design.
This activity is both sentimental and practical, ensuring the baby will have a one-of-a-kind mobile made with love.
Plus, the finished product serves as a special reminder of the support and love from family and friends. This craft is especially enjoyable for artistic guests who love hands-on activities.
Materials Needed: Wooden hoops, strings, felt shapes, glue, and craft beads.
Setup: Set up a crafting station where guests create unique baby mobiles for the nursery.
Pro Tip: Provide inspiration photos to help guests design beautiful keepsakes.
13. Late-Night Diaper Messages
Late-night diaper messages turn an everyday parenting task into a moment of laughter. Set up a diaper station with a stack of plain disposable diapers and colorful markers.
Guests can write funny, encouraging, or heartfelt messages on the diapers that the parents will read during those middle-of-the-night diaper changes.
Some popular messages include “Caffeine is your friend,” “Warning: This one’s a doozy,” or “Hang in there—you’re halfway to morning!”
Encourage creativity by offering stickers or stencils for guests who want to add extra flair. Display the completed diapers in a cute basket for the parents to take home.
This simple activity is a great icebreaker and leaves the parents-to-be with a stash of humorous surprises for those exhausting first weeks.
It’s a small but meaningful way to add a little joy to diaper duty and remind the parents that they have a whole community supporting them.
Materials Needed: Plain diapers, permanent markers, a decorative basket.
Setup: Guests write funny or encouraging messages on diapers for the parents to see during late-night changes.
Pro Tip: Prompt guests with ideas like “Hang in there, you’re halfway to morning!”
14. Baby Sock Hunt
A Baby Sock Hunt is an interactive scavenger hunt that adds excitement to the baby shower. Before the party, hide pairs of baby socks in various locations around the venue.
Use different colors, patterns, and sizes to make the hunt more interesting. As guests arrive, explain that they must find as many socks as possible within a set time limit.
The guest who finds the most pairs wins a small prize, such as a candle or a set of bath salts. To make it more challenging, consider hiding a “golden sock” worth extra points.
This game is easy to set up and keeps guests engaged while adding a playful element to the shower.
At the end, the parents-to-be get to keep all the adorable socks for their little one.
It’s a simple, low-cost activity that ensures everyone has fun while helping the new parents stock up on essentials.
Materials Needed: Pairs of baby socks in various colors and patterns, a hidden area.
Setup: Hide baby socks around the venue and have guests search for them. The person who finds the most wins a prize!
Pro Tip: Make it a team challenge for more excitement.
15. Personalized Baby Blocks
A baby block decorating station allows guests to create a unique and personalized toy for the baby.
Provide plain wooden blocks, non-toxic paint, markers, stickers, and small decorative items. Guests can design each block with letters, numbers, animals, or special messages.
Encourage guests to sign the bottom of their block so the baby will know who created it. To make the experience more interactive, set up a drying station where finished blocks can be displayed.
The parents-to-be will leave with a set of handcrafted blocks that can be used as nursery decorations or baby toys. Consider sealing the blocks with a baby-safe finish so they last for years.
This creative activity ensures that the baby has a meaningful, handmade gift from family and friends, making it a cherished keepsake.
Plus, guests will enjoy tapping into their artistic side while celebrating the upcoming arrival.
Materials Needed: Wooden blocks, paint, stickers, and markers.
Setup: Each guest decorates a block with letters, numbers, or images.
16. Baby Themed Charades
Baby-Themed Charades is a lively game that gets guests laughing as they act out common baby-related situations.
Write different baby-related phrases on slips of paper, such as “changing a diaper,” “soothing a crying baby,” “baby’s first steps,” or “midnight feeding.”
Place the slips in a bowl, and divide guests into teams. Each team takes turns picking a phrase and acting it out while their teammates guess.
Set a time limit of one minute per round. To add variety, include funny scenarios like “parent stepping on a Lego” or “trying to put a baby to sleep while also eating dinner.”
Keep score, and offer a small prize to the winning team. This game is easy to organize and guarantees plenty of laughs.
It’s also a great way for guests to bond, as they act out hilarious parenting moments that the parents-to-be will soon experience firsthand.
Materials Needed: Charades prompts related to baby life (e.g., changing a diaper, burping a baby).
Setup: Guests act out baby-related tasks while others guess.
Pro Tip: Divide guests into teams and keep score for added excitement.
17. DIY Spa Bar for Mom
A DIY spa bar is a luxurious treat that allows guests to create personalized self-care gifts for the mom-to-be.
Set up a station with jars, Epsom salts, dried flowers, essential oils, and sugar scrubs. Provide recipe cards with different scent combinations, such as “Lavender Relaxation” or “Citrus Energizer.”
Guests can mix and match ingredients to create custom bath salts or sugar scrubs.
Offer ribbons and labels so they can decorate their jars before taking them home.
To enhance the experience, set up a small relaxation area with comfy chairs, calming music, and herbal teas.
If space allows, offer a mini hand massage station to pamper guests. This activity ensures that guests leave with a thoughtful keepsake while giving the mom-to-be some much-needed relaxation.
The soothing scents and hands-on crafting experience create a peaceful atmosphere, making this baby shower theme both fun and rejuvenating.
Materials Needed: Essential oils, Epsom salts, small jars, dried flowers.
Setup: Guests create custom bath salts or sugar scrubs for the mom-to-be.
Pro Tip: Offer scents like lavender and chamomile for a relaxing touch.
18. Pregnancy Bingo
Pregnancy Bingo is a classic baby shower game that keeps guests engaged while celebrating the mom-to-be.
Create bingo cards with baby-related words such as “diapers,” “midnight feeding,” “swaddle,” and “baby kicks.” As the host calls out the words, guests mark them on their cards. The first person to get five in a row wins.
For added fun, customize the words to include inside jokes about the parents-to-be. You can also play “Gift Bingo,” where each square corresponds to a common baby gift, and guests mark off items as they’re opened.
Provide small prizes for winners, such as candles or mini skincare sets. This game works well as a background activity while guests eat or socialize.
It’s easy to set up and ensures that everyone, regardless of age, can participate.
Plus, it adds an extra layer of excitement to the traditional gift-opening portion of the shower.
Materials Needed: Bingo cards with baby-related words (e.g., stroller, ultrasound, cravings).
Setup: As words are called, guests mark their cards. First to get five in a row wins!
Pro Tip: Make it interactive by having the parents-to-be share personal experiences with each word.
19. Who’s That Baby?
Who’s That Baby? is a nostalgic and interactive game that invites guests to take a trip down memory lane.
Before the shower, ask guests to bring or email a baby photo of themselves.
Print and display the photos on a board, numbering each one. Provide scorecards and have guests write down their guesses for each baby photo.
The person who correctly identifies the most baby photos wins a small prize, such as a scented candle or a cute baby-themed keychain.
To make it more engaging, the host can reveal the correct answers one by one while guests react to the surprising transformations.
If guests didn’t submit photos in advance, the parents-to-be can provide their own baby pictures, and guests can guess which parent the baby will resemble more.
This game brings out laughter and storytelling as guests reminisce about their own baby years, making it a heartwarming highlight of the shower.
Materials Needed: Baby photos of guests, a display board, sticky notes.
Setup: Guests bring or submit baby pictures, and others guess who’s who.
Pro Tip: Give a small prize to the person who gets the most right!
20. Ice Ice Baby Game
The Ice Ice Baby game is a simple yet hilarious baby shower competition that keeps guests entertained.
Before the party, freeze tiny plastic baby figurines inside ice cubes. As guests arrive, hand each person a cup with a single ice cube and a small amount of water.
The challenge? The first person to completely melt their ice and “free the baby” wins!
However, there’s a catch—no hands allowed! Guests must use only body heat, breath, or creative strategies like rubbing the cup on their clothing.
To make it even funnier, encourage guests to come up with “rescue plans” for their frozen babies. Award prizes for the fastest, most creative, and most determined contestants.
The Ice Ice Baby game is an easy, low-cost activity that adds a fun competitive element to the shower while generating plenty of laughs.
Plus, it’s a great icebreaker (*snicker, snicker*) for guests who may not know each other well.
Materials Needed: Mini baby figurines frozen in ice cubes, clear cups.
Setup: Each guest gets a cup with an ice cube; the first to melt it and “free the baby” wins.
Pro Tip: No hands allowed—guests must use body heat or blow on the ice!
Tips for a Successful Baby Shower
- Keep it fun but relaxed: Choose a mix of engaging activities and downtime for socializing.
- Offer a mix of prizes: Small, thoughtful prizes (candles, gift cards, cute trinkets) keep guests motivated.
- Decorate with intention: Match the theme with simple but charming decorations.
- Food & drinks matter: Serve snacks and drinks that fit the vibe—mocktails for a spa shower, tea for a storybook theme, or baby-shaped cookies for any theme!
Wrapping it Up
No matter which activities you choose, the most important thing is to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere where the parents-to-be feel supported and loved.
Whether guests are crafting personalized baby blocks, racing through a stroller derby, or writing hilarious late-night diaper messages, each moment will add to the joy and excitement of the day.
By mixing laughter, creativity, and a touch of sentimentality, this shower will be a cherished memory for years to come.
As the parents unwrap gifts and read heartfelt notes from their loved ones, they’ll know they have a strong community ready to welcome their little bundle of joy.
Now, let’s raise a (baby) bottle and toast to an unforgettable baby shower!
