Planning a Baby Shower

When planning a baby shower, the first thing to know is whether or not the shower will be a surprise.  If the mother-to-be knows about the shower, then you can start planning a guest list with her.  If the shower is to be a surprise, then you must go to the father or a close friend to help out.

Now decide on a theme.  This will help determine your invitations, decorations, games, and often the location.  The theme can range from very general “Pretty in Pink” theme for a girl, “Winnie the Pooh”, Disney, or can even be neutral if the parents-to-be have decided not to find out the sex of the baby until the birth.  You can ask the mother-to-be what she would like, or collaborate with her friends for a surprise.

Determine in advance what the budget is going to be, and be sure to keep track of it.  Remember to include invitations, decorations, food, drinks, games, prizes, and cost of location when figuring out the final budget. One way to lower the cost of the overall shower is to make it a potluck, where each guest brings a specific dish for everyone to enjoy.  Another possibility is that many gated communities have clubhouses that are available for free, or for a small refundable deposit.  Often, restaurants will allow you to reserve a private room at no extra cost, which you can then decorate before the shower.

After the guest list has been put together, a theme has been chosen, and a budget has been set, it is time for the invitations.   Send out invitations that are in the spirit of the shower theme.  Include all of the essential information: date, time, place, directions, and where the family is registered.  Be sure to include an RSVP to help you keep track of who will be attending so that you can streamline your budget and plan accordingly.   Also, be sure to send out the invitations well in advance (generally 4 weeks ahead of time) to help give the guests plenty of time to make arrangements so that they can attend the shower.    If the mother-to-be is not registered anywhere, a good way to help direct the gift purchases is to assign each guest a room of the house.  For example, one person can buy a gift for the kitchen (bibs, sippy cups, etc), another can buy a gift for the bathroom (washcloths, tub toys, etc) and so on.  This helps to allow for a wide variety of gifts without fear of repetition, and helps to take the pressure off of the guests.

The game portion of the shower can range from one game that is very simple, to numerous games of various difficulty levels that are played at intervals during the shower.  This is where you can let your creativity shine through!  The important thing here is to know your audience, and to keep your location in mind.  You can play “Baby Scrabble” where all of the words must relate to babies or to your theme.  Or, create your own crossword puzzle, where all of the answers revolve around the mother-to-be.  Another idea is to have a “sing-off” where you divide into teams and go back and forth singing songs that have the word “Baby” in them.  The team that cannot come up with a new song loses the game.  Be sure to have small prizes for the individual or team winner of each game that keeps with the theme of the shower, but is appropriate for adults.  For example, if the theme is “Pretty in Pink”, the prizes can be pink candles, or a lotion set with a pink ribbon around them.  It is also a good idea to ask your guests if they have any ideas or suggestions of fun games they have played at other showers.

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