Baby Shower Help Needed!!!!

[GoofyBaseballMom26]

My sister and I are hosting a baby shower soon and it has been probably 20 years since I have been to one, other than an office party. I have no idea what order we should do things. Can someone advise me on the best order for gift opening, refreshments, games etc. please. Should we plan on handing out favor bags to the guests? if so, any suggestions. Last, what would make good game prizes? I have the food planned, that was the easy part!!

Thank you for your help.... As you can tell I need it. Any and all advice is very much appreciated? I really want this to be fun.

 

[cfriend416]

I have some game ideas! I did these three games at my sister's shower.

1. Poopy diaper game: Melt several different mini chocolate bars (Snickers, Milky Way, Reece's, etc.) one at a time in the microwave. Scrape each one into a diaper so that it looks like you know what. Guests pass the diapers around and try to guess the candy. The one with the most correct wins.

2. Don't say baby: All guests get a loop of ribbon with a large safety pin to wear around their neck. Every time someone is caught saying the word "baby" the person who catches them takes a safety pin from them. The person with the most pins at the end of the party wins.

3. Guess how many jelly beans: Fill a baby bottle with jelly beans (pink for a girl, blue for a boy). Guests guess how many jelly beans and the closest wins the bottle.

4. Gift Bingo: Before opening gifts, guests all get a card with a 5x5 grid. In each square, they write the name of an item they think the mother might receive (diapers, onesies, rattle, etc). As the mother opens gifts, they cross out items on their cards. Bingos win prizes.

We did little bottles of lotion or shower gel from Bath and Body Works as prizes.

ETA: Sorry, I guess you didn't actually ask for game ideas did you? Just the order? The great thing about these kid of games is that people can just play them while they eat and mingle.

 

[aprilgail2]

My sister and I are hosting a baby shower soon and it has been probably 20 years since I have been to one, other than an office party. I have no idea what order we should do things. Can someone advise me on the best order for gift opening, refreshments, games etc. please. Should we plan on handing out favor bags to the guests? if so, any suggestions. Last, what would make good game prizes? I have the food planned, that was the easy part!!

Thank you for your help.... As you can tell I need it. Any and all advice is very much appreciated? I really want this to be fun.

If you are doing games do them early- many people hate them and if they did them later it would be the clue for many to leave, if you do them early then they are basically held hostage for them LOL! We usually open up gifts between dinner and the dessert. Have never handed out favors or had them handed out--they are typically placed by each place setting at the tables when people come in. Lottery tickets are good prizes for games.

 

[haj697]

I have hosted several over the years, but it has been a few years since my last one. This is what we did. As each guest arrived, I had them self address an envelope (it went with the Thank You note that the mother-to-be would send) and put it in a basket. I would pick one out to be the winner of a door prize. Then I would welcome everyone. Not everyone at the shower knew each other, so I had everyone introduce themselves and tell how they knew the mother-to-be. Next would come the games. Then would come the cake/mints/nuts/punch. The mother-to-be would start opening gifts as soon as she was finished easting and the guests continued to eat while watching the gift opening. I'm sure some people have more elaborate showers, but this worked for us and the guest of honor was pleased with her shower.

 

[nicolita3]

I have some game ideas! I did these three games at my sister's shower.

1. Poopy diaper game: Melt several different mini chocolate bars (Snickers, Milky Way, Reece's, etc.) one at a time in the microwave. Scrape each one into a diaper so that it looks like you know what. Guests pass the diapers around and try to guess the candy. The one with the most correct wins.

Im sorry but this game grosses me out!

For the baby shower start with refreshments and mingling, then if you are going to do games do them next, then gifts.

 

[aprilgail2]

I have hosted several over the years, but it has been a few years since my last one. This is what we did. As each guest arrived, I had them self address an envelope (it went with the Thank You note that the mother-to-be would send) and put it in a basket. .

Sorry but I really think this is terribly tacky. I am going to a shower, buying a nice gift to bring and you want me to address my own envelope for a thank you card too Why not take it a step further and just have me fill out the whole card and thank my self for the gift?

 

[goofyintoronto]

My sister and I are hosting a baby shower soon and it has been probably 20 years since I have been to one, other than an office party. I have no idea what order we should do things. Can someone advise me on the best order for gift opening, refreshments, games etc. please. Should we plan on handing out favor bags to the guests? if so, any suggestions. Last, what would make good game prizes? I have the food planned, that was the easy part!!

Thank you for your help.... As you can tell I need it. Any and all advice is very much appreciated? I really want this to be fun.

Usually the order is games first, eat, gifts, then cake. This has always been the tradition where I'm from.

As for prizes, bath stuff and lotions is always good. Tea/mug set. Basket wrapped with some sweets inside. Everything looks pretty when it's all wrapped up nicely.

 

[etoiles]

My friend threw me a baby shower which I enjoyed. She did ask me if I wanted games and since I like games I said sure.

First everyone gathered and we chatted a little bit and then we did the games.

We played three games which weren't too long and worked out perfectly.

First we did a nursery rhyme trivia game. The prize was a bouquet of flowers in a vase that was a decoration for the party which I thought was great.

Then we did a game where the guests drew a baby after putting the paper to their head which was hilarious and I chose the winning drawing. I don't remember the prize for that one.

The last game was a matching game where you had to match a saying about a baby to a picture of a candy bar (we had a small group so we could sit in a circle and do this) and then if you made a match you won that type of candy. This was nice since everyone ended up winning something so no other favors were necessary.

Then we ate and I opened gifts.

I must admit I'm glad we didn't do the diaper game since that would have been gross to me.

 

[Pumbaa_]

Sorry but I really think this is terribly tacky. I am going to a shower, buying a nice gift to bring and you want me to address my own envelope for a thank you card too Why not take it a step further and just have me fill out the whole card and thank my self for the gift?

Agree whołe heartedly! It isn't that hard to address an envelope

You have my address since you sent me an invitation!

 

[teller80]

Sorry but I really think this is terribly tacky. I am going to a shower, buying a nice gift to bring and you want me to address my own envelope for a thank you card too Why not take it a step further and just have me fill out the whole card and thank my self for the gift?

I agree.

On another note, a couple years ago there was a thread about asking people not to gift wrap the gifts. I don't remember what the majority opinion was, but I liked it - it's environmental and saves money. I believe the gifts were displayed on a table so the guest of honor (I think this was for a bridal shower) didn't have to open each one and then there was more time to just socialize, which I enjoy.

 

[njpyro]

As each guest arrived, I had them self address an envelope (it went with the Thank You note that the mother-to-be would send) and put it in a basket.

I went to a shower last year for someone I'm not that close to, where they did this. I thought it was a little tacky at the time. Then, when i got a thank you (4-5 months later), it never mentioned my name ( or someone else's) and it thanked me for something completely different than what I gave. It was obvious they invited an excess of people just to get more gifts.

 

[Happy Snowman]

I'd prefer not to play games, not sure why games are expected at a shower anyway. Last baby shower I went to had the "guess the baby" game. That one is ok. Everyone brings a baby photo and you have to guess who is in the photo.

We socialized and ate (while doing the guessing game) then opened gifts and socialized some more. The baby decided she wanted to attend the shower and showed up 3 weeks early so we were taking turns holding her too.

 

[Nennie]

Agree whołe heartedly! It isn't that hard to address an envelope

You have my address since you sent me an invitation!

I agree...tacky! What is a nice idea though, is having the party host pre-addressing thank you cards and giving them to the guest of honor as a little gift. My sister did this for me at my bridal shower, and I thought it was very thoughtful.

 

[AMW86]

I agree.

On another note, a couple years ago there was a thread about asking people not to gift wrap the gifts. I don't remember what the majority opinion was, but I liked it - it's environmental and saves money. I believe the gifts were displayed on a table so the guest of honor (I think this was for a bridal shower) didn't have to open each one and then there was more time to just socialize, which I enjoy.

I second this. It's good for the environment and cuts down on the gift opening time, because, let's face it, it is not so much fun to watch someone unwrap onesie after onesie

 

[NAB]

Sorry but I really think this is terribly tacky. I am going to a shower, buying a nice gift to bring and you want me to address my own envelope for a thank you card too Why not take it a step further and just have me fill out the whole card and thank my self for the gift?

That's funny because my neice just had a baby shower on the weekend and she gave us a thank you card on the way out the door saying it was nice to see you and Jackson is going to love your gift. Love.....

I have never seen that before either and though what the heck, but this is also the girl that badgered for a month saying she was registred at Baby R Us and please only go off that list and it is Highly recommended that you by shoe/socks/clothes/diapers with every gift bought. Yeah that didn't happen , clothes was my gift.

Also hate playing games at showers, probably because I terrible at them.

 

[wvjules]

I think I have been to more showers where the envelope was addressed as part of a door prize than not. It has never occured to me to be offended or considered it tacky. (and I'm pretty sure at my baby shower 20 years ago I did it as well.) Oh well, I guess I'm tacky.

 

[Kogo Shuko]

The last shower I went to I had to self-address an envelope on the way in, but they then used the envelopes to pull prizes, so it was worth it. Because I got an awesome prize.

I don't think it's tacky. Having a baby takes a lot of time. And I'd rather spend my time with baby than addressing a bunch of envelopes.

 

[luvsJack]

dgd is 1 and everything at her baby shower was of use somehow later on.

The envelopes we filled out for "door prizes" (which were the lovely flower centerpieces on some of the tables.)

The main decor were things that were made for the baby's room. A huge wreath with her initials attached and some smaller painted animals that hung on either side hung on the wall behind the gift table. The food table was round and in the center was the huge cake--the top tier was to remove and freeze for baby on 1st birthday (you know, the chocolate one they get to make a mess with!) and dil did give it to her on her birthday and then she got another one at her b-day party.

All around the food table was mesh in the colors of the baby's room and scattered around were little items that dil would need--pacifiers, bottles, cute little containers for baby stuff, onesies, things like that.


There were other things too but I will have to look at the pictures but I found it really nice that they didn't buy a bunch of shower decor just to throw away at the end of the shower. The hostess said she went to all the dollar stores to find most of it so she didn't spend any more on usable items than she would have on stuff she would have thrown away.

They did do a couple of games. One was the one about saying "baby" and someone taking your pin if you said. And the other was similar. Both were played while everyone sat around and talked and socialized.

After the games were completed, everyone ate (buffet style finger foods) and then dil opened gifts after the cake was cut.

I liked the fact of playing games while we talked, etc. It made the conversations more fun and no one really dreaded the silly games.

 

[karmic]

My DD just had our 1st Grandson on Halloween- her shower was at the end of September.

When we sent out the invitations we suggested that in lieu of a card to purchase an inexpensive children's book that they could inscribe for the baby

Cards are usually thrown out and a book could be less expensive and a wonderful keepsake for him.

Her MIL handed out cards to each guest to guess date,time,weight and length and the winners we each receive a gift card in the mail

 

[aprilgail2]

That's funny because my neice just had a baby shower on the weekend and she gave us a thank you card on the way out the door saying it was nice to see you and Jackson is going to love your gift. Love.....

.

Wow that is one step even beyond addressing your own envelope. As far as new moms having enough to do without having to address envelopes- showers are usually before the baby is born, so you typically have time and even if the baby was born they sleep plenty- have the husband help- seriously, its just an excuse to be lazy!