Baby showers began not only to celebrate a new life but to pass on wisdom and emotional support to the mother, as well as financial support, with the customary gifts helping to provide the baby with clothes, toys, furnishings and other necessities.

Baby showers are events that are steeped in tradition, but new parents are always bringing innovations as society changes. Once thought to be a ludicrous idea, you will often find men at these events nowadays. This can lead to lots of changes in the kinds of activities and coversations you’ll find at the party, though men will often be more than happy to participate in the traditional games and discussions.

Another big change is that many mothers are coming from different cultures and may have their own traditions and ceremonies for the occasion. If you’re not sure, you should ask your friend what her feelings are on the matter before making any plans.

In some countries, it’s customary to hold the baby shower following the birth rather than before. This gives well-wishers the opportunity to celebrate with the mother and see the child at the same time. It also makes gift-giving easier since you know whether you’re buying for a boy or a girl.

In the West, however, it’s customary to have the shower before, since it’s hard to hold the event when the baby is needing care, and many of the infant necessities will be needed beforehand anyways.

For the shower organizer there are some essential steps that need to be taken. These include drawing up a list of attendees and sending out the invitations. A location must be chosen and decorations are usually desired. Once the guests arrive, there needs to be food and drink, and games, singing and other activities will need to be planned. And don’t forget to have a video camera or at least a still camera on hand to record this important event.

It’s easy to get carried away with this sort of planning, so bear in mind not to go overboard – or over budget – with things.

Proper planning is essential to a successful shower so spend some time and thought on it so you can get it right.

To that end, these games are designed to be short, simple and to get people smiling. And don’t forget: it’s all about Mommy, so keep your games on the baby topic. A couple of these games should be all you need, just pick your favourites.

Breaking the Ice

The first goal is to start the conversation. These games work great for that.

What’s My Name?: There are many notable moms in history and literature. How many can you think of? Write them on separate pieces of paper. The contestant shows the name to the other guests, but doesn’t read it themselves. Then they must figure out who it is by asking questions from others.

The “B” Word: In this game everyone gets a baby pacifier to wear arounds their neck. In order to keep your pacifier, you have to avoid saying the word “baby.” If you catch a guest saying the “b” word, you get to take their pacifier. Whoever accumulates the most trophies at the end of the party gets a prize.

More Challenging Games

Baby Talk: In this game the hostess proposes a phrase that describes the guest of honour and writes it out. The guests have five minutes to take the letters in the sentence and create as many baby and mother-related words as they can. When everyone has their list, remove any words that more than one guest came up with, then count the remaining words. Whoever has the most is the winner. Try to think of a funny sentence to use.

Baby Haiku: If you have lots of maternal experience in the room, help your guests pass it on in a memorable way. Have each guest write down a single sentence giving advice to the new mother, then combine the sentences into a single, unique and likely very funny poem.

Letter for the Future: Every guest gets to share their advice in this game – with the baby. Everyone writes their own note, then they are all sealed in an envelope which will only be opened when she reaches high school. What a unique gift to give a new mother and child!

Play Time: Test your guests’ baby knowledge with this game. Place several small objects, such as baby rattles, pacifiers and toys in a bag. Each guest must reach inside and feel all the objects while you count to twenty. Then they must write down as many items as they can recognize and remember. The guest who identifies the most items wins.

Games that Get You Moving

Baby Jenga: This is a simple and hilarious game where guests have to build a tower out of diapers. The contestant who builds the tallest tower without it falling over is the winner. The mother keeps the building blocks!

Celebrate with Nature: What better way to honour the new baby than with a tree that will grow with her? A tree planting is especially thoughtful if the expectant mother has bought a new house. Don’t forget to ask her what her favourite species is before you buy the tree.

Baby Ring Toss: Every guest gets a pen or a chopstick and holds it with their mouth. Sitting in a circle, each guest must pass a pacifier to the person next to her – no hands! If you drop the pacifier, you must leave the circle. The last contestant in the circle is the winner.

Choosing Prizes

Prizes don’t have to be a big deal. Small things like scented soaps or specialty coffees are cheap and appealing. You can also spend more on a grand prize instead of the smaller prizes. Give points to first, second and third place winners and add up their total wins for the night, then award the overall winner with a bottle of wine, a gift basket or a gift certificate for a night out.

If you’re looking for more elaborate game options, many party suppliers will sell shower-appropriate games with graphics and so on. The thing to keep in mind is that the games should be baby-themed and center around the guest of honour. Games that require purchasing baby items, like diapers and toys are a great way to help the new mother stock up on essentials while keeping with the spirit of the event.

Baby Pics

This is a straightforward baby-themed game to start off with. Tell everyone to bring some old photos of their early childhood. Post the pics on a big display board and give each image a letter. If you have a large gathering where not everyone knows each other, be sure to distribute name tags. Now have everyone guess who is the baby in each photo and write their guesses down. Whoever gets the most correct matches is the winner. Laughter is guaranteed!

Baby Tunes

Have your party form two teams. Each team has to come up with as many famous tunes with the word “baby” in the title as they can in five minutes and write them down. The winning team gets to choose which song the losers have to sing. Victory is sweet – and hilarious!

Baby Bottles

If you’re planning a coed shower, here’s a game that’s perfect for the guys. Get some baby bottles and fill them with punch. Your friends and family will be on the floor with laughter while the contestants try to see who can suck their bottle dry the fastest. If you’re feeling mean you can poke an extra small hole in Daddy’s bottle.

Words of Praise

If it’s just the girls at your party, you can try this cheeky and side-splitting game. Everyone is in on the game but the guest of honour. While she’s opening her gifts write down what she says. Afterwards, tell her you’ve got a list of what she said on the night of conception!

Baby Food Buffet

Here’s another classic baby-themed game. Get several flavours of baby food and write down the names. Put the list up on the wall and take the labels of the bottles. Write a number on the bottles and have each guest put a serving on their plate. Everyone has to taste their sample and then try to guess what it really is. Is that sweet potatoes or strained peas? Everyone writes their guesses down next to the appropriate number on a sheet of paper. Don’t forget to have a camera ready to capture all the awful faces. Mom will see those faces again when she’s feeding baby!

Mommy Tummy

If the expectant mother is good natured and not too vain, you can try this game. Pass a spool of gift ribbon around and have each guest guess her waist size by cutting off the appropriate length from the roll. When each guest has their ribbon, let Mommy try them out and whoever has the best guess is the winner.

Stroller Racing

Here’s a perfect game if you’re having an outdoor party. Place several large objects like chairs and boxes out on the lawn to make an obstacle course. Every guest has to “pilot” a stroller with a baby doll through the track. Contestants are timed with a stopwatch, and are penalized if they hit an object. Whatever you do, don’t “lose” your baby along the way, as it’s an automatic disqualification!

Remember the object of these games is to get folks talking and laughing. Bring a video camera to record the fun. These will be memories you can share for many years.