Baby
Shower Games
While
games are not a required element of a baby shower,
they can elevate a party from good to great. Games
serve as an icebreaker, starting conversations,
eliciting laughs and keeping the energy flowing.
There are a few simple games
that require little effort on the part of the
hostess or the guests. You could hold a raffle,
with everyone writing their names on a slip of paper
when they arrive, dropping the names in a bowl or
hat, then letting the Mom-to-be draw the winner.
Tell the guests when they are registering for the
door prize that they must be present to win, and
that might encourage them to stay for the duration
of the party.
Another easy to plan contest is
to number small pieces of paper from one to the
number of shower guests. Tape one piece of paper to
the bottom of each chair. At a certain point in the
party, ask the guest of honor to pick a number
between one and the highest number. Then have
everyone check under his or her seat. The person
sitting in the chosen chair at that time wins.
There are several variations on
the “Count the Jellybeans in the Jar” contest you
would fit in with a baby shower. You could always
use jellybeans, but since those are kind of hard to
count due to their small size, you might want to go
with something larger, such as miniature candy bars
or lollipops. The person who guesses the closest
could keep the candy jar as a prize. Or you could
fill a plastic baby bottle bank with Q-tips or
cotton balls, and let the Mom-to-be keep it as a
gift. Of course, you would have to have another
prize for the closest guesser.
There are some games that
require paper, a pen or pencil and a little more
mental energy from the guests. You could scramble
up the letters in the names of some baby items, and
have the guests unscramble them. Or list some of
the more creative names that famous people have
bestowed upon their offspring, and let the guests
name the celebrity parents. The key to games such
as these is to time them so they are more
challenging and there is a definite winner.
It would probably be best to
spread a few games throughout the shower, such as
playing one before people begin eating, then maybe
another one just before the gifts are opened, then
announcing the results of one of the random drawing
or guessing contests toward the end of the party.
Games should be an enhancement to the shower, not
the entire focus. There needs to be plenty of time
for eating, socializing and opening presents.
The prizes you give to the
winners will probably depend on your guest list. If
the party is ladies only, you could give out
candles, costume jewelry, stationery sets or baskets
of beauty and skin care products. If there will be
men in attendance, you might consider edible prizes
of snacks or gourmet goodies, or maybe books, CD’s
or DVD’s. You could even try to match the prizes to
the shower theme.
Games will keep all guests
engaged in the shower festivities and give them a
chance to go home with a little extra something.
Use our tips to help plan baby shower games that
will be enjoyed by everyone in attendance.
If
you don't have time to create your own baby shower
games, we suggest finding a site that offers
printable baby shower games. To find a good
selection of fun games, we suggest you follow this
link
Print & Play Baby Shower Games.
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