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Baby Shower GamesDo you remember the parties you went to when you were a kid? No one was sitting around discussing politics or the weather, being rather bored by the lack of entertainment. Instead, all of you were enjoying yourselves by playing a number of games, like pin the tail on the donkey, whack the piñata and countless other ones. Parties weren’t just about the presents and cake - they were about the fun. We have found that for most grown-up parties have been toned down significantly to be more ‘elegant’ or ‘refined’, people tend to circle a snack table or sit lifelessly around a living room, engaged in small group conversations. We are not saying that this isn’t a wonderful way to have a party, and there are times when you want a more 'grown up' type of party, but a baby shower is not usually one of those unless perhaps you are doing an evening Couples Shower. As the saying goes, “Go ahead and get dirty” and have a little fun by introducing some games to your baby shower. It is amazing how quickly the kid inside - you know the one - will suddenly burst to the front if there are games involved. We have been at showers where grown women will shout out with glee whenever someone says the word, “Baby,” and quickly snatch a clothespin off another guest’s clothes. If you are unaware of what game this is, please see the Diaper Pin "BABY" Game (It is common to use diaper pins, but we prefer to use clothes pins so no one will object to having pins and possibly holes put through a nice jacket or shirt). Games put a little excitement into a baby shower and get the guests interacting; it also sets a more casual mood that will encourage conversation. There are tons of different games, and they can be tailored to fit just about any party. It is always surprising how competitive your guests really are until you start playing a game, but it is all in good humor and everyone appreciates the little prize at the end that signifies that they are the winner. On the planning side, it is important to plan out which games you are going to play before the baby shower, generally at least a few weeks beforehand. That way you can purchase and gather all the items you will need plus prizes for the winners. It may also be helpful to decide on your theme because this could help shape what games you choose. Visit our individual theme plans to find game suggestions for that baby shower theme. There are various ways to structure baby shower games: To organize the games, first decide on what games you will be playing. Look through our classic games pages (in the blue lefthand column) and also the additional great games contributed by our site visitors over the years (in the pink righthand column). Once you have decided on your games, you will then need to collect all the materials for them, including the prizes if you have a special prize for each game and not just a generic prize, and then organize them into individual freezer bags. Label the front with the name of the game, how long it will take and the directions for how to play it. If you have a timeline for the day of the shower, mark the time you have scheduled in for that particular game or if it runs the length of the shower. After you have all the games organized into the bags, you can put them aside in a storage container or a box. On the day of the party, all you need to do is pull out the games and start having fun. Also, to be even more organized, we suggest that you use Baby Shower Books, which was contributed by Melissa P (Thanks Melissa P!), which has all the printouts already stapled together in a handy games book. One last point about baby shower games before you head off in search of the best games for your event…the prizes. Since you have a long party ahead of you, giving the prizes out at the end of the game can become a little confusing as people place the prize out of the way to start a new game. Generally, many of the guests will forget their prizes and you will be left with a lot of extra scavenger hunts as you find all the interesting places where people stuck things to keep them out of the way. Instead of handing each prize out at the end of each game, just mark the winner and the prize and then have them lined up on a small table near the door with the games checklist marking who won what. Most people will remember what they won and will happily collect the prize as they head out the door. If they have forgotten what they won, they can quickly check for themselves before leaving. This way, everyone is sure to bring her prize home, a perfect end to a perfectly fun day.
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