These games are ideal for a wide variety of guests. So, whether you’re planning a co-ed baby shower with the couple’s closest friends, or you’re planning a shower for family members of a variety of ages, these games will accommodate just about any type of crowd. So, pick a few that you think your guests will enjoy. But don’t go overboard. Usually, two to four games are enough for a baby shower—especially if you have a lot of guests. Plus, you need to save time for eating and opening gifts.
Celebrity-Based Games
Most Americans today are up-to-date on the latest celebrity gossip. So, why not take advantage of this infatuation with Hollywood and center your baby shower games on a topic many guests know well. Here are some examples of games you could play.
Name That Baby Tune
This baby shower game is sure to be a hit with your baby shower guests. After all, who doesn’t like a play the classic “Name That Tune” game with a modern twist? Just make a playlist of songs that have “baby” or “babe” in the title. Then play just a snippet of the song for 5 to 10 seconds and have your guest write down their best guess. Use tunes like Britney Spears’ Baby One More Time, Be My Baby by the Ronnettes, Baby Love by the Supremes, Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice, and Baby by Justin Bieber. The options are endless and completely up to you. Just don’t make your playlist too long. About 10 different songs from different eras are probably ideal.
The Price Is Right
Everyone knows that having a baby can get really expensive. But do your guests really know how much things cost? With this modern take on the classic game show, you will be able to put their skills to the test. Granted it takes a little effort to plan this game, but it’s one of the most popular baby shower games around. To prepare for the game, list out some common baby supplies like a 96-count package of Pampers Swaddlers, a 27-ounce bottle of Johnson & Johnson Head-to-Toe Baby Wash, and a box with a three-pack of refills of Huggies Baby Wipes. Develop a list of about 15 items keeping the prices to yourself. Your guests have to guess the cost of each item without going over. The person who comes the closest in price on the most items wins.
Match the Disney Babies
Whether your guest-of-honor is a Disney fanatic, she is doing her nursery in a Disney theme, or you simply like the thought of a Disney game, then this is the one for you. With this game, your guests simply match the Disney babies or kids to their parents. To put together your Disney baby quiz, simply pick your favorites and create a matching game. Some possible baby names and parents names could include:
Pinnochio and GeppetoAriel and King TritonPeter Pan and George and Mary DarlingSimba and MufasaBaby Jack Jack and Mr. Incredible and ElastigirlSleeping Beauty and King Stefan and Queen Leah
A Star Is Born
Everyone loves to talk about the unique names that celebrity couples choose for their little ones. After all, when Kim Kardashian and Kayne West decided to name their child North, people had lots to say about that choice. But just how much have your guests been paying attention? In this entertaining game, guests get two minutes to match the celebrity couple to their bundle of joy. Some other examples you could use include:
Apple, child of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris MartinBlue Ivy, child of Jay Z and BeyonceShiloh, child of Angelina Jolie and Brad PittX Æ A-12, child of Elon Musk and GrimesRumer, child of Demi Moore and Bruce WillisMoon Unit, child of Gail and Frank Zappa
Name Those Kids
Anyone who loves to watch television will love this matching game. Much like the other celebrity games, this game focuses on matching the television kids to their television parents. Here are some examples to help you get started.
What was the name of Ross Geller’s oldest child on the popular show Friends? (Ben)Name all six kids on the Brady Bunch. (Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy)What was the name of Lorelai’s daughter in Gilmore Girls? (Rory)What is the name of Aaron Hotchner’s son in Criminal Minds? (Jack)What are the names of Meredith Grey’s three kids in Grey’s Anatomy? (Zola, Bailey, and Ellis)
Try to come up with a list of 10 to 15 questions using your guest of honor’s favorite television shows. Or use character names from popular shows of your choice. No matter what route your take with determining your questions, your guests are sure to enjoy this game.
Passive Games
These games are an ideal way to supplement the other types of games in this list. In fact, most guests love the fact that they could win a prize simply by chance. So peruse this list and pick one or even two that you think your guests might enjoy.
Diaper Raffle
Here’s a fun way to help your guest-of-honor stock up on diapers. When you send out the invitation ask everyone to bring a pack of diapers. Explain that for each pack of diapers they bring, they get a raffle ticket. Then, at the end of the shower, or right before the mom-to-be opens the gifts, draw for the winner. Your guests will not only love this game of chance but love helping the expectant mom build her diaper stash.
My Water Broke!
The setup for this game is pretty easy. Just purchase some tiny plastic trinkets from the craft store like plastic baby rattles or plastic baby booties and freeze them in ice cube trays. Once the games are about to begin, give each guest a small plastic cup with an ice cube with a trinket frozen in it. The first one whose ice cube melts releasing the plastic figure or trinket, calls out “My water broke!’ in order to win the game. This game, while admittedly a little odd, will have your guests laughing at the thought of yelling out in the middle of the party.
Don’t Call Me Baby
Also known as the clothespin game, this baby shower game is super easy to play. Simply give each guest a diaper pin or a clothespin when they arrive. Ask them to pin it to their clothing and to refrain from saying the word baby throughout the party. You could even give them this little poem to remind them of the rules of the game. Or, you could make it into a sign with a cup of clothespins where guests can grab a pin for themselves.
Take a clothespin and clip it on tightTry not to say baby with all your mightWhen you hear someone say baby snatch up their pinWhoever has the most at the end will win
If a guest hears someone say baby, they get to snatch their pin. At the end of the shower, the person with the most clothespins wins. This is a fun game that gets people not only interacting with one another, but laughing at the thought of stealing clothespins from other guests.
Time’s Up!
This is a simple game of chance that your guests will enjoy. Just start a timer for 15 to 20 minutes—or even longer if you want—when the guest of honor begins to open her gifts. Then, when the timer goes off, the giver of the gift the expectant mom is opening is the winner. Be sure you have a couple prizes on hand for this game in case the gift the mom-to-be is opening is from more than one person.
Baby Shower Bingo
Who doesn’t love a good round of Bingo? Plus, the way that this game is structured gets your guests involved in the gift-opening. Simply make a grid for your guests and allow them to fill in the spots with shower gifts they think the guest-of-honor will receive like a car seat, receiving blankets, a high chair, stroller, baby toys, diapers, and so on. Then, as the gifts are opened, they get to mark off the correct spot for each gift item. The first one with Bingo wins—a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row. If you plan to play this game more than once during the gift opening be sure you have multiple prizes on hand.
Thinking Games
The games in this category are fun and easy to put together. Plus, they allow your guests to put on their thinking caps and have some fun all at the same time. These games are great for both large parties and small parties and are something any age group would enjoy. Here are our picks for the top baby shower thinking games.
Baby Animals Trivia
Did you know that each baby animal is called by a special name? For instance, a baby kangaroo is called a joey. With this easy-to-assemble game, give your guests 5 to 10 minutes to match the animal with the correct baby name. Here are some options for other baby animal names such as a baby bear is a cub, a baby cat is a kitten, a baby dolphin is a pup, and a baby alligator is a hatchling. Use the internet to create your own list of animals. Combine some easy baby animals with more challenging options to make sure you challenge your guests. The person with the most correct matches wins.
Would She Rather
This game is a great way to put the spotlight on the mom-to-be without doing something crazy like having people wrap her in toilet paper or guess the size of her stomach with a string. Instead, people get to test their knowledge and see just how well they know the mom-to-be. Prior to the shower ask the mom simple questions like would she rather go to the beach or to the mountains, or if she’d rather have Coke or Pepsi. Other ideas for include: Would She Rather…
Drink coffee or sip tea? Have a dog or a cat? Get diamonds or a string of pearls? Sleep in late or get up early? Use Snapchat or Instagram?
The options are endless. So let your creativity be your guide. The person with the most correct answers wins.
Baby Shower ABCs
This is a minute-to-win-it baby shower game that will test your guests guessing skills. Provide each guest with a piece of paper that has the alphabet listed down the side. Then ask each guest to think of one baby-item that begins with each letter. For instance, A is for aspirator, B is for blanket, C is for crib, D is for diaper, and so on. Once your guests are ready to go, set the timer and let the fun begin. The person with the most answers when the timer goes off wins. To involve every guest in the fun, go around the room for each letter and ask each guest to share the item they listed for the letter (if they have one). Sometimes this game can create a lot of laughs as guests try to defend their answers. The person with the most items in their list wins.
Nursery Rhyme Quiz
This classic baby shower game will test your guests knowledge of popular nursery rhymes. Simply pull together a list of 10 to 15 of your guest of honor’s favorite nursery rhymes and create a timed quiz for the guests. The guest with the most correct answers at the end wins. If you need a tie-breaker, have the guests create their own nursery rhyme and have the guest of honor pick her favorite. Some possible questions for your Nursery Rhyme Quiz include:
What did the Itsy Bitsy Spider climb up? (the waterspout)What was Little Miss Muffet eating? (curds and whey)Why did Old Mother Hubbard go to the cupboard? (to fetch her dog a bone)What did the farmer’s wife do to the Three Blind Mice? (cut off their tails with a carving knife)
Old Wives’ Tales
Everyone loves to predict whether or not the mom-to-be is going to have a boy or a girl. But, how many of them know the actual Old Wives’ Tales that many people use to try to predict the gender of a baby? Here are some popular Old Wives’ Tales that people say indicate whether someone is having a boy or a girl.
The mom-to-be has morning sickness. (Girl) The mom-to-be is carrying her baby low. (Boy) The mom-to-be is craving sweets. (Girl) The mom-to-be dislikes orange juice during pregnancy. (Boy) The baby’s heart rate is over 140. (Girl)
Create a list of 10 Old Wives’ Tales and give your guests about 3 to 5 minutes to answer the questions. When the timer goes off, the one with the most correct guesses wins.
Active Games
If you are planning a co-ed shower or if you will have a lot of guests, active games are usually a hit because they get people up and moving. In this list, we included a few of our favorites that didn’t involve chugging baby bottles, tasting baby food, or melting chocolate in diapers. But if you have a group of adventurous people coming to your baby shower and you think they would love an activity like one of those, then by all means go for it.
Pass the Paci
Much like a game of hot potato, guests sit in a circle and pass a pacifier around the circle as fast as they can. The one holding the pacifier when the music stops is out. Keep going around the circle until only one person remains. The last person remaining is the winner. You also can decorate the pacifier with ribbons and baby teething toys to make it easier to pass.
Babies Against Parenthood
Based on the ever-popular game, Cards Against Humanity, this baby shower game is best for co-ed showers that have just a few people. Otherwise, it will be too hard to give everyone a chance. Simply search online for Babies Against Parenthood for a free printable version or make your own. Even though this game is designed to be a clean version of the original game, people can still take it in unexpected directions. So, consider your audience before playing this game. If you think someone attending your party might be offended or would not find the game fun, you may want to pick a different game.
Let’s Make a Baby
Give each guest a can of Play-doh and a cupcake liner. Then allow them a set amount of time to make a baby—out of Play-doh of course—and put it in its crib or the cupcake liner. At the end of the time period, your guest of honor will judge the babies and pick her favorite. The guests should not put their names on the creations so that the mom-to-be has no idea who created which baby. They also shouldn’t add anything identifiable on their creation. At the end, be sure to take a photo of all the fun creations. This photo will make a nice addition to the mom-to-be’s scrapbook.
Baby Shower Feud
Who doesn’t love a game of Family Feud? In this baby shower game, guests get to play the baby shower version of the Family Feud. Prior to the baby shower, ask the mom-to-be to rank the answers to popular questions. For instance, ask her “What should you pack in a diaper bag?” Then, have her rank her top four answers which might include change of clothes, diapers, wipes, and toys. Pick about 5 to 10 questions with four possible answers each. Once you’re ready to play the game divide the guests into two teams and give each team a bell to ring when they have answer. They will play the game just like Family Feud. When a question is read, the first team to ring the bell gets to give an answer. If their answer is not the top-ranked answer—based on your interview with the guest of honor prior to the party—then the other team gets to steal. Teams score points for each correct answer and the team with the most points after all the questions have been asked wins. Be sure to have enough small prizes for every player on the winning team.
Bottle Bowling
This shower game is easy to prepare for. Simply set up 10 baby bottles at the end of a long hallway and give your guests a tennis ball. Have them roll the ball and attempt to knock over the bottles. Anyone who knocks down all 10 bottles—a strike—moves on to the next round. If no one rolls a strike, then take the players who knocked down the most pins to the next round. Try to play at least three rounds and perhaps even five rounds before declaring your winner. Of course, the person who has knocked down the most baby bottles gets the prize.
A Word From Verywell
When it comes to planning games for a baby shower, it’s important to consider your audience before selecting your games. For instance, if the guests are young and active, you can pick just about any game and be fine. However, if you have a mixture of ages including some guests who are older and might need a little more help moving around, you may want to limit the number of active games you play. Likewise, you should select a combination of game types and limit your selections to help with saving time for eating, socializing, and gift-opening. As for prizes, just keep them simple. Select things like shower gel, gift cards in small denominations, hand lotion, and other inexpensive options.
