Jeanne in MN Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I really, really don't care for silly baby shower games. I don't want to check out melted candy bars in diapers or smell baby food while I'm blindfolded or guess names from songs. I am in the midst of planning a baby shower for a niece and would like to keep it a bit classier with some other kind of entertainment? Is that possible? Or do most people like that kind of thing? I'd rather sing a song with my guitar, have someone read poetry, have the grandmas share a baby story about mom and dad-to-be when they were babies, have guests write on pretty cards why they think the mother-to-be will make a good mother or something. Any ideas or thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BMW Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I like some of your classier ideas! I like one that is similar, with a bit of fun for those who like it "fun" and that is having the guests measure out their own length of yarn... any length they want, not knowing what it is for. Then they take turns and wrap their piece around their pinky finger, giving advice to the new mom as they wrap... so those with a long piece, get to give lots of advice. I like sentimental parenting/children songs... having some special ones selected and put onto a play system (computer or cd) for everyone to enjoy is very special. At one shower, we all sat quietly listening to "water colored ponies" and there was hardly a dry eye. It helped us all appreciate how quickly children grow up and how special those baby moments are. enjoy and I hope you get some more ideas... Oh, one of the loveliest showers I went to had desert mints in mini-bassinets... they were SO lovely... my friend took the time to take hot dog holders (paper), cut one end off and rotate it to be the top of the bassinet and glue gun it on with lovely baby buttons and lace. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Year Round Mom Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 What is your niece like? Is she the type that enjoys the classy or the cheesy? :D It's probably not what you're looking for, but we had a lot of fun re-writing classic nursery songs/rhymes using the new parent's names, baby's name, common new parent experiences (late nights, rocking baby), etc. Each group performed their re-write (some with dance moves!) and the mom-to-be chose the *best* one. Then a scrapbooking friend made pages with the new lyrics for the new parents. But yeah, those melted candy bars and baby pins in bowls full of rice get kinda old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I really, really don't care for silly baby shower games. I don't want to check out melted candy bars in diapers or smell baby food while I'm blindfolded or guess names from songs. I am in the midst of planning a baby shower for a niece and would like to keep it a bit classier with some other kind of entertainment? Is that possible? Or do most people like that kind of thing? I'd rather sing a song with my guitar, have someone read poetry, have the grandmas share a baby story about mom and dad-to-be when they were babies, have guests write on pretty cards why they think the mother-to-be will make a good mother or something. Any ideas or thoughts? In my circle, we have blessingways, where each guest brings their own blessing, poem, song, what have you, and shares it in celebration of the mother to be. We each bring a bead or stone, which is incorporated into a necklace or bracelet for the mom - and each guest is presented with a bracelet - to wear until the birth, in solidarity. Generally, there is a potluck meal, henna, music, general pampering of the mom to be... good times. Google "blessingway". I'm sure you will come up with several ideas, some that will suit your worldview, and some that will not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dobela Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 For my son's baby shower given by the church the hostesses invited the men too. They had a BBQ complete with fixings. While the food was being cooked, the men kind of all hung out by the grill and shared their experiences with my dh about being a father - the good, the bad, the funny. It really helped him bond with some of the men. The men varied in age from early 20s to their 80s. I was gathered with the women doing the same thing. After we ate, dh and I opened all the gifts together. It was apparent that some of the gifts had been chosen for my dh by the other men - like a dad's devotional book - and given with the usual diapers, onesies, and blankets. It was so nice letting him be a part of this exciting time in our life. There wasn't a need for cutsy games because the goal was to pass on knowledge and build relationships. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paintedlady Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I hate baby showers b/c of the "entertainment" that's usually involved. Just say no to the games, have a nice luncheon, open gifts, mingle and visit and then go home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyCrazyMama Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 A fun game that was played at the last baby shower I was at was naming baby animals, everyone was given a paper with a list of animals and you had to fill in the proper baby names. There was no cheesy games at that shower, it was nice.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
specialmama Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 A guestbook is always classy if it's pretty. :D Guests could write out a blessing on it and present it to mom at the end. Door prizes are good too. Guests show up and are given a 1/2 of a numbered ticket. Door prizes should be GOOD. Prizes I had last year were the Neutrogena Microabrasion System, a nice cheese tray, and a bottle of Anais Anais perfume. The quality of prizes are certainly demonstrative of either tacky or classy. Another thing I did last year: fill a fancy bottle full of pearls, guests had to guess how many were in it. This was done quite naturally: guests show up and the bottle is on a side table with a sign and pens and papers. It did not require an introduction or anything, which is great and not tacky. The prize was actually the jar with the pearls, which really was a necklace. (OK OK so my shower had a Mexican theme, so I used a coral necklace that looked like chili peppers. Hardly classy :lol: but pearls or similar fashionable beads would be classy!) Something else I've done at a number of showers: ask each guest to bring some small bills. In Canada, we just say bring a loonie or toonie! :D So bring out a beautiful piggy bank, and explain that you've bought the baby's very first piggy bank, and deposit your dollar into it as you make a wish for the baby. Pass the bank along and each guest puts their dollar in and says a wish or blessing. Baby gets a new bank, some great blessings, and a good start on their savings. The classy theme ought to be woven throughout. Remember people judge a shower by the invitation. Decor should be classy but fun. Try baby rubber ducks floating in the punch bowl and pink and/or blue napkins folded with white tape to look like diapers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sadiegirl Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 love your ideas, special Mama! I hate the goofy games. I think including the men is a great idea as well. Have a cook-out, brunch, or potluck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gandpsmommy Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) I agree with the other posters who said just eating, visiting and opening presents is enjoyable. Edited May 7, 2009 by gandpsmommy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyR Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I went to one baby shower where each person was given a raffle ticket as they came into the room (you can purchase a roll at a party store). At various times during the shower the mom-to-be was asked to pull out a ticket from a basket and read the number. The guest who had the matching ticket won a small prize (prizes included things like a small picture frame, scented body lotion, pretty stationery, etc.) I think they gave away about 5 prizes. All the guests were given party favors so everyone received something, but the prize giveaway was fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6packofun Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 (edited) I went to a baby shower "dinner party" that had a bar set up to serve only non-alcoholic versions of different mixed drinks and Shirley Temples, etc. and everyone went around the table and indvidually toasted the coming bundle of joy. :) I have no idea if that is classy. LOL! Edited May 7, 2009 by 6packofun .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abbeyej Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 My very favorite baby showers have been the ones where we just had food and visited and wished the mom-to-be well and then watched her open presents. I don't care for the cheesy games, I was subjected to a really *horrendous* blessingway once (and I'm sure they aren't all wretched, but this one soured me on the whole genre), but I do like to visit with friends and eat and just celebrate the pending arrival of a new little person. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AFwife Claire Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I plan baby showers for our church, and I'm also not a fan of cheesy games. Here are some things I've made up: --a matching game of (Biblical) names and their meanings --a mad-libs type thing where they are filling in the mom's "birth story", as I imagine it will be, LOL --a matching game where they match famous lines from famous children's books (Cat in the Hat, Little Engine that Could, etc.) --a game where they have to guess the nursery rhyme from a more formal way of phrasing it (this one you can actually find online somewhere, but the other ones I've had to make up myself) --I hand out a piece of paper, and everyone writes down a typical first mom type of question, like "how do I know my baby needs to be burped" or something. Then everyone folds over the piece of paper, so you can't see the question, and passes the paper down 2 people. Then each person writes down an answer to a typical first mom question (it can be the answer to their own question, or any other one), like "blow bubbles on the baby's tummy" or whatever. Then everyone reads the question on their paper, and their answer. Some of the combos are pretty funny! These are a few off the top of my head. To be honest, I also think you don't need any games, and the last shower I hosted was for 5 women. There were lots of women there, too many for games, and we all had a great time just visiting. Then I asked each expecting woman how we could specifically be praying for them over the last few weeks and months of their pregnancies, and we had a time of prayer for them. It was lovely! Your ideas are lovely too, and I doubt anyone will miss blind-tasting baby food or trying to put a diaper on blind-folded! : ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snickelfritz Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I don't like the ones where we are given a piece of paper, 2 minutes to write down wise words of advice, and then they are all read. I also didn't like going around the room for each person to say something. I've had to do a way the mom impacted me (I barely knew the mom and felt put on the spot) or a wise piece of advice(if you're the last person, everything is already taken.) Both situations are stressful for me. I would much prefer to just sit around and talk. If there will be lots of people there who don't know each other, it might be nice to go around and have each person say how they know the person. Or some simple ice breaker games that others have mentioned. Otherwise, chatting, eating, opening presents. Keep it simple. Come to mention it: What about the game where you fill bottles with juice and one person feeds it to another to see who can go the fastest?:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I hate baby showers b/c of the "entertainment" that's usually involved. Just say no to the games, have a nice luncheon, open gifts, mingle and visit and then go home. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Since I don't do well with chit chat, expecially if I don't know the other participants that well, I like games. Even just an ice breaker so I can find something to discuss with the other participants. However, I would want some of the classy games mentioned. I don't like the gross ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chickenpatty Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I saw these baby shower treats on allrecipes.com yesterday. I thought they looked really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I helped give a baby shower last year for a second baby. We did a couple of really nice activities. Keep in mind that we all knew each other really well, so it wasn't awkward or anything. We did a belly cast of the expecting mommy. You can get the kit at http://www.proudbody.com It is truly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. We got a ball of yarn and wrapped it around each person's wrist, and had a silent moment (some of the people there were Christians, some were not) while we were all still attached. Then we cut the yard so that each person just had their "yarn bracelet". Everyone kept their bracelet on until baby came. That way every time we looked at the bracelet we could remember to pray for or think about mom. Lastly, we bought several packages of really nice beads. Each person took one bead for mom and one bead for baby. Then we gave a blessing for mom and baby, represented by the beads. We made the beads into a bracelet for mom and one for baby. It was such a beautiful shower!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alphabetika Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 When I was pregnant with my first, a dear friend hosted a baby shower "poetry reading." Guests could choose to bring a poem or song and read it to dh and me before giving us a gift. Not everyone did a reading, and not everyone brought a gift, but between the two it was a lovely, simple shower. I like the idea of writing down words of wisdom, but I think it's best done before the shower so that the person who had the idea can compile the "words" and present them to the mom-to-be at the shower. No one wants to be put on the spot when it comes to wisdom, but given a little time to think, most of us can think of something special to say. It seems to me that a group of women can always find something to talk about and that games aren't needed. I have yet to find someone who LIKES any of those games, especially the weird diaper/baby food ones! I've always done poorly at the baby food games because I make my own baby food so none of the smells are all that familiar to me. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I don't know if this is considered cheesy or not, but it was a LOT of fun. We played a "Price is Right" game, where I had about 8 baby products of different prices and I had everyone guess the price. The one who came closest to the actual price won a prize and the mom-to-be got all the baby products. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it and people still mention it, months later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 What is your niece like? Is she the type that enjoys the classy or the cheesy? :D oh! yes!! I'd be horribly bored listening to people's baby stories and tons of poetry. I really do appreciate A poem or A song or A story, but a bunch of them?? no thanks. For my son's baby shower given by the church the hostesses invited the men too. They had a BBQ complete with fixings. ....... It was so nice letting him be a part of this exciting time in our life. There wasn't a need for cutsy games because the goal was to pass on knowledge and build relationships. amen. I like co-ed parties :) --a mad-libs type thing where they are filling in the mom's "birth story", as I imagine it will be, LOL now THAT could be fun :D I don't like the ones where we are given a piece of paper, 2 minutes to write down wise words of advice, and then they are all read. yeah... this one kinda backfired at baby shower for #4: the advice to me was to "just wait --soon enough they'll be on that big yellow bus and you can sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee in peace!" :lol: I don't know if this is considered cheesy or not, but it was a LOT of fun. We played a "Price is Right" game, where I had about 8 baby products of different prices and I had everyone guess the price. The one who came closest to the actual price won a prize and the mom-to-be got all the baby products. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it and people still mention it, months later. probably cheesy, but I'd get a kick outta it, lol. as for CLASSY? well, i'm going to a dinner tomorrow night as a baby shower. Just a simple dinner. If i was planning a shower for someone who wanted a "classier" shower, I'd do a dinner party, lots of candles and flowers, maybe an icebreaker/ guess the number of X in the bottle, and just play some soft music [or their favorite music] and chat/eat around opening presents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Audrey Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) I really, really don't care for silly baby shower games. I don't want to check out melted candy bars in diapers or smell baby food while I'm blindfolded or guess names from songs. I am in the midst of planning a baby shower for a niece and would like to keep it a bit classier with some other kind of entertainment? Is that possible? Or do most people like that kind of thing? I'd rather sing a song with my guitar, have someone read poetry, have the grandmas share a baby story about mom and dad-to-be when they were babies, have guests write on pretty cards why they think the mother-to-be will make a good mother or something. Any ideas or thoughts? I would lift my self-imposed ban on baby shower attendance if someone would throw a shower like you just described for a change. I thoroughly detest the "lowest common denominator" style that seems to have become the norm for baby showers (and bridal showers for that matter!) :angry: I mean really... poop jokes? What are we? In 3rd grade again? :thumbdown: I'd just go with what you've described already. Edited May 8, 2009 by Audrey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*LC Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 If your niece wants games, we played one at a shower I attended that would work. The hostess had written the name of famous moms on pieces of paper. When we came in to the shower, she taped one to each guest's back. We then had to ask the other guest's questions, so we could figure out who "we were." We had fun time with it. We could play it when we wanted while we were talking about other things. I can't remember this one as well, but we weren't allowed to say baby. If we were talking to someone and they said baby, we got their ribbon. (Each guest was given a ribbon when they arrived.) There was a prize for the person with the most ribbons at the end. That one was too much work for me. Have a good time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chai Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 I hate baby shower games! I agree with everyone who said to just have nice food, open presents and chat. The one thing that was very memorable from one of my baby showers: each guest wrote something (words of wisdom, something cute, something funny, etc.) in a book to the baby. Nobody had to share what they wrote and they could pass on this activity if they didn't want to do it. (I think this works best for showers with family present.) We now have a book with writing from my grandmother, great-aunt and mother who have now all passed away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 ......It seems to me that a group of women can always find something to talk about and that games aren't needed. I have yet to find someone who LIKES any of those games, especially the weird diaper/baby food ones! ...... May I introduce you to ........... ME! A group of women may be chatting away, but personally I sometimes don't make a connection and tend to :bigear:, pretending I'm enjoying myself. And granted, I DO NOT like the gross games or bad jokes, but I do like good games. The Price is Right game would be fine. Trying to guess the name of the famous mom on your back would be fun, too. NOTE: anyone who met me at the recent conference wouldn't believe that I couldn't make a connection, but I knew going in that we all had a fair amount in common. Plus we had the conference sessions to get conversations started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
melhouse Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 (edited) :iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: :iagree::iagree::iagree: What Heather was quoting didn't make it through. I was agreeing to conversation, gifts, and food. While I don't mind the advice given in a journal, etc., I would want to know that it would be between myself and the new mom/or bride as the case may be. Even if I didn't know anyone else there, I would like to think most people could make small talk with strangers for an hour or so. Edited May 8, 2009 by melhouse quote didn't make sense with what I wrote Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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