How to throw a cool baby shower on the cheap, the best baby shower games & more

June 10, 11:27 AMEarly Childhood Parenting ExaminerAngele Sionna

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One of E-vite.com's free baby shower invites

So you've been charged with hosting a baby shower for your sister, sister-in-law, coworker, friend, neighbor, you name it, huh? Where do you begin? What games are actually fun? I went to Susan Newton aka Susan “The Shower Diva”  to get the lowdown on everything from the best games to money saving tips and more. Susan is the CEO of BadaBadaBingo Fun Games Co and the resident diva at TheShowerDiva.com. 

Examiner: What makes the best baby showers?

Susan: The best baby showers are the ones where everyone is at ease and relaxed. At TheShowerDiva.com we have a motto: “It’s all about the Love!”

The hostess is in charge. She has to be well prepared and have a plan of action. Guests look to her and follow her cue as to how to behave. I have a successful 3-step process for every baby shower hostess: Plan • Prepare • Party. These three sections will help you to throw the very best shower for your friend! Included are free downloadable (pdf) Guest Sign-In Sheets, Baby Shower Gift Lists (to keep track of what gifts she opens and who to thank), and a Baby Shower Guest List Tracker (to keep track of your invitees). [We also have] baby shower theme ideas, baby shower basics, a holiday calendar (so no conflicting dates arise), guest contributors, recipe ideas, product and gift idea recommendations, and more…all for free.

Examiner: What's your fav baby shower activity?

Susan: My favorite baby shower activity would have to be the Snap-T Design-It Kit – The starter kit comes with your choice of 6 white or assorted colored onesies, 8 crayola fabric markers and two lettering templates. This serves multiple purposes. For those who might be a little shy, they have a reason to be “on their own for awhile until they open up”; for those who are creative, they get to showcase their talents; for the rest – it’s just plain fun to decorate a snap-t shirt and gift it to the new baby! The hostess can even play a game and have the Mom-to-Be award a gift to her favorite design! The guests have an activity to do and the hostess has a great feather in her cap because everyone raves about the fun they had! Bonus! The new baby has clothes to wear each month of the first year or two!

Examiner: What are the top 5 baby shower games?

Susan:

1. I love BadaBada Baby Bingo! I actually created The Original Baby Bingo game over seven years ago. It’s played just like traditional bingo except using images of motherhood, babies and family. I am flattered because of the imitations that have come out after my original game, yet people constantly call, email and write to us letting us know how special, wonderful and superb the quality of our games are and they prefer ours to anyone else’s. I believe them! It’s because I put my heart into it.
2. A brand new game we’ve designed is called Bun in the Oven Pull-Tab Surprise which is so clever – guests “step into the kitchen” and pull down the oven door to see what is inside the oven. If they get roast chicken, lasagna or pizza, they are losers. But, if they get the bun in the oven, they win!!
3. To complement the Pull-Tab Surprise Game, we offer the Bun in the Oven Dress Game that is sweeter than sweet! These are handmade and contain winning “buns” made of clay. As guests arrive, pin a dress on. Each will think it’s just a cute decoration. At some point during the shower announce to all that they are to open their dresses. The one with the bun inside is the winner! Each order is personalized with the Mom-to-Be’s name.
4. Another recent original and top favorite is the Mommy’s Big Belly PartyScratchers where players scratch mommy’s belly to see why she’s so big. Is it gas? Does she have water bloat? Did she drink too many smoothies? Or does she have the adorable baby (winner)? All of our thoughtful, upscale games encourage guests to loosen up, laugh and let their inner kid come out to play.
5. Another top favorite (we can’t seem to keep enough on the shelf) is Baby Trivia – it’s an interactive gorgeous game of flash cards which is not only fun, but educational as well.  

Examiner: Share some tips for throwing an inexpensive shower.

Susan: If you really don’t want to spend a dime, why not download a FREE blank baby bingo bingo card at BabyBingo.com - there you can print out as many blank cards (fill in your own squares) and while you’re at it, view some more free game ideas as well! A mix of activities and traditional word games can be a good solution for those on a budget; but, why settle for boring? HERE’s a site that offers affordable quality graphic designed downloadable shower games and even gives a free game to you (no purchase necessary).

If you have friends who have thrown previous baby showers, ask them if they have any decorations or unused baby shower games you can use for your shower. Shop at local thrift stores such as Goodwill or other centers or visit swap meets and garage sales. There is no shame in doing this!! You’ll find some great bargains. The rich and famous tend to donate extremely nice goods! Plus, we have not only an economic crisis, but an ecologic climate we are all becoming aware of.

The best way to send out invitations on a budget is to save on postage. So locate your favorite invitation source online that emails invitations. E-vite.com is one of my favs because they include nice designs and a great way to manage your guest list. However, I want to share with you a brand new site that does so much more for your baby shower after the guest list has been created! It’s DivaDarlings.NET - Here you can send out invitations and SAVE THE DATE EMAILS through the web (saving postage costs as well as the environment). At DivaDarlings.NET you are also able to include an address and Google Map locator right in your Save-the-Date or Invitation list. You can make it public, private and hide the guest list or allow event to new attendees or disable rsvps. You can include an event image to represent your party.

Hold the baby shower at a home or a rent-free location such as a park (if it’s not raining, of course). If your apartment won’t hold the guest list, and you live in an apartment complex, ask about the recreation center. It’s still more intimate and it’s ideal for sharing the love. If one of your friends has a larger home, ask about holding it there.