25 baby shower games: classics and new ideas

Use three short parts: an arrival game, one shared game and a quiet station. That keeps games to about 30 minutes and leaves the rest of the shower for food, gifts and talk.

Ask the guest of honor before you plan anything. The Emily Post Institute's baby shower advice says many honorees and guests do not enjoy shower games, so ask whether they want any and which ones.

Skip games that measure bodies, call for a performance or ask how a family was formed. Nobody needs to explain why they pass.

The table lists all 25 games in the order they appear below: six classics, five arrival games, seven shared games and seven quiet choices. Scored games have a winner; unscored ones are relaxed activities.

Baby bingo, the diaper raffle, guess the price, guess the baby food, a nursery rhyme quiz and don't say “baby” are the familiar classics. Each takes a minute to explain, and two of them fit into time you already have: the gift opening and the arrival.

1. Hand out blank 5×5 cards at arrival. Each guest fills 24 squares with gifts they expect to see opened, and the center square counts as already marked.
2. During the gift opening, a helper reads each gift aloud. Guests mark any square that names it.
3. A guest who completes a row, column or diagonal calls “Bingo!” and reads the line back.

Scoring and finish: The first correct line wins. If gifts remain, keep going for four corners or a full card. Participation: Guests can share a card or fill it from the square ideas below.

1. Ask the parent-to-be which diaper sizes they want and whether they use cloth or disposable. Add one line to the invitation, such as “Bring a pack of size 1 diapers to enter the raffle.”
2. At the door, give one ticket per pack. Guests write their name on each ticket and drop it in the bowl.
3. Near the end of the shower, the guest of honor draws one ticket.

Scoring and finish: One draw for each prize, and the named guest wins. Participation: Entry is optional, and the invitation should make clear that guests without diapers are just as welcome.

1. Buy 8 everyday items in one trip, such as wipes, diaper cream, a pacifier, baby wash, socks, a bib, a bottle brush and nail clippers. Copy each price from the receipt onto a host-only key.
2. Set the items out with numbers. Guests write a price for each one; many hosts call this the Price Is Right game, after the TV show.
3. Read the real prices from the key, one item at a time.

Scoring and finish: Each item goes to the closest guess that is not over the price, and the guest who wins the most items wins. Equal guesses share. Participation: Guests can guess in pairs, and nobody is expected to know prices, which differ by store.

1. Buy six single-flavor jars, such as peas, carrots, sweet potato, banana, pear and spinach. Cover each label, number the lids and write the flavors on a host-only key.
2. Pass the jars around or line them up. Guests guess each flavor from its color and texture, and the jars stay sealed.
3. Read the key, jar by jar.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per correct flavor, 6 at most. Accept a close name, such as yam for sweet potato, only if you accept it for everyone. Participation: Guests can guess in pairs, and the unopened jars can go home with the parent-to-be if they want them.

1. Read the ten questions in the table below, pausing about 20 seconds after each. Guests write short answers.
2. Swap sheets with a neighbor, then read the answers aloud.
3. Ask the bonus question last, and use it only to break a tie.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per correct answer, 10 at most; the bonus breaks a tie. Participation: Play in teams, or let a reader handle the sheet.

1. Give each guest a clothespin at the door and explain the rule: say the word “baby” and anyone who hears it can take your pin.
2. Guests clip the pins they win to their own clothes. A guest who loses every pin can still win pins back.
3. Call time when the gifts are opened or the party winds down.

Scoring and finish: The guest with the most pins wins, and ties share. Participation: Anyone can hold a paper slip instead of wearing a pin, and the guest of honor can play or sit it out.

These five games run while people come in, so late guests can still join. Each takes about five minutes.

1. As guests arrive, invite them to write a first name and one neutral favorite, such as a kind of book or weather.
2. Leave the cards at seats as conversation starters. Stop when the shared game begins.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, with no prize for the best card. Participation: Leave the favorite blank, draw, dictate or skip the card.

1. Give guests three minutes to write one baby or everyday family object for as many letters as they can.
2. Check answers once everyone has arrived. A is for album and B is for bib, and other sensible objects count.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per letter with a fitting object, 26 at most. Remove disputed entries the same way for everyone, and share ties. Participation: Work with a reader or scribe, leave letters blank or watch.

1. Put exactly 30 paper stars in a jar and write the count on a host-only key. Each guest makes one guess without opening the jar.
2. Reveal the count when arrival time ends. If you use a different count, update the key first.

Scoring and finish: The guess closest to 30 wins, and equally close guesses share. Participation: The host can write down a spoken guess, and passing is fine.

1. List sock, book, mug, pencil, pillow and umbrella on the left. Scramble eraser, rain, foot, page, head and handle on the right.
2. Guests link each pair, then check the key: sock–foot, book–page, mug–handle, pencil–eraser, pillow–head, umbrella–rain.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per pair, 6 at most; share ties. Participation: Read the words aloud or work in pairs, and nobody needs to race.

1. Offer two prompts, “A small joy I hope you notice…” and “A kind wish for your family…”, plus a blank card.
2. Guests write or draw, choose whether to sign, and drop the card in the envelope. Close the station when the shared game starts.

Scoring and finish: Unscored keepsake, with no best wish. Participation: Write a general wish, keep the card or pass.

These seven games fill the main game block. Teams of two to four keep checking quick when the room is large.

1. Use the pack's key: bib, sock, soft toy, board book, blanket, hat, spoon and card. Show the tray for 30 seconds, then cover it.
2. Give two minutes to write up to eight objects. Read the key aloud and accept clear synonyms.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per correct object, 8 at most, and a repeated object counts once. Share ties. Participation: Move the tray so everyone can see it, and let a partner write spoken answers.

1. This is the classic parents quiz, with every answer approved first. Ahead of time, the guest of honor approves or declines five neutral prompts: favorite season, rainy-day activity, color, book or film for a quiet evening, and a dream day trip.
2. Use only approved prompts. Give one minute per guess, then reveal the key without asking for explanations.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per match, 5 at most. If an answer changes or is disputed, drop that question for everyone, and share ties. Participation: The guest of honor can decline the whole game, and anyone can leave answers blank.

1. Start an invented story: “A tiny parcel arrived with no return address.” Each willing guest adds one sentence.
2. Keep real guests out of the story unless they opt in. The host adds the last line after one turn each.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, with no vote for the funniest line. Participation: Offer one word, ask a partner to read or say pass.

1. Use three categories: things made of fabric, things on a bookshelf, and things a family packs for a day out. Teams get two minutes to list up to five objects for each.
2. Teams read their lists aloud. An object can fit more than one category but counts once within each.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per fitting entry, 15 at most. Void disputed entries for every team, and share ties. Participation: One volunteer writes for a seated team.

1. Prompts: bib, book, sock, blanket, spoon and hat. A willing artist on each team draws the host's chosen object for 45 seconds.
2. Each team gives one final guess, then the host reveals the word. Play three rounds.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per correct guess, 3 at most; share ties. Participation: The host can draw for a team, and guests can guess from their seats.

1. Describe four objects without naming them: “has pages; opens” (book), “worn on a foot; soft” (sock), “covers a bed; fabric” (blanket) and “holds food; has a handle” (spoon).
2. Teams write one guess after both clues. Reveal each object before the next round.

Scoring and finish: 1 point per correct object, 4 at most; share ties. Participation: Read the clues aloud and accept spoken answers.

1. Ask each table to find one neutral favorite they share: a season, a snack or a kind of music. Nobody needs to talk about pregnancy, children or family history.
2. After five minutes, one volunteer per table reports the choice, or says the table found none.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, and “no shared answer” is fine. Participation: Reject a prompt, suggest another or listen.

Set one of these on a side table for guests who would rather not play. Most leave the parent-to-be a keepsake.

1. Ask the guest of honor whether they want advice. If yes, offer “One way to make an ordinary day easier…” and “A small comfort worth keeping…”.
2. Guests choose a prompt or write a kind wish instead. Collect cards after ten minutes.

Scoring and finish: Unscored; treat the cards as personal tips, never medical guidance. Participation: Draw, write a general wish, leave it unsigned or pass.

1. Invite a message for an ordinary future day, not a prediction about the baby's health or personality.
2. Seal the notes for the guest of honor to open whenever they like. Do not read them aloud without permission.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, with no deadline to open. Participation: A drawing or an unsigned wish is enough, and guests can skip.

1. Make a 3×3 grid of things in the room: a bow, a book, something green, a folded napkin, a pencil, a card, something round, a striped object and a shared laugh.
2. Mark what you notice from your seat. Stop after three marks or when the next part of the shower starts.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, with identical sheets and no caller. Participation: Read the sheet aloud or pair with a reader, and never search private belongings.

1. Guests write a book title they enjoy and one line on why, or invent a funny made-up title.
2. Collect the cards in the box. The host reads aloud only cards marked “may share”.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, and nobody needs to buy a book. Participation: Dictate, draw a cover, keep it private or pass.

1. Precut the triangles. Guests add a pattern, drawing or short wish, leaving room at the top for a clip.
2. Clip finished pennants onto the string after the round. Hang them only if the guest of honor agrees.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, with no art contest. Participation: Leave a plain triangle, ask a partner to draw or skip.

1. Offer words such as patient, curious, playful and steady, plus a blank line. Guests pick a word and add a sentence or drawing.
2. Collect the slips in the jar for later. Do not assign a personality to the baby.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, and repeated words are welcome. Participation: Choose a printed word, leave it blank or pass.

1. Give each group a blank postcard with one theme: “A place for a peaceful afternoon.” Each willing guest adds one small detail.
2. A volunteer writes a short wish on the back. Give the guest of honor only the cards the group wants to share.

Scoring and finish: Unscored, with no best picture. Participation: Suggest a detail to a partner, draw from your seat or watch.

Yes, if you send the invitation through InviteBird. A baby shower event includes Baby Shower Essentials: some games ride inside the guest's reply, and the rest run on the day.

• Diaper raffle: guests pledge packs in their reply and see the size you need. Each pack earns a ticket with its own code, and you draw the winner on the big screen.
• Gift bingo: on the day, every guest picks up a card on their phone. One tap from you as each gift is opened marks it on every card at once.
• Who knows the parents best: each parent answers privately on their own link (one parent is fine), guests guess as they reply, and the answers play on the big screen.
• Baby predictions: guesses about the arrival stay sealed until you record the baby's real details.

There is no app for guests to download. The shower games are included on every plan: design free, pay when you send, from $9.99.

The party games and gift bingo feature pages, and the help guide for setting up the baby shower games, are linked at the end of this guide.

Each plan below fills a 30-minute block inside a longer shower: arrival cards, the memory tray, an answer check and notes. Small groups use individual sheets; larger groups use teams of four with one volunteer scribe.

With 40 guests, showing the tray to each team in turn may take longer than this plan allows. Use a large display, swap in category teams, or play baby bingo during the gift opening instead.

The host pack linked at the end of this guide is ungated HTML with a host-only key, a player recall sheet, optional note cards and a quantities sheet. Print at 100% in portrait on US Letter or A4, and keep the key with the host.

The player sheet has eight blank lines, a score box and space for an optional nickname. If you swap an object, update the key and its accepted names before play. The note cards carry three prompts from games 11 and 19, plus a blank “My own prompt” card.

The pack does not include bingo cards. For baby bingo, draw a 5×5 grid on plain paper or use the gift bingo feature on guests' phones.

Before guests arrive, read one round aloud, count the real objects and check that no player copy shows the answers. For a prize, plan one token per tied winner so nobody has to perform to break a tie.

A few classics need a quick word with the parent-to-be first.

• Pregnancy loss, fertility treatment or adoption is part of the story: skip belly measuring, due-date pools and anything that asks how the family was formed.
• The family uses cloth diapers: HealthyChildren.org, from the American Academy of Pediatrics, says most U.S. babies wear disposables, but cloth is a real choice, so ask before you plan a diaper raffle.
• Toddlers are coming: keep clothespins, jar lids and small tray objects out of reach.
• Guests would rather not perform: nothing here needs singing, dancing or a solo turn, and anyone can pass.
• You want a tasting game: guess the baby food here is look-only, and the jars stay sealed.

Count the people who have said yes, including hosts who plan to play, then choose individual or team sheets. Print a few spares, and let a child share a sheet with a willing adult.

The baby shower invitation collection and the RSVP deadline guide are linked below. The deadline guide uses a birthday example, but the same working-back method fits a shower.