I have a two-part question as my mom and best friend have started to plan my baby shower. First, what were the best and worst gifts you received at your baby shower, or in other words, what should I be SURE to have on my registry, and what could I do without?
Secondly, does anybody have any fun or unique ideas for baby shower activities? Something beyond the typical baby games that leave most of the attendees bored to tears by the end of the day?
I was recently at a baby shower and the hosts had a game prepared where they put small baby and baby related items into a paper bag that was sealed and numbered. You had to feel the item and write down what you thought it was on the paper with the coresponding number. Some of the things people came up with were hilarious!
I think the BEST gift we received was our exersauser... It was the only way for me to get a shower or dishes (etc) done. A major must!
The cutest game I've ever seen was a Price is Right game. The hostess purchases 6-8 common baby items (jar of baby food, rubber ducky, onsie, rattle... just simple things). At the shower, split the guests into 2 groups and split the items into 2 groups... The guests need to "bid" on each of the items in front of them without going over the actual price of the item. The person from each group that gets the closest price on all items in that group (not over the price) gets a small gift... Then all the items that were bidded on are given to the mommy-to-be! The game was played at my baby shower and I used it for a shower I hosted shortly after... Mommy's love the little extras that they get!!
Burp rags, onesies, bottles (if necessary). Also think ahead...We got so much stuff for like the first 6-9 months of our childs life, but when they hit that age/size for clothes, we realized we didnt have much. You'll be having a summer baby so lots of cool clothes, sun screen, hats. Bigger items are always good too, swing, bassinet, car seat, stroller (if you pickedo out the exact one you want), bibs, and socks are crucial too. Even though its summer, they still may need a little something on their feet.
Shoes were the biggest waste until after they turn one. The little Robeez or Target brand leather slipper type shoe is the BEST, the one item I always tell everyone about.
A good diaper bag is important too.
Games for the shower:
Diapers and melted candy bars, guests than have to guess whats inside! Its a hoot to watch people, they can even take a sample on their finger if they like (the candy bar looks like Poop). Very fun!
Gift ideas: $10 gift cards to Starbucks, Caribou, Blockbuster, Barnes & Noble.
Another great idea that should never be bypassed at a shower, as each guest arrives, have them address the evenelopes from the "Thank you" cards you will later send out. Throughout the shower, you can draw envelopes for winners...This also eliminates you having to address each enevelope when its time to write out your Thank you cards.
Most of all enjoy your shower, don't do any work, it's your day to enjoy, so sit back, relax and have fun.
A couple of games that I organized for a shower:
Right-left game: Have the parent(s) to be wright up a one page story describing when they/she found out they/she have a baby coming or what they think labor or delivery will be like and put as many 'right' and 'left' words in it as possible. Then, depending on how many guests there are, purchase some gifts from a dollar store for around half the guests.
When it's time at the shower, have everyone sit in a circle and randomly hand out the gifts. Inform them that whenever they hear 'right' (or wright) to pass the gift to the person on their right. When they hear 'left' pass it to the left. Then read the story slow enough so people have a chance to pass the gifts each time. At the end of the story who ever has a gift gets to keep it. I suggest maybe doing a practice game on paper to track how far the gifts move - you don't want them just going back and forth between the same 3-4 people.
The other fun game is "How Sweet It Is" and is a trivia type game. It has descriptions and you have to think of the candy that best fits the description. Examples: Girl name.......Baby Ruth College Cost..........100 Grand Breasts after nursing......Milk Duds The prizes are some of the answers (candy).
Hope these help!
i love the clothes pin game. everyone is given one clothes pin and thru out the party if some one catches someone else with their arms or legs crossed they get their clothes pin. and the one with the most pins at the end of the shower wins!!! i like that one becasue no one has to get up and act like a fool!!! and as for a gift that is a must have-cloth diapers for burping!!! they wash up so easy and pack so easy. my son is 5 and i watch a 10 month old and still am using my son's old burping cloths!!
The best gift I think would be Smile Savers card from Sears/JCPenny/Walmart photo studios. Since this is your first, this could save you some money getting all those photos done. I wish I would have gotten one when I had my boys, but SIL did and she loved getting it.
Good luck with shower and congrats on the new baby!
Best presents:
Boppy pillow
Jogging stroller
Gerber Burp Rags (get lots..go through 3 a day sometimes)
Nuk brand pacifiers
Onsies, all sizes
Sleep sacks
High chair (I would get the compact one that fits on chairs if I did it again)
Receiving blankets
Sleep positioner
Pack and Play
Books- board books
Toys - think future
Teethers
Bowls
Spoons
Sippy cups
Plastic Bibs
Regular Cloth Spit up Bibs
Bigger car seat (I love my Britax Roundabout)
Changing pad covers
Sheets for Crib
Avent Bottles
Bouncy Chair
Papasan Chair- best made by fisher price
Swing
Baby Bjiorn or an off brand
Robeez or soft leather shoes
The worst presents:
Clothes I didn't need or want
Practical stuff I could buy myself (diapers, diaper cream, soap, etc.) and then you can get the kind you want!
The best shower gifts we got were a bouncy seat (the Boppy brand one) and believe it or not a laundry hamper just for baby. Ours came from Babies R Us and has a removable liner so I can grab everything to haul to the laundry room. We also had a friend who put together a little first aid kit for us that included diaper cream, lotion, baby tylenol, ambesol, and a couple other must haves that you don't think about buying until you need them.
A fun game we played at our shower and at a couple of other showers was bingo. Everyone got a blank bingo card and had to fill in each space with an item the new mom might get. Whenever mom opened a gift everyone would check their card and mark off a box if they had written down that gift. The first one to get bingo got a $10 gift card to a local restaurant. Our shower was a co-ed shower and it was funny to watch the men try to figure out how a onsie was different from a kimono. It really kept everyone engaged and there were a lot of laughs.
the best gift we got was small sleepers and in the winter time a snowsuit. and a backpack that the baby sat in on your back, we got the most use out of that...
the worst is babypowder,shampoo,oil, diaper cream, because to me those are all personal choices. johnson and johnson is too strong of a perfume..aveeno is the best by far.
game ideas blind fold and taste baby food. Memory game, all baby items on a tray and look at the tray and then hide it and have them write down as much as they remember.
or blind fold the mom to be and give her baby clothes to dress a doll in...
2nd question first: I got a blank picture mat for people to write little notes on at the shower. They're sold in the wedding section at craft stores; you add a picture and a frame. I actually forgot to take it to my shower, so we instead used it as sort of a guest book for friends who came to see our daughter during her first few months. The little notes people wrote are so sweet and beautiful!
Shower gift: I was trying hard not to have too many items that we'd only use for a short time, because we're only having one. But the Snap-N-Go stroller was SO worth it, because when she was tiny and would fall asleep in the car I didn't have to wake her up to go to the grocery store, etc.
