Having a baby is a major milestone that calls for a celebration. A baby shower marks the occasion — and also helps the parent-to-be stock up on essential baby gear.
Of course, there's got to be more to the event than great baby shower gifts (and great food). Games are often a big part of a baby shower — not only are they an ideal way to break the ice if some of the guests have never met each other, but they inspire a whole lot of laughter and fun.
Check out a few tips for prepping your games, then get inspired by fun baby shower game ideas.
Best baby shower games
Take a look at some crowd-pleasing baby shower games to play.
1. Baby Bingo
Bingo is a classic! And playing it during a baby shower will make present opening fly by and keep guests engaged.
What you’ll need:
- "Baby Shower Bingo" cards (or sheets of grid paper)
- Pens or pencils
How to play:
Hand out a sheet of paper to each guest. Have them write the name of a gift they think the parent-to-be will receive in each square (or you can also create the sheets ahead of time). As the star of the baby shower opens presents, players will cross off the squares containing the items received. The first person to get a straight line of crossed-off squares calls out “Bingo!” and wins a prize.
2. Baby Photo Guessing Game
This game requires some prep before the event, since you’ll need to ask all your guests to bring along a baby photo. But on the big day, having baby snapshots on hand will encourage guests to mingle. Cute baby photos can double as party decorations, and it's fun to see what everyone looked like as babies!
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What you’ll need:
- Baby photos of guests, each assigned a number
- A way to display the photos, such as a bulletin board, magnet board, table, poster board or cork board
- Pens and paper
How to play:
Guests bring (or send in advance) a photo of themselves as a baby, which the host numbers and tacks to a cork or poster board. During the event, guests guess who's who. Whoever correctly IDs the most baby photos wins!
3. The Dirty Diaper Game
As a parent, you inevitably spend a lot of time thinking, talking and dealing with the potty — which is why the dirty diaper baby shower game such a classic. If your guests appreciate this type of humor, this game can lead to a lot of laughter. Keep in mind, it’s only chocolate in these diapers!
What you’ll need:
- A variety of mini candy bars
- Disposable diapers, each assigned a number
How to play:
Get various mini candy bars and slightly melt them. Put each one in a diaper, and write a number on the diaper (keeping a list of which chocolate bar is in each numbered diaper). Guests pass the diapers around and try to guess what kind of candy bar is in them. They can examine the chocolate, smell it and even taste it. Whoever correctly guesses the most candy bars is the winner.
4. Hot Potato Dirty Diaper
Looking for a two-part game? Have guests play the dirty diaper game early on. Then, use those diapers a second time for a spin on hot potato. This game is easy to set up (and you’ll be surprised by how frantic guests get to not be left holding onto a “dirty” diaper!).
What you’ll need:
- A “dirty” diaper
- Timer or music
How to play:
Have guests sit in a circle, then pass the dirty diaper around clockwise. Play a song (make it baby-themed!) or set a timer. When the song ends or the timer goes off, the person who is holding the diaper has lost the game and is out. This game is played in rounds.
5. Guess the Baby Food
This game is not as easy as you might think. Test your guests’ tastebuds with this silly, messy game.
What you’ll need:
- Blindfolds
- Jarred baby food in a variety of flavors, labels removed
- Spoons
- Aprons or bibs
How to play:
Have your guests choose a partner and blindfold each other. One partner will be the "feeder" and the other will be the "taster." The feeder dips a spoon into a series of jarred baby foods while the taster tries to guess what each one is — that is, if the feeder can manage to get the spoon into the taster's mouth! The blindfolded taster and feeder can also take turns so that everyone at your baby shower gets to relive those high chair days.
6. My Water Broke!
The race is on to see whose ice cube melts the fastest! You'll have a blast watching the creative tactics guests use to try to get their ice cubes to melt.
What you’ll need:
- Ice cube trays
- Little plastic babies (you can find them at some craft stores or online)
- Cups (to serve drinks and ice cubes)
How to play:
Before the baby shower, put a tiny plastic baby in each slot of an ice cube tray, fill with water and freeze. The babies will be frozen inside the ice cubes. At the shower, each guest gets one baby ice cube in their drink. The first person to have their ice cube melt shouts out, "My water broke!" and wins.
7. Down the Hatch
There’s something comical about adults using a baby bottle. This baby shower game will prompt giggles from your guests. And chugging a baby bottle isn't as easy as babies make it look!
What you’ll need:
- A baby bottle for each guest, including nipples
- Beverage to fill each bottle
How to play:
Fill baby bottles with your beverage of choice, and have guests race to drink the liquid as quickly as they can through the nipple. The first guest with an empty bottle wins!
8. Baby Guessing Game
As the due date approaches, the parents-to-be will be eager to imagine how their baby will look and act. Encourage this dreaming — and get guests involved — with this future-looking baby shower game.
What you’ll need:
- Answer sheets (you can often find free printables online, or make your own by simply listing out 10-20 attributes — such as eyes, nose, hair, height — and columns for each parent)
- Pens or pencils
How to play:
Before the baby shower, ask the mom-to-be to fill out a printable answer sheet listing the physical features (eye color, height, athleticism) and personality traits (sense of humor, intelligence, creativity) she’d like your baby to get from herself and the ones she’d like the baby to get from her partner. At the shower, provide guests with blank answer sheets and have them guess what the mom-to-be picked. Compare answers — whoever has the most correct wins!
9. The Celebrity Baby Name Game
Forget “Jennifer” and “Michael.” Celebrities tend to give babies names that are unexpected, like colors (Blue) and objects (Apple). There are some celebs who are almost more famous for the names they gave their babies than anything else! With this game, you’ll test guests’ know-how of celebrity baby names. Plus, this blend of pop culture and parenthood will be entertaining for all guests, whether or not they have children.
What you’ll need:
- A list of celebrity baby names
- Paper
- Pens or pencils
How to play:
Create a list with the celebrity parent in one column and the uniquely named baby in the other and see how many your guests can match up.
10. Lullaby Name That Tune
Guests can show off their musical and acting skills while reliving one of their favorite games from elementary school. If you encourage your guests to get creative with the lullabies, you’ll have a fun karaoke roster of songs everyone can sing along to.
What you’ll need:
- A list of lullabies
- Paper
- Pens
- 2 bowls
How to play:
Have guests write their favorite lullabies on strips of paper. (Or write out a list yourself ahead of time.) Divide guests into teams and give each team a bowl with half the strips of paper. Team members take turns humming or acting out each lullaby to get their teammates to guess the tune. The first team to empty their bowl wins.
11. Name the Baby Animals
Did you know baby foxes are called kits? Or baby tigers are whelps? This sweet shower game will test your guests’ knowledge of (baby) animal trivia. Plus, looking at pictures of baby animals is always fun.
What you’ll need:
- A list of animal moms and babies
- Pens
How to play:
Hand out a printed list of animal names or pictures (cats, dogs, lions, tigers and so on). Ask guests to write what the baby animal is called next to each animal name. Whoever gets the most correct wins!
12. Diaper Motivational Messages
Middle-of-the-night diaper changes can be brutal, thanks to both the frequency and the complexity of having to wipe poop in the dark. More than one parent has found themselves needing fresh pajamas along with their baby. This game adds some joy to these late-night moments and will keep the new parents smiling for weeks after the shower has ended.
What you’ll need:
- A basket of clean, new diapers
- Sharpies or glow-in-the-dark markers
How to play:
Help the parents-to-be cope with late-night diaper changes by having guests write funny or motivating messages on new diapers. (Make sure to tell guests to only write on the outside!) Guests will love coming up with sweet (“You got this!”) or silly (“It’s poo-thirty a.m., do you know where your baby is?”) messages.
13. Blindfolded Baby Changing
Think changing a baby is easy? This game reveals the challenges in this task that new parents will soon take on (possibly as many as 12 times a day!). This game is particularly great for multi-generational showers.
What you’ll need:
- 1 to 2 baby dolls with clothes
- Stack of infant diapers
- 1 to 2 blindfolds
How to play:
Set out baby dolls and infant diapers. One at a time, blindfold your guests and challenge them to undress the baby, put on the diaper and get it dressed again. Whoever does it the fastest wins a prize. You can also have two guests race each other — fastest one wins!
14. Play-Doh Babies
Rediscover one of the tactile joys of childhood with this baby shower game where guests sculpt babies from modeling clay. Creative types will have a blast sculpting and even if they’re not feeling artistic, it’s still fun to see the babies you end up with.
What you’ll need:
12 or more tubs of colored Play-Doh (or a similar type of modeling clay)
How to play:
Ask guests if they know how babies are made. Before they can get too graphic, stop them and tell them they’re going to “make a baby” right now… and then pull out a bag of Play-Doh. Divide them into teams or let each person work alone, hand out cans of Play-Doh and let them go wild. The mom-to-be picks her favorite as the winner.
15. "Pregnancy Brain" Memory Game
Chalk it up to hormones or the busyness of prepping to be a parent, but forgetfulness is a common pregnancy symptom. This is a game anyone can play, regardless of age or physical ability, and everyone loves a good memory challenge.
What you’ll need:
- A variety of small baby items
- A tray
- A towel
- Paper
- Pens
How to play:
Set up a tray with 10 to 15 baby items (for example, a pacifier, a bottle, a bib, nipple covers, a thermometer, baby bath, rubber duck or nail clippers). Cover the tray with a towel and carry it into the room. Remove the towel, and give guests 15 seconds to look at it. Then remove the tray to another room and give everyone one minute to write down as many items as they can remember.
The person who gets the most correct wins a prize, and the mom-to-be gets to keep all the items. Another variation: Show the tray for 10 seconds, take it away and remove one item. Bring the tray back and see who can figure out which item is missing.
16. Don’t Say the Word “Baby”
During a baby shower, all everyone wants to talk about is babies. But with this game, the word on everyone’s lips becomes off limits. Guests will have fun skirting the word "baby" with synonyms, and being extra attentive to what everyone says.
What you’ll need:
A safety pin or clothespin for each guest
How to play:
As guests arrive, hand everyone a safety pin or clothespin to attach to their shirt. Explain that they cannot say the word “baby.” If they say it to someone, that person will claim their clothespin or safety pin. Whoever has the most safety pins/clothespins at the end of the shower is the winner!
17. Baby Item Scavenger Hunt
Send guests on a hunt to find everyday items with this game that will get everyone up and moving.
What you’ll need:
A printable list of clues about various common baby items
How to play:
There are a few different ways to send guests on a baby shower scavenger hunt. You can hide 10 (or more) of a single baby item (think a onesie, pacifier or bottle) throughout the party space. If you play this way, whoever finds the most will win. Or, hide several different items, handing guests a list of all the items to find.
18. Guess the Cravings
This game is a fun way to find out who knows the mom-to-be (and her recent pregnancy cravings) best!
What you’ll need:
- Paper
- Pens
How to play:
The mom-to-be will lead the way on this one, so make sure she’s prepped and excited for this game. Have her describe cravings she's been having without naming the actual food. For example, she might say, “It’s cold and sweet!” if she’s had a hankering for ice cream. Guests can keep track of how many they guess correctly using pen and paper.
19. Guess How Long
Here’s another game that helps keep guests involved as the mom-to-be opens up her presents.
What you’ll need:
Timer
How to play:
Set a timer for a certain amount of time (such as five minutes) as the guest of honor is opening up presents. The winner is the person whose gift is being opened when the timer goes off. You can continue repeating the timer until all the presents have been opened.
20. Guess the Price
In this spin on the game show classic, guests share their best guesses for how much various baby items cost. Guessing the prices is a whole lot of fun (and can prompt a lot of laughter when guesses are way off).
What you’ll need:
- Photos of everyday baby items (crib, diapers, bottles, onesies)
- A printable showing the items
- Pens or pencils
How to play:
Before guests arrive, print out photos of baby items and look up the average price for each item online. On the printable, ask guests to write down their best guesses for how much each item costs. Whoever gets the closest to the price (without going over) wins.
How many games should you play at a baby shower?
There’s no set number of games to play at a baby shower — instead, think in terms of how long you want guests to stay. For a longer shower, more games can help fill the time and provide opportunities for guests to mingle, while one or two games would be plenty for a shorter event.
When planning out your baby shower games, you might also keep the following in mind:
- Prep more games than you need. When in doubt, plan several games. If guests don’t seem in the mood to play them, you can always scrap the idea, but it’s nice to have them at the ready.
- Consider the attendees. Think about who will be at the shower to plan games that appeal to everyone. For example, are guests from different generations? Are you having a coed shower?
- Keep in mind how — and when — the games are played. Some activities are designed to be played while presents are opened, others last the duration of the event and still other games take just a few minutes to complete.
While it's certainly not a must-have, giving out small prizes to the winners can help guests feel excited to participate (you can also use prizes as a way to match the baby shower's theme, if there is one). But there’s no need to break the bank! If you want to entice with prizes, some inexpensive ones could include:
- Seed packets
- Small potted flower or succulent
- Mini bottles of bubble bath
- Hand lotion
- Little picture frames
- Inexpensive gift cards
- Chocolate bars
- Bags of candy
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