Planning Baby Shower and Bridal Shower Games
Shower games have a reputation for being awkward, and the reason is usually the plan, not the games. Too many games, played at the wrong moment, with confusing rules, can drag. A few well-chosen games, timed around the food and the gift opening, give guests who barely know each other an easy way to talk. Here is how to plan games for a baby shower or bridal shower.
How many games?
For a typical two-hour shower, plan four to six games, and expect to actually play three or four. That leaves time for guests to arrive, eat, open gifts and chat. A short shower (an hour or a lunch break at work) needs only two. Have one or two extra games ready in case the gifts go faster than you expected.
Mix the types:
- Arrival games that guests do on their own, such as a word scramble, a word search or a guessing jar.
- Group games played together, such as a quiz about the guest of honor.
- A game during the gift opening, such as bingo.
- A keepsake activity that becomes a gift, such as advice or wishes cards.
A sample two-hour timeline
- 0:00 to 0:20, arrivals. Put a word scramble or word search and a pen at each place, and set out a "Guess How Many?" jar (candies, safety pins, chocolate kisses). Start a running game such as Don't Say "Baby" (or Don't Say "Wedding"): each guest gets a clothespin or ring, and anyone who says the forbidden word loses it to the person who caught them.
- 0:20 to 0:45, food and mingling. No games. Let people eat and talk. Guests can fill in advice or prediction cards at their seats.
- 0:45 to 1:05, one or two group games. A quiz about the guest of honor (Who Knows Mommy Best?, Who Knows the Bride Best?, or He Said, She Said, with answers collected in advance from the couple) is usually the highlight. Follow with something quick, like a Guess the Price game with baby or household items.
- 1:05 to 1:45, gift opening with bingo. Guests fill in a bingo card with gifts they think the guest of honor will receive and mark them as they are opened. It keeps everyone watching instead of drifting off. Pre-filled bingo cards save time for guests who would rather not write.
- 1:45 to 2:00, results and goodbyes. Reveal the guessing jar count, announce the Don't Say winner (most clothespins), hand out prizes, and give the stack of advice cards to the guest of honor.
Choosing games that fit the crowd
- Mixed generations: stick to word games, quizzes and bingo. Skip anything that asks guests to perform or be messy unless you know the crowd.
- Coworkers: keep it short and low-key; a guessing jar and one quiz may be all you need.
- Close friends: more playful games work, and the bridal shower list can double for a bachelorette party.
- A co-ed shower: Mommy or Daddy? and He Said, She Said include both partners.
- Virtual guests: quizzes, emoji pictionary and bingo all work over video if you email the sheets ahead of time.
Ask the guest of honor what they do not want. Some people would rather skip anything about pregnancy weight or bump size, or would rather not be the center of attention for long. Their comfort comes first.
Prizes
- How many: one per game, plus one for the guessing jar and one for the Don't Say game. Buy two or three extra for ties.
- What: small, useful and neutral: candles, hand cream, a plant, gourmet treats, a coffee shop gift card, or a nice notebook. Wrap them all the same so the winners can choose.
- Ties: settle them with a quick tiebreaker question, like the guest of honor's birth date or the year the couple met.
- Spread the wins. A common rule: once you win a prize, pass any later wins to the runner-up.
Printing and setup
- Print a few more copies than your guest count.
- Put pens and a hard surface (clipboards or the back of a book) at every seat.
- Assign a helper to run the games so the host can handle the food.
- Keep answer keys in a folder, not on the table.
- Collect quiz answers from the guest of honor or their partner a week ahead.
Our bundles
Our baby shower games bundle comes in two designs, gender-neutral sage green and blue gingham, each with 17 games including bingo with 30 pre-filled cards, Who Knows Mommy Best?, Mommy or Daddy?, a Don't Say "Baby" sign, Guess How Many? slips, advice and prediction cards, prize tags and a host guide. The bridal shower games bundle has 16 games in blush and gold, including He Said, She Said, Who Knows the Bride Best?, bingo and a Don't Say "Wedding" sign.
