Baby Shower Games

Your guests are arriving this afternoon at three, and suddenly you wonder: What will we do? Should you plan some activities or leave guests free to entertain themselves?
Activities can be essential to maintaining the fun. If your guests aren't well acquainted, playing an icebreaker game can get people talking. If guests know one another well but haven't visited in a long time, you might limit game-playing time so guests can chat. Whatever you choose to do, carefully match the activities you plan with your guests' personalities.
Well-planned party activities avoid a few common pitfalls, so keep in mind the following questions while you're brainstorming ideas:
• Will the activity encourage conversation? (Requiring guests to write answers to questions can, in some situations, shut off conversation. Also, writing answers while balancing cake and punch on your lap can be tricky.)
• Will the activities embarrass any of my guests?
• Are the games really fun? (To find out, ask yourself if you'd enjoy playing them at a non-shower party, or talk to someone who's already tried the game.)

The following activities answer these questions and will help your party be a success.

Icebreakers

Best Wishes
Set a guest book on the table with the nametags. Display a card near it that asks guests to sign their names and write best wishes and/or advice for the mom-to-be.

Advice
To make introductions interesting, have each guest relate his or her favorite (serious or funny) piece of parenting advice. Record this wisdom along with the names of the advisers in a notebook for the mom-to-be. Or videotape the advice session. If the guests all know each other, just eliminate the introductions and the activity will still be fun. And, of course, don't pressure anyone to join in. Some guests will be more eager to give advice than others will.

Guess the Nametags
Prepare nametags in advance. Draw a small baby-related item on each tag. Without letting them see the nametags, attach guests' nametags to their backs. (Remember to cover your mirrors.) Have guests ask one another yes-or-no questions to figure out the items on their own backs. This activity helps guests who don't know each other learn one another's names. Award a prize to the first (and maybe the last) person to guess his or her item.

Guess the Beans
Pour pink and blue jellybeans into a fancy transparent baby bottle, such as one that's been hand-painted or molded into a fun shape. Set the bottle on the table near the entrance. Beside it set out pencils and slips of paper. As guests arrive, ask them to guess the number of beans in the bottle, and then drop the slips into a bowl. Award a prize to the guest who guesses closest to the correct number of beans. Make sure you've counted the beans before the party, of course!

Fun-for-Ail Games and Activities

How My Baby Changed My Life
Ask guests to bring a written story relating their own frustrating, joyful, or humorous parenting experiences. Collect the stories in a homemade book. If you want to use a particular type of paper in the book, send a sheet to each guest before the party. Or simply ask guests to use a specific kind of paper. Make and decorate a book cover in advance. Punch holes along the sides of the pages and cover and string them together with ribbon. Or insert the pages into a three-ring binder. Ask guests to read aloud their stories at the party. (Make sure you warn them about this activity ahead of time.)

Lights, Camera, Action
Have someone videotape the shower. In years to come, the child and parents will love watching this treasured memento.

Instant Replay
If you have an instant camera, take snapshots throughout the shower. Include shots of each guest, the buffet or dinner table before everyone eats, and the mom-to-be as she opens each gift. Insert the photos into an album. Don't worry if you have blank album pages left over; the parents can use them for photos of their baby's first year.

Embroidery Party
If your guest list comprises people who love to sew; distribute a cloth diaper to each guest and provide embroidery needles and thread. Ask guests to stitch a design, such as flowers or hearts, on the seat of the diapers. This activity is great for boosting conversation while everyone works, and the results can be used either as diapers or burping pads.

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