Whether you are expecting your first baby or just recently welcomed an additional one into the family, you may be considering hosting an open house baby shower, and that’s great because baby showers are a great way of introducing your baby to family and friends.
Baby showers also serve as a way for family and friends to show their emotional and financial support for the expecting mom. However, planning a successful open house baby shower can be challenging, especially for first-time parents.
There is much to consider, from choosing the right theme to setting up a baby-friendly environment and compiling the best baby shower playlist to resonate with the moment. All these require effort and creativity, but don’t worry; we’ve got you.
So, in this guide, we want to share a list of 22 open house baby shower ideas that are pretty simple and practical. These simple ideas will help you host a memorable baby shower for you and everyone who attends.
We will also give you some tips & suggestions for hosting a virtual/online baby shower because the world has improved significantly over the years, and many people these days rely on technology as well as online resources.
That said, let’s get started.
Why Baby Showers?
Baby showers are enjoyable, fun & useful. It also helps ease the anxiety and reduce the tension of having a baby on the expecting parents. But you must be wondering how a party can pull that off.
Babies require many things and gifts when they are born. This is why it is helpful to get gifts from kind people who want you and your child to have everything you need.
They can provide you with necessary things, like diapers & skincare products (for the expecting mother and her child). They can also help lower the feeling of wondering if you have enough, which many new parent experiences.
Sharing stories and having fun while discussing the joys and challenges of being a parent can significantly lessen the stress of being an expecting mother. It can even make the parents very eager to carry out the big job ahead, which is one of the main goals of organizing any baby shower.
Don’t be disappointed if you plan to have a virtual shower because you can still achieve both objectives (help and gifts) online.
Who Has The Responsibility Of Organizing And Hosting Any Baby Shower?
You may be wondering if a baby shower is something you can do yourself, or should you let a family member or your closest friend, neighbor, or coworker handle it? Anyone capable and willing can host the baby shower; it mustn’t be the expecting parents.
The main thing is for you to have a baby shower, but if you are the one to organize the shower, allow us to give you some tips which will be very useful in making it a success. You will get to know more as you read further.
When Should The Baby Shower Be Held?
We will advise you not to wait for a particular day for the event. Instead, plan the baby shower today, even if your close friend just discovered she was expecting a baby one week ago.
However, do not hesitate to throw a baby shower early in the 2nd trimester instead of delaying it till the third.
We are suggesting this for two crucial reasons:
- It will provide enough time for the expecting parents so that they can have enough time to purchase any necessary items they will still require after the event.
- It ensures that the expecting mother will have enough time for the party.
Which Venue Should You Use For The Baby Shower?
The location you will use for your party entirely depends on your guest list and the feeling you will be pleased to create. We will discuss this in great detail after we have given you our ideas for your party.
Having a relaxing couple’s BBQ or a girl’s picnic in a nearby park or your backyard isn’t a bad idea because they fit in perfectly in that environment.
But, if you are looking for something different and an easy-to-clean-up environment for your baby shower, we suggest you host your party at any restaurant.
Last but not least, if you intend on making your shower a virtual event, everyone can still participate in the excitement from their homes!
As you can see, there are countless options if you are trying to pick a venue.
Who Should Make Up Your Guest List?
These are a few things the organizer or host should consider: The venue should not be far from home, and only invite those who are close friends with the expecting parents. That way, no one will feel obligated to come.
Also, keep it simple; invite the close friends and family of the new parents. Even if you only have four friends.
When it comes to baby showers, the number of guests or the population in the event is irrelevant. Avoid the urge of wanting to be the host with the most guests.
A few friends, parents, and immediate family members are the ideal people you should have on your list for a special baby shower party.
What Are The Proper Activities For An Open House Baby Shower?
Always remember that it is difficult for everyone to be pleased by the shower you organize, but the top priority is pleasing and ensuring the expecting mother is satisfied. Find out the things she would like to do at the party.
This event can be anything an expecting mother wants it to be and may even deviate entirely from the normal!
However, a shower usually involves delicious food, opening presents, and a few games (or maybe crafts, which we will discuss later). There will also be enough time to relax and have some conversations.
Speaking of presents, if you are the expecting mother, ensure your register has enough goods before shower invitations are sent out. This includes making it simple for visitors to understand the things you think your child will be pleased to have.
Your registry should reflect your preferences, such as the particular organic baby products, skin-safe, and eco-friendly baby products you use.
Best 22 Open House Baby Shower Ideas
1. Organize A Tea Party
Can you remember any tea party you hosted when you were younger? Now you can make an actual tea party for your family and friends.
You will tell them what to wear and what you will be doing in the invitation. Bring out your beautiful teacups, teapots, sandwiches, and fine china.
However, if you don’t feel comfortable or confident hosting a tea party yourself, you can hire a caterer while you join in the party, putting on your best tea dress.
2. Break Out The Crafts
It would be best to consider incorporating arts & crafts in the event because it is a fun way to spend time with your guests.
Here are some ideas you can use: Give everyone white onesies and fabric paints and encourage them to use their imaginations.
Have the expecting mother select her favorite three designs, then give out awards accordingly. If you want to spice it up, try tie-dying the onesies instead of painting them.
Other ideas you can try include creating bows & headbands for the baby girl, painting baby hangers because it is better than plain hangers, and making letters to put in the nursery.
3. Make It A Girl’s Night Out
Put on your little black dress & high heels, gather the expecting mother’s closest friends, and go into town.
You can also visit a Western country bar for some good old dancing fun if dressing up for a tea party isn’t your thing. Or you can have dinner in a fancy restaurant if it is more your style.
You can choose any venue you want because the goal is to make sure the expecting mother has a fun and relaxing party.
4. Make It Kid-Friendly
You may not know this, but older kids don’t usually attend baby showers. However, this is the best opportunity for the expecting siblings to welcome their newest sibling to the family because they will also be anticipating the baby’s arrival.
Kid-Friendly baby shower is stress-free. That is to say; you don’t have to worry about the stress of decorations. Just make it festive.
5. Create A Storytelling Recording
The best thing to do for those friends & family who do not live close to the soon-to-be-parents is to make a story. So all you need to make this gift for your guests is to record yourself reading a storybook to the baby.
Put the package you mail should include the book and the recording. It will not only be present at birth for the newborn, but it will also be what they will have for years. This will help your child to know the sound of your voice even if you’re not always around.
6. Set Up A Photo Booth
A photo booth is a wonderful way to keep some memories from this baby shower. For this, you will need to choose a secluded location at your venue and dress it up using a backdrop that goes with the party’s theme.
Adding a few props that are very closely associated with babies, like pacifiers and onesies, or ones that match the themes, like signs, caps, glasses, and fake mustaches, to help add to the pictures, feelings, and settings in general.
Get a camera or ask your guests to take pictures of themselves with their phones. Then, ask them to post the pictures they take on social media using the hashtag that you have provided. Doing this will make the event memorable.
7. Create A Baby Quilt
You should hold a quilting bee at the baby shower if the expecting mother and her guests are quilters. To do this, provide a station where all of the visitors can participate in creating a quilt for your baby.
Give everyone some fabric, thread, batting, and needles, then let their imaginations run wild. However, if you’re feeling ambitious, you could give each visitor a quilted square and ask them to use it to design a distinctive block.
You may also request that everyone bring a square-shaped piece of cloth from their collection.
Team up to arrange the quilt and sew it together at the gathering. It will be a special gift that will last for years.
8. Host A Potluck
No law says all the food has to be provided by the host. It can be an excellent idea for your visitors to share their favorite recipes at a potluck. Ask your guests (family & friends) to bring a meal for everyone to enjoy.
The menu can have a theme (for example, bite-sized finger foods, foreign, etc.), or you can ask guests to bring whatever they’d like. Once you all have a great supper together, continue with the remainder of the baby shower activities.
9. Write New Nursery Rhymes
Invite your attendees to go outside the box and create a fresh nursery rhyme. To ensure everyone has the essential materials, provide paper, pencils, markers, & other craft supplies.
A basket of picture books with nursery rhymes might also be placed for inspiration.
Once the visitors have finished, you can read them aloud or use them as decorations by hanging them up about the party space. The parents will undoubtedly enjoy reading these to their children in the upcoming years.
10. Share Family Traditions
Traditions vary from family to family. By jotting down your visitors’ favorites on an index card, you might encourage them to share them. They can be rituals, holiday customs, or any other practices that have been passed down through the years.
Gather all the suggestions and present them to future parents in a box that has been adorned as a memento. They can then consult the cards for ideas while considering the customs they want to establish for their unborn child.
11. Children’s Book Trivia
For this, go through several beloved children’s picture books, like Goodnight Moon or The Very Hungry Caterpillar, before the celebration.
Consider a trivia question you may pose to visitors as you read each one. In the story “The Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle, for instance, you can inquire, “What are the three things the caterpillar ate?”
Any of the three things mentioned in the book, such as strawberries, ice cream, or pickles, could be the solution.
Make a list of questions from various literature and keep adding to it until you have a decent diversity. After that, divide your visitors into teams and test their knowledge of these cherished children’s books.
12. Set Up An Espresso Stand
Does the future mother enjoy coffee? Have an espresso bar to mark her arrival. Provide a space where visitors can prepare their fancy drinks, and arrange the area with a coffee theme.
Offer traditional bakery fares like small doughnuts or cupcakes with coffee bean decorations and delicacies with espresso like tiramisu or affogato.
13. Try A Blessingway
Blessingways are a special way to celebrate the new mom and were inspired by Navajo traditions marking the journey of passage into motherhood. Enlist some shower attendees to assist with the setup as “blessing way sisters.”
Provide gifts for the expectant woman that embody each guest’s wish for her as she embarks on motherhood.
They can be suggestions, handcrafted goods, or any other kind of token that embodies their warmest wishes for the mother.
To help the new mom prepare for what lies ahead, allow seasoned mothers to share their birth stories at the party. Moreover, have visitors pray for the honoree before everyone departs, requesting blessings for the impending birth.
Ideas For Baby Shower Themes
Designing the baby shower around a theme is a great approach to tie things together. The correct theme can help make the special event unforgettable for the expectant mother and her loved ones by guiding everything from invitations to decor and favors.
Here are several themes for baby showers for girls, boys, and unisex if you’re unsure which will work best. There are several seasonal favorites as well.
14. Wonder Woman Theme
Since the premiere of Wonder Woman (the movie) in 2017, ladies of all ages have been interested in dressing up in Wonder Woman costumes.
Wonder Woman symbolizes numerous principles, such as female power, utilizing one’s skills and abilities, and taking control of one’s fate.
This can be the ideal theme for the baby shower if the expectant mother is having a girl. Also, acquiring decorations and party favor supplies is simple now that the movie is a success.
15. Sugar And Spice
It’s not simply a cute statement to say, “Sugar and Spice and everything good,”
It’s the ideal theme for anyone wishing to host an understated and sophisticated event.
Choose pastel hues for decorations like pinks, yellows, blues, and greens. Then, to finish the adorable look, be sure to use lots of ribbons, tulle, and tissue paper.
To accommodate any budget, the food can also reflect the theme with tasty goodies like cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and even adorned cakes. To add a bit of spice to the gathering, consider serving gingerbread or spice cake.
Create sugar & spice jars that visitors may take home and fill them with their preferred spices, such as cinnamon, clove, & allspice, as a last finishing touch. This will serve as an especially poignant remembrance of the occasion for everyone present.
16. Boho Chic Baby Shower Theme
It makes sense why this is such a popular baby shower theme. This design offers the ideal setting for celebrating a new life with its earthy hues and boho appeal.
Decorations for a Boho Chic baby shower can include macramé wall hangings, lanterns, dream catchers, and other items with a bohemian theme.
Serve some organic snacks, like fruit skewers, a platter of vegetables, and various dips. The drinks could be anything from smoothies to herbal tea. Just make sure they arrive in eyewear with color.
Finally, give your event a special touch by including homemade favors like organic soaps, essential oils, and miniature succulent plants. Your visitors will appreciate the thought that went into these gifts very much.
Baby Shower Themes For Boys
17. Cowboy Theme
This rough yet playful cowboy party is among the best ideas for a baby shower. It isn’t just fun; it makes a great for stunning photos.
There is a wide variety of attractive cowboy-themed baby shower decorations you can pick from, regardless of whether the expecting parents are into Western movies or country soundtracks. You can achieve this cowboy atmosphere using country music, hats, hays, and boots.
You can add to the invitation, “A small cowboy is coming”; that way, your guests will know they have something more to look forward to. You can also add a traditional rustic aesthetic, a natural wood feel, or a vintage handkerchief pattern to communicate the specifics of your party.
Consider choosing decorations for the decor that will “transport” your visitors to the Wild West. For instance, put some hay bales in the front of the room & add toys like stick horses or rocking horses to create an environment that will make everyone feel like they are on a ranch.
Replace the regular napkins with red handkerchiefs at every table, and use sheriff badges as place cards to direct visitors to their seats.
18. Mustache Theme
You do not have to make the themes of your baby shower formal. Have a mustache baby shower if you want to try something modern. It is also a great concept that will make for beautiful photos.
The guests at your party will likely love this straightforward yet humorous baby boy shower theme. You can even create invitations that are uniquely yours with catchy sayings like “There is a Little Guy on His Way” or “I Mustache You to Join Us.”
To make this costume, you’ll need black mustache props, patterns, and decorations utilized throughout the event. Pick a bright color for the decoration.
Your post signs should say something like “Wet Your Whiskers” & “Stache Gifts Here” at the gift section and the refreshments table.
For the finishing touch, add some mustaches on sticks and white flowers to blue vases & mason jars, a mustache napkin ring around each place setting, and some silly mustache balloons to make the theme of the event come to life.
Set up a dessert table with a range of delicacies as favors, and as a farewell gift, let visitors fill a box with a mustache handle.
Unisex Baby Shower Themes
19. Safari Theme
You can create a memorable wild safari baby shower with the help of monkeys, tigers, elephants, jungle-esque plants, giraffes, and lots of gold or green decorations.
You can ask your visitors to come along with you on an “amazing trip” using an invitation that features a border of jungle animals and wild plants.
Not to worry, it is simple to get decorations with a jungle theme at your neighborhood party supply store.
It would be best if you customized the menu & favors to match the event’s colors, which features a lot of gold & green, or get some green and gold throw cushions and tuck them into nooks & crannies to help bring the safari theme you are going for come to life.
20. Winnie-The-Pooh
Using concepts from popular children’s books in baby shower decorations has been a common trend in recent years. If you’ve seen Winnie-the-Pooh, you will find out that it’s exceptionally wonderful and has a lot of cute characters.
The best themes for baby showers are those inspired by favorite childhood animations. Try using graphics & texts that are inspired by classic illustrations to add a nostalgic feeling to the party.
You can write on your invites, “Join me on a trip to see Pooh Bear & his friends.” For the decoration, you can use vibrant reds and yellows to highlight Pooh’s enthusiasm, surround the environment with red balloons, or place toy figures of Pooh & his friends or Plush animals to liven up the atmosphere. Finally, make the honey holders using pots, jugs, and vases.
Don’t go for an extravagant dessert. Instead, choose a pound or naked cake along with glazed nuts galore. Adding tiny bees or red berries is the perfect finishing touch to make them unique for the event.
Give away tiny honey jars as favors in a loving manner.
21. Donuts & Diapers
This theme will surely be memorable for you and your guests. Using inspiration from donuts, add bright decorations like confetti, banners, tablecloths, streamers, and balloons. Hang a honeycomb garland to add to the beauty of the concept.
Ask your visitors to bring diapers along with their gift to incorporate the “and diapers” portion of the theme. Another option is to make a sweet diaper cake for the expecting mother.
Your menu should include a variety of cakes, donuts, and pastries. Letting your visitors make donuts by themselves will add to the fun of the event.
At the end of the party, provide your guests with festive gift bags which contain coffee gift cards, a lovely mug, and donuts as party favors.
22. The Journey Begins
Whenever a family is expecting a child, the parents celebrate the beginning of a new journey.
You should begin with invitations that include ships, carriages, or hot air balloons to create this special atmosphere. And get a big world map you can hang on the wall so your guests can use it to plan where they will take the child or locate their way to the shower.
Using warm colors will give your decoration a sense of exploration & adventure.
Your menu should include travel-inspired food & drink products like various cuisines worldwide or a tiny suitcase containing miniature cupcakes.
Is Hosting A Baby Shower For A 2nd Or 3rd Child Good Idea?
Baby showers are occasions to celebrate a new life that just arrived. Does that mean you should only celebrate the first child? No! You should celebrate the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th as if they were the 1st, provided you feel like celebrating it.
You must probably be thinking about how you can make it to be a mirror of the 1st. Don’t assume that the 2nd shower must be exactly like the 1st. You can maybe arrange a small gathering for your girls for the 2nd and 3rd showers.
If you were invited to one, go to the shower and enjoy yourself; the expecting parents most likely already have all they need.
Remember that the shower is all about the presents and the discussions to help elevate the fear of having a baby.
Therefore, even if you don’t have a gift for the expecting mother like you did the first time, you can still spend some time with the expectant parents because this part is also essential in making them happy and relieving their anxiety.
What Are The Things You Can Do At A Baby Shower Apart From Games?
Creative Dessert Stations
This is where your guests can design a cupcake or a cookie. All the baby accessories, including pacifiers and rattles, can be made into cookie shapes.
Craft And Sip
The activity is the only one that isn’t a station, but it would be set up in a way that everyone will work on the same thing at once, and instructions will be given by the person standing in the front of the room.
You could make a wreath, a simple pair of earrings, decorate a coffee mug, or draw on a chalkboard, etc.
You may invite business owners who specialize in drink and paint or sip & craft so that they can guide everyone present through the activity. However, if you have a crafty friend who can guide them, you can ask her whether she’d be interested in organizing your baby shower.
Decorate Blocks
For this activity, place wood blocks at a station along with the guide for adding colors, patterns, numbers, pictures, letters, etc., to the block’s sides. This will serve as a reminder to the expecting mother that she has wonderful friends when her baby grows and starts playing with it.
Have A Co-Ed Shower
Why is the party not thrown for the expecting parents? The high vibe or enthusiasm expected in “games at a baby shower” vanishes when it’s a co-ed party.
That’s the sad truth of it. Nobody ever expects males to hang out and perform the same activities women perform during showers.
Family Tradition Cards
This is something to look forward to while at a shower because we frequently consider the baby stage; however, newborns still have their life ahead of them.
These tradition cards help the expecting mother gather some interesting ideas of traditions she’ll be having with her baby for occasions like birthdays and holidays.
Also, it will provide the visitors an opportunity to talk about their childhoods or share the favorite activities they enjoy doing with their families!
Raffle
This is a fun and easy way to give out prizes without imposing a game on anyone. All you have to do is: give your girls tickets as they enter, call out numbers at a predetermined time during the shower, and give them gifts accordingly.
A few participants like to do this as a diaper raffle as well. How is this done? You will invite your guests to bring a package of diapers in this scenario, and upon arrival, they will receive a raffle ticket after dropping off their diapers.
Diaper Message Activity
Every mother has experienced the never-ending late-night diaper changes! This is something the expecting mother will be looking forward to.
Therefore, you can try to spice it up by using a Sharpie to write a humorous or uplifting message on the side of the diaper for the expecting mother to read when she goes to change the baby late at night as part of this activity. That way, she will at least smile while doing it and not feel like a zombie.
Advice Cards For The Expecting Mother
Each visitor should write up a card with advice for the expecting mother on a personal experience during their motherhood or talk about something their mother would never hesitate to do or provide if they are single or have not yet become a mother.
To make it simpler for guests who might struggle to come up with tips to contribute, there are alternative versions of this concept that involves a fill-in-the-blank questionnaire which can be set up either at a separate station or at each table. That way, no one will feel left out.
Tips & Tricks For Anyone Who Wants To Have An Online Baby Shower
Most people don’t exactly fancy the idea of a virtual shower. However, they are a terrific alternative for people who don’t want to come around for it due to health issues or their family and friends who are not close by.
As we previously stated, these virtual parties can also be a huge success and help the expecting mother feel loved, joyful, and prepared for the child she’s about to have.
Send Invitations
Similar to any other party, sending invites is among the first tasks that must be done. You may decide to send invitations by email since paperless invites are becoming rampant and quite common.
Besides, you are planning to hold a virtual baby shower anyhow. But you can still send Invitations on paper if you feel like it since everyone still enjoys receiving snail mail.
Decorate
Another custom that shouldn’t be abandoned even if you have a virtual baby shower is decoration. It may look a bit different, anyway.
Once you’ve chosen the seating arrangement for your special guest, use your imagination to decorate with balloons, banners, wall art, and other items. But, of course, you can as well skip decorations & use a Zoom background if you’re going for the virtual baby shower vibe.
Conclusion
A baby shower is just another opportunity for people to support their friend (the expecting mother) emotionally and otherwise. Therefore, if you ever find yourself in a baby shower, ensure the expectant mother feels loved & cared for by throwing a fun-filled party and giving her gifts like Mustela’s stretch mark products specifically for mothers.
The expecting parents enjoy the special period of pregnancy. Choose one or more of these creative ideas to serve as the inspiration for the party and honor the expectant mother.