Baby Shower Games People Actually Enjoy

Many people dread baby shower games, and most of the complaints are the same: they are embarrassing, they go on too long or they ask guests to do something silly in front of strangers. A well-chosen game does the opposite. It gives people something to talk about and then gets out of the way.

This guide has eighteen games in five groups: sit-down paper games, mingling games, team games, keepsake activities and games for mixed groups. There is a comparison table, advice on choosing games the guest of honor will enjoy, and a note on how to pick from two of our printable bundles.

What are the most popular baby shower games?

The most popular baby shower games are the ones that run on their own while guests chat. Bingo, quizzes and word puzzles lead the list, followed by advice cards and a guessing jar. The sit-down paper games below are the easiest to run.

Sit-down paper games

1. Gift bingo. Suits all ages, 8 to 60 guests. Give each guest a bingo card of gifts such as “a blanket,” “a rattle” and “baby socks.” They mark a square when that gift is opened and call “bingo” on a line. Use different cards so more than one person has a chance to win. It runs in the background all through the gift opening.

2. Baby word scramble. Ages 10 and up, any number. Print a list of baby words with the letters jumbled (“TOBTEL” for “bottle”). Players unscramble as many as they can in three minutes. Prepare 15 words and an answer sheet.

3. How well do you know the parent-to-be? Suits all ages, 6 to 40 guests. Write ten questions about the guest of honor, such as “What is their favorite breakfast?” Guests write answers, and the host reads the real ones aloud. Ask the parent-to-be to approve questions in advance.

4. Finish the nursery rhyme. Suits ages 8 and up, any number. Write the first line of ten traditional rhymes and ask guests to write the next line. Traditional rhymes are known to most people and need no research.

Which baby shower games work for large groups?

Mingling games let a big group meet each other and move around, which is helpful when guests come from different parts of the parents’ lives.

Mingling games

5. Don’t say “baby.” Suits ages 10 and up, 10 to 50 guests. Give everyone a clothespin when they arrive. If you hear someone say “baby,” take their pin. The guest with the most pins at the end wins a small prize. Remind guests at the start; the game runs for the whole party.

6. Find a guest who. Suits ages 10 and up, 10 to 60 guests. Give each person a sheet with lines such as “has three children,” “was born in a different state” or “can knit.” They find a guest for each line and collect a signature. Each sheet should have a different mix so guests cannot copy.

7. Baby photo match. Suits ages 12 and up, 8 to 30 guests. Ask each guest to bring a photo of themselves as a baby, with a number on the back. Display them and let guests guess who is who. Guests must send photos in advance, so tell them in the invitation.

8. Baby animal match. Suits all ages, 6 to 40 guests. Write the name of an adult animal on one card and its baby on another, such as cow and calf or kangaroo and joey. Hand out one card per guest and ask them to find their partner. It gets people talking.

Which team games work best?

Team games suit groups of ten or more, because every table can compete and nobody has to perform alone. Give each table a pen and a sheet of paper.

Team games

9. Draw and guess. Suits ages 8 and up, teams of four to six. One player at each table draws a nursery item (a crib, a pacifier, a stroller) while the others guess. Use a minute per drawing and keep score. Prepare 20 slips.

10. Charades with baby care. Suits ages 10 and up, teams of four to six. Players act out tasks such as rocking, singing a lullaby or packing a diaper bag. Teams take turns, with the others guessing. Write the slips ahead.

11. Design a onesie. Suits ages 8 and up, teams of three to five. Give each team a sheet with a onesie outline and some markers. They have five minutes to design a onesie for the baby, then vote on the best. The parents-to-be can pick a winner.

What keepsake activities can guests do?

Keepsake activities let guests write something the parents can read later. They also suit guests who do not enjoy competitions.

Keepsake activities

12. Advice and wishes cards. Suits all ages, any number. Place a stack of cards and pens on a table with a sign: “Advice for the parents” or “Wishes for baby.” Guests write one card each. Collect them in a box and give it to the parents at the end of the party.

13. Letters to baby. Suits ages 12 and up. Ask guests to write a short letter to be opened on baby’s 18th birthday. Place them in an envelope and let the parents keep it. Give a prompt: “Today, the world is…”

14. Prediction cards. Suits all ages, any number. Guests write a prediction for the baby: first word, the day they arrive, what job they might have. Parents can look back on the cards after the arrival. Avoid predictions about looks or weight.

What baby shower games work for men and women together?

Mixed groups enjoy games that do not depend on parenting experience, so quizzes, drawing and teamwork suit them well. Put couples on different teams if you want more mixing.

Mixed and co-ed games

15. Which parent will? Suits all ages, 6 to 40 guests. Read statements such as “Who will read the first bedtime story?” Guests vote by holding up a card for each parent. The parents-to-be answer too, and you see how well they agree.

16. Diaper raffle. Suits adults, any number. Ask each guest to bring a pack of diapers; each pack earns a raffle ticket. Draw a name at the end of the party for a prize. It helps the parents-to-be and needs only a ticket roll.

17. Guess how many. Suits all ages, any number. Fill a jar with wrapped candies, count them and keep the number secret. Guests write their guess on a slip. The closest guess takes the jar home. Choose wrapped candies and mention allergies.

18. Dream nursery drawing. Suits ages 8 and up, teams of four to six. Each team draws the dream nursery on one sheet of paper, with one team member holding the pen at a time. Pass the pen every 30 seconds. The parents-to-be choose their favorite.

How do the games compare?

This table helps you pick quickly by group size, age and preparation time.

How do you choose games the guest of honor will enjoy?

Ask the parent-to-be before you plan, and let them say no to anything. A few rules help everyone feel comfortable.

• Skip anything about body size. Games that measure or guess a belly can make the guest of honor feel watched.
• Skip games that use food in diapers. Guessing a melted candy bar by smell or taste makes some guests feel ill and adds nothing.
• Keep prizes small. A candle or a bar of soap is enough.
• Do not force anyone to play. Let guests join a game or sit out.
• Use kind prompts. Questions about the parents should be warm, not embarrassing.

Tip: Plan three or four games and a background game, such as bingo or a guest book, that runs all afternoon.

Which printable baby shower games can save time?

If you would rather print the cards than write them, two of our bundles can help. They differ a lot in size.

The Baby Shower Games Mega Bundle has 543 pages in 18 sections, including a two-hour party plan, 20 full-page signs, six different bingo sets, quizzes, word games, word searches, party games, scavenger hunts and advice, prediction and wish cards. It also has a guest book with 48 different prompts, letters for baby to open at 5, 10 and 18, and a time capsule.

The Baby Shower Games Bundle is smaller, at 93 pages and 20 games in nine sections. It has a host planner with a two-hour timeline, 50 different gift bingo cards, word games, quizzes, guessing games, party games and keepsake cards, plus a fillable host file. The baby food game is look-and-smell, so no tasting is needed.

For a different kind of party, see our guides to Christmas party games for families and escape room for kids at home.

What to do next

1. Ask the parent-to-be which games they would enjoy and which to skip.
2. Choose three or four games from the table that fit your group size, plus one background game.
3. Print or write the cards two days before the shower and put each game in its own folder.
4. Browse our printable party games for more.
5. Assign a helper to hand out prizes and keep time.