10 Baby shower ideas that always go down well

Out of all my pregnancies, I only ever had one baby shower. When I was expecting baby number one, we had moved away from all our friends in London and I didn’t really know anyone well enough in our new home town but by the time I was expecting baby number 2, some lovely friends I had made at my local Mother and Toddler group surprised me with a shower.

Baby number 3 was unexpectedly almost 5 weeks early and then after that, we moved away again and life seemed to get far too busy once the others arrived, which is really a bit of a shame.

Baby showers are something a mother-to-be remembers for a lifetime. They’re special occasions that - in Britain at least - celebrate bringing a baby into the world and the transformation of a woman into a mother.

They’re often thrown before the baby is born, so the focus is on the mum to be, instead of being all about visiting baby, but sometimes they happen after the birth too (particularly if little one decides to make an early appearance).

In either case, they bring family and friends together and differ from other parties because they’re not thrown by the recipient.

Throwing a baby shower? As long as you’re organised and plan in advance, it needn’t be stressful or fail. If you’re stuck for what to do, I’ve put together a list of 10 baby shower ideas that always seem go down well below.

Use them as inspiration and don’t forget to invite all family and friends along to make the event as personal as possible.

Note - I’ve split the 10 ideas into two types: Venues and What to do. Mix and match them to create the perfect baby shower.

Venue ideas

Whether there’ll be a few or a lot of you, these venues always go down well:

1. Spa day

Spa days are an amazing way to throw a baby shower. The mother-to-be gets pampered and escapes from everyday life. It’s customary to pay for the day for the special lady and organise treatments in advance, to ensure the day is stress-free.

Most spa’s these days seem to have specialist pregnancy and maternity packages or experience days, so you can make sure everything is safe for mum and baby when you book.

Just make sure the day fits in with her busy schedule.  She’ll most likely have a lot to fit in before her due date.

2. Afternoon tea

Scones, sandwiches, hot chocolate, sweeties! Afternoon tea is all about indulgence and because it’s not an all-day experience, it might be easier for your mum-to-be to fit in!

Try pick somewhere classy for the tea so you get fantastic service and the tastiest food. The setting is relaxing - and with family and friends it’s a real treat.

3. Local restaurant or bar

If you’re throwing a large baby shower (more than twenty people), booking out a local (high class) bar, golf club or favourite restaurant for a few hours is an excellent idea. Have everybody chip in £20 and it’ll be affordable too.

Just make sure they sell tasty Mocktails and there’s food she can actually eat!  Remember there are a lot of foods that pregnant ladies are advised to avoid and it might not go down very well if the only things on the menu are sushi or camembert.

4. Cinema or theatre

Baby showers don’t have to be fun and games. Going to the cinema or seeing a theatre show is a fantastic way to celebrate a new baby – and especially if there’s something good on. Combine the show with a tasty meal for an awesome day out.

5. Day on the town

More and more people are opting to go on a shopping trip and for some food with close friends and family for a baby shower. This ‘normal day’ out can be made extra special by gifting goodies over lunch or treating the mother-to-be to something nice.   A chance to really spoil her with things she can pick out for herself.

After all, it might be one of her last chances to get out and be herself for a little while.  This is a fantastic way to have a baby shower if it’s just a few people.    Just make sure you remember to stop for plenty of regular breaks.  Carrying babies is heavy work you know.

What to do ideas

Bring everyone together at the baby shower with these ideas:

1. Baby games

Baby shower games can be hilarious! They bring everyone together and help people who are unacquainted (family, friends) get to know each other. Games include guess the baby’s gender (get the wedding rings out), baby sketch artist, guess the baby food and making playdough babies.

They might sound daft and not to everyone’s taste, but there’s nothing too outlandish or embarrassing there, so most people are usually happy to join in.

2. Quizzes

How well do you know the mother to be? How well do you know your baby facts? Can you guess the celebrity baby? Quizzes are a great way to get everyone laughing at a baby shower. They can be innocent or a little bit naughty, depending on the audience.

Plus, baby trivia questions are really easy to find online, with free printable sheets available on Pinterest.

3. Have a special letterbox

Ask everyone to write a special letter to the mother before the baby shower and bring it along. Have everyone put their letters in a special letterbox for the mother to open after the big day. Money and gift cards are optional.

I’m a complete sucker for proper handwritten letters and things that go inside keepsake boxes, so this one’s a bit of a favourite.

4. Have going-home goody bags

Wherever you host the baby shower, make sure everyone goes home with a few mementos from the day. Sweeties, cookies, brownies and other yummy edibles always go down well, as do most things bath and bubble related, but the sweetest thing to include in a goody bag is a photo of everyone together at the baby shower, so it might be a good idea to buy a Polaroid camera.

5. Make gift giving a big occasion

Everyone should bring at least one gift to the baby shower. The gifts don’t have to be extravagant, but they should be plentiful combined. Make opening the gifts part of the event, so everyone can see what the mother-to-be gets. This is a fantastic way to wrap the baby shower up and it’ll give the mother-to-be chance to thank everyone.