It may have started as an American tradition but in Australia we do seem to love a baby shower.
So, what to do if you’ve been landed with the task of organising one?
Think of it like a hen’s party. But, rather than cocktails and penis straws, you’ll be getting high on pink or blue food colouring and maybe drinking prosecco out of a potty (come on, it’s fun!)…
Not sold? OK, hereby follows everything you need to know to hold a fabulous themed baby shower with appropriate food, games and decor.
Adult pacifiers optional.
Baby shower themes
Like any good party, a theme sets the context for the whole day and is a great conversation starter for people who don’t know each other.
When it comes to baby showers there are endless ideas that tie in with parenting:
- Bonnets and booties
- Mermaids and princesses (if it’s a girl)
- Pirates and sailors (if it’s a boy)
- Blue or pink colour theme
- Yellow for unisex
- Polka dots
You could even make it a second-hand baby goods party. It’s one way to get that Maclaren pram you’re after…
Baby Shower Food Ideas
Keeping things simple is key when it comes to feeding people at a baby shower.
If you’re on a budget, invite everyone to bring a plate. Allocate a dish such as salads, dessert, chips & dips, cheeseboard or deli meats and you’ll have all tastes covered at little to no cost.
When it comes to catering, some of the most popular choices are:
- Canapes
- Antipasti
- Finger sandwiches
- Cupcakes
- Sausage rolls
- Homemade style cake
- Vegan and gluten-free foods
Make sure you have plenty of refreshments available. Bubbles is a popular option as well as soft drinks, tea and coffee for people who don’t want to partake in a tipple.
Baby Shower Decorations
It’s easy to transform your home or venue with a few helium foil balloons, a themed tablecloth and matching napkins and a centre stage for the cake.
A vase of fresh flowers and a scented candle will add an ambience of celebration to the day. Just be sure you have enough chairs for people to sit down.
Baby Shower Games
This is where you can really have some fun.
You could personalise the day and make it all about the new Mum by compiling a list of parental scenarios then asking the invitees to say how they think she’d respond. Keeping it light of course!
Or there are a host of party games that you can theme for a Baby Shower – each involves varying degrees of effort, such as:
- Pass the parcel
- Pin the nappy on the baby
- Piñata – filled with Jelly Babies
- Baby bingo
- Guess how many jelly beans are in the bottle
- Guess the baby’s weight (revealed post-birth)
- Baby Face (everyone brings a baby photo of themselves that goes into a hat, participants have to guess who’s who)
Baby shower invites and favour ideas
If your budget allows then you could even hire a baby shower event planner (yes, they exist).
Pink Caviar Events in Sydney will organise everything from the venue and catering to food and invites, while Melbourne based Lenzo have party packages starting at $750.
So now you have a whole list of ideas, here’s to the safe arrival of a healthy new bub.
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