15 fun baby shower games everyone will want to play

Baby shower games can bring out many different emotions. Some guests groan at the thought of identifying a melted chocolate bar in a diaper (who could blame them?), and some crack their knuckles at the chance to win a prize. Since both types of guests may be at the shower you’re hosting, how do you plan baby shower games that make everyone happy?

We collected the best games to play at a baby shower, whether your event is a sweet sip-and-see gathering or a baby food-tasting party for the ages (or somewhere in between). With these activity ideas ready to go, you can send the baby shower invitations, sit back, and let the games begin!

Baby shower game ideas to break the ice

Baby showers often include a mix of guests who haven’t met before. Start your shower with icebreaker games to turn guests into friends right off the bat.

1. Don’t say “baby”

How long can guests go without saying the word “baby”? Start this baby shower favorite the moment guests walk through the door—and keep it going all shower long.

• What you need: Clothespins, diaper pins, necklaces, or anything a guest can wear and easily remove.
• How to play: Give each guest one of these items with the instructions not to say the word “baby.” If another guest hears them say it, that person gets to collect their wearable pin or other item. The guest who’s taken the most items from others wins!

2. Baby shower confessions

We all have an embarrassing story up our sleeve—all we need is a reason to share it! This game asks guests to (anonymously) share an embarrassing memory from childhood, or a more recent parenting confession, with the rest of the group.

• What you need: Pieces of paper for guests to write down their stories and a bowl to drop the folded papers.
• How to play: Each person writes down their embarrassing memory or parenting confession (without including their name) and drops it in a bowl. When everyone’s written one down, the mom-to-be pulls a story out from the bowl and reads it aloud. She guesses who it could be—and if she’s wrong, the actual storyteller wins a prize.

3. Ice ice baby

• What you need: Tiny plastic babies (enough for each guest to have one) and an ice cube tray.
• How to play: Prepare for this game by freezing the plastic babies in an ice cube tray filled with water. During the party, put one cube in everyone’s drink and see whose melts the fastest. When it melts, have them say, “My water broke,” to win a prize. For a more competitive version, let guests try to melt them in their hands!

Modern baby shower games

 

Want the classic fun of a baby shower without repeating the same games everyone has played over and over? Keep everyone guessing with these clever modern baby shower ideas.

4. Phone scavenger hunt

Ideally, guests should stay off their phones during a party—but not during this game! Host a phone scavenger hunt to see who’s got the most babies in their phone (or the best online searching skills).

• What you need: Guests need to have their phones, and you need a list of things babies do, such as crawling, eating, drinking a bottle, or waving.
• How to play: Give guests a short amount of time to find as many pictures of babies doing those specific things as they can. They can use their camera roll, online searches, or any other app to find a picture for each action.

5. Parenting emoji game

Sometimes, having a baby feels like a big red heart—and other times, it’s more like a sleepy face with ‘Zzz’ above it. Put guests’ emoji skills to the test as they describe the (many) different emotions of being a parent.

• What you need: Cards with printed emojis (or guests can use their phones) and a list of various parenting scenarios, such as “The baby wakes up for the tenth time during the night” or “The baby laughs for the first time.”
• How to play: Split the guests into teams of three or four and hand out the emoji cards (or have guests take out their phones). Give the mom-to-be a stack of cards, too. Call out a scenario from the list and have groups discuss their responses. They hold up their chosen emoji, and the mom-to-be holds up hers, as well. If the group matches the mom-to-be’s card, they get a point.

6. Name that baby song

 

How many songs have the word “baby” in the title or lyrics? It’s more than you think. Challenge guests to name the “baby” song after hearing just a few seconds of each tune.

• What you need: A playlist of songs with the word “baby” that includes both classic and modern hits, from “There Goes My Baby” by the Drifters to Justin Bieber’s “Baby.”
• How to play: Hand out pieces of paper and tell guests to write down both the title and artist for each song played. Guests can play as individuals, pairs, or teams—but they’ll only have 5–10 seconds per song to guess the right answer.

Competitive baby shower game ideas

 

If the guests at your shower are in it to win it, foster their competitive edge with these baby shower games for large groups. Prizes are a good idea, though some competitors tend to take pride in victory alone.

7. Diaper races

 

The parents-to-be will be on diaper duty for the foreseeable future, but the guests at your baby shower only get this one chance to show off their diaper skills! See which baby shower guest can fasten a diaper onto a stuffed animal or baby doll the fastest. Be careful not to rip the diapers—the parents can definitely use them later!

• What you need: Dolls or stuffed animals, disposable diapers, and a timer.
• How to play: Set up a table with two stuffed animals and a stack of diapers. Split the guests into two teams and invite one representative from each team to the table. Set a timer and see who can diaper their animal first! Since seasoned parents will have a leg up, you can also make it more interesting by blindfolding all the party guests.

8. Boogeyman

That nose-sucky thing (also known as a nasal aspirator) is going to come in handy once the baby arrives. But today, that helpful tool is perfect for sucking up marshmallows!

• What you need: Nasal aspirators (new, not used!), a bag of miniature marshmallows, and empty jars or bowls.
• How to play: Split the guests into teams. Scatter the sweets onto a table, set a timer for one minute, and see who can pick up the most marshmallows and put them into an empty bottle or jar. For extra fun, have team members pass each other the marshmallows with aspirators—or drop the marshmallows into each other’s mouths!

9. Bottles up

 

Competitors sip their way to victory in this thirst-quenching baby shower game. The first one to finish their bottle wins!

• What you need: New baby bottles with nipples (consider cutting larger holes at the top) and drinks of choice, such as water, beer, or juice.
• How to play: Line up enough bottles for every guest and fill them with a drink. Say “Go!” and see who finishes first. If you have a lot of guests, consider playing as pairs or teams and work together to finish drinking the bottles first!

Trivia baby shower game ideas

 

Do your guests love trivia and bingo? Put them to the test with baby shower game ideas that’ll stump fortune-tellers and fact-checkers alike.

10. Baby names in history

Everyone knows what the most popular names were when they were growing up—but what about fifty years before that? Jog everyone’s memory (and imagination) by asking them to guess which names were the most popular in recent years and decades past.

(Mildred, Ruth, and Florence were among the chart-toppers in 1910. You can search for others online at ssa.gov).

• What you need: A sheet with decades on one side (such as 1880 or 1990) and a line for guests to write on the other.
• How to play: Have guests scramble to write the most popular boy and girl name for that decade in a given amount of time. They get 10 points if they guess the top name of that year, 9 points for #2, 8 points for #3, and so on.

11. Name that baby animal

 

Put your guests’ zoological skills to the test with a rousing baby animal name game. Plus, bringing cute baby animals into the mix means you’ll have no shortage of cuteness at your shower!

• What you need: A worksheet with 5–10 pictures of all kinds of baby animals—the rarer, the better—and lines for guests to write names.
• How to play: Set a timer and have family and friends guess the right name of each animal. “Chick” and “cub” may come easily, but you can stump them with trickier ones like cygnets, pups, and shoats (also known as baby swans, sharks, and boars).

Coed baby shower game

 

Traditional baby showers have primarily female guests—but who says the baby shower you’re hosting has to be traditional? Mix things up by inviting the guys to be party guests, as well. Then, try out one of these gender-neutral baby shower games.

12. Baby shower bingo

Baby shower bingo turns gift-opening into an exciting unboxing event. All you need is a printed grid and pencils—and a prize for the first one to yell “Bingo!”

• What you need: Printables with a blank 5×5 grid (with an optional “free” space in the middle).
• How to play: Give guests a few minutes to write down what gifts they think the parents-to-be will receive. They can only list each item once. When the parent opens a gift and a guest has it on their card, they mark it off. Five in a row is a winner!

13. Baby Pictionary

Everyone loves a good game of Pictionary! Split up your teams by gender—or let couples work together—for a baby-themed twist on this classic artistic game.

• What you need: An easel, a large pad of paper, and a list of baby-related idioms or phrases, including “smooth as a baby’s bottom,” “dirty diapers,” or “swaddling.” (For a modern take on the game, have guests use a drawing app on their phones and project it to a TV.)
• How to play: Once you’ve split the guests into two teams, have the first team send up their first player. Give them a baby phrase (“child’s play,” for example) and set a timer for one or two minutes. They draw the phrase (using no words) as their team tries to guess the correct answer. Then it’s time for team #2!

14. Guess the baby

 

Your guests may or may not consider themselves “baby people,” but they were all babies once too—and super cute babies at that! Bring everyone back to their (adorable) roots as they try to pair guests with their baby pictures.

• What you need: A baby picture from each guest (include a request for baby photos on your baby shower invitations), a piece of paper for each guest, and pens.
• How to play: Hang up the baby pictures around your party space and number them (Baby #1, Baby #2). Guests use the pens and paper to write down the name of the person they think each baby is. The guest with the most correct answers wins!

15. Pacifier pick-up

Any parent will tell you that searching for pacifiers is a 24/7 job with babies. Help the parents-to-be practice this vital skill with an interactive game of pacifier pick-up.

• What you need: Two dozen plastic pacifiers (more if you have a large guest list) and bags to hold them.
• How to play: Plant a handful of pacifiers throughout the shower—nestled in flowers, perched behind picture frames, or balanced on blinds. Have guests go on a scavenger hunt for them, and then tally up their loot at the end of the party to decide the winner.

Baby shower game FAQs

 

Whether you’ve planned a hundred baby showers or this is your first one, it may be helpful to review some baby shower game FAQs you can use when planning your next event.

How many games should you play at a baby shower?

Plan to play two to three baby shower games. That way, guests won’t feel bored, and they’ll still have time to chat and enjoy refreshments.

Do you have to play games at a baby shower?

There’s no rule that you have to play games at a baby shower! If the parents-to-be aren’t into baby shower games, or they know their group won’t like them, plan a different activity. Have guests write cards with parenting advice or set up a DIY onesie decorating station for guests to create the baby’s first outfits.

What are the best prizes for a baby shower game?

Gift cards and treats are always popular baby shower game prizes. If the parents-to-be and guests are part of a more specific group, such as gamers or sports fans, you can tailor the gifts to match their interests. For an extra touch, place game prizes in gift bags for lucky winners to take home.

Welcome a little one with Paperless Post

Give parents-to-be their last hurrah before their family gets a little bigger when you plan a baby shower with Paperless Post. From baby shower decorations from our Party Shop to baby shower invitations for boys, invitations for girls, or even twins, we have everything you need to shower the whole family with love.

Our invitation features and tools help make your life easier, too. Add a Registry Block so guests know what to bring for the new bundle of joy, and track RSVPs easily so you can follow up with anyone who hasn’t replied. Hosting a shower can be just as fun as attending one, especially when you plan and manage your event with Paperless Post!