Baby showers are joyous, lively… and awkward. Grandmothers mingle with teens, while friends and family from both expectant parents’ sides try to find something in common at a gathering where most are strangers. Unlike a boozy evening wedding, baby showers have a formal midday feel, made stiff with all the unfamiliarity between the guests. That’s why you need to plan some icebreakers to get people talking, and hopefully, laughing
You want your baby shower icebreakers to not be more cringey than the uneasiness they’re meant to help deflect. So, choose ones that every age can participate in and that break down the tension people are feeling. The easiest way to do that is through plain old silliness. Here are some classic and creative ideas for the best baby shower icebreakers, so everyone has a good time.
When you have a bigger group
Bingo mixer
Make up sheets of paper with a 5-by-5 bingo square card on them, with each space having a certain quality like “grew up in Boston,” “met Mary in college,” “is a vegetarian,” or “likes classical music.” Give each guest a paper and pen and let them wander around to chat with others to find someone to sign each square (a person who grew up in Boston to sign that square, and so on).
Each person only signs your card once. Guests will start to give tips to each other (“Oh, John over there signed ‘vegetarian’ for me”) and get to know each other in a more natural way than when sitting down to play a more formal game. You have the option of starting this one as guests arrive, since not everyone needs to be there to get going.
Pictionary
On one big team, let guests take turns picking words and phrases you’ve prepared that stick to baby and parenting themes (“diaper bag,” “bottle warmer,” “crib”) out of a hat or bowl. Without talking, the drawer sketches the phrases out on a big sheet of paper for the rest of the guests to shout out what they think the answer is. Whoever guesses correctly goes next, and you keep playing until all clues are drawn and guessed.
Guess who?
Make a poster of numbered baby pictures of the parents-to-be and let guests write down which person they think is the baby in the picture. Whoever gets the most right on their ballot wins. Take this one to the next level and set up a photo booth to recreate those baby pictures at the shower for a sweet keepsake for the guests.
When you have a smaller group
Guess the name
Guests of all generations will work together in this. Choose a few years, like the birth years of the expectant parents, and look up what the top 10 most popular baby names for boys and girls were in that year. Give them a goal, as in they have to guess the most popular five names in the given years. Let guests collaborate to guess the correct names.
Speed diapering
There are multiple versions of baby shower diaper games, but if you don’t want to do the “dirty diaper” version (no thank you!) use diapers for a different game. Split the guests into teams (how many is up to you and the shower size) and give each team baby wipes and a baby doll wearing a diaper and onesie.
Start the clock and let them race in a relay to see which team can unbutton the onesie, undo the diaper, wipe the baby, put a diaper back on, and snap up the onesie first. Depending on team size, each teammate can have a different task (one unbuttons, one wipes, etc.) or go until each person has done a full change. Want to make it even more fun? Make the person doing the diaper change complete the challenge blindfolded!
Parenting advice
Have each guest write down a piece of parenting advice on a slip of paper and pass them all in to be mixed up in a bowl. The expectant parents get to pick and read out each piece of advice and guess who gave the advice. If you have a goofy group that you know well, do this version, but with the worst parenting advice ever, and see who gave what advice.
Many of these icebreaker games are best when the winner is given a prize, like a gift card, a silly crown, or first dibs on the food. These baby shower icebreakers from funny to sweet will help your guests get to know each other and loosen up at the party.
Put some music on while you play, break out the mimosas for anyone who is of age and not pregnant, and you’ll be ready to shower the guests of honor with love. And if you’re struggling for a gift idea to bring to the baby shower, visit our gift guide for expecting parents.
