Baby showers have come a long way from pastel streamers and mystery baby food tastings.
These days, it’s all about creating a celebration that feels thoughtful, a little playful, and genuinely fun for everyone — not just the guest of honor.
And when it comes to setting the tone? The right games can turn small talk into belly laughs and make the whole event feel effortlessly memorable.
Whether you’re planning a cozy brunch or a full-on garden party, baby shower games are a sweet way to bring guests together — and yes, they can be charming without being cringey.
From lighthearted icebreakers to sentimental keepsake moments, these are the best baby shower games that strike that perfect balance between fun and heartfelt.
Quick-Start Crowd Pleasers
1. Guess The Baby Food
Remove labels from baby food jars and number them. Guests sample each (via popsicle sticks) and guess the flavors. The facial expressions alone make this game worth playing—turns out pureed peas taste remarkably different without context clues.
PIN FOR LATER 😀
2. Baby Sock Matching Race
Mix up dozens of adorable tiny socks and time guests as they frantically match pairs. The surprising difficulty level makes this seemingly simple task hilariously competitive.
3. Don’t Say “Baby”
Give each guest a diaper pin or clothespin upon arrival. Anytime someone catches another saying “baby,” they claim that person’s pin. Most pins at the end wins. Watch as conversations become increasingly creative with phrases like “the impending tiny human.”
4. Baby Animal Name Game
Create a list of animal mothers and have guests name their babies (did you know baby swans are cygnets?). This deceptively challenging game reveals how little most of us know about animal offspring terminology.
5. Balloon Bump
Guests tuck balloons under their shirts and attempt everyday tasks like picking up an object from the floor or tying their shoes. The physical comedy that unfolds offers genuine laughter rather than forced amusement.
For The Sentimental Crowd
6. Time Capsule Cards
Provide cards for guests to write messages to the baby for future birthdays. Designate specific milestones—”Open on your first day of school” or “Read when you’re having a tough day as a teenager.” The depth and thought put into these often surprise even the closest friends.
7. Library Builder
Guests bring their favorite childhood book instead of cards, writing inscriptions about why this story matters. The resulting collection becomes both practical nursery décor and meaningful keepsakes with personal connections.
8. Wishes For Baby
Distribute cards with prompts like “I hope you learn…” or “I hope you love…” Guests complete these heartfelt wishes, creating a collection of hopes and dreams from the community surrounding this child.
9. Advice For The Parents
Have veteran parents share genuine wisdom (not just “sleep when the baby sleeps”) on notecards. Include categories like “For Tough Days” or “When Nothing Works” to create a resource the new parents will actually appreciate during challenging moments.
10. Memory Quilt Squares
Provide fabric squares and fabric markers for guests to decorate. These can later be assembled into a quilt that tells the story of who celebrated this baby’s arrival.
For Competitive Spirits
11. Diaper Changing Relay
Teams race to diaper dolls while blindfolded or wearing oven mitts. The fumbling attempts at securing tabs create comic relief while subtly preparing new parents for middle-of-the-night changes.
12. Baby Bottle Chug
Fill baby bottles with a beverage (adult versions optional) and see who can finish fastest. The surprisingly challenging nipple flow makes this ridiculous in the best possible way.
13. Celebrity Baby Name Match
Create a list of unusual celebrity baby names and have guests match them to the famous parents. The impossible-to-believe combinations make this educational and entertaining.
14. Measure Mama’s Belly
Guests cut ribbon to their guess of the mom-to-be’s current circumference. Most accurate guess wins—though watching people awkwardly estimate without offending makes everyone winners of this surprisingly entertaining spectacle.
15. Pacifier Necklaces
Distribute candy necklaces with plastic pacifiers attached. The first person to eat their entire necklace without using hands wins—messy, slightly ridiculous, and somehow always hilarious.
For Modern Gatherings
16. Baby’s First Social Media Profile
Provide templates for guests to create the baby’s first “profile.” Categories like “Likely to…” and “Famous for…” lead to creative and often hilarious predictions about the child’s future personality.
17. Emoji Pregnancy Journey
Tell the pregnancy announcement story using only emojis, and have guests decode it. The creative interpretations reveal how differently people read the same visual cues.
18. Baby Shower Bingo
Create bingo cards with gifts the parents might receive. As presents are opened, guests mark off items on their cards. This solves the age-old problem of keeping guests engaged during lengthy gift-opening sessions.
Here’s a FREE Baby Shower Bingo Printable:
19. Spotify Playlist Creator
Have guests suggest one song that reminds them of childhood or that they’d recommend for the baby’s first playlist. The resulting collection becomes a meaningful gift representing the community’s musical influences.
20. Virtual Nursery Designer
For tech-savvy crowds, use a simple room design app and have teams create their vision of the perfect nursery with a set budget. The wildly different priorities (aesthetics versus practicality) always spark lively debates.
For Co-Ed Showers
21. Late Night Texts
Provide cards with beginnings of text messages like “It’s 3 AM and…” or “The baby just…” Guests complete these messages with what they imagine might be sent during those early parenting days. Reading these aloud typically results in knowing laughter from experienced parents.
22. Baby Care Trivia
Create multiple-choice questions about baby development and care. The surprising difficulty level challenges everyone’s assumed knowledge, often leaving experienced parents humbled and first-timers terrified (in the most entertaining way).
23. Parent Partner Challenge
Couples compete in baby-related tasks together—folding strollers, swaddling dolls, or assembling gear without instructions. The communication breakdowns provide both entertainment and a glimpse into future teamwork challenges.
24. Dad’s Diaper Bag Challenge
Male guests list what they’d pack in an emergency diaper bag with prizes for most practical, most creative, and most hilariously unprepared selections.
25. Baby Food Recipe Creator
Provide unusual ingredient combinations and challenge teams to market them as baby food flavors, complete with names and advertising slogans. The resulting presentations often rival professional marketing campaigns in creativity.
Low-Key Options
26. Nursery Rhyme Completion
Start famous nursery rhymes and have guests complete them. The surprising challenge of remembering second verses reveals how much we’ve collectively forgotten about these childhood classics.
27. Baby Gift Bingo
Instead of tracking gifts as they’re opened, create cards with predictions about how the mom-to-be will react: “Says ‘This is perfect!'”, “Mentions how tiny it is”, or “Tears up immediately.” Subtle observations make this entertaining without putting pressure on the guest of honor.
28. Milestone Guessing Game
Have guests predict dates for baby’s first steps, first word, or first tooth. Seal predictions to be opened as milestones occur, creating continued connection long after the shower ends.
29. Children’s Book Emoji Puzzle
Represent famous children’s book titles using only emojis and have guests decode them. The creative interpretations and debates about what particular emoji combinations mean create engaging conversations.
30. Baby’s First Birthday Menu
Have guests design the perfect first birthday menu based on creative categories: “Food Most Likely to End Up in Hair” or “Most Photographable Smash Cake.” The resulting suggestions often become actual inspiration a year later.