Some people loathe going to baby showers… I love them.

I enjoy the anticipation of a new baby; finger foods are always the BEST and I cant wait to receive the candles/manicure kits and shower swag that come with winning the baby shower games.

I always have tons of ideas and cutesy games to play, but you definitely have to read your audience, because some games and activities that killed at one baby shower will tank at others.

Some people tend to forget that baby showers are no longer the stuffy, boring events you remember as a kid. The clothes pin and traditional blue/pink or yellow/green combo, are no longer the norm. Many showers have fun, unusual themes; are co-ed (whaaat) and now serve alcohol (hello, mimosa bar!)

I feel that since the shower has evolved, so should the games. Try some non-lame, fun-inducing party activities, that will please almost any skeptic. Remember though, you as the host need to put excitement and enthusiasm into the playing of such games, you will get back from your “audience” what you put out there.

Here are 10 great baby shower games to try: 

PURSE/BAG SCAVENGER HUNT

Create a list of items and decide what each one will be worth. The list should range from ‘normal’ purse/bag contents (wallet and chapstick) to strange and silly things (scissors or fast food receipt). The more outrageous the item, the higher the point it receives. This game will definitely show you, who you want to get stranded on a desert island with.

WHO’S MY MAMA?

Match the adult animal name, to the very different baby animal names. For example, a baby seal is called a pup and a baby alligator is actually called a hatchling. Playing this game can score you some knowledge for the weekly trivia nights at the bar.

GUESS WHO

Each guest should bring a baby picture of themselves and drop it in a designated spot. When everyone has arrived, the Mommy-to-be, will try to guess who it is. The wackier the picture, the funnier the game is and the harder it will be to guess the identity; which puts you closer to winning the scented candle you never knew you always wanted.

DECORATE A ONESIE

As the title states decorate a onesie, make it fun, thoughtful or ridiculous…there are no rules. The Mommy-to-be will judge and pick the winner. This game really helps the parents. As a first time mom, I didn’t understand how many I would ruin in a week with poop or unexplainable stains OR how expensive they could get.

BABY’S FIRST PIGGY BANK

After playing the scavenger hunt game, your guests will find loose change or dollar bills that they didn’t know existed. The host can conveniently have decorated jars on each table so they can dispose of the crumpled dollar bill or that pesky change, which makes their bag so heavy. At the end of the shower, the table that has collected the most money wins the prize and it then goes into a piggy bank for the baby.

BABY PICTIONARY

Using dry erase boards or notepads, 1 member of each team must draw the word they are given. These words will come from a list of baby feelings, baby items or baby actions. The team who correctly identifies the most drawings will win.

BABY LIBRARY

Instead of baby shower cards, which are super expensive, buy a book instead; place it with the gift and write your message inside.

DIAPER MESSAGE

Decorate diapers using different color sharpies and your imagination. Friends can use corny movie lines, private jokes or anything that might make the parents laugh, during the massive poop blow outs or 3 am diaper changes.

I-SPY

Using cameras and the list of I-SPY Moments provided by the hosts, help capture the shower from your point of view. The list will have words or phrases that are important to the Mom and dad-to-be, for example if LOVE is on the list, take a picture of what YOU see that embraces that word.

BABY FACE

Pick 3 pictures of the parents-to-be and enlarge them. Cut out the hair, eyes, eyebrows, nose, lips, chin, and mustach, make enough copies so each guest can come up with a composite of what the baby may look like. By using different facial expressions of each parent, the game players can come up with a wider variety of combinations.

What are your favorite games to play at baby showers?