Baby shower games for everyone

A great baby shower game gets your guests talking, laughing, and even competing – whether or not they've met before or having anything in common. Games can range from simple to elaborate and familiar to completely unique. Games can be physical or mental, serious or silly, sentimental or practical. They can test your knowledge about pregnancy and parenting, the parents-to-be, or nothing at all.

If you're hosting a baby shower, pick a few games that you think will work well, and make sure to prepare with any supplies you'll need. Some baby shower games have more elaborate setups than others, and some require you to buy unusual items. If you're not sure what games to choose, ask a few guests to suggest their favorites, or get input from the parents-to-be.

Keep reading to find games that will make your baby shower fun and memorable.

Fun baby shower games

These clever games are easy to explain, mildly competitive, and fun to play. Some test players' ability to make educated guesses; others rely on dumb luck to determine a winner. Either way, they'll get people talking and laughing.

"The Price Is Right" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A basket with inexpensive but necessary baby items, such as spoons, nail clippers, a bottle, diaper rash cream, diapers, pacifiers, a bath toy, and bibs. You also need paper and pens.

Before the shower: If you like, ask each guest to contribute one item to the basket so you don't have to buy everything yourself. Important: Make sure to get receipts for everything so you can add up the total value of all the products in the basket.

How to play: Have everyone write down an estimate of the total cost of the baby items in the basket. Whoever's guess is closest to the retail value wins a small prize, and the parents-to-be get to take home the whole basket. This is a nice way to give a large, thoughtful gift without breaking your budget.

Candy Bar Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A variety of mini chocolate bars (Milky Way, Snickers, 100 Grand, Baby Ruth, and 3 Musketeers, for example), disposable diapers, a permanent marker, paper, and pens.

Before the shower: Right before the shower, number the diapers with a permanent marker, melt each candy bar in the microwave, and smear it into a disposable diaper. Make sure to keep track of which candy bar is where. You'll be asking the guests to examine the diapers and guess what kind of candy bar was put in each. Fair warning: Some guests will be pretty grossed out!

How to play: Set out the diapers for the guests to examine and sniff. (If you want to make guessing a little easier, you can also display the candy bar wrappers.) Have each guest write a numbered list indicating which type of chocolate bar they think is in which diaper. The guest with the most correct guesses wins.

Baby Food Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Twelve jars of baby food in pairs of similar colors – for example, a jar of green beans and a jar of peas, a jar of applesauce and a jar of pears; a jar of carrots and a jar of squash – plus a permanent marker, paper, and pens.

Before the shower: With the permanent marker, number the lids of the jars 1 through 12. Then remove the labels and write the jar number on the back of its label. Hide the labels to use as the answer key.

How to play: Have the guests examine the unopened jars by sight only – no tasting or smelling! – and guess what's in each. They can then write their answers on a piece of paper. The person with the most correct guesses wins. After the game is over, tape the labels back on the (unopened) jars and give the baby food to the mom-to-be.

Variation: Do a taste-test version of the game – you'll find out why babies make some of those funny faces during meals! (Of course, you'll need to throw away the baby food when you're done.)

"My Water Broke!" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Ice cube trays, a pack of tiny plastic babies from a craft or party store, and a small prize (optional).

Before the shower: Freeze one plastic baby into an ice cube for each guest.

How to play: Give each guest a cup with an ice cube in it and ask them to keep an eye on it during the party. You can allow or prohibit "artificial induction methods," such as adding hot liquid to the cup or holding it under a lamp.

The first person whose ice cube melts – leaving her "baby" floating in the cup – shouts, "My water broke!" and wins the game.

Left, Right Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: "The Story of Mr. Wright & Mrs. Wright." You can copy and print the text below, or simply read it from your phone. You'll also need a small prize; wrap it before the game.

The Story of Mr. Wright & Mrs. Wright

Mr. WRIGHT prepared to take Mrs. WRIGHT RIGHT to the hospital when she went into labor. As he LEFT in the car, he turned RIGHT out of the driveway but he had to go RIGHT back home because he had LEFT Mrs. WRIGHT at home.

As soon as he turned into the driveway, he went RIGHT inside and RIGHT up the stairs, where he found Mrs. WRIGHT sitting RIGHT beside her overnight bag.

Finally, they both got in the car on the LEFT side as the RIGHT side door wouldn't open. Mr. and Mrs. WRIGHT again LEFT for the hospital, turning RIGHT out of the driveway.

An argument occurred about the RIGHT turn, as Mrs. WRIGHT said that Mr. WRIGHT should have turned LEFT. Mr. WRIGHT kept insisting that he was absolutely RIGHT, but Mrs. WRIGHT kept insisting that the hospital entrance was on the LEFT.

Two blocks away after another LEFT turn, they discovered they had LEFT Mrs. WRIGHT's overnight bag at home. So they made a LEFT turn, then a RIGHT to go back home to where they LEFT the bag.

As they turned RIGHT on to their street, Mrs. WRIGHT said, "Let's just go RIGHT to the hospital and send someone else RIGHT to the house because we LEFT the bag on the couch."

They went LEFT at the next block and turned RIGHT back around. Finally at the hospital, Mr. WRIGHT pulled up to the front, where he LEFT his wife to go RIGHT in.

Inside the hospital, they wheeled Mrs. WRIGHT away. “Where is my wife? I only LEFT her for a minute!” exclaimed Mr. WRIGHT.

A nurse rushed him RIGHT down the hall, they made a LEFT turn, then a RIGHT, and a LEFT turn again. Mr. WRIGHT found Mrs. WRIGHT already in delivery. But he then realized that he had LEFT the video camera in the car.

RIGHT away, he ran out of the room and RIGHT back to the car. Not only had he LEFT the camera but he had LEFT the lights on, too. Mr. WRIGHT wasted no time; he ran RIGHT back to his wife's room.

As Mr. WRIGHT walked in, he heard crying from his wife because he had LEFT her room and was nowhere in sight. I'm sure you can guess what happened next. As Mrs. WRIGHT had the baby, Mr. WRIGHT passed out on the floor. But when he came to, he got a shock once more.

For there he saw Mrs. WRIGHT embracing their new little bundles of joy. With two babies on her LEFT and one on the RIGHT, Mrs. WRIGHT turned to her husband and said “There is one thing LEFT to do: I think we should name these WRIGHT babies – how about you?"

How to play: Have the guests sit in a circle while you read the story. Hand one guest the prize, and instruct everyone to pass the prize in the direction stated as you read the story. Each time they hear "right," the gift is passed to the right; when you say "left," it's passed to the left. The guest holding the gift at the end of the story wins it.

Easy baby shower games

We're all for simplicity and ease – minimal effort and maximum enjoyment – which is exactly what these games offer.

"Who Knows Mommy Best?" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A printable template that asks a variety of questions about the mom-to-be, from her date of birth and birth city to her favorite color and sleep habits. You can buy a beautifully designed template for this game online or make your own. Print one copy per guest, plus a few extra. You'll also need a timer.

Before the shower: The mom-to-be fills out the questionnaire about herself so the answers can't be deliberated at the last minute.

How to play: Pass out the sheets with the questions along with pens, and set a timer for a few minutes. When the time is up, the mom-to-be reveals the correct answers, guests grade themselves, and the person with the highest score wins.

Baby Shower Emoji Game

What you'll need: Pens and printable emoji combinations that convey words or phrases (like the baby emoji and the shower emoji, meaning baby shower, for example).

Before the shower: Find word or phrase emoji combinations online and print them out. (You may have to pay for them.)

How to play: Give your guests a pen and a printout of the emoji combinations and have them guess what each means. Whoever gets the most correct wins.

"Would She Rather" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A printed questionnaire about the mom-to-be's preferences. For example, would she rather sleep in late or get up early? Eat Chinese or Mexican takeout? Read a book or watch a movie?

Before the shower: Ask the mom-to-be to fill out the questionnaire.

How to play: After your guests make their guesses, have the mom-to-be reveal her answers.

Clothespin Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A clothespin for every guest.

How to play: Have your guests clip a clothespin to their clothes and try to avoid saying the word baby during conversations. If a guest catches someone saying "baby," they take that person's clothespin and pin it to themselves. Whoever has the most clothespins at the end of the shower wins.

"What's in Your Purse" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A list of 15 to 20 items that a woman might have in her purse. Assign points to each item – for example, one point for a wallet, five points for hand sanitizer, and ten points for a physical photo of a loved one.

Before the shower: Create a handout of the items and the points allotted for each, or make it visible to guests using a TV screen, projector, or poster board.

How to play: Ask your guests to empty their purses and score themselves.

Baby shower trivia games

Trivia games are usually a hit with audiences of all types. Game play instructions are the same for each: Set a time limit and have your guests score themselves.

Baby Shower Nursery Rhyme Game

What you'll need: A list of trivia questions that test your knowledge about popular nursery rhymes.

Before the shower: Make or buy a nursery rhyme trivia game online.

How to play: You can ask your guests to answer trivia questions individually or in teams.

Baby Shower Candy Game

What you'll need: In this game, your guests match baby-related words or phrases with the type of candy bar that best represents the word or phrase. You'll need an assortment of candy bars and a printout of a list of baby-related words and phrases.

Before the shower: Make the printout of words and phrases (ideas below) and buy each type of candy. Display the candy on a table or glue it to a large piece of poster board.

Here's a list of candy and matching phrases to get you started:

• Twins = M&Ms
• Triplets = 3 Musketeers
• Contractions = Whoppers
• Epidural = Lifesavers
• Hospital bill = Payday
• Breastfeeding = Milky Way
• College costs = 100 Grand
• Girl's name = Baby Ruth
• Boys' names = Mike & Ike
• Mom's tummy after pregnancy = Jelly Belly
• Lullabies = Symphony
• Night of conception = Skor
• Dirty diaper = Tootsie Roll
• Piles of dirty laundry = Mounds
• What you can't give your child enough of = Kisses

How to play: After your guests guess the word or phrase that goes with each candy, see who got the most correct, and give the candy to the winner.

Baby Animal Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Use a glossary of animal baby namesOpens a new window to create a trivia game in which guests guess the names of babies for the animals listed. We recommend a mixture of easy animal baby names (such as kittens and cubs) and hard ones (such as nymph and leveret).

Before the shower: Create your game by making a document listing animals on one side and the names of their babies on the other (out of order). Print it out for your guests. You can also buy a baby animal baby shower game online.

How to play: Have the guests try to match the animals to the names of their babies. Whoever gets the most correct matches wins.

"True or False" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A list of statements about babies – some true and some false. To make it more interesting, some answers should be obvious and some should be hard.

Before the shower: You can buy a printable list of the game online, or make your own.

How to play: Have your guests fill out a printed list, or read your statements to your guests and have them write "true" or "false" on a numbered sheet of paper.

Baby Top 40 Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Pens or pencils and paper.

How to play: Divide your guests into two groups, and give each group a pen and a piece of paper. Set a timer for five minutes and ask guests to write down as many song titles with the word "baby" in them as they can.

After the timer goes off, each team reads the names of their songs. The team with the most songs wins. Bonus: The winning team gets to pick one of the losing team's songs for them to perform at the shower.

Coed baby shower games

These games are a hit with mixed crowds and will have your guests engaged in some friendly competition.

"Mommy or Daddy?" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A printable with questions asking which parent-to-be takes on which role in the partnership. Who made the first move? Who has more shoes? Who will spoil the baby more?

Before the shower: You can make your own "Mommy or Daddy" baby shower game or buy one online. Ask the parents-to-be to fill out the questionnaire together beforehand so there's no room for debate.

How to play: Pass the questions out to guests and remind them not to share their answers. When the time's up, the parents-to-be reveal the correct answers and guests grade themselves. The person with the highest score wins.

Baby Shower Bingo Game

What you'll need: Baby shower bingo game cards with pictures of baby products.

Before the shower: Buy baby shower bingo cards online, or make your own. (If you're making your own, be sure to mix up the order of baby products for every card.)

How to play: As the mom-to-be opens presents, guests mark the photo that matches it on their card. Whoever gets five in a row first wins.

"What's in the Bag?" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Paper and pens; 10 to 15 baby items and a diaper bag.

Before the shower: Fill the diaper bag with the baby items.

How to play: Have your guests guess what's in the bag and write down their guesses. Whoever correctly guesses the most items wins, and the parents-to-be get to take the diaper bag home.

Baby Shower Guessing Game

What you'll need: Cards for each guest to fill out their predictions for the new baby, such as its gender if unknown, name, date and time of birth, weight, height, eye color and hair color. You may also want to include something special and subjective, such as, "I hope you get your mom's…" and "I hope you get your dad's …".

How to play: Give your guests plenty of time to fill out the cards with their predictions. After the baby's birth, you can tally up who got the most predictions right and give the cards to the parents-to-be as a keepsake.

Bottle Chugging Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A baby bottle for each guest and drinks of your choice – milk, juice, water, or beer for guests who can drink alcohol.

Before the shower: Fill the bottles.

How to play: Give each guest a filled baby bottle. Have them line up, and when you shout, "Chug!" the players have to drink the liquid as quickly as they can – through the nipple. (No unscrewing the top allowed!) Whoever finishes first is the winner.

"Mommy Knows Best" Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Write down a series of questions about babies. Here are some examples:

• How many diapers does a baby need each day?
• How many diapers do you plan to change each day?
• How many hours does a baby sleep each day?
• At what age does a baby start sleeping through the night?
• At what age does a child stop needing naps?
• At what age does a baby start eating solid food?
• Do you think your baby will be born with a lot of hair?
• Who will be the firm parent, and who will be the pushover?

Before the shower: Ask the mom-to-be to write down her answers.

How to play: Tell the dad-to-be he needs to guess how his partner answered each question. The guests have to guess how many of the mom-to-be's answers he'll get correct. Whoever is closest wins a prize.

After the dad-to-be guesses how the expectant mom answered a question, reveal her actual answer.

Active baby shower games

Sometimes the best way to liven up a baby shower is to get your guests moving. Here are games that encourage everyone to get out of their chairs.

Balloon Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A balloon for every guest.

How to play: Divide your guests into equal groups. This game works with any number of groups and with any number of people in a group.

Give each guest a balloon and have each team stand in a line. When you say "Go!" the first person in line blows up their balloon, ties it, and puts it under their shirt. Then the next person in line does it, and so on down the line. Once the whole team has balloons under their shirts, the first person in line has to figure out how to pop their balloon – and so on down the line. The team that inflates and pops their balloons the quickest wins!

Baby Shower Diaper Game

What you'll need: Several rolls of toilet paper, depending on how many guests you'll have.

How to play: Split your guests into teams of three or four and give each team a roll of toilet paper. Have each team "diaper" one of its members with the toilet paper as quickly as possible. No pins or other tools are allowed! The team that finishes first with a diaper that stays on wins.

Bowling Baby Bottles Game

What you'll need: Ten baby bottles and a handful of unused diapers.

Before the shower: Set up the ten baby bottles in a triangular pattern, like bowling pins. Roll the diapers into ball shapes.

How to play: Have your guests take turns "bowling" with the diapers. You can play as many rounds as you want.

Baby Races Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A stroller and a baby doll for each team.

Before the shower: Set up a relay race track outside.

How to play: Divide your guests into teams of equal numbers and have them run a relay race using the baby stroller. The doll is the baton that's passed between teammates.

Pregnant Relay Races Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Watch this video on how to make an "empathy bump" using a backpack, a baby doll, weights, water, and more. You'll need one for every team.

Before the shower: Set up a relay race track outdoors.

How to play: Divide your guests into equal teams and have them run a relay race using the "baby weight," aka the empathy bump, as the baton they pass between teammates.

Play-Dough Babies Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Play-Dough or modeling clay in different colors, and tools to make the game fun such as pencils, rolling pins, or plastic knives.

Before the shower: Set up "baby-making stations" with the materials and tools needed.

How to play: Ask your guests to take turns making their own dough babies. The mom-to-be can judge which one she likes best in different categories, such as most realistic, most creative, most disturbing, and silliest.

Balloon Baby Twister Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: The game of Twister and a balloon for every guest.

Before the shower: Set up Twister and blow up the balloons.

How to play: Have your guests play Twister with a balloon stuffed under their shirt like a baby bump.

Baby Changing Relay Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A baby doll dressed in a diaper and baby clothes, and swaddled in a blanket.

How to play: Divide your guests into equal teams. Hand each team a diapered, dressed, and swaddled doll.

Shout, "Go!" and have the first player on each team unwrap the blanket and pass the doll to the second person. That player undresses the baby and passes it to the third person, who changes the diaper. The next person dresses the doll, and the following person wraps it in the baby blanket.

You can repeat the process until each person on a team has had a chance to do one step. The team that finishes first wins.

Unique baby shower games

Looking for something you've never played before? Check out these less common games we found.

Celebrity Baby Name Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Handouts with lists of celebrity baby names and their parents, unmatched. For ideas, check out our lists of celebrity baby girl names and celebrity baby boy names.

Before the shower: Make the handouts.

How to play: Have your guests match the celebrity baby name with their parents.

Diaper Messages Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A pack of newborn disposable diapers and lots of markers.

How to play: Ask your guests to write encouraging words, funny messages, and cute pictures on disposable diapers. These customized diapers are sure to put smiles on the new parents' faces during relentless newborn diaper changes.

Onesie decorating baby shower game

What you'll need: A plain newborn or 3-month-size baby bodysuit (T-shirt with a snap crotch) for each guest, plus fabric markers or nontoxic permanent markers.

Before the shower: Set up a baby bodysuit decorating station.

How to play: Give your guests complete creative freedom to make their masterpieces. At the end of the baby shower, give the parents-to-be the creations.

Guess the Bump Size Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: String and scissors.

Before the shower: Check in with the mom-to-be to see whether she's okay with guests measuring her bump. If not, skip this game.

How to play: Ask your guests to guess the circumference of the mom-to-be's bump by cutting a piece of string to their estimated length. Have each guest wrap their string around the mom-to-be's belly to see who comes the closest.

Baby's First Alphabet Book

What you'll need: A printer and paper; drawing supplies such as markers, crayons, colored pencils, and stickers, plus access to a laminator and book binder.

Before the shower: Print each letter of the alphabet on an individual sheet of paper.

How to play: Pass out a lettered sheet (or two or three) to each guest and ask him or her to decorate the page with things that start with that letter. For example, whoever has letter "A" might draw pictures of apples, alligators, and ants. Your guests should also put their name on the page somewhere and can include a note to the baby if they'd like.

After the shower, laminate the pages and bind them together, then give the collection to the guest of honor. It's the baby's first alphabet book! If you have more than 26 guests, you can also add pages with numbers or shapes or have more than one person work on each page.

Words of Encouragement

What you'll need: Blank stationery cards and individual envelopes, or heavy paper cut into cards and one big envelope, plus plenty of pens.

How to play: Ask each guest to take a card and write down encouraging words for the parents-to-be – maybe something that kept the guest going when she felt overwhelmed as a new mom, or some great advice that perked him up when he needed it. The parents-to-be can read the cards at the end of the shower or save them for when they need a boost.

Virtual baby shower games

The only limit to the type of games you play during the virtual shower is your level of creativity. Don't let the virtual bit put the brakes on your fun.

Baby Pool Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Access to a shared document like Google Sheets or an online baby betting pool.

Before the shower: Set up your baby betting pool online or create your shared document.

How to play: Share the link and ask your guests to fill in their best guess for when the baby will come. You may want to let guests wager small amounts of money. The person who makes closest guess wins, and the winner can share the proceeds with the new parents.

After the shower: When the baby arrives, email the group to let them know who won the pool.

Virtual Scavenger Hunt Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: A list of household items that many people will have on hand. Choose things that are strange, silly, embarrassing, surprising, or whatever will make you laugh.

Before the shower: Create the list of household items.

How to play: Read off items from your list and have your guests try to find them in their homes. Whoever finds the most items wins the scavenger hunt.

Baby Trivia Baby Shower Game

What you'll need: Trivia questions and answers on subjects related to pregnancy and early parenthood.

Before the shower: Create your list of baby trivia, or use one you find online.

How to play: Use the chat function to have people answer baby trivia to win a prize.

Guest baby photo contest baby shower game

What you'll need: Have your guests email you a baby photo of themselves.

Before the shower: Put the photos together in a slideshow, such as Google Slides).

How to play: Have your guests guess who's who. This game is fun whether or not you keep score.