Planning a Baby Shower - Get Creative!

Are you planning a baby shower but are tired of traditional themes and schemes? Have you had enough of pink and blue frills, stuffy gatherings with boring conversation on a backdrop of gift-opening, cake-cutting and picture-posing? Well, the good news is that if you are planning a baby shower, you can spice things up with just a little creativity and throw a baby shower that is sure to be memorable for a long time to come!

Create Your Way to Success

Here are but a few creative ideas for planning a baby shower:

•1) Location: Instead of the traditional living room, hall, or restaurant, locate your baby shower in a children's playground, in a gymnastic, sports, or trampoline facility, in a bowling alley, or in any fun-filled environment.

•2) Take advantage of modern technology and use Power Point or some other online tool to screen funny and memorable pictures of babies and/or of the parents-to-be - and pictures of friends and family. Everyone loves to laugh at themselves in a fun, well-intended way!

•3) Have guests bring a picture of themselves as a baby, screen the pictures on a wall or on a computer, and have everyone guess who the baby is. You can also show wedding pictures or pictures of family and friends. Be creative and use the baby shower as a venue for creating a movie for the baby-to-be by videotaping the guests who will be the featured stars of the new video.

•4) Tired of dull gossip and conversation? If you are planning a baby shower, get creative! Plan games around a baby theme; come up with ideas for fun arts-and-crafts activities - even for adults; buy inexpensive, plain baby sheets, pillowcases, or T-shirts and have your guests decorate them with finger paints or spray paints for your baby-to-be; choose great music that will put everyone in a good mood; choreograph or create a new dance with your guests in honor of the occasion.

•5) As far as the menu is concerned - get creative! The menu can be a formal dinner, potluck, or just deserts; sit-down or buffet. Make the food fun! Let everyone get involved by bringing or preparing food. Baking can be a great group activity for a baby shower. Have an ice-cream sundae contest where guests design their sundae to resemble a baby or a baby item. Make cakes or cookies in the shape of a baby bottle or any other baby-related object.

•6) Decorations: fold napkins in fun and innovative ways; choose colorful cups and cutlery; buy paper plates with a childlike theme; decorate the room with bright colors, children's artwork, or with any unique but inexpensive medium.

•7) Include baby shower games: Divide into teams and have races with points and prizes; play a trivia game about the parents-to-be; play "Pin the Sperm on the Egg" or any game involving blindfolds. In other words... Get creative!

•8) For a more serious crowd, ask guests to prepare in inspirational or meaningful reading to share with the group; generate some stimulating conversation about a current issue regarding parenting or raising children; invite a special guest lecturer or a music performer to add a touch of class to your baby shower.

Summary

When planning a baby shower, the possibilities are endless! Just keep in mind who the guests and parents are, and creativity plan your party to match their personalities and interests. Your baby shower is sure to be a hit!