Baby Shower Themes

Great Party Themes for Baby Showers

When planning a baby shower, creating a theme can really streamline preparations. You can extend the theme into the invitations, decorations, party favors and the food you serve making your choices fewer and easier. Here are five of our best ideas for themes for your next baby shower.

The Bare Necessities -- This is a great shower theme for new mommies. More experienced parents will understand that no new mom realizes just how many diapers and wipes she will soon need. Send invitations shaped like diapers with a safety pin and ask each guest to bring a necessity for baby's bare bottom (diapers, wipes, cream, etc.). Also use diapers and safety pins to help decorate and as the basis for some fun games like "Distractions! Distractions!"

Pickles & Ice Cream --Set up an ice cream bar and offer a variety of sundae toppings including a pickle tray with an assortment of pickles (although your guests may not really want to mix it up). You can also have an ice cream cake decorated with "pickles" made out of frosting. It's easy to extend this theme to invitations and decorations by sending out pickle-shaped cards and giving away mini ice cream scoops as party favors.

The Pampered Mom -- This theme shifts the focus from baby to mom with a party that pampers her with gifts such as manicure/pedicure gift certificates, bubble bath sets or comfy new slippers. The key is to let everyone know on the invitations that this party is all about mom. At the party, instead of having baby-themed decorations or playing traditional baby shower games, create a very grown-up atmosphere with candlelight, sophisticated food, soft jazz music playing in the background and some sparkling cider in a champagne glass for the guest of honor.

A Couples Baby Shower- Couples baby showers are becoming more and more popular. You can turn it into a backyard barbecue so the guys don't feel like they're attending a ladies lunch. If you already know what gender the couple is expecting, play that up on the invitation by celebrating the imminent arrival of "Daddy's Little Girl" or "Our Future Hall of Famer". Have fun with the guys by dividing into teams, women versus men and playing games like "Guys Versus Dolls."

Splish Splash Shower -- Turn to the actual shower for ideas for this shower theme. Start off with invitations attached to a trial size bar of soap (if you can hand deliver) or shaped like a bar of soap (to mail). Establish you theme at the party by decorating with bath toys, rubber duckies, and bubbles. Give out individual bottle of bubbles for guests to blow or go overboard and rent a bubble blowing machine! Party favors, however, are easy and inexpensive-small bottle of shower gels and soaps.