A baby shower can be made more fun by introducing games in which all the guests can participate. Not only do these games help break the ice but they also keep the guests entertained while the mother-to-be is opening her presents.
Each game should have a prize for the winner so that he or she has something to remember the baby shower by. An inexpensive gift such as a bar of chocolate or a candle is sufficient.
It is important to learn a little bit about the guests beforehand such as their ages, backgrounds, etc. That way you can select appropriate games that everyone will enjoy.
If the guest list includes relatives or groups of friends who are not acquainted with each other, try and choose games that involve the participation and interaction of all the guests.
Once you have gone through the guest list, here are some of the baby shower games you can choose from:
* Mommies and Babies Game
This game is more suited for a younger audience. It involves the host calling out different names of animals and the participants responding with the names of the corresponding offspring.
Alternatively, you can spice up the game by placing pictures of animals in a pile. Each participant then has to select a picture, give the name of the mother and offspring and imitate the sound made by the animal.
* Mother Goose Game
Everyone can participate in this game. Write down a couple of lines each from different nursery rhymes. The host then reads out these lines but leaves out a word. The participants have to guess and call out the missing word in each rhyme. The winner is the person who calls out the most correct answers.
* Baby Item Memory Game
Put together a collection of baby items and show these to the participants for about 15 to 30 seconds. Now ask the participants to write down all the items from memory. Whoever remembers the most items is the winner.
* Baby Food Game
Buy several jars of different types of baby food. Remove the labels, number the jars and replace the lids with opaque paper.
Each participant has to smell and taste each jar and identify the contents. Whoever makes the most correct guesses, wins.
* Fun Facts
This game can only work if all the guests know or are acquainted with each other.
When guests arrive at the baby shower, they all have to write some little known fact about themselves on pieces of paper. This could be a secret talent, a job they once held or a cameo role they did in a movie. All the papers are then put into a jar.
Each participant picks out a piece of paper and has to guess the identity of the person being described.
A variation to this game is having the host read out each piece of paper while everyone else tries to guess the person being described.
All of these baby shower games are intended to help the guests mingle with each other and enjoy the party. You can however, also make up your own games. Just remember to take into consideration the backgrounds and ages of the guests.
Kim Anderson is the owner of http://www.quickandeasybabyshower.com and http://www.quickandeasybabyshower.net Sites devoted to helping you make sure your baby shower is great.