Planning a Baby Shower: Decorations, Games & Snacks for an Unforgettable Surprise

The time is almost here: someone in your circle of friends is expecting a baby. As the mom-to-be’s belly grows, you’re thinking about how you can make her happy. A surprise baby shower is the perfect way to do it!

What is a Baby Shower? A baby shower is a celebration for expectant mothers. The trend of the baby shower comes from the United States, where future moms are “showered” with gifts (hence the name). Usually, a baby shower takes place a few months before the birth. The most important parts of the celebration are games, snacks, and gifts for the baby and the parents-to-be.

A baby shower is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the future mom. If you plan the baby shower as a surprise, your friend will surely react even more emotionally. She’ll be unsuspectingly greeted by friends and family who want to make her feel special on this day. This turns the party into an unforgettable event full of love and anticipation.

Here you’ll find out how to make the celebration a complete success! We’ll give you tips on how to plan the baby shower and what to keep in mind to make the day simply perfect.

For many expectant mothers, the last months before the birth are anything but relaxing: between childbirth classes and setting up the nursery, there’s often little time to enjoy this special stage.

With a baby shower, you give the future mom not only moments with her loved ones, but also the chance to celebrate this wonderful event. Her favorite people come together and share the anticipation of the new arrival with her—there’s no better gift. A lovingly and carefully planned party ensures that the experience is unforgettable for everyone.

For expectant mothers, it’s especially touching to be surprised with a baby shower. Usually, close friends or family members take care of the organization. Of course, you can involve anyone who wants to help with the preparations. By dividing up tasks, you make the work easier. Ask everyone involved to keep the party plans to themselves so as not to spoil the surprise.

To plan together, it’s best to start a WhatsApp group. A shared document in Google Docs can also make planning easier. When you invite the mom to her surprise party, it’s best to do so under a pretext. Think of a good excuse, such as a planned girls’ afternoon.

Choosing the right time is crucial to make the party a stress-free and enjoyable event for the mom-to-be. A date a few months before the birth is usually best. By then, the often difficult first trimester is over, but the belly isn’t so big yet that it becomes exhausting. In any case, be flexible and have a plan B for emergencies.

Most important is to consider the mom’s wishes. Find out how she’s feeling and whether she seems interested in having a baby shower. This way, you can make sure the celebration is a wonderful experience for her.

To make the baby shower a harmonious celebration, you can choose a theme. There are no limits to your imagination—here are some ideas for baby shower themes:

• Boho Baby Shower: Neutral and pastel colors are perfect for a stylish boho party. Table decorations can feature earth and green tones and include wildflowers. Get a flower crown for the mom’s hair—it looks great in photos.
• Rainbow Magic: Everything can be colorful here! A vibrant banner and a big rainbow for photos create a cheerful mood. For a special surprise, each guest comes dressed in a different rainbow color and the mom wears white.
• Teddy Bear Parade: A teddy bear theme is adorable and perfect for a baby shower. Balloons and teddy bears of various sizes make great decorations.

Personalized elements and baby shower decorations make the celebration unique. For example, you can make a banner with the baby’s name (if already known) or create place cards with guests’ names and cute designs.

Since there’s a lot else to organize, the games should be as easy to prepare as possible. The less material needed, the better. Here are some ideas for fun baby shower games:

• “Guess the Baby Name”
  Each guest writes a baby name on a small slip of paper. The slips are folded and put into a jar, and the mom-to-be draws them out one by one to look at. If the baby’s name hasn’t been decided yet, this can simply serve as inspiration.
• “Guess the Baby Photo”
  Each guest brings a photo of themselves as a baby. The baby photos are numbered and pinned to a board. Each guest gets a sheet of paper and can guess who is behind each photo.
• “What Do You Wish for the Baby?”
  This activity is a lovely way to share best wishes with the parents-to-be and the baby. Hand out small cards and provide pens, stickers, or other small decorations. Each guest can write a message and leave heartfelt wishes during the party. At the end, you stick all the cards into a little book. Alternatively, guests can write directly into a book.

Choose games you think everyone will enjoy—especially the mom. This creates wonderful memories and makes the baby shower a real highlight.

Creative and practical food options are ideal for a baby shower. Finger food and small bites are perfect baby shower snacks: they’re easy to eat and simple to prepare. Mini sandwiches, small wraps, and fruit skewers are tasty and easy to make. Lovingly decorated cupcakes with cute baby motifs or a cake matching the theme complete the selection.

You should also provide refreshing drinks. In solidarity with the mom-to-be, it’s best to offer delicious non-alcoholic options, such as these:

Virgin Daiquiri

Ingredients per glass:

• 150 g frozen strawberries
• 15 ml lime or lemon juice
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 25 ml orange juice

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend into a thick smoothie. Adjust with sugar and lime juice if needed. Pour into a glass and garnish with a slice of lime.

Berry Punch

Ingredients for 4 glasses:

• 1 sprig of mint
• 250 g mixed frozen berries
• 250 ml apple juice
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 500 ml sparkling water
• Optional: sugar syrup to sweeten

Put the mint together with the apple juice as well as the lemon and lime juice into a large carafe. Let it infuse in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Then add the frozen berries and the sparkling water. If desired, sweeten a little with sugar syrup and serve over ice.

DIY Lemonade Bar

Ingredients:

• Herbs (e.g., rosemary, mint, and basil)
• Fruit slices (e.g., lemon, orange, strawberry)
• Garnish (e.g., blueberries)
• Various types of syrup (e.g., simple sugar syrup, ginger and lavender syrup)
• Sparkling water and still water in bottles

Put the fruits and herbs into bowls. Arrange all the ingredients together with glasses and ice cubes as a buffet so that guests can help themselves.

When planning drinks and snacks for the baby shower, you should pay attention to any intolerances or special dietary requirements. Also, be sure to keep the mom-to-be’s preferences in mind to ensure she enjoys the food.

Gifts are part of a baby shower to bring joy to the expectant parents. A practical idea is a diaper cake: you arrange diapers in the shape of a cake and then decorate the resulting “cake” with small toys and decorative ribbons. Personalized gifts are also lovely and have a very special meaning, such as an embroidered blanket or a children’s book personalized with the baby’s name. To organize more expensive gifts for the baby shower, you can team up with other guests. In any case, coordinate with each other to avoid duplicate gifts.

To capture the celebration visually, a photo booth is perfect. Set up the photobooth in front of a beautiful background to create atmospheric pictures. A photo booth with instant printing provides unique memories that guests can take home right away. Even nicer, though, is if it becomes a personal keepsake for the soon-to-be mom. For this, get a guest book and provide pens and glue. This way, the snapshots can be pasted in directly and accompanied by a loving message for the parents and baby. At Fotichaschte.ch, you can simply add our creative set to your photo booth and don’t have to worry about a thing.

Alternatively, or in addition to handwritten wishes, a video message is also a wonderful keepsake. Ask all guests to send you short clips or record them together during the baby shower. After the party, you can edit these into a video and send it to the parents to relive the emotions of the baby shower.

To estimate the time properly, you should plan the schedule for the baby shower. Create a program with all the important points and a relaxed timeline. This gives the celebration structure and ensures there is enough time for all program items. Stay flexible, though, and plan for some buffer time. The schedule could look like this:

• 1:00 p.m: Arrival and welcome drinks
• 1:30 p.m: Opening of the snack bar
• 2:00 p.m: Baby shower games
• 3:00 p.m: Gift giving
• 3:30 p.m: Photo booth and guest book
• 5:00 p.m: Farewell

Of course, you can adjust the times as you like—a baby shower can also start in the morning or late afternoon.

If the baby shower is to remain a surprise, it should not take place at the expectant parents’ home. Another location also has the advantage that the mom-to-be has absolutely nothing to do with the preparations or the cleanup afterward—making the whole thing a stress-free affair for her.

Try to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere during the preparations. Pleasant lighting and nice background music contribute to the ambiance.

Have you thought of everything to make the baby shower the perfect surprise? In our checklist, you’ll find the most important planning steps:

• Create a guest list
• Set the date, location, and theme
• Send invitations—don’t forget: instructions for the games (e.g., “Bring a baby photo of yourself!”) and ask about food allergies
• Plan food and drinks
• Shopping (decorations, food, supplies for games)
• Get a baby shower gift
• Prepare and decorate the location
• Prepare and arrange the food

You don’t have to take on all the baby shower planning yourself — delegate tasks to friends or relatives to simplify the organization. One person can take care of the games, another of the food, and a third of the decorations.

Good preparation ensures an even better surprise effect and a great baby shower. During the celebration, always keep an eye on the mom-to-be and make sure she can enjoy the party and that it’s not too much for her.

If you want to plan the ideal baby shower, you should put a lot of love into the preparations. Above all, focus on the preferences of the expectant mother. With loving details and fun activities, the celebration will become a unique highlight.

It’s not about organizing the perfect party. The focus is on the emotions and the anticipation of the new life. The memories of the beautiful celebration will accompany the future mom even after the birth. Also, make sure that physical keepsakes are created at the party, for example with a photo booth. Compare our photo booth models at a glance to find the best photobooth for your baby shower.

Start planning an unforgettable baby shower for the mom-to-be in your life now — with our baby shower ideas, you’re sure to have a great celebration!