Minggu, 29 September 2013

Games to Play at a Baby Shower


Having a baby shower is quite a regular practice. In fact, almost all expecting mothers either organize a it for themselves, or have one planned by their friends. One important aspect of planning it, is to decide what games to play at it. Whether it is the mother planning it, or the friends, it is always a good idea to have an idea of some easy games which can be played, so that the people attending it do not get bored. Here are some ideas that you may want to try out.

Pin the Sperm
This is a comical modification of the popular party game, tail the cat. What you have to do is draw an ovary on a big chart. Hang this on a door or somewhere with a flat backdrop. Take a piece of wool, and wrap it around drawing pins to represent sperm. Blindfold the participants, one at a time, and ask them to pin the sperm correctly on the ovary. The person with the closest pin wins some great prizes!

Name Me
This is a fun game for men attending a baby shower. To test their baby knowledge, and to prepare them for the little bundle of joy that is about to arrive. Place random baby items like nipples, bottles, diapers, blankets, pins, etc. in a basket. Blindfold each contestant and ask him to reach into the basket and remove only one item at a time, name it and describe how it is to be used. The person who names and describes the maximum number of items, within the time limit, wins!

Bottoms Up
Go back to your bottle suckling days with this game. What you have to do is, fill a number of baby bottles (according to the number of guests) with a liquid like water or orange juice. Begin a timer for half a minute, and ask the contestants to begin drinking the water or juice, using the nipple of the bottle. The person who drinks the most within the allotted time, wins.

Candy Bar
This game tests your logic and quick thinking when it comes to babies. Make cards that have two sections. One for clues, and one for answers. In the clues section, write down a clue that is related to babies, or children, or pregnancy, etc. The person playing has to use the clue to guess the name of a popular candy bar, which matches the clue. The person with the most correct answers can get a jar of candy as a prize!

How Big is Mummy's Tummy?
Give each guest some yarn. Ask them to tie the yarn into a knot, so that the loop is of the approximate size that they believe is the pregnant lady's tummy. Measure all the pieces properly, and then measure the to-be-mummy's tummy. The guest with the closest guess wins this game!

So, did you see, how many games can be played at a baby shower? Have fun at your shower, and God bless your little one who is about to arrive!

Printable Bridal Shower Games


Bridal showers are so much fun! It's probably the last time you'd meet your best friend, as a single woman. So you definitely want to make it special. You want to pamper her with attention and compliments and make her bridal shower a highly memorable one. The best way of going about it, is by getting everybody involved. Bridal shower games will get everybody's attention. A little silliness and frolic will be remembered by the bride-to-be for all her life. Printing out a few games on paper makes it easier for everyone to take part in the games.

Ice Breakers
Begin playing this game once everybody has arrived. This will make all of them comfortable and at ease. Play games like 'Tell Us Something About You', where every guest will have to write an interesting anecdote on the bride or the first time they met the bride. This way everyone will know everyone. Another fun game is 'Romantic Couples', which has the names of famous couples but only the first half. The better half will be a blank. The guest who gets maximum correct answers, wins the heart!

Bridal Dress
This is a fun game for a bridal shower. Divide the groups in a two or three groups. Give each group several rolls of toilet paper and pins. The group has to make a bridal dress using the toilet paper. Along with the dress, different accessories can also be made to give the dress a complete look. However, only toilet paper and pins can be used for the same.

Scrambled Words
Make a list of marriage associated words like husband, tuxedo, bridesmaid, groom, honeymoon, wedding, rings, etc. and scramble them up. Print them out on handouts and distribute them among the guests. Give them a couple of minutes to unscramble the words and the winner takes it all, with the maximum correct words.

* - Click anywhere on the table to print the table
I E V L

S I K S

K C E A S

S L A I E

O M O R G

O T S A T

M C Y N E R E O

T Q O U E B O U

E G N T M G A E E

T N I V I N O I T A
N O W G

T O H A

N S I R G

N D C A E

R D E B I

N C R M O A E

N B E A M S T

C R E T N O I E P

Y O M O H N E O N

E S A I M D R B D
* - Scroll down to the end of the article to find the answers to the scramble.

Poem
You will need a long paper for this game. On the paper start off writing a line, which sounds like a poem, but about the wedding, bride and the groom. Pin the paper to a clipboard and pass it over to the next guest. The next guest will write the next line and fold the paper, such that the next guest is able to see only the line written by the previous guest and not the other before that. Pass the paper to all the guests. After all the guests have finished, the bridesmaid will read out the entire 'poem', which will make for a hilarious read.

Bridal Pictionary
Play it like the usual pictionary game. Print out the cards with items on them. Just make a small modification and print wedding related items, like, TV set, couch, home and things like that. Make 2 teams to play the game. The team that can figure out maximum items obviously wins the game.

How Well Do We Know The Bride
Print out a list of all the questions that you can ask the guests. Or you can even print out a list of bride related questions, regarding facts about her life and maybe even about her personal tastes, favorites, etc. The person who gets most of the answers right wins a prize from the bride.

* - Click anywhere on the table to print the table
1. Which is her favorite color?
2. Which is her favorite movie?
3. Who is her favorite actor?
4. Who is her favorite actress?
5. What was her first job?
6. What is bride's shoe-size?
7. Which is her favorite book?
8. How did the bride and the groom meet?
9. What is the color of the bride's bathroom?
10. Which is her favorite dish?
11. Which flavor of ice cream does she like?
12. Which is her favorite television show?
13. What is the bride's hobby?
14. Which is the bride's dream honeymoon destination?
15. In which city and state was the bride born?
16. Which was the bride's first car?
17. How many tattoos does the bride have? Which is her favorite tattoo?
18. What would the bride prefer to shop for - shoes or handbags?
19. Which game does the bride follow?
20. Is the bride a dog's person or a cat's person?

Advice For The Bride
This can be extremely funny. Cut out small heart-shaped cards. And print them with funny advises like 'don't go to bed with a mad head', 'don't let the florist catch the bouquet' and other such advises. The one that makes the bride laugh the most will get the prize!

* - Answer to the scramble. Veil, gown, kiss, oath, cakes, rings, aisle, dance, groom, bride, toast, romance, ceremony, bestman, bouquet, reception, engagement, honeymoon, invitation, bridesmaid

Make the evening of the bridal shower a warm and entertaining one. There is a plethora of free printable games available online which will save you time and expense. See to it that all invitations are sent out in advance. Print out enough copies of these games and let the party begin!

Sabtu, 28 September 2013

Baby Shower Activities


A baby shower is a fun way to celebrate the impending arrival of a new addition to the family and to congratulate and share the happiness of the mother-to-be. It can be a get-together of friends, family, colleagues and church-groups. Planning a baby shower systematically, would include making all the arrangements from the location, to the guest list and the food arrangements. To make the baby shower an interesting and fun-filled affair and one that everyone would remember, it is essential to include some unique and interesting baby shower activities. These activities can be either physical or less physical, but should be able to include the participation of all the guests. Here are some unique and fun activities that you can add while hosting a baby shower.

Baby Shower Activities
Baby shower games need to be planned well according to the guests invited and the location where the baby shower is going to be held. Following are some activities that are easy to organize and fun too.

Keepsake Making
This is a fun and easy activity to indulge the guests in and will require some amount of baby shower planning beforehand. Purchase 50 to 100 plain white baby t-shirts, colored markers, fabric paints, cartoon stamps, glitter, etc. and hand them over to the guests as they arrive. Ask them to personalize each t-shirt with a message for the baby or some artwork on the t-shirts. Then put these up in a line on a clothesline and preserve it as a keepsake for the child.

Make a Wish
For this unique baby shower activity, you will need some candles and colored papers. Give the guests the colored papers and ask them to write down a wish on behalf of the baby or a prayer or a blessing and personalize it. Then wrap this paper around a candle and place it in a box, that has been decorated as per the baby shower theme. Hand over this box to the mother-to-be at the end of the party.

The Time That Was
While sending out invites for the baby shower, mention in the invitation cards that the guests should bring along with them, something that would tell the baby of the world that was before he was born. It should be something meaningful and significant for the baby, maybe a picture from the newspapers or a magazine. Once the guests arrive and have settled, seat them in a circle and ask them to hand it out to the mother-to-be, explaining its importance and significance. She can then compile them into an album or make a collage out of them, for the baby to go through when he grows up.

Beads for the Baby
Ask the guests to get some colorful beads when they come for the baby shower. Gather all the guests at one place once everyone has arrived and ask them to hold out the beads. Then one-by one, each guest should make a wish or a prayer for the baby and the mother-to-be and place it on a table. At the end of it, the mother-to-be should attach the beads to a string and wear it around her neck or arms. This will symbolize that the love and best wishes of the guests are always with the mom-to-be and the baby.

Few Minutes to Fame
This is a great baby shower idea, but you will need a camcorder or video camera for this. The host should go around interviewing all the guests in the baby shower party, asking them how they are related to the mother, a guess on the sex of the baby (if unknown), why the mother-to-be would make a good mother and a sweet message for the baby. At the end of it, gather all the guests and the to-be-mother to show them this fun compilation.

You can also include some fun baby shower games based on the theme of the baby shower while hosting a baby shower. Make sure that all the guests are comfortable participating in the activities. You can make use of some cool baby shower ideas to make your baby shower celebration even more fun and memorable.

Baby Girl Shower Themes


You have just heard that your best friend is going to have a little princess soon. You must be ecstatic just like the parents-to-be and would want to celebrate the good news. The best way of doing this is by throwing a baby shower for your friend. Baby shower is a fun way of celebrating the happiness of soon-to-be parents with their near and dear ones. There are many things to be considered when you are planning for a baby shower. For making the party a special affair, you can think of organizing a theme-based party. These themes can be either traditional or else you can come up with your own creative and innovative ideas.

A baby shower can be held at the couple's home, a party hall or at a restaurant. However, remember to include the mother-to-be in the baby girl shower ideas as well. This will help you in preparing for the party. Let us look at some baby shower ideas and themes that would make the party a memorable one.

Pink Baby Shower Theme
The first thing that comes to everyone's mind when thinking about a girl is the color pink. It is not only the most popular baby girl shower theme but also the traditional way of welcoming a little girl. You can decorate the place with everything pink like pink balloons, tablecloths, banners, flowers and streamers. However, remember to include different shades of pink while decorating. Using colors like white, yellow, golden, etc against pink would also be a good idea to accentuate the look of the place. Choosing invitation cards that are pink in color would help in making the guests understand the theme of the party. You can either make the baby shower invitations on your own or buy from the variety available in the market, in which you can ask the guests to come in pink clothes. You can follow the theme even in the food you prepare. Baking a baby shower cake with pink frosting on top and making pink lemonade would also be a great idea for a pink baby girl shower party theme.

Princess Baby Shower Theme
As daughters are considered to be princesses, having a princess party is also one of the unique baby shower themes. For a princess baby shower party, from the decorations to the party favors, everything should be done in a royal style. One great idea for party invitation would be sending a tiara to the guest announcing the date and venue of the party on a tag attached to it. Decorating the venue like a castle with pillars, twinkle lights, crystals, princess dolls, flower garlands, etc. would make it look very grand. You can also add a banner with a sign saying 'Welcome Princess' or 'It's a Princess'. As for the food and drinks, you can have sandwiches and cookies cut in the shape of a crown, royal champagne, a castle-shaped cake, etc. Having a princess party is one of the unique baby shower themes where everyone can enjoy in a royal style.

Angel Baby Shower Theme
If you want to have a simple and elegant baby shower, then having an angel-themed baby shower would be a very nice option too. Children are considered to be angels and this would be one of the cool baby shower themes to celebrate your happiness. Adorn the venue with little angels hanging from the ceiling and also with flowers, balloons, etc in light colors. You can also have tablecloths with an angel print on it. You can even chose party invitations with a picture of baby or an angel on it.

Baby shower is the time when the parents-to-be receive gifts for the baby. As per the theme of the party, guests can decide on the gifts to be given to the baby. You can also decide on some baby shower games and activities to entertain the guests. Choosing one of these themes is a great way to welcome a beautiful little princess into the world.

Monkey Theme Baby Shower


Monkey theme is a great idea to opt for parties, especially those related to kids. Monkey theme baby shower is very popular among kids. A monkey theme adds to the fun element of the party and makes it even more lively. Are you arranging the most special function for the mom-to-be? Then plan for a monkey theme for this party and follow the tips given below to implement it in the best way and have a memorable party.

Monkey Theme for a Baby Shower Party

Invitations
Make invitations that have a monkey picture. You can also make one in shape of a monkey or just the monkey's face. You can either draw it yourself or opt for clip arts. A plain card with many small monkey and banana pics is also a good idea. You can also simply draw bananas. You can buy funny invitations online and save a lot of time. Moreover, there is a huge variety available online to choose from. The envelop must also essentially feature a money, such as one hanging from a tree. Monkey cartoon pictures can be a great idea for the invitations.

Decorations
You can get the monkey party supplies in most of the craft shops, using which will be a great help for making beautiful decorations. Monkey soft toys are the best element of the decorations. Hang these all over the party room. Get artificial tall plants on which you can hang the monkeys, it will give an awesome look to the area. Monkey shaped pen-stands and vases can make some cute items to highlight the theme, you can place these on the tables. Artificial or real bananas and popcorn filled in a decorative basket can make a classic centerpiece. You can also have teacups, saucers, wallpapers, stickers from the dollar shop suitable for this theme. The monkey stickers are the best way to grace most of the items that will be used during this party.

Games
Monkey games need to be really fun-filled. You can arrange a banana eating contest, the most funny game that each guest will enjoy. Another game can be a banana peeling contest wherein each one has to peel a banana without using their hands. The one who peels the maximum number of bananas in the given time, wins the game. The best monkey call is another game which will make every one laugh and enjoy a lot. Each one must demonstrate his/ her best monkey call. So, when all of them are done, present the award to the squeakiest, funniest and most real monkey call.

Favors
Party favors can include monkey bean bags or some classic monkey sticker sets. Monkey shaped vases can be one of the lovely favors if you are not on a tight budget. Monkey design towels can be another idea you can go for, to perfectly highlight the theme. Kitchen aprons with monkey picture can be a unique favor.

These were some ideas for organizing a baby shower party with a monkey theme. Get started with the preparations and surprise the would-be-mom and guests.

Jumat, 27 September 2013

Baby Shower Games for Men

Who said men are not allowed for a baby shower? Of course they are and the trend is becoming very popular these days. A couple baby shower or a coed baby shower is one of a kind and brings in great fun at the party. Coed baby shower being different from traditional baby shower needs some creative ideas that can impress the male guests. Games are inevitable part of any party, since they help to sustain the party mood. For a coed baby shower, you need some real exciting and active games that can entertain the male guests. So, if you are arranging one such couple baby shower, then here are some ideas and suggestions on baby shower games for guys.

Fun Baby Shower Games for Guys

While arranging a coed baby shower, you need to avoid those typical girl games. Men at the baby shower will find those games boring and may turn up chit chatting with each other. Moreover, you need to make sure if the to-be-parents are fine with playing games at the baby shower. Some men and women may find it uncomfortable to play games at the baby shower. The games at coed baby shower should be decent and should not include stories of pregnancy. Given below are some baby shower games that you can include in your coed baby shower.

Beer in the Bottle
This is an all time favorite baby shower game for men. The material you will require to play this game are, baby bottles according to the number of men at the baby shower. Fill these bottles with any beverage, but beer makes a good option for adult parties. Hand over the beer filled bottles to all the men and then set the timer to zero. Start the count with help of the timer and the guy who finishes drinking the beer first wins the game. To add more fun to the game, you can use bottle nipples with small holes that make it difficult to drink the beer.

Put on the Diaper
One more popular baby shower game is putting the diaper on a baby doll. To play this game, you will require naked baby dolls, diaper pins and cloth diapers. Make pairs of men and women present at the party and place the material required in front of them. The couple has to wrap the baby with the cloth diaper by using only one hand each. They are free to use any one hand, but are strictly not allowed to use the other hand. Say, if the man decides to use the left hand then he should not use his right hand throughout the game, same is applicable for the lady. The game is more like a team work and the team that diapers the baby first wins the game.

Hanging Clothes
This is one of the most funny baby shower games. To play this game, you will require enough space to hang the clothesline. You can hang the clothesline either indoors or outdoors if you have a lawn or so. The materials you will require to play this game are clothesline, baby clothes and clothes pins. Each guy has to hang all the baby clothes on the clothesline and the one who hangs the clothes in less time, wins the game. Else you can also have a winner as the one who hangs maximum clothes in one minute. While hanging the clothes, the guy has to use only one hand. You can bring more twist in the game by telling the participants to hang the clothes with a baby doll in one hand each.

These were some fun baby shower games for men. I hope this article will prove useful to you and you will have a great time at your coed baby shower. All the Best!

Kamis, 26 September 2013

Baby Shower Scrapbook Ideas


Baby shower is an occasion wherein the parents of a newborn baby or who is about to be born are "showered" with gifts. Some couples, in order to celebrate their parenthood, throw a party or plan a cozy get-together with their near and dear ones, which are given the name of "baby showers". Till about recently, baby showers were like any other regular party with games, food, gifts etc. However now, the trend to make this a more emotional, close wound and memorable affair is fast catching up! Now, the couples are replacing the traditional baby shower games with involving the guests in making scrapbooks which have pictures of the newborn baby, the expecting mother and the father. These baby books are created with the idea that when the child grows up, he as well as the other family members can reminiscence the old times by looking at the scrapbook.

Creative Scrapbook Ideas for a Baby Shower

If you too are planning to get your guests involved in this activity at the baby shower, you need to be ready with the supplies, before the guests arrive. Ideally, a scrapbook which has a leather or cloth cover should be chosen as it looks formal, special, timeless and unlike the commonly used ones. A good idea here would be to get the baby's initials as well as date of birth engraved on the cover of the scrapbook! Besides this, you would need pictures that you want to be included in the scrapbook, stickers, ribbons, buttons, printouts of some quotes on motherhood and children (you will find plenty of these on the Internet), cards and other decorative items such as patterned papers, that you think will add to the beauty of the scrapbook. Be ready with the supplies needed to carry on the work, such as scissors, colors, glue, pencils, markers, card stock paper and other stationery. Do not leave anything for the last moment and be prepared with everything in advance.

Arrange for a big table to be kept in the middle of the room, around which all your invitees can sit and carry on this activity. Before the baby shower, sit with your partner and brainstorm as to how would you want the different pages to shape up. What all things, pictures, decorations, wordings, you would want in the scrapbook. You can of course leave the details up to the guests as to how to decorate it and plan the layout of each page, yet you two should have a basic idea about how the scrapbook should finally look. Here are some scrapbook ideas on the list of things that you can include in it:
  • Start by writing about those moments when you two were excited and at the same time, nervous about becoming parents. In this section, both the partners can write their feelings, fears, anticipation and happiness about the birth of their baby.
  • The letter from the doctor confirming the pregnancy as well as ultrasound photographs can be included in the next few pages.
  • Some incidents that are wroth mentioning are about the mother's food cravings and mood swings. They will be great to add some humor to the scrapbook. These can be posted along with monthly pictures of the mother's growing tummy.
  • Pictures of the time of delivery, when you two were at the hospital, pictures of the nurses and doctors who helped in the delivery, letter confirming the birth given by the doctor, the baby's weight and height at the time of birth, baby's time and date of birth, the color of his eyes, the color of his hair, his foot and hand imprints - these are the things that you should include in the scrapbook as they make for valuable memories.
  • Include all the pictures of the baby's firsts like his first smile, his first walk, his first tooth, his first bath, first haircut, first outside trip, etc.
  • Devote the last section of the book to the entire baby shower event. Click the photographs of the decorations, guests, food menu, gifts and cards received from the invitees, cake etc. and have them posted then and there in the scrapbook by all your invitees.
  • You can paste the party invitation on the cover of the scrapbook, along with some of the cards and gifts received as they will make the cover look very attractive!
While conducting this activity, explain the general layout to the guests, however, at the same time, give some pages to them to design in whichever way they want. They can write some blessings for the baby and the mother or draw something funny which the child can enjoy when he grows up and sees! In other words, give the guests freedom to design and decorate some pages according to their wish! This will add abundance of creativity to your baby shower scrapbook!