If your guest of honor hates games, the best baby shower activities, not games, are the ones where guests make or write something for the parents: advice cards, a keepsake book, decorated onesies, or a time capsule. These give people something to do with their hands and no scoreboard, which is what the game-averse usually want. Plenty of showers run entirely on activities, and nobody misses the prizes.
You can still keep a game or two on standby, and our printable baby shower game packs include quiet pen-and-paper ones that feel more like a conversation than a competition. For the full spread of baby shower games, the homepage has them sorted by style.
Why do some guests avoid games?
Games ask people to perform, compete, or look silly in front of their coworkers and in-laws, and plenty of people simply don’t want that. Others are shy, or they’re juggling a toddler, or the mom-to-be finds the whole thing cheesy. An activity lets everyone participate at their own pace, and nobody has to win.
What are 10 good activities?
1. Advice and wishes for baby
Set out cards with a prompt: “My best tip for new parents” on one, “My wish for this baby” on the other. Guests write while they snack, and the parents read them later when sleep is scarce. It’s the easiest activity to run and the one parents say they keep.
2. A book in place of a card
Ask each guest to bring a children’s book with a short inscription inside. The parents leave with a library, and guests get a built-in way to contribute that isn’t another outfit.
3. Onesie decorating station
Set out plain white onesies, fabric markers, and a few stencils. Guests decorate one each. Lay them on a clothesline across the room to dry; it doubles as a decoration. Use washable fabric markers rated for baby clothes.
4. Time capsule
Each guest writes a letter to be opened on the child’s 18th birthday, and you seal them in a box or envelope. Add a newspaper from the shower date and a few small items from the year.
5. Diaper messages
Guests write short notes on diapers with a marker, for the parents to find at 3am. It’s funny, sweet, and practical, and it’s included as a printable in our Ultimate Kit if you’d rather not improvise the prompts. If guests are already bringing diapers, a diaper raffle turns those packs into a prize drawing with no performing required; tuck diaper raffle inserts into the invitations so people know to bring one.
6. Fingerprint guest book
Draw a tree on a canvas or poster, and guests press an inked thumb on the branches as leaves, then sign beside it. It hangs in the nursery afterward.
7. Meal train sign-up
Not glamorous, but guests who sign up to drop off a dinner after the baby arrives are giving the parents something they’ll use. Pass a clipboard around with dates.
8. A story station
Leave a fill-in-the-blank story on each table for guests to complete together, then read the funniest ones aloud. It’s closer to a table conversation than a game.
9. Letter to baby
Each guest writes a letter the baby can read as an adult. Provide stationery and a pen, and have a few prompts for people stuck on the first line.
10. Nursery craft table
Set up a small craft: paint wooden letters spelling the baby’s name, or decorate a paper bunting. People talk while they work, and the parents get decor.
Can you mix activities with a couple of games?
Yes, and it’s usually the best result. Keep the games short and optional, and let the activities run in the background all afternoon so nobody feels forced. Our take on balance is in baby shower games that don’t suck, and for how many to plan, see how many games at a baby shower. Looking for ideas without supplies? Baby shower games with no supplies covers the lightest options, and baby shower games ideas has the long list. You can also try our free starter pack for a few quiet pen-and-paper rounds.
Frequently asked questions
What can you do at a baby shower instead of games?
Run activities like advice cards, a book-instead-of-card table, onesie decorating, a time capsule, or a letter-to-baby station. They keep guests involved without competition.
Is it okay to skip games at a baby shower?
Yes. Games are optional, and plenty of showers are built around food, conversation, and one or two activities.
How long should baby shower activities last?
Let them run in the background for the whole party. Active ones like a craft table take 20 to 30 minutes per person; writing cards takes five.
What is a good activity for a shower with older relatives?
Advice cards, a recipe or story exchange, and a book table work well because they’re easy, seated, and involve no physical contest.