The best baby shower ideas and alternative ways of celebrating, we’ve picked out some of the top ones for you to get inspired by. If you are a first-time baby shower planner or want to do something a bit different, you can always mix and match different ideas to create the baby shower the mum to be will love. For all the tips on the planning side of things, be sure to check out our How To Plan A Baby Shower blog as well!

Include the males

Traditionally baby showers are just for the ladies but you can mix things up by inviting the dads and his friends too. Some first-time dads in particular, are super excited and would love to be part of the celebrations. If you choose to do this consider a variety of foods and drinks everyone will enjoy and games (partner games can be really fun). Tweak the typical planning a bit to suit everyone and you will have a great time!

Take it outside

If the weather is good an outdoor baby shower can be awesome! Set up some outside games, the games you may have at a wedding like giant Jenga and Kubb (if you still have them from a wedding then that is a bonus)! Fire up the BBQ and make some punch for a fun afternoon or evening baby shower celebration. To make it a bit more sophisticated and stress-free you could always get it catered and have some drinks staff too!

Just for mum

If it is mum's second, third or fourth baby she may not need anything for the new baby, so in that case, you can throw a “Just for Mum” baby shower. Where everyone brings gifts just for her! The gifts can be pampering or practical, some ideas could be:
• Maternity clothes or pajamas.
• A restaurant gift card for a pre or post-baby date night.
• Home cooked meals for the freezer or a voucher to have meals delivered.
• A coffee delivery subscription to get her through the first few months.
• Stretch mark cream or skincare.
• Candles, diffusers or bath salts.
• Massage voucher.
• A good book to read
• Voucher to have her house fully cleaned.

Couples buffet

Book in for a buffet meal at a restaurant, it could be just the ladies or partners as well. It takes the hassle out of organising any food and, you could do breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. A restaurant with a private space is even better so you could put up some baby shower decorations if you wanted. Another big bonus is there is no clean up to do afterward.

Sip and see

If baby showers aren’t your thing or the baby comes earlier then expected so you missed out, you could always have a Sip and See instead. The parents or a friend/family member hosts this and it is after the baby is born. People come over to meet the baby and have a celebration. There is often gifts and food but no games at a Sip and See

Theme the gifts

A theme can be really helpful if the mum-to-be has things she doesn’t have or wants to make sure it is money well spent on the gifts. You could even assign a theme to two or three guests each. Some ideas could be:
• Bath time: Things like bath toys and newborn shampoos.
• Toilet time: Nappies, creams and wipes.
• Clothes: You could be specific for certain ages.
• Books: For when the baby gets older.
• Toys: General playtime.
• Feeding: Nipple creams for mum, bottles, plates and baby food recipe books.

Potluck

Something that is often done casually when friends get together, but there is no reason you couldn’t do this for a baby shower celebration as well. It could be for any time of the day but would be helpful if it is a main meal like lunch or dinner to save the stress of cooking for everyone. Add some baby shower decorations and perhaps a theme for the food and you are all sorted.

Pamper the mum-to-be

Get a group of girls together and head out to a salon for some pamper time. Get a massage, manicure, pedicure and/or facial. What a relaxing baby shower afternoon that would be! You could then head to her favourite café for a sweet treat afterward just to finish off a lovely afternoon.

Tea party

Just like how you would do a high tea for a bridal shower you could do the same thing for a baby shower. Bring out the teacups, club sandwiches, scones and cupcakes. Say on the invite if you are doing a tea party so guests can dress accordingly. This is the kind of thing you can do at home, have catered or some restaurants and eateries offer a high tea package so it is all set up for you.

Kid-friendly

Not all baby showers have kids at them, but it can be the perfect opportunity for any siblings to get excited about getting to meet their new little brother or sister soon. Kids and babies take the pressure off from trying to make everything perfect how nice is it to get to hold your friend's babies and share stories. Just make sure you have food and some activities sorted for the kids.

Crafts

If you want a change from the typical baby shower games why not do some crafts. There are so many fun ideas on Pinterest, here is a few of them:
• Make mobiles for over the crib.
• If the baby is a girl you could make headbands.
• Decorate onsies with buttons and fabric.
• Draw on bibs.
• Get blocks and create educational, unique and sensory toys.
• Decorate coat hangers for baby's wardrobe.

Girls night out

Get dressed up and go out for an evening on the town with the girls, the last hurrah before baby arrives. You could do dinner at a restaurant followed by cocktails at a bar (mocktails for the mum-to-be) or dessert.

Brunch shower

This is a great time for a baby shower as it is a relaxing and easy-going time of day. At this time don’t run the risk of it going on for too long and people still get the afternoon to do what they want afterward. Make some waffles and mini pancakes with a big spread of different toppings for people to put together themselves.

Books instead of cards

This is a fantastic idea for a keepsake for the new baby and you then have a big collection of books for them. It also means they will be kept, unlike cards which can be thrown out. Get the guests to write a message on the inside of the book so the parents can read that out as well when they are reading the book.

Write on nappies

Parents spend a lot of time changing nappies so why not make it a bit fun for them. As an activity for a baby shower, you can buy a big pack of nappies and everyone can write a message, joke, quote or piece of advice on them. Something to keep the parents smiling for months down the track, just make sure you get the band/type of nappy they are wanting.

Mocktails

Set up a mocktail bar at the baby shower. Put out a whole lot of different ingredients and print off some recipes for guests to follow and they can make their own. You could include some alcohol for those who want it, but tailor the recipes round the type of drinks the mum-to-be likes.

Movie night

Can’t beat a girl’s night watching movies and you could easily make this into a baby shower celebration. Watching movies wearing comfy clothes, eating popcorn and treats sounds like a dream! You could theme the movies to baby and pregnancy-related like Knocked Up, What To Expect When Your Expecting or Juno for a giggle.

Pay it forward

If the mum-to-be has everything she needs why not suggest that everyone brings some pre-loved items to the baby shower that can be donated to a charity like Woman’s Refuge. Guests could bring anything from pre-loved baby clothes to pre-loved items for mums. It is a great feel good for everyone and a sustainable way of celebrating.

Support local

Have a support local or homegrown theme baby shower. Some ways to do this would be:
• Source local produce or use local caterers for the food. Even better would be if people had food from their gardens.
• Get decorations from local businesses or make them yourself.
• Ask the guests to bring gifts that are made in New Zealand.

Keep it practical

Although it is very tempting to rush out and buy the cutest baby things you can find, keeping the theme practical can be helpful for the mum-to-be (if that is what she would prefer). Such as everyone brings nappies as a gift, or a frozen meal to fill her freezer for the coming months.

Check out the Lively & Co Baby Shower Decorations