25 Baby Shower Activities That Are Not Games (And Guests Will Actually Love)
Skip the bingo cards. These baby shower activities give guests something fun to do, and the parents get a keepsake out of it instead of a scoreboard.
Nobody wants to be the guest sweating through “guess the melted candy bar” while quietly checking the clock. Baby shower games get all the airtime, but crafting, writing, and building something together let guests connect without anyone getting put on the spot. Here are 16 baby shower activities, sorted by vibe, plus a quick table to help you pick the right ones.
Heads up: This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases—at no extra cost to you. Full privacy policy and disclosure here.
Keepsake and Sentimental Baby Shower Activities
1. Wishing Well Advice Cards
Set out a pretty box, jar, or “wishing well” with cards and pens, and let guests drop in advice, a wish for the baby, or a memory from their own early parenting days. It works for everyone, from the chatty aunt who writes a full paragraph to the quiet coworker who writes one heartfelt line. Ready-made baby shower prediction and advice cards mean guests just fill in the blanks, and a baby shower guest book album keeps every card together once the party’s over.
2. Memory Book Pages
Hand each guest a blank scrapbook page to decorate, write on, or doodle across, then bind them together or let the parents assemble the book themselves. Unlike a guest book that gets signed and forgotten, this is something the child can flip through someday. Mention that out loud at the party and guests take way more care with their page. Need more ways to build on the idea? Try these creative baby book ideas.
3. Time Capsule
Ask guests to tuck in a small item, a note, or a prediction about where the baby will be in five years or what the world might look like by then. Seal it up and plan to crack it open on a future birthday. A time capsule kit makes setup easy, and these baby time capsule ideas have plenty of prompts to borrow. It fits a brunch or outdoor shower where guests have time to sit and think.
Hands-On Craft Baby Shower Activities
4. DIY Onesie Station
Stock the table with plain white onesies in a few sizes, fabric markers, iron-on transfers, and stencils, then let guests decorate one (or three). Finished onesies dry on a clothesline that doubles as party decor. This one is secretly a supply run for the parents, because a stack of hand-decorated onesies is genuinely useful, not just sentimental.
5. Mini Bouquet or Flower Bar
Put out buckets of stems, greenery, and ribbon, and let guests build a small bouquet to take home. It’s a quiet, drift-in-and-out kind of activity, so nobody feels rushed. Bonus: a table full of loose blooms looks gorgeous before anyone touches it.
6. Baby Bib Decorating
Think onesie station, scaled down. Plain fabric bibs, some markers or fabric paint, and a little imagination is all it takes. It moves faster than the onesie table, which makes it the smart pick when you’re short on time.
Pick Your 3: Activity Matchmaker
Not sure where to start? Find your shower type below and grab the activities that fit. Most showers only need two or three. If you want the whole party mapped out, this baby shower checklist printable covers everything, not just activities.
| Shower Type | Budget | Best Baby Shower Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Small, intimate (under 15 guests) | $ | Wishing well cards, memory book pages, advice jar |
| Large group (25+ guests) | $$ | DIY onesie station, flower bar, time capsule |
| Co-ed or mixed crowd | $ | Advice cards, baby name board, diaper messages |
| Virtual or long-distance | $ | Digital memory book, mailed advice cards, virtual toast |
| Sentimental, low-key brunch | $$ | Wishing well, time capsule, letters to baby |
Co-Ed and All-Ages Baby Shower Activities
7. Baby Name Suggestion Board
Set up a poster or chalkboard and let guests scribble name ideas as they mingle. It takes almost no effort, and it reliably gets a few laughs (and maybe one name the parents secretly love). Dads and grandparents tend to jump right in.
8. Diaper Messages
Hand out diapers and permanent markers so guests can write encouraging or funny notes for the parents to find during those sleep-deprived first weeks. Picture a 3 a.m. diaper change and a note that says “you’re doing great.” It’s practical, it’s sweet, and it’s a little bit hilarious.
9. Group Photo Wall
Skip the one stiff group shot and set up a simple backdrop where guests snap instant photos all afternoon. Pin them to the wall as they develop and you’ve got a live gallery by the end of the party. An Instax mini camera paired with Instax film turns it into a self-serve station.
10. Shared Playlist Card
Ask each guest to jot down one song for the baby’s future “growing up” playlist. Compile the picks afterward and hand the parents a gift they can play in the car for years. It’s a fast, low-pressure activity that works for every age in the room.
Low-Prep, Low-Budget Baby Shower Activities
11. Advice Jar with Popsicle Sticks
Big popsicle sticks, a jar, and a handful of pens. Guests write one piece of advice per stick, and the parents can pull one out on a rough day. It takes minutes to set up and works for any size group, which makes it the easiest no-prep activity on this list. If the budget is tight across the whole party, our guide to hosting a baby shower on a budget covers the rest.
12. Letters to Baby
Lay out simple stationery and envelopes and invite guests to write a letter the baby will read at a milestone birthday. Seal them up and stash them somewhere safe. Years from now, a note from a great-aunt or old family friend will hit differently.
13. Build-Your-Own Donut or Snack Bar
Food and activity in one, which means less to plan. Guests decorate their own donuts or snack plates and end up chatting over the toppings without even trying. Browse more options in our baby shower food ideas.
Virtual and Long-Distance Baby Shower Activities
Virtual showers need activities guests can do from home and still feel connected. For the full walkthrough, see our guide to planning a virtual baby shower.
14. Digital Memory Book
Guests submit a note or photo ahead of time through a shared link, and you compile everything into one document or slideshow. Share it on the call, then send the parents the final file to keep. It’s the closest thing to memory book pages for people who can’t be in the room.
15. Mailed Advice Cards
Slip a blank card into each invitation and ask guests to mail it back before the shower, or hold onto it and read it aloud during the call. The parents get a physical stack of advice to keep, which feels extra special when the guest list is scattered across time zones.
16. Virtual Toast
Everyone raises a drink and shares one sentence of advice or well-wishes on camera. It’s short, it’s warm, and it works as a natural closing moment for the call. Nobody needs to prepare anything beyond a favorite beverage.
How to Set Up Multiple Activity Stations
If you’re planning more than one activity, setup matters as much as the idea itself. A cluttered table with no instructions leaves guests standing around unsure what to do.
- One clear task per station: Add a small sign explaining what to do.
- Show a finished example: Guests relax when they can see what “done” looks like.
- Pre-portion supplies: Nobody wants to dig through a shared bin.
- Stop at two or three stations: Any more and the room starts to feel like a craft fair instead of a party.
- Assign a station checker: Have someone (even you, briefly) refill supplies and answer questions partway through.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can we do instead of games at a baby shower?
Try a wishing well for advice cards, a DIY onesie decorating station, a memory book, or a time capsule. These baby shower activities give guests something meaningful to do without the pressure games can create.
What’s a meaningful activity for a baby shower?
Anything that leaves a keepsake tends to feel the most meaningful, like handwritten advice cards, a memory book page, or a time capsule the family opens years later. Parents can hold onto those, unlike a game that ends when the prize is handed out.
Are activities better than games for co-ed showers?
Usually, yes. Mixed groups of dads, grandparents, and coworkers tend to feel more comfortable with low-key options like a name suggestion board or diaper messages than with games that put individual guests on the spot.
How many baby shower activities should I plan?
Two to three is plenty for most showers. Any more and guests spend the party hopping between stations instead of talking to each other.
Can I skip gift-opening and do an activity instead?
Yes. Many hosts now open gifts privately after the shower and use party time for an activity. It takes the spotlight off the mom-to-be and keeps the party moving.
How much do baby shower activities cost?
Card and jar-based activities can cost under $20 total. Craft stations like onesie decorating or a flower bar usually run $30 to $75, depending on group size and supplies.
More Baby Shower Ideas You’ll Love
- Virtual baby shower ideas
- How to actually have a baby shower on a budget
- Baby shower checklist printable
