18 Suspense-Filled Baby Shower Games That Keep Guests Engaged (2026 Updated)

1. Baby Bingo

This shower game keeps guests engaged during gift opening, the moment when energy typically drops at most parties. Instead of passive watching, guests actively participate in the celebration.

How to Play

Give each guest a blank bingo card before gift opening begins. Ask them to fill empty squares with items they predict the mom will receive. Common guesses include diapers, bottles, blankets, or clothing.

As the expectant mom opens each gift, guests mark their cards when predictions match actual presents. The first person to complete a row, column, or diagonal shouts “Bingo!” and wins a prize.

You can create multiple winners by continuing the game for full card completion or four corners patterns. This extends engagement throughout the entire gift opening session.

Why It Works

Baby bingo transforms gift opening from a spectator event into interactive entertainment. Guests pay attention to every present because their card depends on it.

The game requires zero preparation time during the party. Guests create their own cards, which means you avoid the stress of pre-filling dozens of squares before the shower.

This activity works perfectly for mixed age groups. Grandmothers and young cousins compete on equal footing, creating natural connections across generations at your celebration.

Pro Tip

Print bingo cards with pre-filled squares if you want faster gameplay. Survey the registry beforehand and include actual items mom registered for. This increases the suspense because guests know these gifts will appear.

Offer multiple small prizes rather than one grand prize. This keeps energy high throughout gift opening as different guests win at various points.

Consider digital bingo cards for virtual baby showers. Free online generators let remote guests play along while watching the mom open gifts via video call.

2. Guess the Baby Food

This classic baby shower game creates hilarious moments as guests discover that identifying pureed food proves surprisingly difficult. Even food enthusiasts struggle to distinguish between similar flavors.

How to Play

Purchase eight to twelve jars of baby food in various flavors before the party. Remove all labels and number each jar with stickers. Create an answer key for yourself with the correct flavors.

Give each guest a numbered answer sheet and small tasting spoon. Let guests smell, observe, and carefully taste each jar. They write their flavor guesses next to corresponding numbers.

Collect completed answer sheets after everyone finishes. Reveal the correct answers one by one. The guest with the most correct identifications wins the prize.

Why It Works

The game engages multiple senses, making it memorable long after the shower ends. Guests laugh together as they struggle to identify surprisingly challenging flavors.

Baby food becomes a conversation starter about parenting experiences. Veteran parents share stories about their children’s favorite foods and picky eating phases.

This activity costs less than ten dollars for supplies. Most baby food jars sell for under a dollar each at grocery stores or big box retailers.

Pro Tip

Choose visually similar baby food flavors to increase difficulty. Mix sweet potato with carrot, or pear with apple. Similar colors make identification nearly impossible without tasting.

Skip the tasting portion if guests seem hesitant. Smell and sight identification alone creates plenty of challenge while keeping everyone comfortable with participation.

Display unopened jars with labels after revealing answers. Donate all baby food to the expectant parents or a local food bank rather than wasting opened containers.

3. How Big Is the Baby Bump?

This interactive baby shower game gets guests up and moving while creating funny photo opportunities. Everyone tries to estimate the mom’s belly circumference using only their eyes.

How to Play

Place a roll of ribbon or yarn, scissors, and tape on a table near the entrance. As guests arrive, ask them to cut one piece of ribbon representing their estimate of how big around the baby bump measures.

Write each guest’s name on a small piece of tape and attach it to their ribbon. Collect all ribbons in a basket until game time arrives.

During the party, ask mom to stand in the center of the room. Test each ribbon around her belly. The guest whose ribbon comes closest to the actual measurement wins the prize.

Why It Works

The game creates immediate engagement when guests arrive. People naturally compare their ribbon choices and debate whose estimate looks most accurate.

Visual comedy emerges as you try ribbons that fall hilariously short or wrap around mom twice. These genuine moments of laughter bring joy to the entire celebration.

This activity requires minimal supplies that most people already own. One roll of ribbon and basic scissors serve groups of any size without additional purchases.

Pro Tip

Offer a second chance by letting guests adjust their ribbons after seeing others. This option helps shy guests feel less committed to potentially embarrassing guesses.

Take photos of mom with the shortest and longest ribbon attempts. These pictures become treasured memories that capture the baby bump size at this special moment.

Save all the ribbons after the game. String them together as unique party decor or include them in a memory scrapbook about the shower celebration.

4. Don’t Say ‘Baby’!

This ongoing baby shower game creates suspense throughout the entire celebration. Guests stay alert during every conversation, trying to catch each other breaking the simple rule.

How to Play

Give each guest a clothespin when they arrive at the shower. Explain the rule: anyone who says the word “baby” loses their clothespin to the person who catches them.

Guests clip the clothespin to their clothing and begin mingling. Listen carefully during conversations. When someone slips and says baby, whoever notices first claims their clothespin.

The game continues throughout the party. At a designated time near the end, count clothespins. The guest holding the most clothespins wins the prize.

Why It Works

The challenge proves surprisingly difficult. Avoiding such a common word at a baby shower requires constant mental effort and creates natural comedy when people forget.

This game requires no supervision or designated game time. Guests police themselves while mingling, keeping energy high during traditionally quiet moments like food service.

The ongoing nature means shy guests can participate without feeling spotlighted. Everyone plays at their comfort level throughout the celebration.

Pro Tip

Use decorative clothespins instead of plain wooden ones. Painted or embellished clothespins double as party favors that guests take home after the celebration ends.

Announce the rule multiple times throughout the party. New arrivals or distracted guests need reminders about the ongoing game to participate fairly.

Consider alternative forbidden words for additional challenge. Try “pregnant,” “shower,” or the mom’s name to increase difficulty at subsequent baby showers for friend groups.

5. Baby Trivia

This baby shower game combines education with entertainment as guests compete to answer fascinating questions about infant development and baby facts. Everyone learns surprising information while having fun.

How to Play

Create a list of fifteen to twenty baby trivia questions before the party. Include mix of easy and challenging questions about newborn facts, pregnancy statistics, or famous baby moments in history.

Print question sheets for all guests or display questions one at a time on a screen. Give guests two to three minutes to write their answers for each question.

Read correct answers after all questions are completed. Guests mark their own papers honestly. The person with the most correct answers wins the prize. Consider offering prizes for second and third place too.

Pro Tip

Include questions about the expectant parents mixed with general baby facts. Ask about their first date, favorite children’s book, or chosen baby name meaning to personalize the experience.

Adjust difficulty based on your guest list demographics. Questions for veteran parents should differ from those for young friends who haven’t started families yet.

Use multiple choice format instead of fill-in-the-blank answers. This helps less confident guests participate without fear of being completely wrong about answers.

6. How Well Do You Know the Parents?

This personalized baby shower game celebrates the unique relationship between expectant parents. Guests discover surprising facts about the couple while competing for the best score.

How to Play

Interview the expecting parents separately before the shower. Ask them fifteen to twenty questions about their relationship, pregnancy journey, and parenting plans. Record their actual answers privately.

Create matching question sheets for guests at the party. Let everyone write down what they think mom and dad answered to each question during your pre-shower interview.

Read the real answers from your interview notes. Guests mark correct predictions on their sheets. The guest with the most matching answers demonstrates they know the parents best and wins the prize.

Pro Tip

Include questions with humorous potential answers. Ask about weird pregnancy cravings, embarrassing parenting fears, or predictions about which parent will change more diapers at three in the morning.

Make some questions easy for close family and others challenging for everyone. This creates competitive balance between best friends and distant relatives at your shower.

Present the winning guest with a photo of them and the parents. This thoughtful prize acknowledges their special relationship beyond just game victory rewards.

7. Finish the Nursery Rhyme

This nostalgic baby shower game challenges guests to remember childhood favorites. People discover that nursery rhymes they heard thousands of times prove surprisingly difficult to recall accurately.

How to Play

Select ten to fifteen popular nursery rhymes before the party. Write out each rhyme but leave key words or entire lines blank. Create answer sheets with the incomplete rhymes.

Distribute sheets to guests along with pens. Give them five to seven minutes to fill in all the missing words from memory. No phones or cheating allowed during this challenge.

Read the correct complete rhymes after time expires. Guests mark their papers and count accurate answers. The person who remembered the most missing words correctly wins the game prize.

Pro Tip

Include rhymes from different eras and cultures. Mix classic Mother Goose verses with more modern favorites to challenge guests of varying ages and backgrounds fairly.

Leave the easiest words blank for veteran parents and tricky phrases missing for everyone else. Balance difficulty so both new and experienced parents can participate confidently.

Play recordings of complete nursery rhymes while revealing answers. This nostalgic audio addition creates warm memories and makes the answer reveal more engaging for all guests.

8. Decorate a Onesie

This hands-on baby shower game produces adorable clothing that babies actually wear. Guests create personalized onesies while bonding over the shared creative experience.

How to Play

Purchase plain white onesies in various sizes before the party. Set up a craft station with fabric markers, iron-on letters, stencils, and fabric paint in multiple colors.

Give each guest one onesie when they arrive or during designated craft time. Explain they have twenty to thirty minutes to design something special for the baby to wear.

Let creativity flow without strict rules or competition. Some guests draw pictures while others write funny sayings or create patterns. All designs become cherished gifts for the expectant parents to take home.

Pro Tip

Provide design inspiration with printed examples or a Pinterest board. Some guests feel intimidated by blank onesies and appreciate creative starting points for their artwork.

Set up an ironing station if using iron-on transfers. Designate one person to help guests apply designs properly so decorations survive multiple wash cycles after the shower.

Display completed onesies on a clothesline with mini clothespins. This creates adorable photo opportunities and lets everyone admire the collective creativity before parents take them home.

9. Baby Advice Cards

This meaningful baby shower game creates lasting wisdom that new parents reference throughout challenging early months. Advice cards offer both practical tips and emotional support during the parenting journey.

How to Play

Place decorative advice cards and pens at each place setting or on a central table. Ask guests to write one or two pieces of parenting advice, favorite memories, or encouraging messages for the new parents.

Let guests complete their cards at their own pace during mingling time or while waiting for food. No pressure or time limits ensure thoughtful, genuine responses from all attendees.

Collect completed cards in a decorative box or album. Present the collection to mom and dad at the end of the shower. They read these treasured messages when they need encouragement during sleepless nights.

Pro Tip

Provide prompt questions on a display board for guests who feel stuck. Suggestions like “Your best sleep training advice” or “One thing I wish I knew” spark ideas and memories.

Encourage humorous advice alongside serious tips. Funny cards about surviving on no sleep or accepting messy houses often become parents’ favorites when reality matches the jokes.

Include blank cards in thank-you notes after the shower. Guests who couldn’t attend in person can still contribute their wisdom to the growing advice collection.

10. Draw the Baby

This hilarious baby shower game produces artwork that ranges from surprisingly good to absolutely ridiculous. Guests create baby face drawings under challenging conditions that guarantee laughter.

How to Play

Give each guest a paper plate, marker, and clipboard. Ask them to place the paper plate on top of their head like a hat, resting against their hair.

Without looking at the plate, guests draw a baby face including eyes, nose, mouth, ears, and hair. They must keep the plate balanced on their head throughout the entire drawing process.

After everyone finishes, pass plates around the room to compare results. Vote on categories like most realistic, most creative, or funniest. Winners in each category receive small prizes.

Pro Tip

Take photos of guests with plates balanced on heads while drawing. These action shots often prove funnier than the finished artwork and make great social media content after the shower.

Display all drawings together on a wall or board. The collective gallery emphasizes the range of artistic abilities and creates fantastic photo opportunities for guests.

Let parents keep all drawings as party mementos. These silly artworks become funny decorations for the nursery or baby book pages that document the shower celebration.

11. Diaper the Baby Relay

This fast-paced baby shower game turns diaper changing into a hilarious competition. Teams race against each other while discovering that diapering a wiggly doll proves surprisingly challenging.

How to Play

Divide guests into teams of three to four people. Give each team one baby doll, several diapers, wipes, and baby powder. Set up relay stations with equal supplies for each team.

When you say go, the first person from each team runs to their station, diapers the baby doll completely, then runs back to tag the next teammate. Continue until all team members finish diapering.

The first team to have all members successfully diaper their doll wins the game. Check that diapers are properly fastened before declaring winners to ensure fairness in the competition.

Pro Tip

Use realistic baby dolls that are similar weight and size to newborns. Floppy limbs and proportional bodies increase the challenge and make the game more entertaining for spectators watching.

Add obstacles like blindfolds or oven mitts to increase difficulty for veteran parents. These modifications level the playing field between experienced diaper changers and first-time parents at your shower.

Time each team and announce records to build competitive energy. Subsequent rounds let losing teams try to beat winning times for redemption prizes.

12. Baby Bottle Chugging

This silly baby shower game creates instant comedy as adults struggle with tiny bottle nipples designed for infants. Watching grown people attempt rapid drinking from baby bottles never fails to generate laughter.

How to Play

Fill identical baby bottles with the same amount of beverage before the competition. Choose juice, water, or other non-alcoholic drinks. Make sure bottle nipples are new and have standard flow rates.

Select four to six volunteers for each round. At your signal, competitors race to empty their entire bottle as quickly as possible using only the nipple. No removing tops or cheating allowed.

The first person to finish their bottle completely wins that round. Run multiple rounds so more guests can participate. Award prizes to heat winners and the overall fastest drinker.

Pro Tip

Warm bottles slightly before the competition. Room temperature or slightly warm liquid flows more easily through nipples than cold beverages, making the challenge possible but still difficult.

Have paper towels ready for inevitable spills and drips. Adults lack baby drinking skills, so messes become part of the entertainment value at this hilarious game.

Record videos of attempts for social media sharing later. These funny clips become treasured memories that friends watch and laugh about long after the baby shower ends.

13. Pass the Baby

This suspenseful baby shower game keeps everyone on the edge of their seats. Guests pass a wrapped baby doll around the circle, never knowing when the music will stop and leave them holding the bundle.

How to Play

Wrap a baby doll in multiple layers of wrapping paper before the party. Between layers, include small prizes, funny tasks written on cards, or baby care instructions that the unwrapper must read aloud.

Seat guests in a circle and start music. Guests pass the wrapped bundle clockwise around the circle while music plays. When you stop the music randomly, whoever holds the bundle removes one layer.

The person who unwraps the final layer and reveals the baby doll wins the grand prize. Everyone who unwrapped a layer receives whatever small prize or task card was hidden between their paper layers.

Pro Tip

Use different types of wrapping materials for each layer. Alternate between wrapping paper, tissue paper, bubble wrap, and aluminum foil to create varied textures and increase the unwrapping challenge.

Write silly tasks on cards between layers like “sing a lullaby” or “share your funniest parenting story.” These activities keep energy high and entertain other guests during the game.

Play baby-themed music during the passing rounds. Songs like lullabies or children’s music enhance the atmosphere and add thematic consistency to your baby shower entertainment.

14. Baby Price Is Right

This entertaining baby shower game tests guests’ knowledge of baby product costs. New parents quickly learn that tiny items carry surprisingly large price tags in the baby care world.

How to Play

Purchase or borrow ten to twelve common baby items before the shower. Include products like diapers, bottles, wipes, baby food, toys, and clothing in various price ranges from budget to premium brands.

Display all items with numbers but without price tags visible. Give guests answer sheets listing each numbered item. They write down their best guess for what each product costs at retail stores.

Reveal actual prices one by one after everyone submits their guesses. The guest whose total estimate comes closest to the actual combined cost wins the prize. All items become gifts for the expectant parents.

Pro Tip

Include one outrageously expensive item like a premium baby monitor or designer diaper bag. Guests’ shocked reactions when learning actual prices create memorable moments and valuable education for first-time parents.

Shop at stores where parents will actually buy supplies. Prices at big box retailers differ significantly from specialty boutiques, so match shopping locations to their likely future purchases.

Keep receipts and return unused items if mom already has duplicates. Alternatively, donate products to local women’s shelters or pregnancy resource centers after the game concludes.

15. Baby Photo Guess

This nostalgic baby shower game challenges guests to identify whose adorable baby pictures appear on display. Everyone loves seeing childhood photos of friends and family members they know as adults.

How to Play

Request baby photos from guests when sending shower invitations. Ask for pictures from infancy to age three. Collect photos digitally and print them all in uniform size before the party.

Mount photos on a poster board with numbers but no names. Create a master list matching photo numbers to the correct people. Display the board prominently where guests can study it easily.

Give everyone an answer sheet listing all photo numbers. Let guests mingle and study photos throughout the party, writing down their identification guesses. Collect sheets and reveal correct answers near the end of the celebration.

Pro Tip

Include baby photos of the expectant mom and dad prominently. This makes the game feel personalized while testing whether guests can recognize their friends’ childhood features.

Request photos that show distinctive features like eye color or smile shape. Too-similar photos frustrate guests who can’t distinguish between look-alike babies in the collection.

Create a digital slideshow version for virtual baby showers. Screen-share the photo presentation and let remote guests submit their guesses through chat or polling features during the video call.

16. Virtual Baby Shower Bingo (For Remote Guests)

This adapted baby shower game brings distant loved ones into the celebration seamlessly. Remote guests participate fully in traditional baby bingo despite physical distance from the party venue.

How to Play

Email digital bingo cards to all virtual attendees several days before the shower. Include instructions for printing cards or using them on tablets during the video call gift opening.

Start your video conference and ensure all remote guests can see and hear clearly. Position the camera so virtual attendees watch as mom opens each gift without technical difficulties.

As presents open, remote guests mark their digital or printed cards just like in-person attendees. When someone gets bingo, they unmute and announce their win. Ship prizes to remote winners after the shower concludes.

Pro Tip

Test your video setup before the party starts. Poor camera angles or sound quality ruin the virtual baby experience for remote guests who want to participate meaningfully in the celebration.

Assign one in-person guest as virtual coordinator. This designated helper monitors the chat, ensures remote guests can see gifts clearly, and announces their bingo wins to the physical party attendees.

Use online bingo generators that work through web browsers. Digital cards automatically mark themselves when you click squares, making virtual baby participation easier for less tech-savvy remote guests.

17. Baby Name Scramble

This brain-teasing baby shower game challenges guests to unscramble popular baby names from mixed-up letters. The puzzle format appeals to word game enthusiasts while introducing trendy name ideas to expectant parents.

How to Play

Create a list of fifteen to twenty popular baby names before the shower. Mix up the letters in each name to create scrambled puzzles. Print sheets with all scrambled names and blank answer lines.

Distribute puzzle sheets and pens to guests. Set a timer for five to seven minutes. Guests work individually to unscramble as many baby names as possible before time expires.

Call time and have guests swap papers for scoring. Read correct answers slowly and clearly. The guest who unscrambled the most names correctly wins the game prize.

Pro Tip

Include names from diverse cultural backgrounds in your scramble. This inclusive approach exposes guests to beautiful names from various traditions while respecting the multicultural nature of modern families.

Mix in the parents’ actual shortlist names if they’ve shared their top choices. Guests enjoy seeing preferred names in the game and feel more connected to the real naming decision process.

Adjust difficulty by including both common names like Emma and Oliver alongside unique choices like Seraphina and Maximilian. The variety keeps all guests challenged regardless of their name knowledge level.

18. What’s in the Bag?

This sensory baby shower game tests guests’ ability to identify common baby items through touch alone. Without visual clues, even familiar objects become mysterious challenges that create funny moments of confused guessing.

How to Play

Gather ten to twelve common baby items before the party. Choose objects with distinctive shapes like pacifiers, bottles, teething rings, rattles, baby spoons, small toys, and washcloths.

Place one item inside each numbered gift bag or pillowcase. Set bags on a table where guests can reach inside but not see the contents. Create an answer key for yourself listing which item hides in each bag.

Give guests answer sheets listing all bag numbers. They reach into each bag, feel the mystery object without looking, and write down their identification guess. The person who correctly identifies the most items wins.

Pro Tip

Include one or two unusual baby items that even parents might not recognize. Specialty products like nose aspirators or medicine dispensers create challenge and introduce useful tools to first-time parents.

Use bags made from thicker fabric that blocks visual clues completely. Thin bags or bright lighting can reveal shadows of items inside, reducing the challenge and making correct guessing too easy.

Let guests wash hands with sanitizer between feeling items. This hygiene consideration keeps everyone comfortable touching objects that others have handled throughout the game time.