We ship worldwide! More details here.

blog

Baby shower games explained: “Baby Shower Bingo”

A fast-paced game to get everyone excited trying to guess the gifts received by mom-to-be.

What you’ll need for “Baby Shower Bingo”

  • A number of game cards (usually 4×4 or 5×5) so people can write down their guesses.

How to play “Baby Shower Bingo”

  1. Hand out a game card to each guest;
  2. Pass pens/pencils around so people can write down gifts they think mom-to-be received;
  3. Start opening the gifts so people can start marking items on their cards;
  4. The winner is the first guest to complete an entire row or column with their guesses;
  5. If no winner is found when all gifts are opened, whoever got more correct guesses is the winner.

If you are going DIY and create your own bingo card, this is what it could look like:

– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –
– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –
– free space –– free space –⭐️ Baby ⭐️
⭐️ Bingo ⭐️
– free space –– free space –
– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –
– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –– free space –

Fun twists

  • You can make the activity less “gift-focussed” by asking people to choose baby-related words for their cards, so then mom-to-be just have to announce the words.
  • Ask people to announce when they are one word short of hitting “Bingo” to build more excitement around the room.

Baby shower games explained: “The Price Is Right”

How much certain baby essentials cost? Entertain your guests with this simple and fun game.

What you’ll need for “The Price Is Right”

  • A number of game cards containing a list of baby essentials with a space to the right for price guesses.

Credits: MyLittleForestCo, ShowerThatBaby, BabyxLibrary, LuckyFoxPartyShop, and StrawberryPartyPrint.

How to play “The Price Is Right”

  1. Hand out a game card to each guest with the baby items listed;
  2. Once everyone has their cards and a pen/pencil, start a timer;
  3. When the time is up, reveal the prices and award a point to whoever got closer to the real price.
  4. Ask people to sum up their points and the winner is the guest with more points.

If you are going DIY and create your own list of baby items, you can use this as the starting point:

  • Dummy / pacifier
  • Sleeping bag
  • IKEA cot / crib
  • Baby monitor
  • Baby hairbrush
  • Baby thermometer
  • IKEA high chair
  • Pram/stroller
  • Portable cot / crib

Fun twists

  • Award extra points for guesses that match the price exactly.
  • Add specific brands or models to the items, so people have more chances of guessing right.
  • Make it easier for guests by not using cents on the prices, just the whole part. (for example: 3 is the right answer, regardless of the price being 3.14 or 3.88)

Baby shower games explained: “Baby Word Scramble”

Guests with kids might have a slight advantage playing this game, but everyone is certain to have fun trying to guess the words.

What you’ll need for “Baby Word Scramble”

  • A number of game cards featuring a list of scrambled words to be guessed.

Credits: BabyxLibrary, gamesbygeorgette, DrummingMumDesigns, LuckyFoxPartyShop, and DrawMeAParty.

How to play “Baby Word Scramble”

  • Hand out a game card to each guest with the scrambled words;
  • Once everyone has their cards and a pen/pencil, start a timer;
  • When the time is up, reveal the words and whoever got more words correctly is the winner.

If you are going DIY and create your list of words, you can use this as the starting point (answers in bold):

Scrambled word Answer
tkeblna Blanket
ycr Cry
freesbidganet Breastfeeding
iseneso Onesies
bcir Crib
ciaatrepdanii Paediatrician
nnifta Infant
lmki Milk
pdaier Diaper
lorlters Stroller
ymumd Dummy

Fun twists

  • Have one or two words related to older children – not exactly babies, to catch people off guard and leave them thinking for longer.
  • “Repeat” a word with its plural form, definitely will make people think for longer before writing down.
  • If you already decided on the name of your baby, add it as one of the scrambled words.

Baby shower games explained: “Baby Traits Prediction”

This fun game can be easily played by all guests, even if they don’t know either dad or mom-to-be that well.

What you’ll need for “Baby Traits Prediction”

  • A number of cards featuring a list of traits and options for people to circle either mom or dad.

Credits: BabyxLibrary, MimisPrintables, everjolly, BabyxLibrary, and WestandPine.

How to play “Baby Traits Prediction”

  1. Gather everyone and give each person a card with the list of traits;
  2. Ask people to look at both mom and dad-to-be and mark their choices;
  3. Get someone to count things and announce the consensus prediction.

If you are going DIY and create your table of traits, you can use this as your starting point:

Characteristic / Trait Mom Dad
Hair 👶 ⃞ 👶 ⃞
Eye colour 👶 ⃞ 👶 ⃞
Nose 👶 ⃞ 👶 ⃞
Sense of humour 👶 ⃞ 👶 ⃞
Fashion sense 👶 ⃞ 👶 ⃞
Athletic skills 👶 ⃞ 👶 ⃞

Fun twists

  • You can group all options that did not receive the majority of the votes to announce the “less likely baby traits“.
  • You can have a blank last row so people can add an extra feature from either mom or dad that the baby is going to have.

Baby shower games explained: “Don’t Say Baby”

A brilliantly simple game that will entertain everyone and make your guests talk between themselves more easily during all the party.

What you’ll need for “Don’t Say Baby”

  • A set of pin / brooches, ideally one per guest;
    • Amazon is usually a great source for these pins; I particularly love this unicorn-themed set.

A lovely example set of pins you can use, from Amazon

  • A print outlining the rules easily visible somewhere (see rules below).

How to play “Don’t Say Baby”

  1. Give each guest a single pin at the beginning of the party;
  2. Anytime someone says the word “baby”, one of their pins is stolen;
  3. At the end of the party, the guest with more pins is the winner.

Fun twists

  • When someone says the keyword, all of their pins are stolen (not a single one).
  • If most of your guests share a common interest (let’s say, cycling), you can have a second keyword (for example: bike) to make things more dynamic.
  • Make it Mario Kart style: everyone receives three pins at the beginning instead of one.
  • Make it UNO style: give someone a reverse card so they can purposely say the keyword at some point, giving them the right to steal the pins of whoever caught them saying the word instead.
  • Have a wooden spoon award: guests receive silly (funny!) replacement pins for each pin stolen from them, so the guest with more silly pins receives the wooden spoon. (these pins cannot be stolen)

10 clever ideas for a creative baby gender reveal

Boy or girl 👬? Blue 💙 or pink 💖?

Revealing the gender of your baby to family and friends can be done in a variety of creative ways these days.

Which means you definitely want something original that reflects your personality, right?
So to help you with that find below my curated list of creative ideas to inspire your baby gender reveal!

Idea #1: Gender reveal cake

It is a party, you have friends and family around you, so naturally there is also a cake to be served.
Take advantage of that and make the cake literally the centerpiece of the event by using it as the gender revealer.

Related image
Photo credit: Taste of Home

The idea is simple, creative, and cost-effective (after all, it serves as food for your guests): just add food colouring to the cake batter to turn it either blue or pink, of course leaving the frost as usual with a gender neutral colour, typically white or yellow.

Then at the party, just gather the guests around the cake and slice the cake for the big revelation!

Idea #2: Gender reveal balloon pop / piñata

OK, this is actually 2 ideas in 1, but the principle is exactly the same, so that is why I’m grouping them together.

For the balloon: fill a large balloon with pink or blue confetti and pop it to reveal the gender.

Photo credit: Balloon Boy

For the piñata: either buy a ready-made gender reveal piñata or you can use a simple box for the same effect, then fill with confetti for the big reveal.

IMG_1972-3
Photo credit: Love & Zest

Idea #3: Gender reveal scratchies

This idea is super cool because everyone at the party gets to actively participate!

It works like this: every guest receives a scratch card and then you give the signal so everyone scratch their cards, whoever gets three identical colours announces the gender!

Photo credit: HoneyBeePartyPrints

Idea #4: Gender reveal fortune cookies

Of course you are familiar with fortune cookies, right?

These crispy and sugary cookies are normally used for inspirational quotes, but did you know you can find people that make them with customised messages?

Photo credit: Fortune Cookies NZ

So the idea is quite simple: either buy the cookies ready-made with the message you want OR make them at home with a recipe of fortune cookies.

For an interesting variation, you can go for different messages inside the cookies and only cookie having the message that reveals the gender. 😀

Idea #5: Star Wars inspired gender reveal

Any Star Wars fans out there? So you will immediately recognise these:

Photo credits: DUBBUL

This idea works even better for parties at night, so the glow from the lightsabers is more noticeable.

To get it done you simply need to purchase a pair of lightsabers (Amazon has heaps of options for you to choose from) with a combination of colours like described below:

  • Sabers of same colour: both parents reveal the gender at the same time by activating their sabers at the same time with the lights off.
  • Sabers of different colours: both parents start a battle and the winner side holds the saber revealing the gender of the baby. How cool is this, eh???

Idea #6: Gender reveal dart board

Another idea easily DIY or that you can buy ready-made: it is a board with a number of balloons and guests will be throwing darts to discover the gender of the baby.

Photo credit: PartyParadiseBalloon

You can them play the game using this cool plan: all balloons have some confetti inside according to the setup below:

  • Three of the gender of the baby,
  • Two of the opposite gender,
  • All others have white confetti.

Now guests should just take turns throwing darts and whenever three coloured balloons pop the gender will be revealed.

Idea #7: Gender reveal golf balls

For sportist parents with a particular interest in golf, this idea is super cool.

Photo credit: Babykees

Buy a ready-made golf ball that breaks when hit, releasing a beautifully coloured power to reveal the baby gender.

You can also go for alternative-but-similar sport ideas, such as baseball or American football.

Idea #8: Gender reveal egg roulette

This idea got popular after The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon showed it in action.
The best part? Super easy to DIY!

Photo credit: Mum’s grapevine

The plan is as follows: get a dozen eggs and dye 6 with a shade of pink and the other 6 with a shade of blue. (easy-to-follow instructions for dying eggs at home).

Now here is the twist: only ONE of the eggs will remain raw, while all the others will be hard boiled.
During the party parents will take turns cracking the eggs in their foreheads until they crack the raw one revealing the gender.

Idea #9: Furry friend gender reveal

Have a child with four pawns? You can turn your furry friend into the star of the show with this idea.

Photo credit: lcdezines

Dress your dog with this cute shirt and let them roam around the party, guests can rub the dog’s belly to find out the gender.

Bonus points if you are having twins and have two dogs: each dog reveals the gender of one baby!

Idea #10: Gender reveal surprise box with balloons

All you need to pull this one off is a big cardboard box and some balloons with the colour of the gender to be revealed.

Photo credit: Kara’s Party Ideas

Now you just need to fill the balloons with helium and let them sit somewhere at the party ready for the big moment.

To reveal the gender you simply open the box letting the balloons fly up to the sky, super easy!

I’d love to see photos of your party!

If you’ve done your party using any of the ideas above, I would love to see some of the photos. 😍

Newborn gift idea: birth details poster

Are you…

  • the parent of a newborn and want to decorate their bedroom with something cute and personal?
  • someone with close friends that just had a baby and you want to give them the perfect gift?

If so, I just happen to have the perfect newborn gift idea to share with you!

A birth details poster!

If you have no idea what I’m talking about or haven’t seen one before, here is what they look like:

😍 Simply beautiful, aren’t they!?

In case you didn’t get the idea, a birth details poster is a printable item where you record the birth information of a baby as a beautiful visual memory.

And to make it even more personal, there is usually space for a touch of your little one’s cute foot or hand, so you can get something like this as the final result:

“O.M.G! That is so cute!” 💖

Yep, I heard you saying that. 😃

Now the next step is to go to my shop and personalise your birth details poster for yourself!

Nursery room decor idea: nursery prints / wall art

There is absolutely nothing more exciting than decorating the bedroom to welcome a newborn. 🥰

You obviously want something peaceful, inviting, and most importantly, super cute!

So then allow me to inspire you with this great idea, that you can DIY for the most part and have the nursery room of your dreams ready to welcome your little bundle of joy.

Pictures to inspire

Image credits (in order of display):
Sydney Brown, babyletto, babyletto, mrswilliams_official, Pink Forest Cafe, modernbabyandthings, booricollections, and incyinteriors.

So now that you can clearly see what I’m talking about, let’s get to how you can do this by yourself. 😃

Step 1: find some nice prints

This is a relatively easy task, only limited by the amount of time you want to spend browsing the Internet to find the perfect image.

Of course you don’t want to waste time by looking at low quality images (as you would get by going to Google Images), that cannot be printed properly because of the low resolution.
Instead stick to reputable websites where you can get professionally created images directly from designers and artists.

I happen to have my own collection of cute nursery animal prints that would beautifully decorate any nursery room you can imagine. Here are some examples:

Another great place to get such prints is definitely Etsy: search for “nursery prints” and off you go!

Step 2: print

If you purchased something already printed and shipped to you, skip this step and go to 3.

Typical appropriate files for printing are either PDFs (more common) and JPGs.

Once you have downloaded the respective files to your computer, there are many ways you can print these files, but here are a couple of ideas:

  • (recommended) Email or bring files to local print store such as Staples, Target, Costco, Officeworks, Walgreens, etc…
  • Print on your home printer
  • Upload and print online at Shutterfly.com, Snapfish.com, MPix.com, etc…

Tip: make sure to use the appropriate file for the respective size you want to print, otherwise the final result will look blurry or grainy.

As for the paper, it’s important to use good quality, sometimes called premium art paper, in order to achieve bright and vivid results.
If you want to go more technical, 300gsm card stock is a good choice for your prints.

Step 3: frame

If you got your print from us than you have a standard size for your print, so it will nicely fit a ready-made frame.
If you have a very specific print size to frame, it will require custom framing.

It depends a bit on where you live, but common options to buy standard-sized frames are:
Target, Michaels, Shutterfly, Walmart, Officeworks, Staples, and, of course, Amazon.

Then you also need to consider what style you want your frame to be; common options are:
wood, metallic, black, or white.

As you can see from the gallery above, they all match different rooms and environments, so consider the surroundings to make the right choice for you.

Also note these are frame styles, so you can find a variety of colours with wooden and metallic finishes as well, for example:

Image credits: Target US and Michaels.

Step 4: hang

OK, so this is easy, just grab a hammer, some nails and… nah, just kidding. 😝

I mean, of course you could go super traditional, but unless you know exactly what you are doing and are very happy with the long term solution, sure go for it, otherwise you probably want to try something a bit less … destructive. 🙂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bTdtnzPmOE
Watch this video to learn how to use their strips

The best solution out there for that are 3M Command Strips.
There are some alternatives brands you can find, but I personally find the 3M ones to stick better overall (especially to the important part, the wall).

They can also be easily removed later without damaging the walls, super important if you are renting.

No, I’m not sponsored by 3M or anything. 😝
Just sharing with you what works best based on my personal experiences.

And there you have it!
Hope you and your little one enjoy the beautiful wall art you are going to create.

Benefits of using reward charts

Reward charts are a powerful tool to incentivise children to modify their behaviour.
(Not sure what is a reward chart? Head to this page for an introduction)

They are incredibly useful even in situations where children have been showing ADHD behaviour.

In terms of benefits, the list can be summarised as: fun, motivating, and fulfilling.

Why are reward charts fun?

There is a simple reason why reward charts are fun: they are visually appealing and draw the instinct of curiosity children naturally have.

By allowing children to put their own stickers to the charts, or maybe draw their marks, they will have fun mixing colours and faces to match certain patterns established in their minds.

They are also fun for children because they shift the focus from completing tasks and chores to accumulating markers and stickers, which leads us to the next point…

Why are reward charts motivating?

Motivation to complete reward charts comes simply from the sense of progress they provide at all times.

As a parent, make sure to put the chart easily visible in the kids bedroom or in the family living room so they will have a constant reminder of the two important elements on the chart: the reward and the progress.

If the appropriate balance between challenge and frequent progress updates, kids will eventually complete the chart and claim their reward, which leads us to the next point…

Why are reward charts fulfilling?

It is well known that adults benefit from small rewards when accomplishing personal goals in life.
So why would children be any different?

Completing a reward chart yields two important outcomes: the reward initially set (the obvious result) but also gives children a strong sense of accomplishment for their hard work.

This means that your job as a dedicated parent is to also provide motivation while the chart is being completed incrementally, not only when it is done. Remember that!

Summary

By internalising the three reasons above, you can provide your children with the appropriate motivation and will set yourself for success.

It can also be helpful to remember our collection of tips to use a reward chart successfully.

Chores by age: finding the right chores for your child to help at home

It is a fact: children that help with house chores develop a stronger sense of belonging and are more likely to become responsible teens and adults later on in life.

Which means it is equally important on this long journey to define age-appropriate chores your children can effectively do by themselves.

Pick something they are not prepared for and that will lead to frustration for both sides.
Pick the right tasks and they will feel engaged to complete them, feeling part of the family in all possible senses.

To help you finding the right chores for your children, here is a list of appropriate chores by age:
(click the respective link if you want to chores for a specific age, otherwise keep reading for all ideas)

Please note that from ages 2 all the way up to 11, kids can benefit from reward charts (what is a reward chart?) to track their progress and stimulate behavioural changes.

Ages 2 and 3

Ah, the toddler years, so much learning happening and so much potential ahead of them; what a great time to be a parent as well, right?

Here is a list of chores appropriate for children aged between 2 and 3 years:

  • Help making their own bed (you can start by asking them to make a smaller bed for a doll, for instance)
  • Pick up their toys (easier if you do it with them, not necessarily by collecting anything, but by counting the total together, doing by colour, etc…)
  • Put some of their dirty laundry into the dirty basket
  • Give water and food to pets (must be supervised at all times!)
  • Help parents with small clean ups, like after a spill
  • Dust some pieces of furniture in their own room or around the house

Ages 4 and 5

The pre-school years are precious! Kids at this stage are developing a natural sense of independency, so it is natural to come up with tasks that exercise this behaviour.

Here is a list of chores appropriate for children aged between 4 and 5 years:

  • Get dressed with minimal to none parental help (your back will certainly be happy)
  • Make their own bed pretty much by themselves (you might need to help every now and then)
  • Bring their things from the car back into the house
  • Pick up their toys (ensure they have a proper place to store their toys)
  • Wash hands after playing outside and before eating
  • Set the table before a meal (start easy with just the tablecloth, for instance)
  • Clear the table after a meal (should always be fully supervised)
  • Help with food preparation (of course, do not let them handle sharp things)
  • Help unload groceries after shopping (light items only)
  • Sort laundry by colour
  • Match socks so they can be hung together after washing
  • Answer the phone (when the number is known)
  • Hang up their towel in the bathroom
  • Clean floors with a dry mop
  • Clean and dust more items in their bedroom

Ages 6 and 7

Part of the elementary years and children should now feel empowered to complete more tasks on their own; they can also be stimulated to make small decisions as part of their household chores.

Here is a list of chores appropriate for children aged between 6 and 7 years:

  • Make their own bed every day
  • Brush teeth
  • Comb their hair
  • Get dressed by choosing the clothes they want to wear for the day (help them if you now the weather is going to change)
  • Write thank you notes for friends, teachers, or other relevant people they care (make sure to review the message before it is delivered)
  • Be primarily responsible for a pet: feed, water, exercise, etc… (keep an eye to make sure nothing is being forgotten however)
  • Vacuum individual rooms of the house (start with the ones with fewer pieces of furniture / fewer obstacles)
  • Dust individual rooms (avoid rooms with fragile items initially)
  • Organise their clothes back into their own drawers (help with some tips)
  • Help with food preparation
  • Clean their room when asked
  • Empty indoor/kitchen trash cans
  • Answer the phone (even for unknown callers, but must be supervised in this case)

Ages 8 to 11

The final age bracket in which reward charts are still effective, children at this stage are likely to be fully equipped to execute a variety of tasks around the house, increasing their repertoire of personal chores.

Here is a list of chores appropriate for children aged between 8 and 11 years:

  • Take full care of their personal hygiene
  • Maintain bedroom clean and organised
  • Be responsible for homework, including schedules and future events
  • Keep track of their belongings when going out with family
  • Set up an alarm clock and wake up at the right time
  • Do the dishes (it is wise to not let them deal with delicate or fragile items)
  • Help mom or dad wash the family car
  • Help preparing some easy meals (or they can also organise ingredients before cooking)
  • Turn on the washing machine or dishwasher
  • Put the rubbish outside, ready for collection
  • Help testing the smoke alarms (with close supervision)
  • Handle simple phone calls and/or give phone to the right person to answer

Ages 12 and 13

The beginning of the teenage years, this period is marked by an impressive progress in their awareness and abilities to accomplish tasks. With the appropriate stimuli children are expected to demonstrate values to be carried over for the rest of their lives.

Here is a list of chores appropriate for teenagers aged between 12 and 13 years:

  • Take full care of individual homework and personal hygiene
  • Set their alarm clock consistently
  • Maintain personal items functional at all times (for example, recharging the batteries of their phones before it runs flat in the middle of the day)
  • Change fitted sheets and other bed linen.
  • Help mom and dad with an occasional deep cleaning
  • Change light bulbs (make sure to help them reach the ceiling and always supervise the operation – otherwise start easier with a bedside lamp, for instance)
  • Empty the vacuum bag when it’s full
  • Operate a handheld or stick vacuum cleaner
  • Clean mirrors
  • Prepare more elaborate dishes (help them with the proportions if they are not following a recipe precisely)

Ages 14 and 15

They are halfway through their teenage years and you might think they have already learned everything they need for life? Truth is that most of the core values are yet to fully mature and they need your help to reinforce them.

Here is a list of chores appropriate for teenagers aged between 14 and 15 years:

  • Be able to execute all tasks for teenagers between 12 and 13 (above) autonomously
  • Be able to handle book loans and their returning to the library
  • Handle assigned homework without any prompt from parents (it is, however, always wise for parents to show interest in what children are learning at school)
  • Clean front and backyards
  • Babysit a younger brother or sister
  • Do groceries shopping (with a list of items prepared in advance)
  • Verify expiry dates of products in the pantry and organise them (put the ones close to the expiry date in front of the rest)
  • Wash windows with supervision

Ages 16 to 18

The teenage years are almost gone, which means adult life is about to start.
Are they going to start living by themselves any time soon or are they going to be make you company for some extra lovely years? Either way, it is time to solidify all the learning so far.

Here is a list of chores appropriate for teenagers aged between 16 and 17 years:

  • Be able to execute all tasks for teenagers between 14 and 15 (above) autonomously
  • Understand the value of money and be able to spend wisely (for a teenager, that is)
  • Manage a certain budget so they can buy their own clothes
  • When they start driving, be able to inspect the car for any important lights or alerts, general cleaning, fuel, basic maintenance, etc…
  • Be able to prepare family meals and serve them

And that completes our list of chores by age for children (and teenagers).
Do you have anything to add based on your experience? Feel free to leave a comment below!