Throwing a surprise baby shower and needing advice!

I’m throwing a surprise baby shower. I’ve never done one of these before. Do you give out favor bags as you would at the end of a birthday? If so, what do you put in there for adults, and what do you put in there for kids? I DIY-ed the invites and whatnot, and everyone loved those. So I know I’m handmaking thank you cards. What else would you put in the favor bags?

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For my baby shower, we gave out bars of soap with a little tag that said, “Thank you for showering the little one with love.”

Ive been to ones with hershey bars with he or she colored in with marker (pink or blue) , ones with cookies or candies . We always have a diaper raffle or games for raffle tickets for gift baskets they can pick from. So favors were just goodies , some did satchels with scented beads etc.

At my babyshower, it was snowflake themed, the girls throwing my shower, bought fuzzy socks for favors.
I wouldn’t make extra favors for children, usually most babyshowers (ones I’ve been too) don’t involve bringing children.

If you have a theme, you can always try to make the favor match. You can check Pinterest for ideas.

If you’re having children there, you could do a favor that works for everyone. There’s so many ideas, like this one!

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I’ve been to some that give away soaps, lotions ( either homemade or bought), notepads, as gifts for the games like baby bingo, name the nursery rhyme, or the Disney character, children’s tv show. My girls have always come with me if it’s a family shower or at church.

We found paper flowers with annual seeds infused in them. They grew great for the guests and were unique. Plant. Water. Flowers.

We did mini sweet pea hand sanitizers for my sister in law this fall, and has little stickers made that said “thank you for celebrating our little sweet pea!” It was super cute, easy and useful. Especially during this pandemic

We gave out cookies, and thank you for coming and a small jar of candy

Every baby shower I’ve been to had prizes for the games, but not goody bags per say. The prizes were typically self care type items like bath bombs, bath salts, face masks, nail polish, etc. Sometimes there’s been little gift cards, teas, coffees, candies, mugs, travel mugs. A lot of it was typically dollar general type merchandise.

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For my oldest we did a box with post cards on the outside and people would right nice things and give advice. It was sweet too go home and read over them

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At my baby shower/diaper party we gave out tickets to win a basket. We had a movie night basket, a night out basket and a campfire basket. Everyone that brought diapers or a gift got a ticket and at the end we pulled random names.

I did at mine. I had novelty pacifiers and homemade rock candy and what I call popcorn crack which is just kettle corn popcorn drizzled with candy melts and sprinkles in pink or blue.

I gave out mini hand sanitizers, pre-covid, but now I think they would be a great option. https://pin.it/1ntaq58

Times has changed… Birthdays use to celebrate the person and showers for the mom. Personally, since attendees are not putting out the food spread, and deserts, I could never understand why they had to be given something for attending.

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I’ve never been to a baby shower where games were played. I looked into when I gave my daughter- in- law a baby shower. I found that my guests were happy with food, fellowship, and gift giving. If you want games or gift bags, then go for it. I would just say, don’t feel pressured to overdo yourself.

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Most showers provide snacks, drinks, cake, sometimes a lunch. Gifts are for Baby and Mommy. I wouldn’t turn a favor bag down, but certainly don’t expect one.

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I’ve helped throw many baby showers. I always go with a favor that goes with the theme. I just threw my sister a shower in October. The theme was honeybees so for the favor we did honey jars with a wooden honey stick.

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The last few showers I"ve been to there was a candy bar and bags. I really think this was a wonderful idea. The shower is about Mom and baby, yes, but a favor is a thank you to all who attended.

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Every shower I’ve gone to the gifts were baby related and always given back to the mommy to be, simple things like mittens, sassies, bottle brushes etc

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I’ve never done favor bags for baby showers. It’s about the mom and baby, not the guests.

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Something small like m&m’s or just go with prizes for games. I dont go to a baby shower with the intention of taking something home…

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Despite Covid I believe in freedom to choose…if you want to gather do it…if not stay home. A baby shower is about gifts for the baby or gifts that help the new Mother to be…never heard of gift bags for attendees, but that’s entirely up to each person. Baby showers are to help a new Mother get started so why throw alot of money into guests gifts?

Suggestion (not for the favor bags) If it is an in-person shower, have each attendee write their name on a thank you card envelope. That way, when the Mom-to-be goes to write the thank you cards she doesn’t have to go through the hassle of finding all the addresses.

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Not sure where you are located but search for your local BUY NOTHING website of Facebook. It’s a group you can donate things you don’t need or ISO in search of. My local group is always giving away baby items. Maybe they can help you with free baby decorations or extra gifts. :shamrock:

I’ve never done party favors at baby showers I’ve hosted, but I have had prizes for diaper raffles before. For every pack of diapers someone brings to the shower, their name gets thrown in once. At the end, we drew the winners. For one shower, it was a simple bag with some lotions/body sprays. For others, we gave out the centerpieces as raffle prizes (usually a mini potted plant like a mum or poinsettia).

Truly a favor bag isn’t necessary for a baby shower, some sweet decorating around the room or area of the shower, refreshments, ready for a good time, take lots of photos, enjoy your party ,have a wonderful time

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I didn’t do favor bags per se but did give out little mini soaps with notes saying heres something for your shower, thanks for attending mine. Also had a basket of open diapers for ppl to write words of encouragement on to surprise you as your changing diapers. Also did a thumbprint tree for all guests to leave a print with name for baby

When our family does baby showers, we usually play games and then center pieces are the prizes. So guests can pick. For instance, my shower had pink, white, blue and yellow dollar tree vases ( with fake flowers) and coordinating small dollar tree piggy banks as the center pieces. Those were offered as prizes. People were actually fighting over the piggy banks. Lol. My SIL had a duck theme and made colored water with ducks floating in nice pitchers and some potted plants. The pitchers and plants were prizes. My step sister had all potted plants as center pieces and gave those away as prizes. With that said, favor bags or gifts for guests aren’t expected at baby showers but giving away cute center pieces if you have games helps with clean up and some people still get to go home with something.

A favor bag is always a nice gesture at any function. It’s always nice to show appreciation for attending it. Either candy or nuts or a small hand lotion, whatever you want. You can either use netting and a bow or make something to hold the favor. My daughter’s friend made little paper mache diapers and everyone loved them. Just google it to get more ideas.

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I have never had a baby shower that involves a gift bag for intended s as tendered of said mtb! Why would they realize

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It’s a pandemic for crying out loud. What are you worried about giving a baby shower for. Send out requests for the guests to give give certificates so the mom can pick out what she needs and wants and no one gets exposed to Covid.

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I never expected a thank you gift for attending when I went to a baby shower. It was always fun to play the games arm and I like the one I think it’s with the clothes pins and then you get to pick a gift from a pile of gifts and then you can exchange them with somebody else just look up baby shower games and then you have to buy gifts for that and you buy several gifts. I gave both of my daughters their baby shower I wanted to one we had an a party room and it was lots of fun and the other we had at a tea shop with a small sandwiches I’m in T and replay games was fun and either case she can probably expect to pay depending on the amount of people three to $500 probably when it’s all said and done. For And for table decorations I took three different size boxes weather square or round and wrap them in baby paper and stack them like a three tiered cake with a big bow on top it was really a cute table centerpieces for like the cake table or the food table something like that. Have fun that’s what it should be all about

I have done favors…my friend and dil did somefor my daughters shower…was a small succulent with a note attached…thanking them for coming and it said take a baby succulent and watch baby grow

At my granddaughter’s shower, we took individual packs of microwave popcorn and attached a label that said “ready to pop” with a silhouette of a pregnant woman

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Playing Devil’s advocate here. Why? We’re in a Pandemic. You could be putting the mother to be in danger, the children, everyone.
Please consider maybe a Zoom party.

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We just always played some fun games, and those who won took a prize home, that’s it cuz it’s for the mother and baby to get gifts, not the guest.

Not bags per say, usually something small at the place setting, to go with the theme. We had small jars of honey, the theme was Winnie the Pooh, Golden Snitches (Ferrara hazelnut chocolates) for Harry Potter theme.

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I’ve never done bags but I went to one that had a candy bar and chocolate lollipops for everybody I thought that was great someone gave him a teddy bear made with honey inside it’s whatever you wanna do but there’s usually never children at a baby shower that’s what you want

I put popcorn in with a note that said thank you for popping in.

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Great game is where everyone gets a diaper pin and anytime anyone crosses legs you call them out and collect their pins. Goes on all shower at the end the person with the most pins wins. Then mom has lots of diaper pins. Can use safety pins as well tie blue or pink ribbons in them.

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We did body lotion, bath bombs, pretty floral printed pens, hand sanitizer and nail files. We also did a diaper raffle. Prize was a basket with spa stuff.

Play games, and give prizes to the winner, one i love, give everyone a safety pin and they got to keep their legs crossed, when they r caught uncrossed, they lose their pin, whoever keeps their pin on longest win a prize

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I’ve received mini planters with succulents, and pansies lately.

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I hope you’re not throwing it anytime soon unless it’s a zoom shower with the pandemic raging all over

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Played games prizes for winners a lot of times people just let .
Mom have it if it was baby themed

I had a diaper party and every box of diapers got an entry to a drawing. I gave them 4 options.

  1. Wine and a wood Wic candle
  2. Wine and a insulated cup
  3. Wine and a wine glass
  4. Champagne and OJ
    All had some candy in the gift bags. And we had burgers and chips for food. We didn’t do favor bags because it was getting expensive.

Throwing a party of any kind right now is EXTREMELY irresponsible AND a danger to the poor mother and unborn child!!! no one should be getting in contact with those that do not live with them. THAT is why this pandemic is not ending!

I have done handsoaps from bath and body or hand sanitizer, small lotions at each place setting with a thank you note attached to them

The funniest game I recall was blindfolded tasting and identifying baby food!
We haved played games like guessing the mom’s waist size by making a circle of yarn on the floor.

Don’t do games. It’s time consuming. I hate it. I would enjoy light lunch, a mimosa or two and gift opening. I don’t need anything to take home.

Games and food and fellowship are fun. I disliked the invitation saying bring disposable diapers for a lottery. Bringing a gift should be enough!

I have had several baby showers. Never a goody bag at the end.

Chapstick, hand lotion, small candle, travel size hand sanitizer

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You don’t need favor bags, just some games to play and some good food, even if it’s just snacks!

Do a virtual one because there is a pandemic

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If you do a dessert table w candies and such, put bags there so the guests can take little home

I did a diaper lottery for my daughters shower. She has enough diapers to last through size 4 diapers.

My aunt didndish soap and mommy and daddy scrubbers. Its a thing… they look like smiley enojis.

Why a surprise baby shower doesn’t she know she’s pregnant? :rofl:

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If you have games, I’d do prizes for them if you really want to do something like that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t worry about it.

Just have prizes for guests that win the games.

You can do game prizes, we do a gift for the first one there and the last to arrive. Or you can do like satchels of color coordinating m&m’s or a bag of kisses with a clever saying etc

Are you kidding we are in covid mode why endanger the mother to be and everyone else

I would do more like a bomboniere rather than a gift bag like a candle or something

We did little jars with Hershey’s kisses and a tag that said “kisses from the little misses”!

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I’m sorry why are you hosting a party during a pandemic???

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Usually it’s the center pieces at the tables

I’ve only been to baby showers that had favors at each setting. The favor went with the theme. They may have had similarly themed door prizes and game prizes.

mini bottles of liquor, playing cards, $1 scratch tickets, pack of gum. that’s what i’d like in my gift bags anyway :rofl::rofl:

How about a mask and a bottle of hand sanitizer.

Is it still a surprise after you put it on Facebook?

Are you an idiot?
We are in a pandemic!!!
I think the stupid should be hit with a $1000 fine for being frickin stupid.

Just buy baby shoes and add few mints and place on table

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My friend gave out pink rosaries for her baby shower as a thank you

Ty having a drive by shower. My daughter gave one and everybody loved it. O

Put in a good paperback book.

I ordered baby shower cookies. For door prizes, I gaves whipped body soap, lotion, & scented candles

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Just games with prizes

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I bought miniature baby bottles and filled them with blue m&ms, and put them in a basket and gave them to the guests when they left

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I just did little wine bottles

I gave favors. Mask, sanitizer, and a scented soap.

Candle, hand soap, lotion, maybe a $10 gift card for McDonald’s, Starbucks ect

I don’t think it’s a surprise anymore

Prizes for games baby things

I gave out hand sanitizer

Bath and body works handsoaps. Dollar tree oven mits and or candles.

I will say this the best thing that ever happened was the diaper raffle ask everyone to bring a box of wipes and/or diapers of varying sizes and I literally my baby’s 10 months old and I still have two more boxes of diapers and I just went to the first box of wipes so I mean it’s wonderful

Candies, small candles

You can do a diaper lottery. Everyone who brings diapers can put their name in for a drawing. I won a bag filled with lotions & candle all from bath & body works. So the mama was excited since she had enough diapers for the first 6 months… but put on which ones mama likes. I only give pampers.

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Have a drawing for all who come and they get a 5$ or less gift. Everyone can take hime a small treat but dont need to. My mom used to make little diaper nut cups or booties with nuts and candy. They served as decor, food and then the take home

For mine I did little soaps shaped like rubber ducks off of amazon and I ordered photo cards from CVS. I put a photo of me and my husband and a thank you message for the shower. For the kids i knew that were going I went to the dollar store and made little candy bags.

We did prizes for games. Simple things like candles, picture frames, $10 gift cards

Diaper raffle and a Couple games for prizes. ( candle, lotion, etc.)

We do prizes and a memorial thing… like a button or little rattles with dates etc… nothing fancy.

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Typically you play games and you give prizes usually you have you know five or six games plus a diaper raffle you can have up to 10 games if you really want to The point is to give each winner a prize you don’t give out gift bags at the end or thank you bags or any of that

Outside with masks I hope

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A little candle with a cute note to light it when they hear the baby is born. Then flood mom’s social media with pics of the lit candles for her brand new baby!

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