Welcoming a new baby into the world is one of life’s most significant milestones, whether you’re the parent, a friend of the parent, a relative, or an acquaintance of the family. During this period of joy, before the new life is welcomed and after, several traditions are celebrated between the family and their friends to memorialize the impending birth.
Typically, the most celebrated traditions are ones where the baby and parent-to-be are both the focal point like the social media-dominating gender reveal parties we see all over our timelines. Another tradition on the rise is baby showers, otherwise known as stork parties, with studies showing that 64% of expecting parents plan to have one. Traditionally, stork showers are for showing emotional support to the new parents and bringing new (or second-hand) items needed to take care of the newborn as gifts.
However, baby showers can be complex and be almost like a mini party with games, activities, food, and beverages all-season round. Although we’d all like to celebrate in the warmer months, parents of Capricorn, Sagittarius, or Aquarius babies don’t always have this luxury, which is why we’ve outlined several steps for throwing an unforgettable winter baby shower:
Determine The Guest List And Send Invites
Since baby showers can be expensive affairs, one of the first things you’ll want to do is decide who has made the guest list and who hasn’t. Winter baby showers can be as intimate or casual as you’d like. Still, it’s advised not to hand out invitations left, right, and centre so that you can keep costs to a minimum and have some budget left over for other fun things like a gender reveal party.
Once the guest list has been finalized, you can start sending out the invitations, which is best to do around six weeks before the shower so guests can organize childcare, buy gifts, and book time off work. Next, decide whether you’d like to send paper or digital invites for your winter baby shower.
If a more relaxed, casual winter baby shower is more your vibe, consider sending e-invites using sites like Greenvelope. From weddings, christenings, holidays, and winter baby showers, their site enables you to send eco-friendly digital invites while emulating the experience of opening a paper-based invite.
Pick The Venue
Another essential item to check off your winter baby shower checklist is the venue. Ideally, you want to determine the location of the shower as soon as possible so that you can book it as quickly as possible, especially if you’re planning on having it away from home. The last thing you want is to set your sights on a venue only to find out that it’s fully booked on the date you want.
Therefore, avoid any disappointment by securing the venue well in advance of the date for the shower, and ensure you also pay the full deposit on the day of booking. Without the deposit, the venue owners can easily give your spot away to someone willing to pay upfront, so it’s best to eliminate this risk!
On the other hand, if you’d like to keep costs down, you could consider throwing your winter baby shower from the comfort of your own home so long as the guest list isn’t too extensive. Or, you could consider a local restaurant, hotel, or community hall, where you can enjoy your event and then leave the venue’s staff to clear up after you, as this will be included in the cost.
Come Up With Games And Activities
Once you’ve sent invites and sorted a venue for your winter baby shower, you’ll want to come up with games and activities for friends, family, and the parent-to-be to enjoy while the event is ongoing. Ideally, you’ll want guests to be able to settle in first, have a welcome drink, and catch up with some of the other attendees before getting them involved in an activity.
Once they’re all settled in, it is advised that you plan in-between three to four short games for you all to play before moving on to gift-giving, eating, and more socializing. You might wonder how you come up with games and activities for a winter baby shower.
Fortunately, there is a wide selection of baby shower games and activities for you to discover on the internet, which can easily be adapted to fit your winter baby shower. Whether you play something like ‘pin the tail on the donkey,’ instead of a donkey, you have an image of a baby, and your goal is to pin a diaper on it. You could make the game fit the theme of your winter baby shower by dressing the baby in winter clothes, like a scarf and woolly hat, and have a winter wonderland-themed background. Or you could channel your inner Ned Flanders and challenge your friends to a hot chocolate-making competition that would put his concoction from the movie to shame!
Purchase Party Favours
Since one of the primary purposes of a baby shower is to support the new parent-to-be with advice, personal stories, and, of course, gifts. Another thing you should consider when planning your winter baby shower is how to thank your guests for their charity, both for their contribution and for attending your (and your little ones) shower.
Even if your shower was extravagant, the favours you give your loved ones don’t have to mimic the theme. It could be something as simple as a handwritten thank-you note and a selection of chocolates, or if you’d like to express your gratitude a little more, you could consider purchasing a favour that suits the personality of your attendees.
For instance, if you have a friend that is really into music, you could consider purchasing them an iTunes gift card which can cost as little as $1, or you could find a pair of novelty headphones from online marketplaces like Amazon, eBay, or AliExpress. Whatever your friend’s interests, you should be able to find them a little something that’ll express your gratitude without breaking the bank.
