Due to COVID-19, many planned events have had to be postponed or canceled. But there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel for soon-to-be parents who are bummed to be missing a baby shower – virtual baby showers! What was once just a way for long-distance friends and family members to tune into the celebration, is now a wonderful way to honor a bun-in-the oven when we all can’t be together in one room. If you were previously grappling with postponing or canceling a baby shower, read on for how you can simply adjust it to be a virtual baby shower.
Don’t Change That Theme
Although many aspects of your baby shower will have to adjust, the theme isn’t one of them! Whether you want to go with something gender-neutral or you want to go all-in on your favorite book character, pick a theme that makes you excited to welcome a little one into your life. Pro tip: Even if you already know the gender of the baby, you can still choose a gender-neutral theme. The only rule for picking a theme is that there are no rules! Go with whatever you want, regardless of if it violates traditional colors or expectations.
Pare Down the Guest List
Just as they would be for a regular baby shower, your family and closest friends should all be on the guest list. One thing to consider for a virtual baby shower is that group videos can get out of hand with too many people competing to speak at once. If possible, try and keep your guest list to under 15 video streams. You may have planned on having more guests, but doing so will make for a complicated virtual event. To remedy not being able to have everyone in attendance, plan for a “Sip & See” event after the baby is born, and when it’s hopefully safe to have everyone in one room together again.
Yes to Invitations
If you haven’t sent out invitations yet, you certainly still should, even for a virtual event! Go with the same adorable theme as you had planned, but instead of including a home address on the invitation, include a link to the virtual “meeting” you’ll use for your celebration. To add an extra layer of security, require a password to enter your virtual party. Think of it as a lock on your front door – you wouldn’t let just anyone wander in your home for an in-person shower.
Just as you would for a regular baby shower, put registry information on the invitation or a separate enclosure card. However, request that gifts be sent to your home or dropped off prior to your party. We’ll get to more on gifts later!
Dress Rehearse the Tech
When planning a virtual baby shower, it’s crucial that your tech is up for the challenge. Make sure the internet connection is reliable enough to handle the video stream by temporarily pausing other high bandwidth activities like video streaming or file sharing.
If your laptop or tablet already has a built-in camera, you’re good to go! Place your device on a sturdy, flat surface so your guests will be able to see you clearly and closely, if possible. If you don’t have a web camera, purchase one and get it hooked up to your computer for this event.
There are many free, online services available to “host” your baby shower. Some of our favorites are Zoom, Skype or FaceTime. Pro tip: If you have any guests who might have difficulty getting set up with the video call, call them ahead of time to give them a tutorial so they don’t miss out on any part of the virtual celebration.
Downsize the Decorations
We know what you’re thinking – you still need decorations for a virtual baby shower with no physical guests?! Well yes, but on a much smaller scale than you might think. Purchase a banner, a poster or a tapestry and hang it behind you for the party. Your guests will love the virtual theme! Pro tip: Choose an item or design that you can also use for your nursery once the baby comes!
The host would usually be expected to gather decorations for a baby shower, but if you’re having a virtual shower, that might be a little bit more complicated. If you find yourself in that scenario as the co-host, send a box of decorations and goodies to the future parents so they can be used to decorate for the virtual shower.
Games and Activities
It might seem like a tall order to plan games and activities for a standard baby shower, let alone a virtual one, but it can be done! Some go-to games like “The Price is Right” or “Guess the Amount” can easily be done virtually. For “The Price is Right” hold up various baby items and have your guests guess the cost. The person who gets closest to the actual price, without going over, wins! For “Guess the Amount” prep a vase or jar filled with your favorite small candy inside. Again, have your guests guess how many of the specific items are inside, with the winner being the person with the closest guess. Although you can’t be there to physically present their prize, send the winners a virtual gift card when the party is over. Be inspired by more baby shower games and activities on Zazzle Ideas.
Gifts
One of the biggest parts of a baby shower is the showering of gifts. Keep this tradition alive by compiling all the wonderful gifts from your guests and opening them via video chat. Even if they can’t be there in person, reactions and commentary are priceless during this time. So let them see the look on your face when you open their gift.
If your guests can’t send their gift to you in advance, ask them to open it up for you in front of their own web camera so you and the rest of the guests can see it.
Favors
Just because you aren’t physically together doesn’t mean you can’t treat your guests to a sweet favor! If possible, try and send or drop off a favor for each of your guests before your celebration. Small items that aren’t breakable, perishable or too heavy will be perfect! We especially love these DIY tea bags you can make easily at home.
Thank You Cards
As with any baby shower, you can’t forget to send thank you cards to your guests – whether they were on your laptop screen or on your couch. Make sure to thank each guest for their specific gift, and let them know how you plan to use it. In addition, let them know how excited you are to enjoy their company in person again soon.
Just because your original baby shower plans are out of whack doesn’t mean you can’t still celebrate the bundle of joy coming soon. With a strong WiFi connection and a stronger group of supporters, you can have an unforeseen yet unique celebration that will sure to be one worthy of the baby book.
Erika focuses on email marketing, copywriting and merchandising at Zazzle, but she has a secret obsession with all things wedding! During the week you can find her writing punny subject lines while also pinning the latest wedding trends, and outside of the 9-5, she is usually cheering on the San Jose Sharks, reading a good murder mystery, or hunting for the best Philly Cheesesteak in the Bay Area.
