Baby Shower Games on a Budget: 8 Low-Cost Ideas
You can run a complete baby shower game plan for £0–£25 using ordinary paper, pens and items already at home. Set the total budget first, choose two or three activities, and spend only where it saves the host useful preparation time.
Three example game budgets
| Budget | Plan | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| £0 | Alphabet race + charades + wishes | Use scrap paper, household pens and a bowl |
| £10 | Three paper games | Printer paper, ink allowance and one small prize |
| £25 | Printed games + team prize | Card or printing, pens and a shareable prize |
These are planning examples. Use prices available to you and include ink, delivery and travel rather than treating a download as the whole cost.
1. Baby alphabet race
You need: paper and pens. Time: five minutes.
- Write A to Z down the page.
- Players add one baby-related word for as many letters as possible.
- Award one point for each acceptable word.
- Agree before starting whether names, brands and repeated word forms count.
Play in pairs so nobody is disadvantaged by writing speed. Use any reasonable word list rather than arguing over obscure answers.
2. Homemade baby charades
You need: 20 paper slips and a bowl. Time: 10–15 minutes.
Write simple actions such as pushing a pram, reading a bedtime story, packing a changing bag, folding a sleepsuit or singing a lullaby. Split into teams. A player has 45 seconds to act without speaking; one correct guess earns one point.
Offer drawing or describing as alternatives and avoid birth, feeding or body-related prompts unless the parents approve them.
3. Baby word scramble
You need: one sheet per player and an answer key. Time: five minutes.
Choose 12 familiar words, rearrange their letters and test every answer before the shower. Examples include BIB, PRAM, RATTLE, BLANKET and MUSLIN. The highest number correct wins; tied players share the result or enter a pre-announced draw.
To save preparation, use Forever Lily's free Baby Word Scramble.
4. Memory tray
You need: 12 safe household or baby-related objects, a tray, cloth, paper and pens. Time: eight minutes.
- Number the items and check they are clean, intact and suitable to handle.
- Show the uncovered tray for 45 seconds.
- Cover it and ask guests to list what they remember.
- Award one point per correct item.
Do not use medicines, sharp objects, choking-size items around children or products opened solely for the game. A photograph of the objects works as a screen-based alternative.
5. Who said it?
You need: six quotes approved by the parents. Time: ten minutes.
Ask each parent the same light questions separately: favourite childhood snack, most-used phrase, first concert, ideal Sunday and who chose a shared item. Read each answer and let teams guess who said it. One point per correct parent.
Skip private stories, disagreements and questions about pregnancy or parenting choices.
6. Nursery rhyme line match
You need: two columns of six rhyme halves. Time: five minutes.
Put the first half of each familiar line in the left column and the ending in a shuffled right column. Guests match them. Check wording against the version your group knows and accept equivalent traditional variants.
7. Celebration picture quiz
You need: ten legally reusable or self-made pictures. Time: ten minutes.
Use close-up photographs of party objects, illustrated nursery-rhyme clues or emoji-style film clues you create yourself. Number every picture and prepare one answer sheet. Do not copy images from search results without permission.
8. Wishes and practical help cards
You need: cut paper or card and a box. Time: self-paced.
Offer prompts such as “A wish for your family”, “A book I enjoyed”, or “One practical thing I would be happy to help with”. Guests may sign or leave the card anonymous. The parents decide whether the messages are read aloud.
Reuse one set of supplies
A single pack of paper, pens, timer, bowl and score sheet can support the whole plan. Print two games on one sheet where the type remains readable, play in teams to reduce copies, and reuse blank backs for scoring.
Test-print one page before the full batch. Our baby shower game printing guide explains paper and settings, while the DIY printable game guide covers layout and answer keys.
Where to spend and where to save
- Spend on clarity: readable copies, enough pens and a checked answer key.
- Save on decoration: a plain sheet with good instructions works.
- Use one prize: choose a small shareable item or skip prizes completely.
- Avoid single-use props: do not buy objects that have no purpose after the party.
- Check delivery: a cheap game arriving late is wasted money.
A 45-minute budget running order
- 0–5 minutes: explain the plan and form teams.
- 5–15 minutes: word scramble or alphabet race.
- 15–30 minutes: charades or picture quiz.
- 30–40 minutes: memory tray.
- 40–45 minutes: answers and result.
Keep the wishes cards available throughout the shower. Two scored games plus one self-serve activity are usually enough.
Free and ready-made options
The six free printable baby shower games provide tested downloads. If you prefer to pay for coordinated designs and reduce preparation, compare the baby shower games collection. Choose based on the actual contents, guest count and total delivered cost.
