Baby Shower Bingo Rules
If there is one game you’ll find at most baby showers, it’s baby shower bingo. It’s popularity can be attributed to it being fun, interactive, and super simple for guests to play. As with most baby shower games, you’ll find many tweaks to the traditional versions, making it even more exciting (and competitive). Below are 3 ways to consider playing baby shower bingo at your next welcome baby celebration.
Blank Baby Shower Bingo Cards This way is known as baby shower “gift” bingo and is played while the mom-to-be is opening her gifts. If you choose to play this version, have guests pre-fill in their guesses as to gifts the mom-to-be will receive. As she opens each gift, guests will mark correct guesses off on their bingo cards. Who’s That Baby? This baby shower game is an excellent icebreaker, which is super helpful if your. 'Friends and siblings can join in to host a shower, and certainly anyone can financially contribute.' Etiquette also allows the host to include any requests from the parents-to-be, whether it's a bar full of creative mocktails for the pregnant mother, a ban on Baby Bingo, or a private gift opening session. 'The guest of honor does not have to.
How to Play Baby Shower Bingo
Welcoming an Adopted Child - An adopted baby brings with it a different set of circumstances and the type of celebration and timing of it may have to be adjusted from the traditional baby shower format. Here are the factors you'll need to consider. Showering a Second Time Mom - Why should only first babies receive a shower? A second or later child is as eagerly anticipated as the first. During the Baby Shower, hand each guest a bingo card and 15-20 game pieces. Instruct the guests that as the expectant mother is opening her gifts, they place a Hershey's Kiss or other game piece on their card if the gift is on one of the squares of their Baby Shower Bingo card.
Keyword being “bingo,” each of the different styles will still have the basic things in common. You’ll need bingo cards, something to cover the spaces, and a caller. The rules are still the same in terms of how a winner is selected, whether it’s by filling a line vertically, horizontally, diagonally or covering the entire card. And don’t forget, there’s always a free space.
The biggest differences come in how the game is played, which is described in more detail below.
3 Ways to Play Baby Shower Bingo
Prefilled Baby Shower Bingo Cards
One way to play baby shower bingo is with prefilled cards. Each box is already filled with a baby-related term such as pacifier, stork, and crib. This game style is the way to go if you are expecting a large number of guests. It takes less time to prep and execute, which means more time to play other games. Make the game more challenging by using cards (like these) that have pictures only.
Blank Baby Shower Bingo Cards
Baby Bingo Game
This way is known as baby shower “gift” bingo and is played while the mom-to-be is opening her gifts. If you choose to play this version, have guests pre-fill in their guesses as to gifts the mom-to-be will receive. As she opens each gift, guests will mark correct guesses off on their bingo cards. This is perfect for smaller, more intimate baby shower parties.
Find the Guest Baby Shower Bingo
Find the Guest baby shower bingo is the perfect game to use as an icebreaker. This particular game uses prefilled cards that have different descriptions in each space. The idea is to get guests mingling with one another and filling up their cards with names of others who fit the descriptions.
Where to Buy Baby Shower Bingo Cards
Depending on your preference, you can find baby shower bingo cards just about anywhere. The most important things to consider are theme, budget, and availability. With that in mind, consider the following options to get your hands on some pretty cute cards:
You can also create your own with an online bingo card generator.
Keep in mind that while baby shower bingo games are typically easy to prep, there is still a bit of preparation that goes into getting it set up. Instead of being tempted to wait until party day, go ahead and gather the materials you’ll need to make this game a flawless success. Most baby shower games use supplies such as pens, pencils, or objects to use for covering the card spaces. And don’t forget the prizes for the winners!
Hosting a baby shower soon?
These resources will help:
What do you do when you have too many winners for your baby shower game? You’ll need to plan out how to break the tie and just have one winner. Here are some cute and simple ways to do tie breakers.
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How many prizes should you have for baby shower games?
First of all, you need to decide how many prizes you’re buying and what you’re giving away. Here are some ideas for baby shower game prizes.
How many depends on how many people are coming and how many games you’re playing.
I like to do at least one in ten chance of winning. So if you have 40 people coming, do four prizes. Of course, you can always have more prizes if you can afford it.
And you should have at least one prize per game. But if you’re only doing Baby Shower Bingo, you can do two or three winners.
I always buy at least one extra prize to have on hand just in case we need it for some reason. Tie breakers are a good idea, but if you really wanted to give an extra out, you’ll have it. If you don’t need to give it out, give it to the new mom.
1. Baby Sock Sorting Game
My friend Jessica did this at her shower when they had three winners.
Place a bunch of baby socks in the center of a table and whoever matches the most pairs in one minute (or however long you want to go) wins the tie breaker.
When we did this, my friend’s daughter won! She matched more than both of the other women.
This is also a great game if someone (like me) gave the new mom a bunch of hand-me-down socks that weren’t matched. (I refuse to pair socks. lol)
2. Pink or Blue Tiebreaker
There’s a few ways you can do this. The basic idea is to have the winners draw out of bag or hat the correct gender for the baby. (I know gender is a social construct but it’s a baby shower.)
You can do this with pieces of paper that have blue and pink on the inside. I used stickers.
Or color the bottoms of straws and draw straws.
You just need to make sure there is only one pink if it’s a girl and the rest are blue. Or vice versa.
The tie breaker goes to the person who gets the pink one (if it’s a girl) out of all of the blue ones.
You can either have them take turns until someone picks the winning paper/straw/whatever you’re using or just have one of each.
This one works really well if you have a lot of people that tied.
This game is not suggested for baby showers where you don’t know the gender of the baby. lol obviously.
3. The How Many Game
You might already be doing this game for everyone because it’s really popular and easy to do.
But you can do a smaller version for a tie breaker game.
Do a small jar of buttons or candy and the closest without going over breaks the tie. It can be a small mason jar or a cleaned out baby food jar.
This is a quick tie breaker game because you just have to pull it out, ask how many, and boom you have your winner.
And since the jar is a lot smaller than what you’d normally do for the guess the number game, you don’t have to spend a long time counting out all of the candy or buttons.
4. Flipping a Mom or Dad Coin
If you just want to keep it simple, just plain old flip a coin.
You could fancy this up by putting a photo of the mom on one side and the dad on the other side. So instead of calling heads or tails, you call Mom or Dad (you could also use their names)
Same sex couple can also do this. Just call their names or their preferred Mommy / Mama titles.
5. Write a note to the baby or mom
Baby Shower Bingo Game Rules
Have the winners write a quick little note to the mom to be or to the new baby that can be saved for the future.
Then put them in a bag or in a hat and let the new mom draw one to break the tie. You could also put them behind your back and have her choose right or left.
They don’t have to be super long notes. You could do advice or just “You’re going to do great!”
What are your favorite ways to break ties for baby shower games?
Baby Shower Bingo Rules
If you have more suggestions for tie breaking games, leave them in the comments below! I’d love to hear how other people have done it.