Adoption shower ideas

[CraftyC]

I have offered to host an adoption shower for my best friend. They have been going through the UK adoption system for nearly 2 years and will be taking a 1 year old girl home mid May. The mum to be knows about the shower and is incredibly excited.

However all the ideas for games I have seen are pregnancy related. Does anyone have any ideas what games/activities I can do with the 15 guests in my house that doesn't mention pregnancy? Any other tips for hosting this shower to make it special for her?

Thanks

Can you do an afternoon tea and just not bother with any games at all?

Does your friend even want this event?

Yes she 100% wants it. She is very excited. Its important to her. She also said she wants games. She is American. To her a baby shower without games is boring, so I am doing what she wants.

Do some classic kids party games (musical bumps, pass the parcel with mini toiletries or chocolates etc). Bet after a few shandies everyone has a great time.

Congratulations to your friend!

I hope this is being done before the babies arrival, as it would be totally inappropriate with the child present

I think this is a terrible idea, but I suppose you can't get out of it now

Yes it is being done before the child arrives, after it has all been ratified legally.

Any suggests for games since that's what I asked for help with?

What fresh hell is this ? An adoption shower ?

•ask guests to bring baby and toddler pics, put on a board and other guests guess who’s who?
•in advance ask guests to send you two truths and a lie about their babyhood and guests match facts to guests/ lies- ie I was born in Namibia, I weighed 8lb, my first word was cheese.

People. I didn't ask for your opinions on the shower. She wants one. I am hosting it. I just want activity ideas. Please don't be that Internet person. Just give me ideas or scroll on.

It sounds utterly ridiculous to be honest but a quick Google gives lots of suggestions and even game bundles on Etsy including everything from quizzes to advice cards etc so my advice would be outsourcing the work and just buying one of the bundles.

The usual game that is done is to ask guests to provide a photo of themselves when they were either a baby or a little kid and make everyone guess who is who. So that also works for this I think.

Above pass the parcel idea is good.

Honestly, i know she said it’s what she wants, but from my experience, most people here don’t like lots of ‘forced fun’ or lots of games. It gets really tedious and cringey. Maybe stick to 3.

What sort of misanthrope snipes at a party celebrating adoption.
I hope you find joy

Wow, the buzz kills are out this morning!

You could do a race to sort certain colours of toys or bricks? Winner gets a prize.

Trying to stack bricks or those sorting toys blindfolded?

Print out baby/child pictures of celebrities for people to guess.

I've only been to a couple of baby showers and as much as I'm not a fan I did enjoy catching up with friends.

I have a couple of close friends and relatives that have adopted, I wouldn't treat a new child joining their families any different to one being born into it.

Oh yes i also did an ‘alternative quiz’ at a baby shower and gave out prizes.

How about the one where different chocolate bars are melted in nappies and your friend has to guess what they are?

I think a quiz would go down well.

What sort of questions did you include?

Omg please don’t do this lol. Awful.

You could still do some of the baby shower games that people do, like a message to the baby, nursery rhyme quiz, nursery rhyme pictionary etc. I just had a quick Google and Etsy had quite a cute quiz that had a list of celebrities and asked if they were adopted or adoptive parents. Don't listen to the haters. Just because your friend is adopting, doesn't mean she shouldn't be allowed to celebrate 🥳

I don’t really like baby showers but I actually think it’s quite nice that she can experience some of the baby madness despite not having a pregnancy . I think it will mean a lot particularly as she is American and it’s a big tradition there. Maybe google the games played at baby showers in the USA .

Could you do little quilt squares that everyone decorates with fabric markers to be sewn together for the little girl? If you want there to be a game element then one gets drawn out of a bag for a prize?

Or you could get 10 or so small items for the baby wrapped up and everyone has to guess what they are then they get put into a basket for the mum-to-be.

Agree with the baby photos game which works well.

Don’t ask people at an adoption shower to bring baby pictures in, thats like taking positive pregnancy tests to a meet for people who are infertile.

Hmm games I don’t know, we just had buffet, drinks and a few presents at ours. Oh no I’m lying, our friends did pass the parcel but inside the layers were favours, so things like a voucher for cooking us a meal, doing a bit of cleaning etc and who ever opened that layer would be the one we would call on to ‘cash in’ the voucher.

That is disgusting and a waste of nappies

I think this is why it's important to her. She has missed out on every baby related thing. Every mum gets excitement and congratulations and name speculations and joy. She has had interviews and files and secrecy. She is becoming a mum. She wants some joy and to feel special. It's my job to give that to her.

Thank you very much for the suggestions. They are very much appreciated

Jesus.

OP you sound like a lovely friend.