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

The baby photo thing would be incredibly insensitive. As an adoptee myself I desperately wanted to know who I looked like. This child won’t look like her adoptive parents.

Seriously??

Ignore the misery guts who try to turn a thread,
its a lovely idea and games are fun, I like the idea of children's games

Some of my were birth related tbh, so maybe not appropriate, but i also asked questions like ‘name any of the top 5 most popular names in the uk’ or ‘what were the names of the twins born in star wars’ - like you could ask what were chandler and monica’s adopted twins called. As the child is also 1, you could maybe include some questions about cartoons eg what is bluey’s sister called, what job does Mr Bull do in Peppa’. You could also include some physical questions like ‘a member from each quiz team race out to the garden to see who can find the hey duggee colouring book first’. You could also include some disney questions or something, as our generation grew up on those films anyway.

The main thing you need when adopting is a crash course in parenting a child that age so maybe a game to learn a few nursery rhymes and toddler group games or some fun tips on age appropriate activities. Obviously any baby may have a bit of delay but to have a general idea at 1yo they eat this, might be crawling or walking, like Peppa pig, drink from a cup, can go swimming etc.

That’s not what the game is though. It’s guessing which child photo is which adult, they just look like themselves which isn’t different if you are adopted.

sorry you feel that way but i’m not understanding. Maybe you can elaborate further? It often isn’t a baby photo, it’s often photos of just people when they were kids, not necessarily babies. Like they could be 8 years old. It’s also nothing to do whether you look like your parents or not so i’m confused. It’s about trying to guess which adult is the child in the photo. It’s not a game of ‘guess who this person’s parents are’.

Slightly different age but we adopted a 4 year old and my closest friends without me knowing (all had children) each bought before DS arrival their favourite children's book to read for him which was so lovely and at a meet up just before he arrived they gave me these together with an Emma Bridgetwater Mummy mug.

Op if people are getting offended about baby/young child photos then you could give everyone a laugh and suggest teenage photos of themselves. But then that would be easier to guess and kind of defeat the point of the game.

I think a block sorting type game, and messages for the new child sound lovely.

If your friends are crafty enough the quilt stitching one sounds like a lovely idea. I think you'd need to do quite a lot of prep - i.e. cutting out some suitable options to applique etc, and obviously the stitching together after would be a lot of work.

An easier option (though potentially not suitable for a one year old as it would have to be somewhere they couldn't reach) might be to make a mobile out of felt animals e.g.

Something like this where you had the pieces cut out in advance:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/513704241/make-your-own-felt-woodland-garland-kit?gpla=1&gao=1&&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=shopping_uk_en_gb_a-craft_supplies_and_tools-patterns_and_how_to-other&utm_custom1=k_Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xQnvVBZA3JlCIQHz6SFHPaMIbLEcGemRptxAkzvD7HLzUc51fI-UgcaAgrOEALw_wcB_k&utm_content=go_12581722790_125377026171_507836441466_pla-297065912291_m__513704241engb_104675635&utm_custom2=12581722790&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiMmwBhDmARIsABeQ7xQnvVBZA3JlCIQHz6SFHPaMIbLEcGemRptxAkzvD7HLzUc51fI-UgcaAgrOEALw_wcB

I think no one is saying don’t have a celebration, the issue is doing awful awful games. The nappy one is awful. I’ve also been to one where we had to taste baby food blind folded. I know several people including myself, and i’ve seen threads on here too of people who now actively avoid attending. Games are fine, just make them tasteful (no pun intended).

Adoption comes from trauma and loss, it's about the child, not an adult that didn't get a baby shower. It's probably best to address it with your friend.

I have two different family friends who are adopters. I totally agree with avoiding anything related to things that may be painful reminders eg definitely no to baby photo game.

because gut instinct is that it is totally inappropriate.

A child has been abused and neglected, and likely damaged for life. A new family is taking her on and most likely has years of struggle and heart ache ahead - and most adoptions fail in the long term.

Your friends are amazing and I hope it all works out well for them, but this is not something you celebrate like you celebrate a birth. It is different in every way.

Baby shower games I have played before are:

A quiz about baby animals - what is a baby swan called, etc.
you could get everyone to bring a photo of themself when they were 1 and everyone has to guess who they are
At 1 baby shower, we were given blank building blocks to draw on/decorate for the baby to play with

Also, a playlist of songs with "baby" in the title.

You could also suggest that, rather than a ton of random gifts, people choose a book they loved as a child or their children loved. This was done for my baby shower and I loved it. DD1 had the best library ready for her when she was born

It’s right though that adoptive parents are elated about parenthood?

Of course post adoption repression is an issue and the placed child has experienced many losses, but surely right also for parents to be happy provided they are realistic about the challenges and ready to meet them

Guess which children's book the sentence is from?

What exactly should she "address" with her friend

Adoption may come from trauma and loss but it is something beautiful and should be celebrated that the child is very much wanted by the couple.

If someone wants to have a party to celebrate that, why the hell can't they?!

Why would you make things up like most adoptions fail? The figure is around 3-9%

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38764302

I thought the title was a typo for adaption shower ideas like a fold down seat and grab handles.

Toddlerhood obstacle course - put a nappy on a doll, negotiate your way between the toy bricks on the floor, make a perfect pb&J - it has to exactly meet the instructions or you have to stop and listen to a tantrum for x seconds, sort and pair a pile of little socks, open the childproof lock, etc

I love everyone writing a message in a book instead of a card. Not a game but a lovely thing. It’s lovely to start a little library and you can read the messages before the book

I think you may need some work on your skills in mathematics.

what maths?

Ooh I like this