Hosting a baby shower can be quite a complicated matter. However, if you’ve been tasked with it, you need to make sure you host the best event possible. This will help the expectant mother feel excited about the new arrival, and also serve as a way to prepare for the baby.
A baby shower requires a lot of planning, and you need to have everything set in advance. A theme can really help you narrow things down and make the event more fun. An animal-themed baby shower is one of the most flexible and fun themes you can go for. It works well even if you don’t know the sex of the baby, and don’t want to make assumptions with gendered color schemes. So, here’s how you can plan a great animal-themed baby shower.
Make an attractive announcement
The first thing you need to do is create a fun announcement. Make a poster with some animal and jungle graphics and announce the baby shower. In many cases, this announcement can even be used to let more people know about the upcoming arrival. Of course, you have to ensure the parents-to-be are on board with this announcement.
Once you have the go-ahead, create a baby announcement poster, and let people know you’ll be celebrating the new baby and its mother soon. This general announcement will not have specific details of the baby shower, but you should make sure it fits with the animal theme.
Send out invitations
Now, you need to narrow down your guest list and send out invitations. These invitations should follow the theme, and you can use online templates to make your life easier. Write the date, time, and venue on this invitation, and also share the dress code. In addition, you can add a link to the gift registry.
Send out these invitations in physical and digital form well before time, so you can get those RSVPs back. This will help you finalize arrangements regarding snacks, seating, and activities etc.
Choose a venue that fits the theme
While people often have baby showers at home, why not go a step ahead, and choose a thematic venue? You can even talk to local zoos, or other animal-themed places for this. If you’re going for more of a jungle theme, pick a venue which is surrounded by nature.
This will really elevate your event, and make it one to remember. Just make sure you have the expectant mother’s approval for this, so that there is no discomfort involved. The venue should be accessible and you should discuss decor and food logistics with them as well.
Have themed snacks
You should really go all in with the theme, and have the food be thematic as well. For example, you can give the drinks or desserts you serve fun names like chunky monkey, or cat’s paws. In addition, you can have snacks which are arranged in the shapes of animals.
Also ensure that the serveware and plates you have at the baby shower work with the theme. You can even find some fun animal print crockery, placemats, and napkins for this purpose. Also add labels with all the food, so that you can write witty animal-related names for the various dishes.
Go wild with the decor
Decor is where you can really let your imagination run wild and make the theme special. Your decor is what will make your animal-themed baby shower look elegant and fun at the same time. Get colored streamers, balloons, animal illustrations and various animal print decorations.
You can also decorate the food and gift tables with animal decor. Also put a few stuffed animals around to add to the aesthetic, and make it really look like a baby shower. You can even have a vendor do this decor for you, and discuss what you want with them.
Arrange a series of games and activities
A baby shower would be too simple and boring if you don’t arrange a few games and activities. You can have a trivia game, where people are quizzed about the birthing and parenting behavior of various animals. This is a fun way to incorporate the animal theme into your baby shower. You can also have people pin the tail on various animal posters in exchange for small prizes.
Decorating onesies is a classic baby shower activity. Have the guests each decorate a onesie with an animal theme, and have everyone choose the best ones. These onesies can also serve as fun mementos for when the baby arrives.
Set up a gift registry
This is essential for a good baby shower. If you don’t have a gift registry, the mother is bound to get an influx of stuffed animals or various items she doesn’t want or need. So, discuss this with the mother, and set up a gift registry. Share the link to this gift registry in the invites, so that people know what to bring.
This registry should include essentials like burp cloths, and items like baby carriers etc. You can encourage people to chip in for big-ticket items like baby carriers and strollers, so that they don’t have to spend over budget and the upcoming parents also save a considerable amount of money.
To sum up, an animal themed baby shower is quite a fun idea. You can be really creative with it, and make it an event to remember for everyone there.
