How to throw a stylish baby shower online

Pregnancy is a time for planning and preparation. It’s also a time we traditionally turn to friends and relatives. Although impromptu cups of tea and cake IRL are still off the cards, the online world is here to save the day. This all makes it much easier to stay in touch with loved-ones for special celebrations like babyshowers. To help you plan proceedings, we’ve spoken to a host of experts alongside some mums-to-be to gauge their view on how to throw the perfect virtual babyshower.

The good thing about holding a virtual party is you don’t need to worry too much about the attendees being busy, as it’s likely they will be around for a remote meet-up. Most mums-to-be prefer to hold the shower early in the third trimester, after around the 32 week mark, so it feels close to baby’s arrival but hopefully not too close. Check in with the mum-to-be and go for a date and time she chooses. 

This is crucial, don’t leave out an important relative. Ensure you check with mum-to-be to find out exactly who she wants to be invited and stick to it as close as you can. Around 10 people is a good number, then everyone can get involved. The joy of a virtual party is that it opens up the possibility of friends and relatives from near and far being able to join in. 

Ensure all the guests are prepped before the party starts. You may want everyone to have a glass of bubbly and cupcake ready or if you are doing a quiz, a pen and piece of paper. As everything is virtual, think simplicity. A heartwarming winner is to get everyone to send the mum-to-be their favourite book from childhood. Get them to order it in advance and sign it with a message for baby inside. Guess the baby is also a great ice-breaker. Ask the guests to email you a photo of them as a baby and get everyone to guess who’s who. A classic that never gets boring.

In terms of games, anything goes as long as you can do it virtually and relatively quickly. ‘If the mum-to-be is a music fan, you could try a game of “Name the Baby Tune”,’ says Tom Mellor of party organisers, The Bubbles Crew. ‘All you need is a playlist of songs with the word “baby” in them, a pen and paper. There is little prep work needed for this simple game; just press play once everyone is ready. Have the guests shout out the name of the song, and make a note of who gets it right the fastest. The person who gets the most correct answers wins.’

Another crowd pleaser is a trivia Q&A. ‘Before the baby shower, prepare a list of questions about the mum-to-be, with her help, of course,’ says Tom. ‘The questions can focus on fun facts from her babyhood/childhood, or her present life, or both. Ask things like, “What time of day was she born?” “What is the name of her favourite childhood pet?” “Where did the expectant parents meet?” Read the questions out loud (or ask the mum-to-be to read them), and have the guests call out the answers. Designate one person to be in charge of noting who guesses correctly. The guest with the most correct answers wins.’

Once all the games have finished, it's down to the important act of gift giving. Try to get the mum-to-be to write a baby shower gift list in advance so she’ll get what she really wants and needs and to ensure you don’t double up. Better still, get her to make a Wish List and take a look at our Top 10 gifts for a newborn for more ideas. If you are unsure, gift vouchers are always gratefully received and  mean the mum-to-be can fill in any gaps just before or once baby arrives. Once everyone has selected a gift, ask them to arrange delivery straight to the mum-to-be's home. She can choose whether to open them during or after the party.