Are you looking for a fun and unique way to celebrate a soon-to-be mama in your life? If so, consider hosting a virtual baby shower! This type of shower not only allows guests from near and far to participate in the festivities, but it can also be a more Covid-friendly alternative to hosting an in-person baby shower. Wondering how you should coordinate opening presents, or what virtual baby shower games you should play? We've got you covered on all things virtual baby shower.

What is a Virtual Baby Shower?

A virtual baby shower is simply a baby shower that is held online instead of in person. With our current climate of social distancing, virtual baby showers have become a popular way to celebrate the impending arrival of a new little one. They also have the added benefit of being easier to plan and put together than an in-person event. Not sure how to get started? Here are some virtual baby shower ideas to help you plan the perfect event.

What You Need for a Virtual Baby Shower

The great thing about virtual baby showers is that they can be as simple or as elaborate as you want them to be. If you're looking for a low-key way to celebrate, consider having a small gathering via video chat. All you really need for this type of shower is a video conferencing platform like Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Skype and an internet connection.

If you're wanting to add a few more bells and whistles to your shower, there are lots of fun virtual baby shower ideas that can make the event more special. For example, you could:

• Send out invitations and decorate your home in preparation for the big day
• Set up a gift registry so guests can easily shop for gifts
• Ask guests to submit photos or videos to be played during the shower
• Play virtual baby shower games
• Arrange for a special treat or gift to be sent to guests ahead of time

No matter what type of virtual baby shower you decide to throw, there are a few key things you'll need in order to make it a success. Here's what you should have on hand:

1. A list of invited guests with their contact information
2. A video conferencing platform like Zoom, Google Hangouts, or Skype
3. An internet connection
4. A laptop or tablet (if you're the one hosting the shower)
5. A microphone and speakers (for better audio quality)

How to Plan a Virtual Baby Shower

Now that you know what you need for a virtual baby shower, it's time to start planning! Here are a few virtual baby shower tips to help you get started:

Choose a date and time

Be sure to pick a date and time that works for everyone on your guest list. Keep in mind that you'll need to factor in time zones if you have guests joining from different parts of the country or world.

Send out invitations

Once you've selected your desired date and time, it's time to send out the invitations to your guests. You can use an online service like Evite or Paperless Post to easily create and send digital invitations. Be sure to include all the important details about the event, such as the date, time, and how to join the video call.

Set up a gift registry

If you're planning on having gifts at your shower, be sure to set up a registry ahead of time. This will make it easy for guests to shop for gifts and have them shipped directly to you.

Choose a theme

A fun way to add some excitement to your virtual baby shower is to choose a theme. This can be anything from a specific color scheme or style to something more general like “springtime” or “animals.” Once you've decided on a theme, be sure to incorporate it into the decorations, invitations, and games for your shower.

Prepare for games and activities

Virtual baby showers are a great opportunity to get creative with games and activities. There are lots of fun ideas out there, so take some time to research what would work best for your group. You could even ask guests to submit photos or videos ahead of time to be played during the shower.

Decorate your space

One of the best parts of hosting a virtual baby shower is that you can decorate your space however you want! Whether you go all out with streamers and balloons or keep it simple with a few floral arrangements, be sure to make your space look and feel like a party.

Have fun!

The most important thing to remember when planning a virtual baby shower is to have fun with it. This is your chance to get creative and make the event your own. So go ahead and let your personality shine through in the planning process.

Who Should Host a Virtual Baby Shower?

While anyone can technically host a virtual baby shower, there are a few people who may be better suited for the task. For example, if you're the one expecting the baby, you may want to have someone else take on the role of host. This will allow you to relax and enjoy the event without having to worry about the logistics.

Another person who may be better suited to host a virtual baby shower is someone who is already familiar with the video conferencing platform you'll be using. This will make it easier for them to set up the call and troubleshoot any technical issues that may come up.

If you're not sure who should host your shower, don't worry! There's no need to assign one specific person to the task. You can always have a co-host or team of hosts to help with the planning and execution of the event.

Virtual Baby Shower Games

1. Baby Shower Bingo: This classic game can easily be adapted for a virtual baby shower. Using a platform like BingoMaker, you can have your guests join a group game of Bingo. Or, if you want to adhere to a specific baby shower theme and create a more personalized experience, you can make your own Bingo cards ahead of time (perhaps you want to replace numbers and letters with baby names or baby items), and mail your guests a Bingo card in advance. During the virtual shower, take turns calling out items on the bingo card. The first person to get five in a row wins!

2. Virtual Baby Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of items that can be found around the house (diapers, baby clothes, etc.). Then, call out these items one by one and watch as your guests scurry around their house trying to find them. The first person to locate the item gets a point, and the guest with the most points at the end of the game wins!

3. Baby Name Game: Before the shower, write down a list of baby names that are symbolic or have meaning (or are names from a different language). During the shower, have your guests take turns trying to guess the meaning of each name. Or, use a video chat feature like breakout rooms to break your guest list into teams! The person (or team) that answers the most correctly, wins!

4. Virtual Baby Shower Trivia: This game is perfect for a virtual baby shower. Simply create a list of trivia questions about babies, pregnancy, or parenting and have guests (or teams) take turns answering the questions. Whoever answers the most questions correctly wins!

Tips for Opening Gifts at a Virtual Baby Shower

The benefit of hosting an in-person baby shower is that when it comes time to open gifts, you can rely on chit-chat and/or snacks and drinks to fill the space while a mom-to-be opens her presents. However, when the shower is switched to an online environment, opening gifts (and amazon boxes) can be a bit more awkward.

To avoid any awkwardness or silence, consider opening the gifts ahead of time and then showing them to the camera one by one while offering a few words of thanks to the gift-giver. Or, if you'd prefer to open your gifts live during the shower, consider choosing a helper who can open up Amazon boxes and hand you the gifts, instead of having to do everything yourself. Background music may also be used to keep dead air at bay; choose a few songs that go with your theme to play while you open presents.

If you're worried about forgetting who gave you which gifts, be sure to keep a running list of who gave what. You can do this by taking pictures of each gift and the name of the giver, or by writing it down as people give their gifts. This will come in handy when you go to write thank-you notes after the shower.

Other Virtual Baby Shower Tips

Set realistic expectations. When planning a virtual baby shower, it's important to set realistic expectations. This means being mindful of time zones, not over-scheduling your guests, and keeping the overall tone and feel of the event light and fun.

Choose a date and time that works for everyone. If you have guests coming from all over the world, choose a date and time that works for the majority of people. Keep in mind any major holidays that might be happening around the same time as your shower, as well as any work or school schedules. The last thing you want is for people to miss your shower because they're celebrating another holiday or are too busy with work or school.

Keep it short and sweet. No one wants to be staring at a screen for hours on end, so try to keep your shower as short and sweet as possible. A good rule of thumb is to keep the shower to 1-2 hours max.

Have a backup plan. Just in case something goes wrong with your internet connection or you run into any other technical difficulties, it's always a good idea to have a backup plan. This could mean having someone else on standby who can take over if needed, or recording the shower ahead of time and then playing it back for your guests.

If you’re looking for a fun way to include friends and family from around the world or country, hosting a virtual baby shower is the perfect solution. With just a little bit of creativity, your guests will be able to enjoy all the festivities of a traditional baby shower without having to miss out on anything. Happy (virtual) party planning!