I’m not the biggest fan of games in general, and traditional baby shower or wedding shower games in particular. That’s why when I helped my friend throw a baby sprinkle for her sister-in-law’s second baby on the way, and she put me in charge of “games and activities,” I had to scramble to come up with a baby sprinkle game.
I challenged myselfto createsomething that was fun for everyone (men and kids, too) to participate in and easy for me to pull off. If the activitycontributed to the party decorations orto the gift pilefor the guest of honor, that was an extra bonus.
Here’s the baby sprinkle gameI came up with:
Guess Who? The Baby Picture Game
You ask party guests in advance to each send you baby photos of themselves.Then at the party, you display the photos and challenge everyone to correctly “Guess Who” each photoportrays. Whoever makes the most correct guesses wins the game.
I know how much time working momshave to plan and execute games like this (zip, amirite?), so I’m going to share step-by-step how to put this activity together. You can even download my free 11-page printable to make this super-simple baby sprinkle game even easier for you.
Whatyou’ll need:
- 8.5 x 11-inch glossy photo paper
- 8.5 x 11-inch cardstock paper (white)
- 1 box of diapers
- 1 baby photo album
- Sparkly garland, twine, or ribbon
- Hole punch
- Double-sided tape
- Box cutter
- Pens
Step 1: Request baby photos from guests.
Get contact information for the guests who RSVP “yes” to the baby sprinkle.Reach out at least a couple of weeks before the event toask them foradigital version of their own baby photo. Prepare to be flexible on age, photo style, andimage quality (not everyone has the technical know-how to scan a high-resolution version of their yellowing scrapbook page).
Avoid collecting original photographs at all costs. (You do not want to be responsible for keeping other people’s precious family heirlooms safe, do you?!)
Try to get as many as you can, because more baby pics makes the game more fun. This step is by far the most time-consuming and difficult. It’s all downhill from here!
Step 2: Print eachphoto on glossy photo paper.
If you have a decent printer at home (or at work), use itto print each guest’s baby photo on nice glossy paper. If not, you could upload the images and order prints through a website, or take them on a flash drive to your local drugstore to print on site. I think larger sized images (8.5×11’s) look nicer and are easier for people to see, but smaller ones will work in a pinch.
Step 3: Print game materials on card stock.
The free printable I created to go along with this game includes:
- 9individually numbered labels to put on back of each photo
- 1 game card (make as many copies of this page as you need for each guest to have their own)
- 1 foldable sign for game card submission box
Click to download thePDF of all game materialsand print on white card stock paper. Copy as many game cards as you’ll need for all guests to participate.
Step 4: Mount each photo to numbered label.
Using the card stock printouts from Step 3, attach each photo to a label withdouble-sided tape. Glue or Mod Podge works, too, but I think double-sided tape is neater and easier to deal with.
Step 5: Punch a hole in each photo and hang with garland throughout party areas.
Try to center the hole punch at the top of each photo. I used wire sparkly garland (often found in the gift wrap section) to wrap around the hole and hang from the ceiling in different parts of the party setting. You might prefer twine or ribbon, or whatever you have available, and hang the photos wherever you think guests might congregate. (This is where the bonuscontribution toparty decor comes in!)
Step 6: Set up your game card submission box.
Carefully open your box of diapers (any size—the mom-to-be will appreciate any contribution to her diaper stockpile) and remove the diapers. These can come in handy for a diaper cake and other shower activities involving diapers, or you can just put them aside for after the shower. Using a box cutter, create a big enough slot in the top of the box for guests to slip in their folded game cards.
Fold the sign you printed into a table-tent form and tape it to the top of the box, right near the slot. Put the box somewhere central where people can find it and put their game cards in when they’re ready.
Step 7: Hand agame card and pen to guests as they arrive.
Briefly explain the baby sprinkle game as you give guests their game cards and pens. Then, let them mingle and play throughout the party. Let the fun begin as people try to figure out which chubby-faced, drooling infant corresponds to which adult milling around the punchbowl. Asking questions (other than “which photo is yours?”) is totally fair, such as “What color hair did you have as a baby?” or “Were you a pudgy or skinny baby?” I particularly enjoy when game players ask guests to stand next to a photo for careful side-by-side comparison.
Step 8: Make sure guests submit their guesses before the party wraps.
Quickly tally each card’s number of correct guesses (they should all be in the diaper box) to determine the winner. The guest who guesses the most correct answers wins! Then, gather everyone together to announce the correct answers and who won. If possible, you might even ask the guests to stand next to their own baby photo to reveal the answers.
Step 9: Take the photos down, label with correct names, and place in a photo album.
Wait till the party’s over for this step, of course. Unwrap the garland or cut the string from each photo, and label them correctly. Then put all the photos into an album and give it to the guest of honor. She’ll be able to enjoy seeing the adorable baby faces offriends and family who celebrated with her. And let’s face it—at least it guarantees she’ll have onealbum on hand to keep memorabilia for her second (third, fourth, etc.) baby.
