If you’re planning to host a picnic baby shower, and not sure where to start, we’re here to help.
Whether it’s a backyard, a park, a beach, or anywhere else outdoors, you can use it to turn it into a wonderful outdoor baby shower venue.
Pick a sunny day, a lovely location, and a theme, invite your guests and celebrate the new mommy-to-be.
We’ve compiled a complete guide to help you plan the perfect baby shower for your friend, relative, or for yourself.
- How to Plan a Picnic Baby Shower (Step by Step)
- 1. Pick a date and time
- 2. Make the guest list
- 3. Determine your budget
- 4. Choose a location
- 5. Prepare and send invitations
- 6. Write down the agenda
- 7. Decide if you want to do a gender reveal (Yes/No)
- 8. Food Ideas and Menu Planning
- 9. Baby shower games
- 10. Baby shower favors
- 11. Set a theme
- 12. Outdoor Decorations
- 13. Buy the picnic essentials
How to Plan a Picnic Baby Shower (Step by Step)
1. Pick a date and time
Most baby showers are held 3-4 months before the baby arrives.
This timeframe gives enough time for the mom-to-be to create her baby registry and figure out what she still needs to buy before the little one arrives.
At the same time, during this timeframe, she will still feel physically comfortable hosting such an event.
2. Make the guest list
Prepare a list of the guests you want to invite. Include their full names, email addresses, and phone numbers.
The best way to keep your list organized is by using G-Sheets.
Include the following columns:
- name
- email address
- phone number
- invited (yes/no)
- confirmed (yes/no)
- diet restrictions
3. Determine your budget
Once you know how many guests will be attending, you need to set up a budget for food and drinks, decorations, location, and/or paying for a picnic planner.
4. Choose a location
For more budget-friendly options, you can choose to organize the picnic in your own backyard or even throw an indoor picnic at your place.
It will feel intimate, cozy and of course, you won’t have to pay a hefty fee to reserve a venue. Plus, the kitchen will be nearby – so everything will be ten times easier to organize.
If you have a bigger budget and a bigger list of guests, then you can host the shower in a park or at the beach, and hire a picnic planner to set up everything for you.
Event planners usually take care of everything, and they often work with catering companies that can help with anything food-related.
5. Prepare and send invitations
It’s time to send the invitations, preferably at least one month before the event. So all your guests will have enough time to lock the date, RSVP and gift shopping.
When calling guests to confirm, check out if they have specific dietary restrictions, this will help you in the next step (menu planning).
You can choose to send paper invitations or virtual ones via email. Etsy is a good place for inspiration and choosing cute designs.
6. Write down the agenda
Create the timeline of the event and include when it will be the time for eating, gift opening, gender reveal, bringing the cake, playing games.
7. Decide if you want to do a gender reveal (Yes/No)
If you want to keep the gender of the baby as a surprise, you can do a gender reveal – there are plenty of awesome ways to do that. This will keep everyone in suspense, including the expecting mom if the gender is a surprise for her too 🙂
8. Food Ideas and Menu Planning
If you host the picnic indoors or in your own backyard, then you can be as inventive as you wish with the menu, since the fridge is nearby.
However, if you host it outdoors far away from home, you need to think about how to keep food cold / safe to eat, how you’ll be transporting all the food and of course, limit the perishable foods as much as you can.
Finger foods are your best friends – mini sandwiches, cured meats, olives, nuts & dried fruits.
Check our picnic food section for ideas.
9. Baby shower games
Baby shower games are fun and keeps everyone in a happy mood.
Pro tip: prepare small prizes for each game you play.
Our favorite games are:
1. Who’s that baby?
Ask each guest to bring a baby photo of them, collect all the photos and number them. Later on, have each guest guess who is pictured in each photo.
2. Don’t say baby
This popular game is super fun and so simple to play. Each guest starts with 5 clothespins clipped on their clothes. If you hear someone say “baby” then snatch up their pin. The person with the most pins at the end, wins.
3. Did baby poopie? Scratch off game
How to play? Hand out scratch off lottery tickets to your guests and ask them to scratch off the silver circle. Whoever reveals a “poop” emoji wins.
4. Who knows mommy? 5 baby shower games bundle
We love this set on Amazon, it includes 5 games, one being the popular Who Knows Mommy and Guess Who? (Mommy or Daddy). There are 250 cards included, with floral designs.
10. Baby shower favors
Baby Shower Favors
Pampering your guests with some small gifts to show your appreciation is a great idea.
- Personalized bath bombs
- Candles
- Tiny champagne
- Small succulents
- Personalized soaps
- Small Honey Pots
Picnic Setup Stage:
11. Set a theme
A theme will make everything blend together seamlessly.
You can choose interesting color combinations (pink, blue & white, rose gold, white), animal themes (elephant, bunny, dinosaur, bee, rubber duck themes), or go with themes like bohemian picnic, french, English, vintage.
For a french theme, you can also serve french cuisine and add some mini baguettes, mini tarts, cupcakes, aged cheese, fruits.
12. Outdoor Decorations
Once you have a theme picked, it will be easier to choose colors and think about the aesthetics.
Some ideas would be big balloons, beautiful centerpieces, citronella candles (smell nice and keep the bugs away outside), placemats, welcome signs, teepee tents, flowers.
Pro Tip: Leave buying the flowers at the end, so they’ll look fresh and beautiful.
Outdoor Baby Sign
Balloons Oh Baby Sign
Buy on Amazon
Welcome baby sign
13. Buy the picnic essentials
You will need some blankets (preferably with waterproof backing), seating pillows, baskets, cutlery, cheese, and wine sets, and a picnic table.
Read our articles to find the best essentials for your picnic:
