When a mum-to-be is getting ready for the arrival of a new baby, it’s a time-tested tradition for her friends and family members to throw her a baby shower to celebrate.

With lockdowns and restrictions on socialising coming and going constantly, it can be tricky to get a large group together IRL. So, we’ve pulled together some key pointers to help you throw the perfect virtual COVID-safe baby shower!

When?

The great thing about a virtual meet-up is that all attending can dial in from the comfort of their own home, so it’s a lot easier to fit into everyone’s schedule than an in-person party.

Check in with the mum-to-be and go for a date and time she chooses. Generally it’s a good idea to schedule the party early in mum’s 3rd trimester, after around the 32-week mark. That way, it’ll be close to baby’s arrival, but not too close to risk them attending the party themselves!

Remember to put a time limit on the party, after all you don’t want your guests to get square eyes! One to two hours should be the perfect length. 

Where?

Whichever online platform you choose to use for the virtual party (we’ve listed a few good options below) be sure to give your call a test drive beforehand, just to make sure it’s all working smoothly.

• FaceTime
• Zoom
• Google Hangouts
• Skype

If there are guests attending who aren’t so tech-savvy, it’s a nice idea to give them a call beforehand to run them through the plan step by step.

Who?

With no travel needed, a virtual party means that friends and relatives from both near and far can join in the fun.

Be sure to ask mum to write a list of who she’d like to attend, then send out e-vites (that’s an email invite) with a link to the call and any passwords needed attached – easy!

Remember to also include all the important details such as the date and time, gift registry information, and any items you would like people to have for playing games. 

Speaking of games…

If you’re looking for game ideas that can be played virtually, anything goes if you can do it relatively simply and quickly. We’ve listed a few ideas below to get you started…

• Create a quiz all about the mum-to-be. Think of questions like ‘what was the name of her favourite childhood pet?’ or ‘where was she when she found out she was expecting?’ etc… The person who gets the most correct answers, wins!
• Play the baby alphabet game. Go around each guest and take turns trying to name a baby-related word for each letter of the alphabet. The aim of the game is to try not to break the chain!
• Name that tune, baby! This one’s pretty simple. Just play a few chords of baby-themed songs, and let guests guess what they just heard. The person who gets the most correct answers, wins!

We’ve also got a post dedicated to baby shower fun and games, here!

Do we need decorations?

A little goes a long way on a video call! Whether you’ve got a theme or not, you can encourage your guests to decorate their call’s backdrop with balloons, banners, or bunting (check out this post for baby shower décor inspiration). Alternatively, why not check out these cute Tommee Tippee video call backgrounds that you can use to get the party going in just a click!

What about gifts?

Ask the mum-to-be to put together an online gift directory of everything she needs (you could suggest a Tommee Tippee wishlist), then request that guests order their presents from that list and arrange for them and any cards to be delivered directly to her home, ideally before the date of the party.

We’ve pulled together a whole post on baby shower gifting to help you out, take a look here!

When it comes to opening her presents (and when to do it) leave this choice down to mum. Some people love opening gifts in front of their guests, while others prefer to settle down after the party and unwrap their new-baby goodies in private.

To wrap up…

Although a virtual shower may not be the party that the mum-to-be dreamed of, it’s still a lovely way to get people together to celebrate the arrival of a brand-new life and the start of an amazing adventure – parenthood!