The 2-hour baby shower timeline (steal this)
Showers drag when everything happens in sequence — eat, THEN play, THEN gifts. The fix is running things in parallel and putting the energy peak in the middle.
The timeline
0:00–0:20 — arrivals. Drinks in hand within 2 minutes of walking in; advice cards and pens already on tables (they fill themselves all party).
0:20–0:50 — food + trivia. Serve, let people settle, run "Who Knows Mommy Best?" while everyone's seated with plates.
0:50–1:30 — gifts + bingo in parallel. Hand out bingo cards before the first gift. Gift-opening becomes a spectator sport instead of a slog.
1:30–1:45 — Mommy or Daddy? with cake. The couple's reveal reactions are the dessert entertainment.
1:45–2:00 — winners, favors, photos. Announce game winners at the end to hold the room together.
Week-before checklist
Collect mom's trivia answers (T-3 days) · collect dad's quiz answers · print the game pack + host guide · buy 3 small prizes · pens (one per guest — the thing everyone forgets) · scissors for advice cards · a bowl for bingo call strips.
What hosts always forget
Pens. A designated photo-taker during gifts. Telling the mom to eat before gift-opening (she won't get another chance). And printing the answer keys — running trivia from your phone while hosting is chaos. Our game maker prints the whole pack including the host guide in one go.
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Frequently asked questions
How long should a baby shower last?
Two hours is the sweet spot — long enough for food, three games and gifts, short enough that nobody starts checking their watch.
When during the shower do you play games?
Trivia while seated with food, bingo in parallel with gift-opening, the quiz with cake. Never stack all games back-to-back.
What do game winners get?
Small universal prizes: candles, chocolate, coffee cards — $5–10 each, three total.