How to Throw a Virtual Baby Shower

It's fair to say that life is on pause right now- and that means that all the special events and gatherings we've been planning have gone out of the window too. But just because we're on 'lockdown' right now, it doesn't have to mean an automatic cancellation. If you were planning a baby shower, why not take it online instead? Thanks to the power of social media and modern technology we're all living a little more virtually these days- so we've put together a few quick tips on how to make the most of it all. Here's how to throw a virtual baby shower 2020 style!

The benefits of a virtual baby shower 

Being online means that you can invite those friends and relatives from far away who might not have been able to make it under usual circumstances. And it's definitely worth noting that having a virtual baby shower also means you can wear pyjamas if you want to, and nobody is going to bat en eyelid if you haven't tidied up in a while either. Win win!

Of course, there are other benefits too. You can find a time that suits you all, people can drop in and out as they please, and you can have a socially distant conversation with the people who really matter. And right now, that is precious. 

Organisation

It's a good idea to appoint one to two people as chief organisers, who can then delegate tasks to other guests. Make sure you plan: 

• 'Venue'- Facetime, WhatsApp video call, Zoom... choose your virtual host and make sure that everyone knows how to use it and has it installed.
• Guests - send out the invites as early as possible and make sure that everyone has the right time and date.  There are lots of free online templates for baby shower invites - try Canva for example, very quick and easy to personalise to make it special.
• Theme - lots of baby showers have a theme and virtual events can follow suit too. Agree a theme and suggest easy to create at home decorations to get everyone into the party spirit.
• Gifts - make sure that everyone who is buying a gift does so in plenty of time (see step one below).

Three steps to virtual baby shower success

• Gifts. Your guests are going to want to 'bring' gifts, so being organised early is essential. Lots of online stores are currently following restricted delivery guidelines due to Coronavirus, so plan ahead as much as you can. Create an online wishlist and send this to your guests so that they can choose what they'd like to buy for you and baby. Online wish lists are great because guests can instantly see what has already been bought, thus avoiding duplicates! Hopefully the gifts will all arrive on time so that you can open them up during the virtual baby shower too.
• Food. There's obviously no obligation here, but most baby showers are traditionally centred around food, and there's no reason why a virtual baby shower can't be the same! Lots of restaurants are now relying on staying afloat with take-away orders so now would be a great time to help support them if you can. Another great idea is to set a baking challenge for your guests too- a great activity if any of them has children at home as they can help. 
• Games. What baby shower is complete without games? Ok so the first 10-15 minutes of your virtual baby shower is inevitably going to involve lots of catching up, checking everyone can hear/ see each other and that technology in general is in working condition. But after the formalities are over, the games can begin! Group quizzes or 'Name that Tune' games are great to play virtually, and each can be organised ahead of time. Another option is for the organiser to have baby photos of all the guests emailed to her in advance.  She then sends one of someone else to each guest, who has to show it during the party - and everyone has to guess who!

While it has to be said that a virtual baby shower is not the same as the usual gathering you may have been anticipating, it really can be a wonderful way for you and your loved ones to share in the impeding joy of your new baby. And in these strange times, we all need as many precious memories as we can get.