Five of the best: Modern baby shower ideas

Try out our five ideas that celebrate your mate's impending baby without the cringe. Photo / Thinkstock

Baby showers can feel cheesy, awkward and somewhat dated these days — for the mum-to-be and attendees. But that needn’t be the case. We’ve attended a few of late and have found five ideas that celebrate your mate’s impending baby without the cringe.

1: No longer girls only

We've been chatting about the gender divide lately and we reckon it's about time we okay-ed co-ed baby showers. Both parents will share the love and load of the impending bundle of joy. We have guy and girl mates. So why not bring everyone together? Keep it casual and inclusive.

2: Post baby shower

Who says the shower has to come before the baby? Consider waiting and welcoming the newborn with a gathering. Everyone can hold the cutie, the gifts will be more suitable and mum can enjoy a tipple without worrying about any effects to the baby growing inside her.

3: Quiz

Baby showers traditionally have an agenda of games, mostly about guessing the details of the unborn child. But this is one crowd-pleaser that also brings people who may not know each other together. You will have to do a wee bit of planning, but nothing too crazy. Two rounds is enough. Our favourites are 10 celebrity baby questions (eg, name four of Angelina Jolie's kids, what is the name of Blake Lively's new baby) and 10 songs with the word "baby" in the title (just play the opening of the track). Break the party into groups of four or five, come up with team names and have a bottle of bubbles to give to the winning team.

4: Pot Luck

This is the easiest way to feed a crowd without the burden or budget falling on one person. If you're a guest, we suggest bringing savoury - the sweets are usually the most catered for. Our broccoli and asparagus tart from Mike Van de Elzen with onion jam and soft cheese is a hit and super easy. An easy-peasy bowl of guacamole with a side of corn chips is another simple crowd pleaser.

5: Photo booth

Pin a sheet to the wall and get some novelty, over-sized baby props (you'll find any junk store is well stocked). Get your hands on a Polaroid camera and plenty of film. Everyone can pose with the mum, or both parents if you decide to have a mixed baby shower. Stick the pictures in a book and even include a message to make the day memorable.