How To Have A Socially Distanced Covid Baby Shower

This pandemic is here, but it’s not stopping us from having babies! But now instead of a traditional baby shower, we have to figure out how to have a covid baby shower?

It’s easy!

To remain socially distanced and safe, you’ve got three options:

All three of these covid baby shower options are relatively cheap and easy to set up. The option you choose will depend on mama-to-be’s personality.

A Drive By Baby Shower

What Is A Drive By Baby Shower

A drive by baby shower, (also known as a drive through baby shower) is a socially distanced shower where friends and family drive up to the home of the new parents and shower them with well wishes and gifts.

As is expected, everyone remains safely distant in their cars. This keeps daddy and mommy-to-be safe, as well as the baby shower guests.

How To Plan A Drive By Baby Shower

Planning a drive-by baby shower requires a little planning and coordination. Here are the 7 simple steps plus a few helpful drive by baby shower ideas.

1. Send Out Drive By Baby Shower Invitations

Whether you do it via snail mail or email, invitations are the traditional way of letting people know about the baby shower.

Because your guests will not be attending a traditional baby shower, let them know what to expect. Make it clear that they are being invited to a socially distanced drive-by baby shower. They would therefore feel safe to attend.

1. Schedule Time Slots For All Your Guests

The best way to keep everyone safe is to schedule time slots for each of your guests. A schedule avoids a dreaded traffic jam.

Once all the guests’ have sent their RSVP, create a schedule for each car. Space everyone out, giving each guest a 10 to 15-minute time slot. This allows the new parents enough time to connect with every car, while still keeping things moving. Let the guests know their allotted time.

If mommy-to-be has a long guest list, consider shortening the time slots for each guest.

Also, make sure to send reminders a week or so before the drive by baby shower. People forget—be sure to send another reminder via text on the day before the shower.

1. Decorate The Front Yard / Driveway

Create a festive and celebratory environment with pretty baby shower decorations.

You can keep it subtle with a few helium-filled balloons tied to the mailbox. Otherwise, go big with attention-getting pieces like balloon arches and clever yard signs like “welcome baby”, “mama”, “baby”, etc. Whatever you decide to do, try to go with statement-making decorations that tell everyone there is something to celebrate.

1. Set Up A Curbside Baby Shower

Try to introduce little elements that make it feel somewhat like a traditional baby shower. You can do this with simple decorations.

Your outdoor covid baby shower decoration setup doesn’t need to be elaborate. A table or two covered in a pretty tablecloth may be sufficient. Make sure you have enough room for refreshments and/or baby shower favors—if you are serving them, as well as the baby shower gifts and gifts for the new mom.

1. Set Up A Baby Shower Chair For Mama-To-Be

A drive through baby shower does not last long—60-90 minutes, but it can get tiring for a pregnant woman. Be sure to set up a comfortable chair for mommy so that she can sit down if necessary.

1. Offer Baby Shower Favors

Favors are traditionally given at baby showers. With a covid baby shower, it’s not expected, but it is always nice to send your guests off with a little thank you.

There are tons of baby shower favors you can choose from, like a manicure kit, bath salts, hand sanitizer, etc. Or go with something edible like candy or cookies in a jar, popcorn in a theme-matching favor box, etc.

1. Be Sure To Document Your Covid Baby Shower

Living through a pandemic is not fun, but we will get through it and we will want to show evidence of what it was like.

Try to document this special day in some way. Here are a few ideas:

• Ask someone to take photos or create a video of the whole affair;
• Have the guests sign a guest book. You can get baby shower guest books in all kinds of themes;
• Create a fun memory for mama and baby with a fingerprint tree canvas.

---

A Virtual Baby Shower

What Is A Virtual Baby Shower?

A virtual baby shower, or a zoom baby shower, is an exclusively online baby shower. It is the safest covid baby shower because everyone remains safely in their respective homes.

Treating your virtual baby shower as you would a real baby shower, will make it a great experience for everyone.

How To Plan A Virtual Baby Shower

When it comes to a virtual covid baby shower, you don’t have to deal with food and venues and everything else that goes with a traditional baby shower. However, your priority now moves to making sure the virtual baby shower is as fun and easy as possible for attending guests.

Decide On A Video Platform For Your Covid Baby Shower

The goal is to ensure that the platform you choose is easy and accessible to everyone. But while ease and accessibility are important, so are the features. Do make sure the platform you choose offers the features that are important to you.

Below is a breakdown of the important features of each video platform.

Zoom

• Zoom is free for everyone—you can have up to 100 connected devices. (There is a charge for more devices).
• Zoom is likely your simplest and easiest video service option—you don’t even need to download an app (although there is an app option).
• Setup is easy. The host sets up a virtual room with a unique ID and password. This is sent to the baby shower guests. Your guests don’t need a Zoom account to access the party.
• You can create fun backgrounds. If you are using Zoom, you won’t need to create a nice party background.
• You will have 40 minutes of meeting time per room. If you need more time, you can either buy more time, or you can simply close out the room and start a new one.

Facebook Messenger And Facebook Messenger Rooms

• If you are having a small party, you can use Facebook messenger video calls. For larger groups, use Facebook’s new group messenger service.
• Anyone can use Messenger Rooms—you don’t have to have an account.
• You can personalize your room name. For example, “Amanda’s Baby Shower”.
• There is no time limit, (as with a Zoom baby shower.)
• You can also customize backgrounds with decorations. If you have a baby shower theme, try to get a background to match your theme.
• A great feature that Facebook messenger has is that guests can use filters to create funny faces.

Skype

• Skype is free to use, and it’s easy to set up for new account holders;
• You can include up to 25 people on Skype.
• Skype is very common, so there is a good chance that everyone already has a Skype account.
• With Skype, you can have a true community event because everyone will be able to see everyone else.

Google Hangouts

• Anyone with a Gmail account has access to Google Hangouts. It is free, very accessible, and seriously easy to set up.
• Everyone in Google Hangouts will be able to see one another. (This is similar to Skype.)
• Setup is easy with just one tap. You are able to talk one-on-one or invite friends for a group call with up to 10 people.
• You will be able to sync your chats across devices. This ensures that you can keep your conversation going whether you are on the web or your phone.

Facebook Live Video

• If you are brand new to facebook live, you will need to choose the live streaming software you want to use, such as OBS, Wirecast or XSplit. They are not all free.
• You can go live from your personal profile, a page, a group, or an event. Because you are planning a virtual baby shower, you are likely to set it up as an event.
• With Facebook’s live streaming, you can invite certain friends and family to a video stream.
• Attendees will only be able to see your party, not one another. This is different from Skype and Google Hangouts.
• Guests would be able to comment while watching.
• You’ll be able to save your video for others to watch later, or to save as a memento to share with the baby.
• Create an atmosphere where people can feel engaged. Be sure to personalize the group, page, or event. You can do this with photos, digital images of the invitation, etc. The goal is to set it up as if you would decorate for an actual baby shower. 

Facebook Events

You can set up your baby shower facebook event in just a few clicks:

• From your News Feed, click Events in the left menu. Click and create the event.
• Choose to create a private or public event.
  • If you choose a private event, only invited guests will see your event.
  • Keep in mind that once you have created a private event, you can’t change it to “public” later.
  • If you choose to create a public event, anyone will be able to see your event if they search for it.
  • Public events cannot later be changed to private.
• Type in the event name, location, date, time, and description. Click to proceed.
• On the next screen, you will be able to add a cover photo or video, invite guests, upload photos, share posts, and edit event details.
• Because your event will be for a virtual baby shower, try to create a welcoming atmosphere with beautiful pictures and videos.

WebBabyShower.com

• This is not a free service, but you do get a 7-day free trial.
• Setup is relatively easy.
• Because Web Baby Shower is specifically for virtual baby showers, they have lots of custom themes and matching invitations for you to choose from.
• Web Baby Shower also offers a home page for your baby shower, a virtual guest book, gift registry links, a photo album, etc.

Facetime (For Apple Devices)

• Facetime is free and easy, but it comes with a huge obstacle—it works only between Apple devices. You can use iPhones, iPads, or Apple computers (OS X Lion 10.7 or later).
• Facetime allows up to 32 connected devices. (The average size of most baby showers is 25).
• Many people can join the call. They can do so by using their Apple ID and they need to be invited by the host.
• You can connect to Facetime via WiFi or cellular data if you have a data plan.

Pro Tips: On the day of your virtual baby shower, check your connection a few hours before you go live. By checking early, you will have time to troubleshoot if necessary. Also, do try to go live approximately 10 minutes before the actual event time. This will allow you to help others if necessary, and to check that everything is set.

Send Out Baby Shower Invitations

In an attempt to make it feel more real and official, some hosts choose to send out physical baby shower invitations. One benefit of doing this is that you can include maternity photos and/or baby shower games in the envelope. If this is too much of an effort or budget prohibiting, send your invitations via email or text.

Decorate Your Virtual Baby Shower (If Necessary)

If you are using Zoom or any type of video service that allows you to create a fun background, you probably don’t need to set up any decorations. But if you don’t have that feature, try to put up a few decorations to make things festive. Depending on your budget, a few baby shower balloons may be adequate. The goal is to make the broadcast feel festive.

If the new baby has a nursery, consider having the party in there. It will put your virtual guests in a baby celebrating mood.

Decide On Baby Shower Games And/Or Activities

When it comes to baby shower games, you’ll be limited to printable baby shower games, like:

• Baby Jeopardy
• Who Know’s Mommy Best?
• Baby Shower Word Scramble
• Baby Shower Nursery Rhymes
• Celebrity Baby Name Game
• Baby Shower Word Search

If baby shower games are not your thing, there are many baby shower activities you can do, too. Activities can be mailed to guests, and they can mail finished activities back.

Some popular baby shower activities for virtual baby showers are:

• Advice for new parents – these printables can be mailed or emailed to recipients, then collected for a scrapbook or folder;
• Wishes for baby cards – cards can be included in your invitations, then collected for a scrapbook or folder;
• Creating an alphabet book for baby – everyone colors a few pages for baby’s first alphabet book. Once completed, all pages can either be scanned and digitally sent to mom, or mailed to her.
• Decorated bibs, onesies, etc – family members from far away always want to feel part of the new baby’s life, and creating unique bibs and onesies help them feel involved.

Pick Your Baby Shower Prizes And Favors

If you are planning to play baby shower games, you will need baby shower prizes for the prize winners.

The straightforward route would be to simply offer amazon gift cards to winners. That way, their prizes can be digitally awarded after winning their respective baby shower games.

Otherwise, you could ship the baby shower prize to the winners (if the prizes are safe to be shipped.)

Announce winners early. Do not wait until the end of the baby shower because not everyone will be able to stay until the end.

Baby shower favors may not be expected for a virtual baby shower, but it’s always ‘nice’ to send it to your guests, if only for the sake of tradition.

Pick a baby shower favor that lends itself to shipping (light, non-perishable, not fragile or dangerous), and send it to the attendees of your virtual baby shower. Baby shower cookies are usually a good idea because they’re relatively light and easy to ship.

Be Prepared To Receive Baby Shower Gifts

A covid baby shower may not be traditional, but baby shower gifts certainly are. Regardless of whether your shower is traditional or virtual, baby registry gifts and new mom gifts will still be sent to your physical address.

With Amazon Prime, shipping gifts is not a problem for the sender or the receiver. However, international guests may have a challenge with shipping charges. Do keep this in mind as you add items to your baby registry.

Gift cards are always a great option for international guests! It allows them to contribute, and you get exactly what you need for the new baby. Therefore, be sure to add a few gift cards to your Amazon baby registry.

You will likely get some resistance from traditionalists. They may not appreciate the idea of “sending gifts,” much less participating in a virtual baby shower. Explain as best as you can, but also accept that they may not be persuaded.

But whether you are having a virtual baby shower or a traditional baby shower, you will be expected to send thank you cards.

Be Sure To Send Out Reminders

Because people don’t need to physically go to your covid baby shower, they may forget. This is not unusual. However, by sending out a reminder a day or two before your virtual shower, you can increase the chances of them remembering to attend.

Also, virtual parties may not be something people do all the time. Therefore, even though the instructions may be easy, it would be helpful to send links and instructions along with your reminders.

A Masked Baby Shower

@wagnersousa737

Having a masked covid baby shower is the closest you can get to a traditional baby shower. It is, however, not the safest option. If you do plan to go ahead, keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Each city and state has its own regulations. If you are hosting a covid baby shower, be sure to familiarise yourself with it.
• Familiarise yourself with the CDC’s guidelines.
• Reduce the number of guests to about a dozen people.
• Masks need to be mandatory—be sure to put that on the invitations. Have extra masks on hand for guests who forget theirs.
• If you are planning the shower during the warmer seasons, try to keep the party outside as much as possible. If it can’t be outside, make sure the indoor space is large enough for social distancing.
• Sanitize the party area before and after the covid baby shower.
• For outdoor covid baby showers, have the guests come through a side gate or back gate instead of the house.
• Limit the guests’ time inside the house to using the bathroom.
• Group households together, and space the guests’ seats six feet apart.
• Serve individually packaged meals.
• If you are prepping the food, be sure to use gloves and masks.
• Play baby shower games that allow for social distancing.

Featured Image Credit: Katie Sobey Rodriguez