Hosting A Drive By Baby Shower
These are definitely weird times we’re living in. Because of social distancing, we’ve had to get creative in how we can celebrate our loved ones. As a result, the drive-by baby shower was created. Instead of gathering all together in a house or venue and mingling with food & drinks, guests will form a parade in front of the mom-to-be’s house. They’ll drive by at a designated time, drop off gifts (because that is the purpose of a baby shower, after all), shout their well-wishes, blow kisses, honk, and make mom and baby feel special!
When you host a drive by baby shower, things are a little different straight out of the gate. But, not everything has to be! We’re all used to ordering party supplies, invitations, and cupcakes or a special cake–and all of these things can still exist! Here are some great tips to make sure the shower goes by smoothly.
1. Choose a short time frame for the drive-by
Give guests a 30-60 minute window to drive by the house, to keep up the parade vibe, and so the pregnant mom isn’t sitting on her front porch for hours on end.
Even though this is a less formal type of baby shower, an invitation is still nice to send. An email or evite invitation is totally fine, but it’s always helpful for people to have all the details in one place, and for the mom-to-be to have something to print off and put in her baby book!
3. Set up a table at the curb for gifts
Make sure guests have a designated spot to drop their gifts, so they can maintain their 6-foot social distance.
4. Decorate the house and yard
Part of the fun of hosting a baby shower is decorating the whole house and bringing the party to life with a fun theme or color scheme. There’s no reason you can’t still do the same thing at a drive-by shower! Pick up balloons, yard signs, streamers, whatever you can to jazz it up and bring a smile to your pregnant friend’s face. Since this is not your typical shower, you’ll want to spend extra time and care on the décor so mama feels extra special even though she can’t have a traditional shower. If you’re able to rent tents or know anyone who owns them, I recommend setting those up, as well. Why? Rain! Plus, they provided us a shady place where the mama and her hosts could rest.
5. Send out activities in advance
Just send the activity in advance, and have guests fill it out and bring it with them to drop off for the mama-to-be to read later. These game cards have a wide range of options for any baby shower. Not only do they give guests some fun talking points, but you can make them into a little booklet afterwards, for mom-to-be to keep and remember after baby arrives.
6. Curbside goodie bags
Goodie bags are normally considered par for the course for kids’ birthday parties, but since your guests won’t be lingering over a buffet of any kind, it’s fun to pack up some memorable goodies for them to take home. Add a beverage station with consideration to the weather. Cold lemonade or a mimosa for the guests is perfect for summer; while cider or hot cocoa would be more relevant for winter.
Food options you could consider for a drive-through baby shower include:
Cookies in treat bags
Themed cupcakes packaged individually
To-go lunch boxes with tea sandwiches, chips, and a cookie
As we already discussed for drinks, consider options based on your theme or color scheme, and the weather.
From drive-by celebrations to virtual ones, people around the world are getting creative on ways to continue the celebrations. Drive-By Baby Showers won't replace traditional ones, but they will make the expecting parents feel loved. Let your drive-by shower serve as a true celebration of you and baby! The future with your little one is so bright.