Gregory Stahl · Mar 25, 2026

Baby showers have always been about celebrating what's coming. The tiny clothes, the unsolicited advice, the cake. But if you talk to parents who've recently gone through the experience, you'll hear a theme that keeps coming up: they wanted their people to actually be part of it.

Not just show up. Not just watch someone open gifts. They wanted friends and family to feel connected to the pregnancy, involved in the excitement, and genuinely having fun along the way.

And honestly, it makes sense. Pregnancy is months of anticipation, and for most of that time, the people who care most are on the sidelines. Baby showers try to fix that, but a two-hour party can only do so much. That's why more and more expecting parents are turning to digital baby shower games that keep the fun going well beyond a single afternoon.

The Shift Toward Interactive Baby Celebrations

Baby shower activities have come a long way from "guess the baby food flavor" and measuring belly circumference with string. What used to be limited to a handful of in-person party games has evolved into something much more intentional and lasting.

Parents are now building interactivity into the entire pregnancy journey, not just the shower itself. And the goal isn't just to fill time at a party. It's about creating shared moments that people actually remember and talk about after the baby arrives.

We built Guess The Baby, an app that lets friends and family make predictions about all things baby, from birth date and weight to hair color, first cry, and more, and we've seen this shift play out through the families who've used it. One parent shared in an App Store review that their family members "loved having cousins, aunts and uncles all have a part in guessing all the fun things about baby." Another said their friends "already locked in their bets and now my group texts are getting competitive."

Throughout this post, you'll see quotes from real parents and guests. These are all actual reviews from our App Store and Google Play listings. And while we're obviously biased toward our own app, the trend they reflect goes way beyond any single product. Baby celebrations are changing, and the people throwing them want everyone to feel like they're part of the story.

Why It Matters More Than Ever

There are a few reasons baby shower engagement has become such a priority for expecting parents:

Families Are More Spread Out Than Ever

The days when your entire extended family lived in the same town are, for most people, long gone. Pregnancies happen with grandparents across the country, cousins in different time zones, and best friends who can't always make it to the shower.

This is something parents notice immediately when they get it right. One couple said they built their Guess The Baby game because "we live away from our closest friends and family" and "wanted a way to get them involved in our sweet little girls welcome to the world." A guest at another celebration described the app as "such a fun way to be involved in all things pregnancy."

Digital baby shower games act as a bridge across distance, giving people who can't physically be there a way to participate, compete, and feel connected. When your aunt in Florida and your college roommate in Portland are both making predictions about the same baby, geography stops being a barrier. (See more on this in our guide to keeping long-distance friends involved during pregnancy.)

The Shower Is Only One Day

Here's the thing about traditional baby shower games: they start and end with the party. But the excitement around a new baby lasts for months. Parents are looking for ways to extend that energy beyond a single event.

One mom shared that she "truly loved using this app with my friends and family" and that it "brought so much fun all throughout my pregnancy." Another said that "seeing my friends so excited about our baby was the highlight of my pregnancy." That kind of sustained engagement doesn't come from a game you play for twenty minutes at a party. It comes from something people can check in on, update, and get competitive about over weeks and months.

Paper Pools Are a Hassle

If you've ever tried to organize a baby pool on paper or through a group text, you know the pain. Scraps of paper get lost. People forget to submit their guesses. Someone has to manually track everything and figure out who won.

Multiple parents mentioned this exact frustration. One said Guess The Baby was "way easier than doing it on paper at our shower and now friends who couldn't be there can still join in." Another described it as "an easy way to keep track of everyone's guesses." When the logistics disappear, people actually participate.

Baby Showers Are Evolving Beyond the Traditional Format

Not every baby celebration looks the same anymore. Gender reveals, virtual showers, co-ed parties, sprinkles for second and third babies — the format is more flexible than ever, and the activities need to match.

One parent mentioned they "wish I had this app for my first pregnancy" and were thrilled to use it for their second. Another family used it at a baby shower where "all the attendees made a fun time of the guesses" and then continued playing after the party: "After the baby boy was born, the answers started rolling in."

What Digital Baby Shower Games Actually Look Like

The best baby celebration activities share a few things in common: they're easy to join, they don't require a lot of explanation, and they bring people together rather than isolating them. Here's what's working right now:

Prediction Games That Get Everyone Involved

This is the biggest trend in baby shower engagement, and for good reason. Prediction games create a shared experience that spans the entire pregnancy and culminates when the baby actually arrives.

The most popular options right now include:

• Guess The Baby. Our app lets friends and family predict everything from the baby's birth date and weight to hair color, first cry, eye color, and more. Parents can choose from recommended predictions or create custom questions. It's especially popular with families who love friendly competition. One parent said they "love friendly competition and my friends and family were able to guess a bunch of different things and it was so fun."
• Classic baby bingo. Guests fill out bingo cards with gifts they think the parent will receive. Simple, but only works during the shower itself.
• Baby trivia. Questions about the parents-to-be, baby facts, or pregnancy milestones. Fun in person, but hard to extend beyond the event.
• Due date pools. Everyone picks a date, and whoever's closest wins. A staple that works better digitally than on paper.

Activities That Connect Distant Family

For families spread across different cities or countries, digital games solve a real problem. They give everyone a way to participate on their own time, from wherever they are.

One Google Play reviewer shared that their sister-in-law "had her doubts about this app but in the end she absolutely loved it." The reviewer said the mom-to-be found it "nice to just let everyone guess in the app" because it "took some pressure off her." That last part is worth noting. When an app handles the logistics, the expecting parent gets to enjoy the fun without managing it.

The Baby Fund Angle

Some prediction games, including Guess The Baby, let guests contribute to a baby fund as part of their participation. It turns a fun game into something that also supports the new family. One reviewer mentioned their sister-in-law "got a nice $ pool out of it to get one last mani/Pedi before becoming a mom." It's a thoughtful touch that makes the whole experience feel more meaningful.

The Ripple Effect: When Guests Become Your Best Marketing

Here's something interesting that happens when you nail baby shower engagement: the guests spread the idea to other expecting parents.

We see this constantly in our reviews. One parent said they "recommend it to all my expecting friends now." Another used the app because their sister had a baby and wanted to be involved. A third simply titled their review "Genius app!!!" and said they wished they'd had it for their previous pregnancies.

This word-of-mouth effect is real. When guests have a great time making predictions and competing with each other, they don't just compliment the parents. They save the idea for the next baby in their circle. The best baby shower activities spread from family to family because the experience speaks for itself.

How to Choose the Right Activities for Your Baby Shower

Not every activity works for every family. The key is matching the experience to your crowd and your situation:

Know your audience. A competitive family that lives for fantasy football brackets will love a prediction game with a leaderboard. A more laid-back group might prefer a collaborative activity like a group advice book or a onesie decorating station. Think about what your specific people would actually enjoy.

Keep it simple. The best baby shower activities require almost no explanation. If guests need a tutorial, you've already lost them. Multiple parents have mentioned setting up Guess The Baby in just a few minutes. One reviewer described it as "so easy to use and fun." When the barrier to entry is low, participation goes up.

Think beyond the shower. The most memorable baby activities aren't confined to a single event. Look for things that can start weeks before the baby arrives and wrap up after the birth. Prediction games work especially well here because the "reveal" — finding out who guessed right — doesn't happen until the baby is actually born.

Don't forget remote guests. If you have family and friends who can't make it to the shower, give them a way to be part of it anyway. Phone-based activities scale effortlessly. Whether you have 10 guests or 100, everyone can participate from wherever they are.

Make it optional but irresistible. Nobody wants to feel forced into participation. The magic happens when an activity is so fun that people opt in naturally. Share a link, mention it in conversation, and let word of mouth do the rest. One parent said their "group texts are getting competitive" without any pushing at all.

The Bottom Line

Baby showers are no longer just about the party. They're about the experience everyone shares together throughout the entire pregnancy. The parents who embrace digital games and interactive activities aren't just throwing a better shower. They're creating the kind of anticipation and connection that people genuinely remember, talk about for months, and recreate when the next baby comes along.

One of our App Store reviews sums it up well: "seeing my friends so excited about our baby was the highlight of my pregnancy."

That's what great baby shower engagement looks like. Not a perfectly styled dessert table. Not a flawless Instagram moment. Just a circle of people who care, laughing and guessing and competing over the little details of a life that hasn't even started yet.

If you're expecting (or know someone who is), take a step back from the registry and the diaper cake for a minute. Ask yourself: How are my people going to be part of this? If the answer is "they'll come to the shower and that's about it," it might be time to rethink the plan.

Because the baby celebrations people remember aren't the ones with the best decorations. They're the ones where everyone felt like they were part of the journey.

Looking for an easy way to get your friends and family involved? Guess The Baby lets everyone make fun predictions about your baby, from birth date to hair color to first diaper change. It takes minutes to set up, works for baby showers of any size, and keeps the fun going from the moment you share it until the day your little one arrives.

Ready to start your baby pool?

Download Guess the Baby and let the predictions begin!