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ABC's and 123's
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If the expectant mother is or was a teacher or educator, this is a very appropriate and fun ABC's baby shower idea. This is also a great baby shower theme to throw for a 2nd or 3rd child because the mother already has all the basic baby items like baby toys, diaper bags, etc. So, this theme could be a children's book baby shower to help her build her children's library. 1st time mothers also use this theme because it is so fun to decorate with alphabet blocks and dream about reading books to her baby!
Let's start planning this ABC Baby Shower from A to Z!
One of the most popular styles of baby shower invitations these days is the use of vellum. Vellum is a thin, semi-opaque, semi-clear, milky colored paper.
How is vellum used? To make invitations for an ABC baby shower theme idea, first go to a scrapbook or craft store and buy some sheets of ABC, 123, alphabet, or school themed paper (there are all types and styles of printed paper that fit an ABC's theme). You can get at least 2 invitations from one 8½ by 11 inch sheet (depending on how big or small you make the invitations). A 4” by 6” invitations is a recommended size. Also, at the store, buy the same amount of sheets of vellum. Also buy some ribbon or metal brads. You can use either the ribbon or brads to fasten the vellum to the paper.
Now for the fun part! On the computer, type up the information you want on the invitations. You could write something like this:
Jennifer Clements
2575 Sycamore Way
Given By Julie Cook
RSVP to Julie at 405-555-5545
registered at Babies-R-Us.
Or something like that.
Next, print your wording onto your vellum. You may have to adjust and play around with the printer settings to get it to print two invitations on one page. So before you start printing on your sheets of vellum, use blank white paper first until you get it just how you want it. Then, print off as many as you are going to need. Then, cut the vellum down to about 3” by 5” size with the wording centered in the middle.
Next, cut your ABC's themed paper to 4” by 6” size. Then place the vellum on top of the ABC's themed paper and fasten it at the top with two brads, equally spaced in the center. Or punch two holes, equally spaced (about 1-2 inches apart) in the vellum and the paper; then loop come ribbon through both the paper and the vellum.
Finish it by tying the ribbon in a cute bow on top.
You are ready to send them off!
If you don’t want to use vellum, you could follow the instructions above, but instead of printing the wording onto vellum, just print the wording on a light-colored alphabet or school patterned paper. Cut to size and you are done!
Another note, if this is a book baby shower, be sure to tell the guests in the invitations that this is an ABC Book Baby Shower and to please bring one of their favorite baby or children's books as a gift.
With just a little of your effort and 1 or 2 of these great baby shower theme ideas & favors, you will have wonderful little gifts to send home with each guest. And it will surprise you how inexpensive it can be!
Here are just a few ABC & book related party favors:
• Gift Certificate to a local bookstore
• Book Marker
• A little quote book or thought book about the "ABC's of Life"
• Apple Slicer
• Caramel Apples (Make them yourself)
• An Apple-Scented Candle
• Candy Bars wrapped in a special message
• Dried Apple Slices
• A little recipe book with a note saying, "Here are the ABC's of cooking"
The name of the game here is LETTERS and NUMBERS! SO any game related to letters or numbers is perfect. You should use 2 or 3 of these baby shower theme ideas & games, but no more. Read through the following games and select the ones that would be the best for the expectant mother.
Baby Shower ABC's
Preparation for this baby shower game: Print out the following
list of A through Z letters
, print one copy for each guest.
How to play this free baby shower game: You can either do this individually or in teams of 2 or 3 people. Give each person (or team) a piece of paper and a pen. Have them fill in each space with a baby related item (or pregnancy related item) that starts with that letter. Give everyone 6 - 8 minutes to fill in the list. Whoever fills in the list most completely wins! Q, X, and Z can be tricky. Tell the guests to be creative. Click here for a possible
list of items
.
ABC Name Game
Preparation for this baby shower game: This is a very simple, no preparation needed baby shower game!
How to play this free baby shower game: Start with the expectant mother and have her say a baby name that begins with the letter "A". Then go to the next guest, who must say a baby name that begins with the letter "B". Continue around the room until you have gone through the whole alphabet, A - Z. If a guest cannot think of a name in 10 to 15 seconds, they are skipped and are out. If you make it to Z with more than one person still in the circle, then there are multiple winners or you can play another round, A through Z until there is only one person left in the game.
Baby Babble
Preparation for this baby shower game: Make a list of 15 - 20 words of baby related items. Then scramble up the letters of each word. Make copies of the list for each guest. Click here for an
example of scrambled words
.
How to play this free baby shower game: Give each guest a copy of the list and a pen or pencil. They must unscramble all of the words. Give them 5 - 6 minutes to unscramble the words, or play until someone unscrambles all of the words. The first one to unscramble all of the words or unscramble the most words in the allotted time is the winner!
Baby Pictionary
Preparation for this baby shower game: Prepare a list of 5 - 10 baby items, baby actions, or baby situations. For example: Crib, stroller, breast pump, changing a diaper, burping a baby, ultrasound, bottle, baby's 1st step, baby crying, delivery room, midwife, rattle, etc. Have paper and pencils ready.
How to play this free baby shower game: During the shower, form 2 teams. Set each team at a different table and give each one some paper and pencils. Have one member of each team come up to the front where you are and show them both the first word on the list, but don't let them see the rest of the words. The will go back to their table and draw the item or phrase that they saw on the list. They can't write any letters or numbers, only pictures. The first team to correctly guess the word or phrase wins that round. Play 5 to 10 rounds, depending on how into the game everyone is. The team that wins the most rounds wins the game!
Baby Dollar
Preparation for this baby shower game: Find out the one or two names that the expectant mother has chosen for her baby. Have some extra one dollar bills on hand in case any of the guests don't happen to have one.
How to play this free baby shower game: During the shower, give each guest a pencil and have each one pull out a dollar bill. Tell the guests the baby names that the mother has chosen and the guests must find and circle each letter of one of the names on the dollar bill. The first guest to find all the letters of one or both of the names wins. The letters of almost any name can be found on a dollar bill, just try it!
Baby 123's
Preparation for this baby shower game: Before the Shower, go to the store and purchase 10 - 12 small baby items. Be sure to keep the receipt, so you know how much each baby item costs.
Items could include:
1 Package of Diapers
1 Bottle of Baby Food
1 Package of 100 q-tips
1 Bottle of multivitamins
1 Bottle of Baby Powder
1 Pair of Baby Shoes
1 Onesie
1 Bottle
1 Pacifier
1 Elmo stuffed animal
Any baby items that match your specific theme would be excellent items to have!
Then, make a list of the baby items on one side and a blank line on the other. Click here for an
example list
...
How to play this free baby shower game: During the shower, give each guest a list and a pen. Show each item to the group and have them write down what they think it costs. Then have them add up their prices for all the items. The one closest to the actual total on your receipt (minus the tax) is the winner! Present the expectant mother with the baby items. She'll be needing them!
This is an easy one. You could assign each guest a letter for which they will buy a gift which starts with that letter:
A is for Antibacterial Soap
B is for Bottle (blanket, burp cloth, bassinet, etc)
C is for Changing Pad (crib, comforter, cradle, etc)
and so on ...
Anything goes for this theme. Click here for all sorts of baby shower gift ideas ...
Also, this could be a Children's Book theme, so the baby shower gifts would be Children's BOOKS! Which fit perfectly with the theme of ABC's and 123's.
Or, if you are using this theme to do a Children's Books Baby Shower, then each guest brings a favorite Baby or Children's book. That greatly narrows down the search!
Click here for a Recommended List of age-appropriate & developmental Baby books...
• You will want to start out with some alphabet blocks that spell the baby's name or that say B-A-B-Y S-H-O-W-E-R, or A-B-C and 1-2-3.
• Go to a party store and look for a big cutout of an apple or several apples and a book to hang on a wall in the party room.
• You could also get a cutout or poster of a stack of books and a bookworm.
• Gather a number books in your house and make several stacks of books to place around the party room.
• You could put an apple on one of the stacks of books.
• For a real classroom look, borrow or buy a small chalkboard and put it on an easel, and then with chalk write a message on the board, like: "Welcome to Sara's ABC Baby Shower!"
• Print out the whole alphabet on a banner or one letter on each page and tape it to a wall in the party room. Use a different color for each letter.
• Stand 2 or 3 children's books up on-end on a table or other furniture in the room.
• For the "baby" touch, hang a clothesline up in the room and hang from it children's books, cardboard letters, diapers, bibs, booties, etc. You could write out a message on some diapers (which the mother can use later) writing one letter on each diaper, like B-A-B-Y S-H-O-W-E-R! or H-A-P-P-Y B-A-B-Y!
• It would be fun and festive to Use balloons with numbers or letters on them to decorate the chair of the Mother-of-Honor.
• Another great ABC baby shower theme idea is to print out signs from your computer that label things in the room, for instance:
B - Bathroom (tape to the door of the bathroom)
P - Punch (attach this to the food table by the punch)
S - Sandwiches (attach this to the food table by the sandwiches)
D - Dessert (attach this to the dessert area)
P - Pregnant (tape to the expectant mother's chair :]
D - Door
W - Wall
T - Television
You get the idea! This is quite cute if you use a fun font and colored paper (light blue, pink, or yellow are perfect!)
Click here for more Baby Shower Theme Ideas for Decorations that you could adapt to fit an ABC's and 123's Theme...
They don't have to be complicated, expensive, or time consuming. Here are some of my favorite ABC baby shower theme ideas for CENTERPIECES:
A diaper cake or baby shower cake all decked out with ABC's and 123's garnishings would be a very fun and very adorable baby shower centerpiece. These are filled with all sorts of baby necessities and make both a unique & darling baby shower centerpiece and baby shower gift from you! Click here for instructions on how to make your own diaper cake ...
For a refreshing and beautiful baby shower centerpiece buy a bouquet of ABC flowers:
A - Asiatic Lilies (or Alstroemeria)
B - Baby's Breath
C - Chrysanthemums (or Carnations)
And any other flowers that compliment the arrangement.
You could also do a baby balloon bouquet for a centerpiece. There are quite a few different Mylar balloons that you could find at a craft store that have numbers & letters - spell the Baby's name, or have balloons that spell B - A - B - Y or A - B - C and 1 - 2 - 3 .
Here are the ABC's of Baby Shower Food:
Your menu should consist of appetizers, fingerfood, and punch at a minimum. You could go all out and have a light entree, salad, and desserts if you are up for it! Here are some baby shower theme ideas for Menu items that will get you thinking:
Foods that start with A:
Alphabet Soup
Apple Sauce
Apple Crisp
Apple Pie
Fruit Salad (with apples) :]
Foods that start with B:
Buffalo Wings
Beverages
Brownies
Banana Bread
Broccoli Vegetable Tray
Foods that start with C:
Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chocolate Chip Cookies (3 c's!)
Croissants
Crepes
Carrots
Chips
Cupcakes
Cookies
Candy
Baby Shower Cake
Click here to find recipes to these baby shower menu ideas ...
Or do you have any other ABC's & 123's Baby Shower theme ideas to add?
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