With the ongoing COVID-xix pandemic, many momshoped-for are planning virtual baby showers in lieu of in-person parties. And while these online gatherings piece of work a little differently, the intent is the same: to celebrate you and babe. Virtual belly rubs it is!

Although the concept has taken off more recently, virtual infant showers aren't completely new. Many moms have opted for online celebrations in the past to connect with family and friends who tin can't arrive to an in-person event.

Have Teresa Cox, 34, a stay-at-domicile mom to a four-twelvemonth-old male child and blogger at Simply Made Fun. Cox held a virtual baby shower a few years agone because she had a high-risk pregnancy and couldn't travel to the Due west Coast to be with her hubby'south family. "My mother-in-law was the one who came up with the idea of a virtual shower so that everyone could feel like they were a part of the celebration," she says.

"The cardinal reward to a virtual event is that no ane has to travel, a bigger group can be invited and it'due south much less expensive compared to [an in-person] event," says Kurt Perschke, owner of WebBabyShower, a virtual baby shower service that offers invitations, a customizable website and born games. (WebBabyShower is offering What to Expect readers 10 percent off their services.)

Hosting a Virtual Babe Shower

What is a virtual babe shower?

Well, virtual baby showers don't centre effectually nutrient, though attendees are certainly welcome to make up a plate and eat at their leisure. Whatvolition happen is that anybody will log in at the appointed time to celebrate y'all and baby from afar. Here, a step-by-step guide to planning your perfect virtual baby shower.

Choose your virtual baby shower "venue"

First, decide on a site that everyone can utilise for a live video chat, such as Skype, Google Hangouts or Zoom, says Perschke. Some loved ones may not be tech-savvy, so it's smart to exam the service alee of time to work out any potential problems.

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Stick with something that you detect piece of cake to utilise and one you're fairly confident that, say, your elderly grandma will be able to work. "Don't endeavour to reinvent the wheel here," he says.

We recommend using Zoom for your virtual shower video chat, since the platform offers fun options to customize your background. Merely go along in mind that Zoom calls are capped at 40 minutes unless you accept a paid subscription.

Don't fret, though: If you lot prefer to stick with the complimentary option, you'll nevertheless accept plenty of time to fit a virtual baby shower video chat in that timeframe. Learn more past checking out our guide to using Zoom, and get fun virtual backgrounds for your online baby shower.

Create your virtual baby shower timeline

Although yous don't accept to stick to a strict timeline, y'all may find it helpful to have a full general schedule to proceed the result running smoothly. Hither are two alternate virtual shower timelines to consider, depending on how much time you accept:

If you accept 40 minutes

  • 11–11:05 a.m. Catch up with those who "arrive" to the chat early, and let anybody figure out how to navigate the video phone call and prep for the party.
  • eleven:05–11:25 a.m. Permit the games begin! (Gyre downwardly for more than game and prize ideas.)
  • 11:25-11:35: Open gifts, if you lot're choosing to exercise so. (If you lot'd adopt not to open gifts during your virtual shower, you can skip this stride and devote some other 10 minutes to games.)
  • 11:35–11:40 a.m. Virtual goodbyes!

If you lot have 90 minutes

  • 11–11:ten a.m. Catch up with those who "get in" to the conversation early, and let anybody figure out how to navigate the video call and prep for the political party.
  • eleven:10 a.chiliad.–12 p.m. Let the games begin! (See the lesser of the folio for game and prize ideas.)
  • 12–12:20 p.1000. Open gifts, if you're choosing to practice and so. (If y'all'd prefer not to open gifts during your virtual shower, yous can skip this footstep and devote some other xx minutes to games.)
  • 12:twenty–12:30 p.m. Virtual goodbyes!

Send out virtual infant shower invitations

Adjacent, information technology'south fourth dimension to engage someone to send out baby shower invitations. That can be y'all!

"Over half of our customers are moms themselves," says Perschke. In that location's a dissimilar baby shower etiquette at play with virtual parties, and information technology'southward totally adequate to accept ownership over your experience and throw one yourself.

To keep with the virtual theme, consider sending e-vites, such as from Paperless Post or Minted.

Prepare your baby registry

If you oasis't already washed so, at present is a great time to create your babe registry. You may likewise want to include a link to information technology on your invitation. Many moms-to-be already adopt online baby registries.

If yous don't have one yet, browse the best online babe registries and review a baby registry checklist to make sure yous have everything you'll need once baby arrives.

Consider virtual infant shower decorations

Decorating for a virtual shower is optional, but it might help you feel festive to put up a few decorations in the area where you'll exist hosting the live video chat.

For Cox, her mother-in-law (who hosted) sent her a box a calendar week before the party filled with everything she needed to set, like wall decorations, beautiful napkins and the supplies she'd need for games and prizes. This alleviated her demand to do any prep.

Moms-to-be accept also gotten artistic with Zoom's virtual backgrounds. Here's a variety of options to fit the theme of your virtual baby shower — feel costless to download them for your party. Don't forget to include the link to download and so other guests can feature the background, likewise! You'll detect even more backgrounds in our Zoom babe shower guide.

virtual zoom background it's a girl

virtual zoom background it's a boy

Plan virtual baby shower games and activities

  • Guess the Number.The host holds upwardly a jar filled with sweets (likd M&Ms, jelly beans or Hershey'southward Kisses) and asks guests to approximate how many are within.
  • The Price Is Right. The host holds upwards diverse baby items (such equally a onesie, bottle or toy) and guests guess how much they cost. (Cox played this one at her virtual shower, and noted that it "got anybody talking and laughing considering of how different prices are now compared to when some of them had kids.")
  • Name That Baby Vocal. The host plays different nursery rhymes or pop babe songs and guests try to judge the proper noun as apace equally they can.
  • Who's That Baby? Before the phone call starts, inquire guests to e-mail photos of themselves as babies to the host. The host shares them with the grouping and everyone tries to guess who is who.
  • How Well Exercise Yous Know Mom? Use the downloadable template beneath to quiz guests on how well they know the momhoped-for.
  • The Glory Baby Proper name Game. Use the downloadable template below to match celebrity baby names with the glory mom.

For prizes, nothing is easier than e-gift cards: Send winners a souvenir carte for their side by side food delivery via DoorDash, some bucks to spend at Sephora or an Amazon credit, which can help buy just nigh anything.

virtual baby shower game

virtual baby shower games

Have a virtual infant shower invitee book

You as well have an opportunity to get artistic with a virtual "guest book" for your shower. Try this Google Slides guest book template that you can copy, customize and ship to your guests to fill out.

All you lot have to exercise is open the link, click "File," "Make a copy" and "Entire presentation." You can and so edit the information and ship information technology off to guests. Inquire them to make full in their communication for the mom-to-be before or during the shower.

Here's what the guest book volition look like:

virtual baby shower guest book

virtual baby guest book

Should you open gifts at a virtual baby shower?

As for presents, you lot can cull what you'd like to exercise. There are a few options: Your relatives and friends can open the gifts they "brought" to the party and evidence them to yous onscreen (then postal service them later), or they can send gifts ahead of time for you to open on the chat.

"Some moms want to open presents over live video, but others don't want to focus on that. A virtual shower is much more flexible than a traditional one," says Perschke.

Send virtual baby shower cheers notes

Don't forget to say thank you! Moms-to-be should thank their friends and relatives for attention with a thoughtful note.

To help make the process easier, download and employ the templates below to say "Thanks!"

virtual baby shower thank you note

virtual baby shower thank you note

virtual baby shower thank you note