Games and ideas for baby shower: creating personalized crossword puzzles and word searches

Are you looking for some unique baby shower games and ideas? Baby shower crossword puzzles and word search puzzles are a unique and fun party activity to determine how much your party guests know about the mom-to-be! If you want to create your own, there are free online puzzle generators that can help you. Or if you want to save some time, there are many online party planners that will create them for you.

By creating your own puzzles, you can ask the mom-to-be specific questions and ask her to provide the answers. She may also have some ideas for specific questions she’d like to include. Alternatively, if it’s a surprise play activity that you don’t want the mom-to-be to know about, ask one of her close relatives or friends some of the questions below.

• What is the future dad’s favorite pastime?
• Name chosen for the new baby?
• What has been the main complaint of the expectant mother during the pregnancy?
• Second name chosen for the baby
• What month should the new baby arrive?
• What is the theme of the nursery?
• What food did the mom-to-be crave the most during her pregnancy?
• What food did the mom-to-be dislike the most during her pregnancy?
• What is the name of the baby’s older sister or brother?
• What is the name of the family pet?
• What is mom’s favorite hobby?
• Baby’s maternal grandmother’s name?
• Baby’s paternal grandmother’s name?
• What is the mom-to-be’s favorite restaurant called?
• What is the mother-to-be’s doctor’s last name?
• In which hospital will the baby be born?
• In what month was the baby conceived?

If most of the party guests are close friends and relatives of the mom-to-be, you can make the questions a bit more difficult by asking questions about food likes and dislikes, hobbies, etc. of the future mom. Don’t forget to include questions about the dad-to-be too!

In general, the guests at the shower will be a mix of close friends and relatives and also some casual acquaintances. In that case, include a mix of easy and more difficult questions. You don’t want it to be too easy… it should be challenging so your shower guests have to really think about the answers! You should try to include 15-20 questions if possible, to make the puzzle more entertaining.

When solving a crossword puzzle or a word search, everyone can do well, since most of the time there are enough letters to be able to guess. It is better to provide guests with a pencil, rather than a pen, in case they need to change an answer.

Materials you will need

• A computer to create the puzzle online and a printer to print the copies.
• Paper to make copies of the puzzle for each guest at the shower. You can buy stationery printer paper that has a baby-themed background image at most craft stores. Or you can also use pastel pink and blue paper if the gender of the baby is known.
• Another option that will require a text editor, such as Microsoft Word, is to use plain white paper and add some clip art or graphics to the puzzle that coordinate with the theme of the shower. Don’t forget to print out a copy of the answer page and make an extra copy on good paper (parchment paper is great) so the mom-to-be has a nice keepsake for the baby book.
• A prize for the winner is always a nice touch!

During the baby shower, each guest should receive a copy of the puzzle and clues. Both can usually be printed on the same page, so you only need to spread out one page. Allow guests approximately 10-15 minutes to complete.

The guest who has completed the most correct answers is the winner! As the party host, be sure to read each question and provide the answers. Then party guests who might not know all the answers can learn more about the parents-to-be!