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Illustration of children's books

How to Plan a Book-Themed Virtual Baby Shower

Shower the mama-to-be in your life with a baby’s first library-themed celebration.

Sept.25.2020BabyShare

By Amy Grief

Celebrate the literary-minded mama-to-be in your life with a book baby shower—the perfect prologue to her next chapter. With bibliophile-inspired games, food, decor, and gifts, a baby’s first library-themed shower is not only oh-so adorable, but it’s perfect for new parents who can’t wait to raise a reader (even while baby’s still in utero). Throwing a virtual baby shower is easier than you'd think—especially when you’ve got the theme down pat. From the menu to the meaningful group gift, here’s everything you need to get started.

1. Organize the Group Baby Shower Gift

When you’re planning a virtual baby shower, you’ll want to include as much information as possible in the invitation, since guests will need time to prepare. Start with the gift. Since this is a baby’s first library shower, the gift is all about baby books. They’re the perfect gender-neutral shower gift, and board books are also affordable, making them a sweet add-on to registry gifts or a greener alternative to a card.

For the perfect personalized present, encourage each guest to choose their favourite board or picture book. To avoid duplication, have guests mark down their choices in a shared online document (like Google Docs). Have each guest email you a blurb about why they love the book. Order the books and print out the blurbs on labels. Stick them on the inside covers as DIY book plates and wrap everything up to send to the guest of honour before the big day. Guests can also order and send their book picks themselves to lighten the host’s load.

2. Set the Menu

Even if you’re hosting a virtual baby shower, you can still serve food. Either include a few recipes in the invitation for guests to DIY or, if your guests are nearby, drop off baskets filled with sweet and savoury snacks (plus, sparkling cider for an inclusive toast). Since this shower is all about baby books, keep your food on theme and think of clever ways to give your menu a nursery rhyme or literary spin, like:

  • If You Give a Mouse “Milk and Cookies” (recipe for chocolate chip cookie cups and milk)
  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar hamper (a basket filled with some of the food featured in this classic, like a slice of pie, a cupcake, and fruit.)
  • The Giving Cheese (instructions for the perfect cheeseboard)

3. Send Out the Invitations

Go green with e-invitations. Use your favourite service, like Paperless Post or the charitable giving-focused Echoage. You can also send out a group email in a pinch. Along with including the date, time, and video-chatting platform, ensure your invitation speaks to the baby’s first library group gift and menu, too. Consider adding in a deadline for guests to submit or order their book picks so you have plenty of time to prepare before the virtual baby shower.

4. Plan the Games

With a virtual shower, it’s all about screensharing. Classics, like celebrity-themed guess the baby picture, are always a hit, or try another trivia-minded activity: guess the baby book, based on emojis. In a PowerPoint, use emojis to write out the titles of children’s books for a game that’s sure to make you L.O.L.

5. Add in Decor

Turning cameras on is a must for a virtual baby shower, and staying in doesn’t mean you can’t dress up for the occasion. Let guests have fun with their backdrops, too—whether they use a fun digital background (of a famous library, for instance) or create one IRL using baby books they have on hand. Make it extra-special for the guest of honour by sending flowers and festive favours, like balloons and bunting, for an extra bit of flair on the big day.

Need help choosing a book? Here’s our Baby’s First Library collection:

  • The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
  • Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
  • Little Blue Truck by Alice Schertle
  • Love You Forever by Robert Munsch
  • Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr
  • The Going To Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
  • On The Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman
  • Moo, Baa La La La by Sandra Boynton
  • Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox
  • The Very Cranky Bear by Nick Bland
  • I Love You Through and Through by Bernadette Rossetti-Shustak
  • The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson
  • Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill
  • Dr. Seuss’s ABC by Dr. Seuss
  • Don’t Push the Button by Bill Cotter
  • Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow
  • Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae
  • Wheels on the Bus by Raffi
  • Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
  • Sweetest Kulu by Celina Kalluk
  • Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet Ahlberg
  • The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone
  • Dream Big Little One by Vashti Harrison
  • Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge
  • That’s Not My Unicorn by Fiona Watt
  • Little Scholastic Old MacDonald Hand Puppet Board Book
  • Peekaboo Kisses by Barney Saltzberg
  • Tails by Matthew Van Fleet
  • Where Is the Green Sheep? by Mem Fox
  • Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt
  • Welcome, Baby by Barbara Reid
  • B is for Bear by Priddy Books
  • Sing a Song of Mother Goose by Barbara Reid
  • Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
  • Alligator Pie by Dennis Lee
  • Sing-Along Songs with CD by Roger Priddy
  • Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers
  • Dream Animals by Emily Winfield Martin
  • Hug Machine by Scott Campbell
  • Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? by Bill Martin
Explore more baby books to cherish

Baby's First Library

View All

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