Create a baby shower that feels like a seaside dream vacation for mama-to-be with a few beach-themed ideas.
Although it would be nice if you could prevent the summer sun from turning your pregnant friend into a ready-made oven, you can use a few beach-themed baby shower ideas to give her a party that feels like she’s on a mini seaside dream vacation.
Bring the beach to you with tropical decor
When you’re planning a beach-inspired baby shower, first consider your local weather to see if you can host the event outdoors. You can really make a space feel tropical and airy like a beach when it’s outside. Consider having the shower earlier in the day when it isn’t as hot to make the mama-of-honor more comfortable. If you have a patio or flat area in your yard, surround the space with tiki torches, which look festive even in the daytime. Wrap grass-skirt material around the tables and chairs. If you can’t find material long enough, simply cut and connect a few grass skirts together using hot glue. Fill empty coconut shells with tropical flowers to use as centerpieces for all the tables, and accessorize the area with a few beach accents, such as shells, papier-mâché birds and faux palm trees. As a special touch, you can give each guest a tropical flower to wear in her hair by hot-gluing silk flowers on hair clips.
Beach-themed baby shower foods
Serving cake at a baby shower seems pretty standard, but you can really make a splash with a tropical-inspired cake instead of plain ol’ chocolate or vanilla. You can make a tiered cake with shell accents or frost a lemon cake with tropical “sunshine” frosting. Simply mix a large tub of whipped cream with one cup of mandarin oranges and one cup of pineapple chunks. Cover the outside of the cake with shredded coconut. Serve tropical finger foods such as mini orange-glazed pork kabobs, pineapple-infused rice pilaf and a giant bowl of fresh fruit. Consider using raffia place mats, faux coconut cups and wooden serving platters.
Beach-inspired tunes
Choosing the right music can instantly transform an ordinary baby shower into a tropical paradise. If you have a surround-sound speaker set, place the speakers evenly around the party area so that the music envelops the whole space. Otherwise, place your music player in a central location close to where you think people will most likely gather during the shower. Select music that will give the baby shower a beachy feel, such as Bob Marley, The Beach Boys or instrumental music featuring steel drums. Sometimes the best baby shower ideas come free of charge. Ask around to see if any of your friends have CDs they can lend to you before investing a lot of money in music.
Shed new light on classic baby shower games
Incorporate tropical accents into standard baby shower games to keep them on theme. For example, have all the guests race to see who can diaper a coconut the fastest, which can become quite a challenge when it starts to roll away! Instead of using yarn or toilet paper, string together a chain of silk flowers to guess the circumference of the baby bump. Fill clean baby bottles with tropical juice or fruit punch and see who can finish their bottle first. Don’t forget the beach-inspired door prizes for the winners, such as gift certificates to a spa or colorful beach towels.
