8 Genius Baby Shower Gift Ideas
So you've been invited to a baby shower. You want to bring a gift, but you don't want it to be something that just gets shoved aside. From one big gift to a basket of many small ones, here is my list of unique and genius baby shower present ideas that will earn you the best guest prize.
Boo-Boo Basket
Every parent needs baby emergency supplies at some point. Go to your local dollar store or discount store, grab a plastic basket or tote, and fill it with all the essentials a sick baby might need. Great ideas include a thermometer, baby pain reliever, Band-Aids, a snuggly stuffed animal, and a box of tissues. Add some ribbon and a tag and you have a cute and totally useful present.
Diaper Changing Kit
One of the most life-changing gifts I ever received was a diaper changing station. This is my go-to shower gift from now on because I know that every mom will love it. Buy a cute and big gender neutral one, combine it with a package of wipes, a small pack of diapers, and some diaper rash cream, and you will have a well-loved gift for mommy to be.
Travel System
Here's one big gift that is sure to bring a huge smile to any parent’s face. Get them an amazing travel system. You might think this gift is out of your price range, but think again. There are so many amazing and affordable travel systems out there. This makes an especially fantastic gift for a first-time mom-to-be, or a mom that got rid of her baby gear from previous kids. Just pick a safe car seat and a stroller that meets their needs (e.g. a jogging stroller travel system for an active mom). It's a foolproof gift every time.
Bath Bundle
Scrub-a-dub, baby needs a tub. You can go buy a plastic baby tub and fill it with everything baby needs for a happy bath. Stuff the tub with things like bubble bath, lotion, washcloths, towels, rubber duckies, and grooming supplies, like nail clippers, a comb, or a brush. You may even want to pick up good baby hair gel and styling products so your friend can style a cute look for her baby. Another useful and thoughtful gift.
Love of Learning Bundle
What better gift to give to a child than the gift of learning? You can get a cute container of some kind, like a basket or cloth bin, and fill it with things that will help them learn. Good ideas are flashcards, letter blocks, books, and sensory toys. You could even stick in some smart techy toys, like a baby cell phone or tablet, to give them the edge in our tech-obsessed world. To really make this gift amazing, be sure to grab a couple of learning toys for every developmental stage- 0 to 6 months, 6 to 12 month, and 12 months and up. That'll help them learn during all of those most developmental years.
Nursing Mamma Essentials
Baby showers are supposed to celebrate the mom and the baby, but mom usually gets left out of the gift picture. If you know that the mom-to-be is going to be breastfeeding, you can make her an awesome bundle. Buy her a nursing pillow, a nursing cover, nipple cream, and nursing pads. Believe this nursing mama when I say she will find these things indispensable and she'll be so grateful. Any pregnant mama is going to feel so special opening gift that has her in mind.
Pack n Play
This is a fun gift to give or send to someone that doesn't live near you. You could buy them a fantastic pack and play and tell them that they can use it when they come visit you with the baby. The best pack n plays are ones with built-in bassinets and baby changers. You can hunt around to find great ones at any retailer. My personal favorites are from Graco and Chicco. You're far away friend will get a practical gift that they'll use for a long time, and you will get a very sincere thank you.
Sleepy Snuggle Bag
We all want to buy cute and snuggly things for babies, although sometimes those gifts aren't the most practical. Make it a practical gift by getting some different cuddly things. Get a backpack or other bag that can be used as an overnight bag in the future. Fill it with different kinds of blankets, like a thin muslin one for summer and a thick woolly one for winter. Then you could add stuffed animals, a small pillow, or even a toddler size sleeping bag. This makes a great gift if the baby is a relative of yours, as you can say something cute in the tag or card about baby using these things at a sleepover at your house. It's a way you can still buy the fun soft things for baby but still make it into something that mom will get lots of use out of.
Character Collection
Pick your favorite children's character, like Peter Rabbit, Winnie the Pooh, or even Mickey Mouse, and buy a bunch of stuff with them on it. The fun thing about this gift is that you can buy both cute and practical things. You could buy practical onesies, bottles, pacifiers, snack cups, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Then, you can buy fun things, like books, decorations, stuffed animals, and even toys. You never know, the baby might grow up with that being their favorite cartoon character, and you were the start of it all!
Author Bio:
I’m a mom of 4 and grandmom of 1. I’ve always focused on building the character, not the resumes of my kids. I’m a CPA and a parenting, baby gear blogger at Experienced Mommy.