How to Host a Drive Thru Baby Shower
Our tried and true tips for how to host a drive thru baby shower to make it memorable for friends and family!
It’s safe to say that no one anticipated the term “drive through baby shower” to be a common phrase, but here we are!
Drive through showers can be just as fun and exciting as a traditional baby shower, plus, there are plenty of ideas for making them even more memorable.
I loved getting to host this shower for my sister-in-law, so I’m excited to share my tips for hosting your own baby shower parade…
What Is A Drive Thru Baby Shower?
With all of the uncertainty around spreading contagions, socially distanced baby showers have become a popular alternative to the traditional baby shower.
In-person baby showers definitely aren’t going anywhere, but sometimes a drive by baby shower is great for those that want to play it safe, or for high-risk parents to be.
Virtual showers are especially great if you have long-distance family and friends that wouldn’t be able to attend a traditional shower.
You can even combine a virtual and drive through baby shower by allowing guests to drop off gifts in person and then watch you open them via Zoom with all of your guests, near and far.
How To Send Drive Thru Baby Shower Invitations
The first step for any birthday party or baby shower is putting together your invitations.
We highly recommend sending virtual shower invitations. This will allow you to quickly update guests in a pinch if unexpected weather, sickness, or other circumstances occur.
Of course, you can send paper invites for your keepsake box and also keep guests informed digitally, too. It’s a really easy way to allow people to still connect via a virtual baby shower Zoom link.
Drive Thru Baby Shower Invitations —
- Our favorite paper baby shower parade invitations, particularly this funny invite.
- For digital invitations, we recommend Evite, Paperless Post, or even Facebook as a free option.
- Keep the timing short and sweet, no longer than 1.5 hours, and decide whether to do time slots to keep traffic down.
If you want to make your invitations even more exciting, you can skip the “drive by shower” phrase and call it a “baby shower parade” instead! It makes it seem even more celebratory.
What To Include In Baby Shower Invitations —
- Always include the baby registry information, but keep in mind if you want to include a Zoom link and time for virtual shower visitors.
- Decide whether you want to have set time slots for people to visit so that there isn’t a long line.
- Include specific instructions for guests such as: wearing a mask, not exiting their vehicle, or in which direction to drive on the street to say hello.
Drive-By Baby Shower Invitation Wording —
“Please join us in celebrating the upcoming arrival of _________’s baby. We are having a Drive-By Baby Shower, so please don’t worry about finding a sitter – just bring your kids! This casual party is open to everyone who loves _________. We ‘can’t wait to see you there!”
“Come celebrate the upcoming arrival of _________’s baby with us on/around ______! This informal gathering is open to anybody who knows and loves her. We appreciate your support!”
“You’re invited to an impromptu baby shower for ___________ this _______(day) at ______ (time). We’re celebrating the baby’s arrival with a casual get-together and we hope you’ll come! “
“Please join in our celebration of __________’s new addition. Come to our Drive-By Baby Shower, and bring your kids if you’d like! You can expect to be home for dinner. Details are in reverse. Please RSVP by ______(date) so we know how to plan.”
“Meet us for a Drive-By Baby Shower honoring __________ and celebrating the arrival of their new baby, due on ______ (day). We’ll be meeting at _______(time) at ___________ (place). After the announcement, we’ll play some fun baby shower games before heading home for dinner. All family and friends are welcome! RSVP to let us know you’re coming!”
What To Serve At A Drive Thru Shower
Since you won’t be hosting guests in the traditional sense, try to think of what you can serve easily as individually wrapped items for guests to take.
We used inexpensive gold baskets filled with canned drinks, homemade sugar cookies, snack mix in custom favor bags, and a striped candy box.
You can also have individual cheese boards, catered boxes with lunches to-go, or packaged macrons using our easy macaron recipe for a sophisticated touch.
Baby Shower Parade Decorations
It isn’t a party until there are decorations, right? The beauty of drive thru baby showers is that you can still decorate just as much!
The most important thing is to have a covered space where parents to be can sit comfortably. Also, keep in mind what your weather may be and plan accordingly. That may mean fans, heaters, or a party tent.
We worked with Alpha Lit Houston for the jumbo marquee letters and Revelry Goods for the balloon and backdrop installation.
To make sure the parents were comfortable, we used two outdoor chairs from Article and a side table for refreshments while guests drove by.
Baby Shower Decoration Ideas —
- An inexpensive party tent for rain and sun coverage is a must.
- Be sure to keep your decorations BIG so that guests can see them easily from the car.
- Large yard signs are a great way to give guests directions.
- Photo backdrops and a backdrop stand are fun for mom, dad, and guests to drive in front of.
- A display table for favor baskets or thank you gifts.
- Balloon garlands in your shower color scheme.
- Don’t forget to play music for added ambiance.
Drive By Baby Shower Ideas & Games
Not everyone loves a shower game, so you can decide just how involved you want guests to be!
If you want an interactive element to get your guests involved, have them submit a short video for the parents to be to have as a keepsake. This is a great idea for guests both near and far.
Here are a few other drive through baby shower games & ideas —
- Snap a quick photo of each car or family as they visit. You can even have the parents hold a photo prop frame outside of the car.
- You can create a large poster for guests to predict when the baby will arrive or the baby’s weight.
- If you’re hosting a Zoom portion for a virtual baby shower, you can pick from a slew of virtual baby games.
- If you want to surprise the parents-to-be, send chalk markers for guests to write fun messages on their cars in advance!
- Like a traditional party, you can still create a hashtag for guests to snap photos and share.
No one ever said you couldn’t have a beautiful AND socially distanced baby shower.
Be sure to let us know your drive thru baby shower ideas in the comments below!
Here are a few of our other favorite baby shower ideas and treats —
- Tips for traveling with a baby
- 5 gender neutral baby shower ideas
- The time my husband wore a fake pregnant belly…
- A DIY balloon garland cake topper
- Our favorite birthday gifts for girls.
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