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Over the last several years, we’ve found creative and different ways to celebrate the arrival of an upcoming baby without everyone gathering together. Drive-by baby showers are a great way for friends and family to help an expectant mother to celebrate the upcoming arrival of a new baby.
You get the experience of a regular baby shower without putting the mother-to-be at risk of illnesses from close contact.
Keep reading to learn how to host a drive-by baby shower with menu recommendations, theme ideas, decorations, and other baby shower ideas.
Looking for great theme ideas? How about a baby shower themed in sunflowers, pastel colors, or boho? Check out our other guides!
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What is a Drive-By Baby Shower?
During a drive-by baby shower, guests line up in their vehicles in front of the mother-to-be’s (or host’s) house in a line parade style.
Once the baby shower starts, the cars will drive forward slowly as they drop off gifts and pick up food and party favors.
Some parties let the guests play games and wish the mom-to-be congratulations from a safe distance away. One of the easiest games is a car judging contest. Have every guest decorate their car in a fun baby theme. Photograph each one during the shower and then post a winner once the party is over.
Other easy games include drive-by guessing the mom’s weight, and guess the number of items like diaper pins, pacifiers, diapers, or baby socks.
This is also a great way to incorporate your theme into your decor and games), and a lullaby karaoke contest.
Or play pin the diaper on the baby – remote style by attaching a white tissue or handkerchief to a toy arrow that shoots towards a plastic backdrop with a baby imprint.
How to Throw a Drive-By Baby Shower?
A drive-by baby shower can be one of the easiest parties to plan. This is because every person stays in their vehicle throughout the party.
So, the location somewhat doesn’t matter, as no one will go inside. But it also does matter, as you need to ensure enough space for your shower party to drive by the party location without blocking traffic.
You’ll need to think about several things when you’re planning to host a drive-by baby shower. Start by preparing your baby shower schedule.
Then plan your theme with your preferred color palette, menu, party invites, thank you gifts, and decorations.
Related Post: How to Throw a Virtual Baby Shower
Baby Shower Schedule
A baby shower schedule can keep your party on track so you can get everything done in the time you allotted your guests for setting aside.
Because the main purpose of a drive-by baby shower is to keep the preggo guest of honor safe from germs, the entire party occurs as guests stay in their cars.
Therefore, most drive-by baby showers do not take as long as a traditional baby shower. And since you don’t want to keep the road blocked all day with your party traffic, you may only want to set aside an hour to one hour and a half, depending on the number of guests you invite.
A great way to schedule your drive-by baby shower is to break your guests into blocks, with five cars allotted every twenty minutes to an hour.
You may take a bit longer to greet all the guests, but you won’t take up too much room, and you have an organized way to ensure you can talk to every visitor.
Theme Ideas
While it might be on-the-nose, one popular baby shower theme for drive-by baby showers is to use a theme with vehicles or travel.
You can also implement your party theme on the most important component of your drive-by baby shower decorations – a chair for the preggo mamma.
Menu Ideas
A drive-by baby shower typically does not allow enough time for you to have a full menu to serve to your guests.
It’s better to find things easy for your guests to eat in their vehicles or while on the move. So try these fun and yummy snacks for a portable baby shower drive-through menu.
Rice Krispies Treat coated in white chocolate with gender-colored icing
Cheesecake stuffed strawberries
Chocolate dipped marshmallows
Lemon blueberry parfait shots
Strawberry mousse cheesecake parfait
Cannolis
Irish Cream brownie parfait
Mini key lime cheesecake
Cotton candy popcorn
Strawberry brownie skewers
Invitation Ideas
Your invitation to the drive-by baby shower will share similarities to what you would add to regular invites, such as the party date, time, and address.
But you will also want to clarify that you are doing your baby shower quarantine style. Tell everyone that the shower requires social distancing and that no one should get out of the car.
If you have specific instructions on how your guests should proceed through your drive-by baby shower, include this information on the invitations.
Some people like to create a drive-by baby shower visitation schedule. And then, on the invitation, assign your guests a time slot for their arrival that coordinates with your plan.
A few drive-through baby shower-themed party invitation ideas include:
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Decoration Ideas
Just because you’re not having a traditional baby shower where everyone gathers together in a venue doesn’t mean that you have to forgo decorations.
Instead, you may want to put more effort into the few decorations you use to set the scene for your drive-by baby shower.
Large yard signs, balloon arches, floral arrangements, and large blocks or letters are easy decor ideas that can make a big impact.
You’ll also want to set up designated stopping areas for your guests to visit. One important area is the gifts table, where visitors can drop off the presents they’ve brought the parents-to-be.
You can set up basic tables covered with tablecloths. Or get creative and carry your theme into your table’s centerpiece, banners, and “punny” signs.
Another drive-by station you can establish that can continue your baby shower’s theme is a table for refreshments. While you may not be able to serve a large meal, you can offer small cups of punch or baby-shower-themed beverages.
You may also want to provide foods that are easy to eat while driving, like cookies, brownies, or pizza. Fruit cups, candies, and small bags of snack mix can also be appropriately fun.
Party Favor Ideas
Many pregnant mommies and baby shower hosts like to send their thoughtful guests home with small party favors or thank you gifts.
What items you choose can vary as greatly as baby shower theme ideas. However, customized items are largely popular as a keepsake and easy to find using craft sites like Etsy or Amazon.
Popular customized gift items chosen for baby showers include:
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www.etsy.com
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www.etsy.com
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www.etsy.com
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Related Post: 30 Easy and Inexpensive Baby Shower Favor and Prize Ideas
Final Thoughts
While you may be social distancing to keep everyone healthy, it doesn’t mean you can’t have evidence of your party. For example, setting up a photo booth in front of the mom-to-be’s chair can be excellent for capturing the special celebratory moment between mommy and her guests.
For more fun photographic evidence, encourage guests to decorate their vehicles. You can even turn it into a fun game where you judge each contestant’s decor and award a winner.
Another choice instead of a photo booth (or in addition to) is a guest book. You can find themed guest books or print them at home.