Having a new baby is a time of changes, and there's a lot of preparing that goes into it. You can help out a new mom by throwing a baby shower. Having a surprise baby shower can be a lot of fun.

It's exciting to plan everything secretly and surprise the new mom.

It works the best if the party is hosted by someone that is very close to the mom-to-be.

With a surprise shower, the mom doesn't have to worry about helping to plan anything and it's a wonderful way to just show her how much you all love her.

If you've never thrown a surprise baby shower before, you may not know where to start. Here is your one stop FREE surprise baby shower guide to help you get everything right for a great surprise.

Surprise Shower Guide

Invitations for a Surprise Shower

When it comes to the invitations, you need to send them out a couple weeks in advance.

This way everyone can prepare and make sure they can be there to get in on the surprise.

Before you even send out the invitations, it's a good idea to make sure the date and time work for everyone.

As you are writing out the invitations, make sure to point out that this is a surprise. This way you make sure no one accidentally mentions it to the mom-to-be and ruins the surprise shower.

Wondering how to work your surprise shower invitations? We can help, we've put together some great FREE Surprise Baby Shower Poems for you to use. Use these poems or mix and match for great invitations that everyone will enjoy receiving.

Coordinating the Surprise

Of course, as you're planning the surprise shower for the new mom, it will take a bit of work for you to coordinate the surprise.

You can do this by choosing a time that she won't expect. Often midday or afternoon showers are great for surprises.

Make sure all the guests for the shower arrive a bit early. You want them to try to park somewhere else so when the mom-to-be is brought to the shower site, she won't guess what is going on.

You should also coordinate the right time for the new mom to be brought in. Holding the shower at a place the mom usually goes is a great idea too so she won't get suspicious.

Decorating for the Surprise Baby Shower

Decorating for a surprise babyshower can definitely be a whole lot of fun. Definitely make sure you have a huge banner that says "Surprise" hanging up so she'll see it when she walks in and you all shout "Surprise."

It's probably a good idea to come up with a theme for your decorations. You can choose a theme for the décor based on the gender of the baby if you know it.

If you don't know the gender of the baby, come up with décor ideas that don't have to focus on a specific gender.

Have regular decorations, such as balloons, streamers, centerpieces, and themed paper products for the party. Great theme ideas include baby animals, rubber ducks, Disney themes, and more.

If you don't have a specific theme in mind, consider going with traditional baby colors, such as pinks, baby blues, soft yellows, and pale greens.

Fun Activities and Games for a Surprise Baby Shower

After the mom-to-be shows up for the surprise babyshower, you'll probably want to go right into some fun games to keep the party going. Here are a few fun games to use at a surprise baby shower.

Baby Memories

One great activity to use is sharing baby memories. Have everyone sit down and then go around the room.

Have each person share a memory of their babies when they were small. If they have no children, they can share memories from their own childhood. This can be a lot of fun and is sure to bring a lot of laughs.

How Many Diaper Pins

A simple game is to fill up a jar with as many diaper pins as you can. Count them as you put them in.

Pass the jar around throughout the party. Have everyone submit their guess as to how many pins are in the jar.

The person who guesses closet to the actual number wins.

Name the Baby Items

Make up a tray with various baby items. Include things like baby bottles, diaper pins, baby brush, baby comb, formula, blankets, washcloths, and more.

Give everyone about 20-30 seconds to look at the tray. After everyone has seen the tray, give them all a sheet of paper.

Have them write down all the things on the tray within 1 minute. The person who is able to list the most items on the tray wins.

Tasty Food Choices

There are many different food choices that are great for a surprise baby shower.

A cake is definitely a must. Have the bakery write something like this: "Surprise! Congratulations Mary (name of mom to be)."

Of course, you'll want more than just cake. Come up with festive food choices, depending on the time of day you're holding the shower. Mini sandwiches are great party foods, as are mixed nuts and crackers. Add some cookies and other baby themed foods.

Surprise Baby Shower Favors

As a big thank you for coming, you'll want to give out some surprise baby shower favors to all the guests.

One great idea is to go with baby shaped candles or candle holders. Picture frames are beautiful favors, as are themed soaps.

Scented lotions, lipgloss, boxes of candy, baby bottles with candy, personalized chocolate bars, and little manicure sets all make wonderful favor ideas.