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The post Baby Shower Games for Under $20 appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.
You can run five engaging baby shower games for 15-20 guests without spending more than $20 total.
Most baby shower game kits cost $15-$30 each. Multiply that across three or four games, and you’re looking at $60-$120 before you’ve even bought decorations or food. I learned this the hard way when I hosted my sister’s shower and blew through my entire $200 budget on store-bought game kits that guests played for maybe 10 minutes each.
This guide shows you exactly what to buy, where to buy it, and how to stretch supplies across multiple games. You’ll get a complete shopping list with itemized costs, a breakdown of which games work with free printables (zero cost), and a sample five-game lineup that keeps guests entertained without the premium price tag. Total time: 30 minutes of shopping, 20 minutes of setup.
The secret isn’t skipping games or settling for boring activities. It’s knowing that Dollar Tree carries small notebooks perfect for word scrambles, that free printable baby shower games exist for every theme imaginable, and that one pack of index cards can run three different games. Most hosts overspend because they buy pre-packaged kits when the same supplies cost 75% less separately.
This approach works whether you’re hosting 10 guests or 25, planning a casual backyard shower or a themed event. The games look polished, guests have fun, and you’ll have money left over for the dessert table or decorations.
Where to Shop: Three Sources That Keep Costs Under $20
Dollar Tree handles 80% of your game supplies at $1.25 per item. You’ll find small notebooks (40-50 pages), pens in multi-packs, paper plates for game boards, and plain cardboard that works for DIY bingo cards. Skip the “party section” baby shower items: those charge $1.25 for what you can print free online. Head straight for school supplies and office basics.
Dollar General fills gaps that Dollar Tree doesn’t carry. Their $3-5 value packs of index cards (200 count) run multiple games. They also stock larger notepads and basic craft supplies if you need poster board for a group game display.
Free Printables eliminate costs entirely for games like bingo, word scrambles, and advice cards. Websites like Canva, Etsy (filter for free items), and parenting blogs offer downloadable PDF games you print at home. One black-and-white print job costs roughly $0.10 per page at home or $0.15-0.25 per page at an office supply store.
The math works because you’re buying raw materials instead of branded kits. A pre-made baby bingo kit costs $12-18. The same game using free printables or hand-drawn cards on Dollar Tree cardstock costs $2.50 for cardstock and markers you’ll use across other games, too.
Three Active Games for 15-20 Guests
This lineup covers a variety: a quiet game, an active game, and a quick icebreaker. The total cost runs $8-12, depending on whether you already own basic craft supplies.
Game 1: Baby Bingo ($0-2.50)
What You’ll Do:
Print free bingo cards or create simple grids on Dollar Tree cardstock. Guests fill in squares with gift predictions before the mom-to-be opens presents.
Cost Breakdown:
- Free printable version: $0 (print at home or $3-4 for 20 color copies at office supply store)
- DIY cardstock version: $1.25 for cardstock pack + $1.25 for markers = $2.50
How to Prep:
Download a free template, print one per guest, and use small candies (M&Ms, Skittles) as markers. Or hand out cardstock squares and let guests draw 4×4 grids and write in common gifts like “diapers,” “onesies,” “blanket.”
Why It Works:
Runs during gift opening, so it fills dead time. Guests pay attention to presents instead of checking their phones.
Game 2: Baby Word Scramble ($1.25)
What You’ll Do:
Create a list of 10-15 scrambled baby-related words. First person to unscramble all words wins.
Cost Breakdown:
$1.25 for a Dollar Tree small notebook (rip out pages for each guest)
How to Prep:
Write scrambled words on a whiteboard or poster board at the front of the room: TABSSIEN (bassinet), PELARDI (diaper), LETBOT (bottle). Guests write answers in their notebooks. Set a 5-minute timer.
Sample Word List:
KANBLET (blanket), CIPFARIE (pacifier), BYABLUL (lullaby), TESRROLL (stroller), BINBY (binky), IPSEW (wipes), MULAFRO (formula), TAINMONRO (monitor)
Game 3: Guess the Baby Food ($3-5)
What You’ll Do:
Remove labels from 5-6 baby food jars, number them, and have guests taste and guess flavors.
Cost Breakdown:
- 6 jars of baby food: $3-4.50 (generic brands at Dollar General or Walmart)
- Paper plates for tasting: $1.25 (Dollar Tree)
- Plastic spoons if needed: $1.25 (Dollar Tree)
How to Prep:
Choose distinct flavors (sweet potato, peas, apples, chicken, mixed vegetables, bananas). Pour small amounts onto numbered plates. Guests write guesses on their notebooks from the word scramble game (no extra supply cost).
Why It Works:
Gets everyone laughing because baby food tastes surprisingly weird to adults. Takes 10 minutes total.
Two No-Prep Games That Double as Gifts
Game 4: Diaper Raffle Tickets ($1.25-2.50)
What You’ll Do:
Guests bring a pack of diapers to enter a raffle for a prize.
Cost Breakdown:
- Index cards for raffle tickets: $1.25 (Dollar Tree) or use free printable tickets
- Small gift basket prize: $0-5 (re-gift something you have or buy one $5 item)
How to Prep:
Include raffle details on shower invites: “Bring a pack of diapers, get a raffle ticket.” Guests write their names on torn index card halves when they arrive. Draw the winner before the cake.
Why It Works:
Stocks the nursery for the mom-to-be while giving guests a chance to win something. The “game” costs you almost nothing because guests fund their own entries.
Game 5: Wishes for Baby ($2.50)
What You’ll Do:
Guests write advice, well-wishes, or predictions for the baby on decorative cards the mom-to-be keeps forever.
Cost Breakdown:
- Index cards or cardstock: $1.25
- Markers or pens (if you don’t have): $1.25
How to Prep:
Cut cardstock into quarters or use index cards. Set out markers. Guests write messages during mingling time or while the mom-to-be opens gifts. Collect cards in a decorated box or jar (use what you have at home).
Sample Prompts:
“What’s one thing you hope [baby name] learns?” or “Predict what baby will be when they grow up” or “Share your best parenting advice in one sentence.”
Why It Works:
Doubles as a keepsake gift. Takes zero active game time since guests complete it whenever they have a free moment.
Shopping List and Cost Breakdown
Dollar Tree ($8.75-10):
- Small notebook (40-50 pages): $1.25
- Index cards (50 count): $1.25
- Cardstock pack (25 sheets): $1.25
- Paper plates (20 count): $1.25
- Plastic spoons (24 count): $1.25
- Markers (8-pack): $1.25
- Pens (10-pack): $1.25
Dollar General ($3-4.50):
- 6 jars baby food (generic): $3-4.50
Free Printables ($0-4):
- Bingo cards (print at home)
- Raffle tickets (print at home)
- Word scramble template (optional: easier to write on poster board)
Items You Likely Already Own:
- Printer paper
- Scissors
- Tape or glue stick
- Small candies for bingo markers
- Jar or box for wish cards
- Prize for diaper raffle winner
Total Cost Range: $11.75-18.50
This leaves $1.50-8.25 buffer for:
- Color printing at the office supply store if your printer is out of ink
- Extra baby food jars if you want more flavors
- Small prize for diaper raffle winner (Dollar Tree has candles, picture frames, small plants)
- Backup supplies if you’re hosting more than 20 guests
Cost Per Guest: $0.60-0.95 for a complete five-game experience
Scaling Up:
Hosting 30 guests? Add $3-5 for extra printouts and one more notebook. Total stays under $22.
Scaling Down:
Only 10 guests? Drop one game, skip plastic spoons (use what you have), and spend $8-12 total.
Pick games that use overlapping supplies. The notebook for word scramble also collects baby food guesses. The markers for wish cards also create DIY bingo boards. The index cards run both raffle tickets and backup game materials if you need them.
Choose 3-5 games from the lineup above based on your guest count, print any free templates you selected, and make one Dollar Tree trip for supplies. Start at Dollar Tree with the shopping list, grab baby food at Dollar General on the way home, and you’ll spend 30 minutes shopping total.
Your next step: Set up takes 20 minutes the morning of the shower. Arrange supplies on tables, pour baby food onto numbered plates, and stack wish cards with markers near the gift table. You’ll have everything ready for cheap baby shower games that cost under $20 total.
The post Baby Shower Games for Under $20 appeared first on Penny Pinchin' Mom.
