You’ve shared your happy news with a creative pregnancy announcement and are starting to make your plans to welcome your new baby. Now it’s time for the fun part: the baby shower!
Baby showers have been around for decades, but there’s one trend that has emerged in recent years: gender-neutral baby showers that shift the focus away from traditional gender colorsto pure excitement about the new arrival, regardless of the baby’s gender.
Are you wondering, “How do you throw a gender-neutral baby shower?” Whether you’re the guest of honor or planning a shower for a happy parent-to-be, we’ve got tips to help you plan a memorable celebration, along with thirteen original gender neutral baby showerthemesthat will delight your guests.
What is a Gender-Neutral Baby Shower?
Gone are the days of pink for girls and blue for boys. Enter the age of the gender-neutral baby shower, where the focus is on celebrating the arrival of a brand new baby instead of embracing stereotypical gender norms.
But the benefits of a neutralbaby shower go beyond the party decorations and themes. Many parents choose to not find out their baby’s gender until the baby is born, so a gender-neutral baby shower is a great option to help them prepare for their new arrival.
How Do You Throw a Gender-Neutral Baby Shower?
If you’re planning a gender-neutral baby shower, start with the basics: pick a date that works for the parents-to-be and their most important guests, and then settle on a theme that will tie the celebration together. Typically, showers take place during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy to give the couple time to set up and get ready for baby.
The next step in throwing a neutral baby shower is to choose the venue. If the guest list is small, you may want to host it at home but if it’s a larger affair, you can rent out a party room or the private room at a local restaurant. Once the location is nailed down, plan the menu and hire a caterer if you’re not making the food yourself. Choose finger foods that are easy to eat while guests mingle (go easy on the garlic!), and keep in mind dietary restrictions so guests with a food allergy or a vegetarian diet will have something to eat. And be sure to offer a balance of savory and sweet.
Invitations are the next thing to cross off the to-do list, and should be sent 4 to 6 weeks before the party. Pick an invitation that complements your gender-neutral baby shower theme and be sure to include information about where the parents are registered so guests can choose needed items for the baby and the parents, too. The new Down To Earth™ MamaRoo® Baby Swing Color Collection is a great addition to a gender-neutral wishlist because it comes in three modern, neutral colorways that work for boys or girls.
13 Original Gender-Neutral Baby Shower Themes
Not sure where to get started? We’ve rounded up thirteen of our favorite fun and creativegender-neutral baby shower ideas to inspire you:
- Enchanted Forest: Bring on the whimsy with this fanciful neutral baby shower theme that immerses guests in a magical woodland setting and incorporates decor like gnomes, toadstools, and other on-trend accents. Use twinkling fairy lights, moss topiaries, and gold tablecloths to make it feel magical, and serve fairy tale-inspired foods like candied apples, “magic” bean salad, and pigs in a blanket.
- Celestial Wonders: Twinkle, twinkle little star is a classic lullaby and a great jumping off point for a gender-neutral baby shower. Create a dreamy atmosphere with stars, moons, and galaxies—our celestial dreams nursery is loaded with ideas to inspire your celebration.
- Global Voyager: Are the parents-to-be dedicated globetrotters? Celebrate their passion for travel with a gender-neutral baby shower inspired by travel. Serve food from around the world and add an element of fun by incorporating traditions from other cultures, like the Hindu custom of godh bharai where the new mom is showered with gifts, or a South African stork party with games and food.
- Modern Art Deco: Gold, glitter, and old Hollywood. If sleek sophistication is the guest of honor’s signature style, you can’t go wrong with a gender-neutral art deco theme that leans into geometric designs and black and gold accents. Use retro fonts like Cormier, Metropolis, and Haus for invitations and signage, pearls and feathers for the centerpieces, and an old school menu of deviled eggs, shrimp co*cktail, and a cheese and charcuterie board—and in true roaring ‘20s fashion, keep the champagne (or mocktails) flowing.
- Eco-Friendly Green: A new baby’s arrival is a great time to show some love for Mother Earth. Use recycled decor, serve a plant-based menus, and decorate with lots and lots of potted plants. If the parents-to-be are focused on sustainability, use the shower as an opportunity for guests to gift their gently used hand-me-downs to the baby—they’ll not just be helping out the parents, they’ll be keeping perfectly good gear and clothing out of landfills.
- Vintage Carnival: You can have a lot of fun with this neutralbaby shower idea that’s a throwback to classic carnivals: think bright colors, classic boardwalk games, and nostalgic décor. Need some inspiration to get started? Check out the “under the big top” ideas we shared in our first birthday themes post.
- Zen Garden: Create a tranquil, minimalist setting with simplistic Japanese-inspired natural elements that encourage harmony and relaxation. The muted, soothing sandstone, rosewood and slate blue palette of the new Down to Earth™ MamaRoo® Multi-Motion Baby Swing®offers a great ready-made backdrop for this serene gender-neutral baby shower theme.
- Color Splash: Life with baby is sure to be vibrant, so lean into a color-drenched baby shower theme that's gender-neutral,featuring a kaleidoscope of primary tones. Choose tie-dyed linens, brightly hued plates, and foods that reflect the theme: fruit kebabs, colorful salads, and a towering rainbow layer cake.
- Sci-Fi Adventure: Are the parents-to-be die-hard sci-fi fans? They’ll be over the moon with a sci-fi themed neutral baby shower: make it an out-of-this-world adventure with futuristic décor and space-themed nibbles—we’re talking star-shaped finger sandwiches, moonpies, and cosmo mocktails.
- Safari Quest: Take a walk on the wild side with this unisex baby shower idea. Incorporate animal prints, lots of green monstera leaves, and earthy tones into your décor, and decorate with lions, tigers, giraffes, and zebras.
- Storybook Fantasy: They say it’s never too early to start reading to a baby, right? Choose a favorite gender-neutral picture book as the theme—Green Eggs and Ham, Dragons Love Tacos, Teddy Bear’s Picnic—and bring it to life with food and decorations. Take thisgender-neutral baby shower idea full circle by asking each guest to bring their favorite picture book to build baby’s library.
- Under the Sea: Whales, and turtles, and octopi, oh my! Dive into an aquatic adventure with a marine-themed neutral baby shower. Set the stage with a beautiful blue and green balloon garland and paper lanterns, cover tables with burlap, and use green and blue glass vases for centerpieces to create coastal ambiance.
- Mountain Retreat: The parents-to-be are about to embark on their greatest adventure—help them celebrate the journey with a woodland theme that embraces the great outdoors. Lean into rustic décor and buffalo plaid linens, adorable woodland animals that bring the mountains indoors, and a make-your-own trail mix bar.
Celebrating New Beginnings With a Gender-Neutral Baby Shower
As you’re celebrating new life and new beginnings, gender-neutral baby showers are an inclusive and creative way to welcome a new baby.
The stylish Down to Earth™ Mamaroo® Baby Swing Color Collection from 4moms is designed for this gender-neutral approach, featuring an ensemble of neutral colors inspired by the organic hues found in nature. This beautiful new collection provides a great and thoughtful way to embrace the idea of celebrating a new chapter in the parents-to-be’s lives with open hearts and minds.
