The countdown to becoming a mama is officially on, and with those nine months come seemingly endless baby preparations. Some moms prioritize decorating the nursery, others search for the best diaper deals to score a never-ending supply—and if you’re a mom with wanderlust, you might already be arranging your pregnancy travel plans or daydreaming the first trip you’ll take together once they’re born.
Yes, travel is still on the brain—after all, it’s part of what makes you you—which is why you’re thrilled to host a travel themed baby shower for your future adventurer.
If you’re looking for a dash of inspiration, join us as we help you plan the ultimate travel themed baby shower, complete with ideas for invitations, party favors, games, and sweet treats. You’ll also get a peak into some of the best must haves for new moms including baby travel bags and other baby travel necessities.
Invitations
Once you’ve chosen your baby shower theme, it’s time to dive into the glamorous details, starting with your invitations. Not only does a baby shower invitation set the tone for the shower, but it also includes all of the important information everyone needs to know, like:
- Date and time of the shower
- An address for the venue
- RSVP details
- Baby registry information
But before you place an order for your invitations, be sure to consider the two key factors to ensure they’re chosen, sent, and received: your delivery method, and your travel baby shower aesthetic.
Choose Your Preferred Method of Delivery
25 years ago, the only way to reliably deliver baby shower invites (or any invites, for that matter) was to send them in the mail—no longer!
Living in a digital world gives us multiple user-friendly ways to send invitations electronically, like:
- Text message
- Social media links
That said, just because digital invites are quick and easy doesn’t mean baby shower guests don’t adore receiving old-fashioned paper invitations. For that matter, some guests of honor (like grandparents-to-be) might love having a physical memento to remind them of your upcoming little one.
Zero-In On Your Travel Theme
Eclectic pieces of luggage and colorful globes are very on-trend for a modern travel baby shower theme, but did you know that there are multiple travel themes to choose from?
To help you narrow down your favorite globetrotting vibe, here are a few popular travel themes to customize your invitations:
- Vintage travel – From antique luggage and sepia globes to invites that look like an old postcard, there are plenty of vintage travel invitations to welcome your baby shower guests—and possibly inspire decoration ideas for the shower.
- Adventure – Your baby is your next big adventure, right? There are loads of adventure-themed invites filled with adorable quotes, like “The adventure begins” or “Our next big adventure.”
- Boarding pass – If you’re interested in an airplane-themed travel baby shower, consider a boarding pass invitation. Simple, classic, and impeccably on-theme.
Party Favors
Party favors aren’t traditionally a baby shower must-have, but they can be a meaningful gesture that shows each attendee that you appreciate their support. After all, who doesn’t love receiving a box or bag at their place setting with a thoughtful memento (or sweet treats) inside?
If you’re short on ideas for travel themed party favors, consider gifting:
- Personalized luggage tags – Set your guests up for success on their next vacation, while subtly reminding them of the day they attended your shower. You can have personalized luggage tags made with your baby shower date and your little one’s initials on the back (or whatever sweet quote you’d like to add).
- Compass keychains – Compasses aren’t just practical if you find yourself in a navigational pickle. Typically, their colors are neutral enough to complement anyone’s car keys. Pragmatic and trendy—the spirit of a true pro-traveler, and a win-win.
- Personalized hand sanitizer – Keep everyone stocked with mini travel-friendly sanitizers, customized with a cute quote or your baby’s due date.
- Travel-themed ornament – A sweet gesture if your due date or baby shower coincides with the holidays (or you just happen to be a Christmas fanatic). Sailboats, planes, or a custom-made globe can all make precious holiday ornaments.
- Customized cupcakes – Although this party favor won’t last long, everyone will fawn over handcrafted cupcakes topped with little airplanes or globes. Be bold and opt for adventurous, decadent flavors, like maple pumpkin, strawberry Nutella, or mint chocolate chip. Count us in for a baker’s dozen, please!
Once you’ve secured your personalized party favors, it’s time to put on the finishing touches: gift wrapping. Some on-theme bundling options include:
- Mini luggage box
- Fabric world map party favor bags
- Personalized mini brown paper bags with a travel-themed illustration and a short but sweet, “thank you”
Games
Some moms-to-be love baby shower games (a classic: “Don’t Say Baby”), while others wouldn’t dream of letting guests guess the size of her tummy. And as the star of the show, whichever category you fall into is perfectly OK.
That said, some classic baby shower games that can help guests get in the spirit—and your travel theme—with some festive amusement. Here are two of our favorite baby shower games that’ll have everyone calling for an encore.1
#1 Guess the Baby
This one involves a sliver of planning on your part. On your invites, ask each guest to bring a baby photo of themselves to the party to be used for a party game. To stay on-theme, consider asking them to bring a photo of their younger selves on a first family trip.
During the shower, each guest will hand over their picture to a helpful friend or family member who will hang each photo on a wall with a number. When all photos are on the wall, everyone will guess which baby photo belongs to which grown-up, and where the photo was taken. The person with the most correct answers wins!
#2 Baby Sketching
If you fancy yourself the next Vincent Van Gogh, you may think this is your chance to shine—think again.
As everyone receives a paper plate and a few markers, tell them they’ll each be drawing a picture of the baby’s face on the plate.
Most guests will feel confident until you hit them with the catch—they’ll be drawing their picture while the plate is on their faces. The resulting sketches are abstract, whimsical works of art.
P.S.: As a travel-themed bonus round, see if they can guess and draw the first spot you’ll take your baby on vacation once you know the answer to, “when can you travel with a baby?”
Treats
No baby shower is complete without a feast of tasty treats to nibble on. For guests, the food is half the fun. As the mama-to-be and guest of honor, your selection of snacks is a very high priority.
Luckily for all parties involved, your travel-themed baby shower affords you the luxury of curating a table full of delectable dishes from around the world. Some fantastic global hors d’oeuvre include:
- India – Samosas
- Italy – Italian meatballs
- Korea – Mandu
- United States – Pigs in a blanket
- Mexico – Taquitos
- England – Cucumber sandwiches
- Japan – Sushi rolls (cooked rolls to keep them friendly for the guest of honor!)
Curating the Ultimate Gift Registry
There are always a few family members who will undoubtedly go rogue and purchase whatever they think your little pumpkin will like. Most, however, will stick to the items you’ve listed on your registry.
In addition to the must-have items on every mama-to-be’s list like burp cloths, onesies, and oh-so-many diapers, consider adding some helpful travel-handy accessories.
Backpack Tote
Wouldn’t it be magical if you had a trendy diaper bag backpack you could easily sling over your shoulders as you wander through the airport with a baby in tow? Baby travel bags, such as the ELSA Backpack Tote and ELSA Tote are full of travel conveniences for jet-setting mamas, including:
- Insulated pockets to keep those bottles nice and warm or cool for your companion’s next feeding
- A portable changing pad to change a diaper at a moment’s notice, wherever you may be.
- Stroller straps to give your back a break, letting you strap your tote to the stroller with ease
Changing Clutch
Whether you’re on vacation or just taking a quick trip to the mall, you’ll quickly learn you can’t leave the house without something to tote your baby’s essentials—after all, a gargantuan spit-up can occur at any time.
As a solution, register for a changing clutch like the ELSA Changing Clutch—a conveniently small, compact bag that fits the baby-ready works, including:
- A changing pad (Did we mention it’s included with the clutch?)
- A few diapers
- Wipes
- A small diaper cream
As a bonus, when your tiny tot is finished with the diaper phase, you can use the clutch as a laptop bag for a 13-inch laptop. Two birds, one stone.
Baby Carrier
Sometimes new parents don’t realize how challenging it can be to bring along their new babe for the next big adventure. One way to make it easier?
A baby carrier or sling, like the ELSA Baby Sling.
Baby carriers are essential for parents on the go, enabling them to:
- Keep your hands free
- Nurse as they’re on the move
- Let baby nap comfortably wherever they are
- More easily breeze through airport security
- Save space and skip the hassle of a stroller
Make Traveling with a Baby a Breeze with BÉIS
A travel theme baby shower is just the beginning of your newest globetrotting adventures with your baby-to-be. Before long, you’ll be jet-setting across the seas with your newest travel buddy slung on your hip—in style.
With BÉIS, you can tote your little one and your belongings through the airport and beyond with luggage that’s both practical and chic—a mama’s dream come true.
As for your baby’s endless travel necessities?
Comfortably pack everything in one of our stylish anti-diaper bags. With beautifully designed interior storage for baby’s necessities—and a luxurious exterior that hides and odor-neutralizes any recent changing sprees—you and your tiny tot will be ready to take the world by storm.
Sources:
- “Top 20 Best Baby Shower Games.” Beau-coup.com. www.beau-coup.com/top-20-baby-shower-games.htm. Accessed 16 Sept. 2022.
