We Can Bearly Wait Baby Shower 101: A Complete Guide
Hosting a We Can Bearly Wait Baby Shower is the perfect way to help welcome a little one on the way and make Mama Bear feel special. I recently went to my friend’s baby shower for her little boy.
They’re naming him Teddy so, of course, it had to be bear-themed. Adorable!
Baby showers are a memorable time for the new mama to celebrate and look forward to what’s next.
It can be emotional. It’s an opportunity to let mama-to-be know she’s loved and supported. So let’s dive in on how to do that in the “beary” best way possible. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
We Can Bearly Wait Baby Shower Invitations:
Choosing the right invitations sets the tone for your “We Can Bearly Wait” baby shower. The invites set the stage for the whimsical and adorable celebration to come. I also feel like it gives people some gift ideas or themes to include when wrapping or packaging the gift.
The teddy bear shower invitations pictured above were so cute.
Something with a bear on it is the obvious choice here but you could also incorporate honeycomb patterns or things like that.
Back in the day, invites through the mail were the standard but digital ones are just as good if not better in my opinion. I like the reminders you get with the digital ones. With 4 kids going a million different directions I need all the help I can get!
Make sure to include where the guest of honor is registered, if you’d like an RSVP or just regrets only, and a cell number. That number is super helpful should a guest have trouble finding the location.
Setting the Scene:
Decor-
This one is a no-brainer.
Bears. Like bears everywhere. This is a popular theme right now so there are lots of bear baby shower decorations online, birthday party supplies stores, and elsewhere.
If you’re not looking to spend a lot of money (like me all the time) you can always ask friends with kids if you could borrow a couple of bears for the afternoon. They offer a cute and warm look and you can return them at the end of the day.
I love adding little bears to small floral arrangements throughout the party venue. You can give an arrangement away as a prize or to the mom-to-be at the end of the party.
The host of the teddy bear shower I recently attended put many of the gifts in a cradle that held the great-grandfather and several other family members. It was in beautiful condition and a great backdrop for all the presents.
Teddy Bear-Themed Games and Activities
I’m usually not a big game person when I host a shower.
Not a huge fan of sniffing melted chocolate out of diapers trying to decipher which brand of candy it is. Not a proponent of tasting baby food and trying to label the flavor correctly. Not an advocate of guessing how big mama’s belly is by unrolling toilet paper. Ha! No judgment if you do that at your shower, it’s just not my first choice.
There are some cute ones out there though and it does break up the party in a good way if done right.
The games at the we can bearly wait baby shower I attended for my friend were brilliant in their simplicity.
Game 1:
Count how many teddy graham cookies are in the jar.
Easy.
For the record, there ended up being like 479 and I guessed 490. I think I was robbed there but I’m happy for my friend who was closer and got the prize.
Game 2:
Guess how many stuffed animal bears are in the house for the party.
Again easy.
Big fan.
We Can Bearly Wait Baby Shower Food and Drinks
There are so many ways to incorporate bears into the food and drinks. A bear cake topper is an easy option. You could always get a cheaper cake and then order a custom fondant cake topper from Etsy to add.
It makes the cake look custom without the bigger price tag of getting a cake from a local bakery.
The adorable bear cake pictured above comes from a local Louisville bakery called Plehn’s. I’ve had them do many of my cakes and they do a great job. They’ve been in business for more than 100 years so I guess they know what they’re doing!
I also like how the hosts of the party I attended added bear toothpicks to the Chick-fil-A nuggets. Any time you can add Chick-fil-A to a party I’m game.
If you want to make something hearty and homemade without fuss you can always serve crispy air fryer wings. They’re filling and super popular and won’t break the bank. You could always stick those little bear toothpicks in them to up the cute factor.
Crafting the Perfect “Bear-y” Gift
This is my favorite part.
The gifts.
I love seeing the creativity of friends and family while showering mom to be. The presents at this bear shower were especially good.
One of my very favorite things to do is to take something vintage and find a new way to bring it into the modern day. My friend’s mother-in-law is the exact same way so I especially loved her gifts.
Have a bear custom made
My friend’s mother-in-law took the great-grandfather’s jacket and had it made into a green bear stuffed animal. See the above picture. I love this idea and think it’s so special. It is also a unique way to repurpose something that is likely out of style and just hanging in a closet.
She used an Etsy shop to have it done and there are so many options when it comes to repurposing old material into a new stuffed animal for the baby. You could do this with almost any baby shower theme, but it’s especially easy with a teddy bear theme.
Anything personalized
I love anything personalized as a baby gift. Burp cloths with the baby’s initials, and blankets that include the child’s name. Anything like that is special and shows you put in some extra effort.
Flower vase
Again, my friend’s mother-in-law with the sweet idea. It’s a small vase (likely vintage) that you keep for whenever your little boy brings you small weeds or flowers from the yard. Such a cute sentiment.
Vintage baby clothes you’ve kept
Again, my friend’s mother-in-law gave her jammies that belonged to my friend’s now husband from when he was a baby. Too perfect because they had little bears on them which was the theme of the shower. I’ve saved a couple of clothing pieces that are special from each of my children. If you have something like that to include with your gift I think it’s always sentimental.
Letter to the baby
This is one of my favorite gifts to give a new mom and I’ve done it a number of times. Have the father-to-be write a letter to the baby expressing his thoughts and hopes. Then frame that letter and surprise mama with it at the shower.
It’s especially sweet if you put the letter in a shadow box and the parents can add sweet sentiments to it later like the hospital bracelet or little booties.
This brings a tear to the new mama’s eyes every time and is one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever seen.
Diaper Cake
No kidding I’ve been putting together diaper cakes since I was like 10. My family jokes that I should have patented them at the time because they’ve grown in popularity. I still really like these because diapers are expensive and a nice gift.
Also, I love that you can personalize them in a zillion ways to match the theme of the party. See the above pic of the one I made for my friend. I used camo baby Uggs as the topper and I thought it came out so cute.
Capturing Memories:
Don’t forget to include a cute bear backdrop for taking pictures since everyone likes to snap a million at the shower. Balloon arches can be a bunch of work but they do make for a wow factor when people first walk into the teddy bear baby shower..
Conclusion
To sum it up, I think this is an adorable option for a baby shower theme and would love to see bear ideas you’ve come across to add.
Just remember it’s not about having a big budget or blowing up the credit card, it’s about having a gathering of special women in mamas-to-be’s life and showing her you care for her and baby.
Hi I’m Erica! TV news anchor and mom to 4 littles. I’m obsessed with creating those “wow” moments in life through crafting at home, cool travel adventures and special celebrations with loved ones. Thanks for joining me on this adventure!
