How To Throw A Nesting Party, From Gift Etiquette To Activity Ideas
New moms want a village for a day more than they want a diaper cake.
By now, the idea of a nesting party isn’t so unheard of. Rather than a traditional baby shower, some parents-to-be are opting to throw nesting parties, where friends and family come over for a few hours for cake and snacks, and to help the new mom finish some baby-related tasks — think building the crib, organizing all those tiny clothes, and installing the monitor. If you’re thinking of setting up this sort of get-together for your expectant friend, here’s everything you need to know about how to throw a nesting party, from invites to activities and more.
If you aren’t familiar yet, here’s the DL on nesting parties: Instead of having a baby shower, the mom-to-be opens her home to family and friends who are willing to come over and help her prepare the house for a new baby. Usually the guest list is shorter than that of a baby shower, sticking to close family and friends only — people who would reasonably want to come do these tasks. Together, they finish off to-do list items for the new parents and prep their home
The logistics of throwing a nesting party
Invitations
There are so many incredibly cute nesting party invitations available online. (If you want to stick to paperless invites or are avoiding them for budget reasons, you could also try the new Apple invites app.) You’ll want to set a timeframe of roughly two to four hours so that there is enough time for everyone to enjoy themselves and knock some tasks off the family’s to-do list.
Food
Bird nest cookies feel like a given for a nesting party, and a mimosa bar certainly wouldn’t hurt anybody’s feelings. In general, nesting party food is pretty similar to baby shower food. You’ll probably want a selection of fruit, maybe a meat and cheese board, and some brunch or lunch offerings, depending on the time of day you’re having the party. Donuts and bagels with toppings, sub sandwiches, chips and dips — classic party fare.
Cake and cupcakes are still a great idea for making sure the day feels celebratory, and who doesn’t want to enjoy a slice of cake after a few hours of manual labor? A homemade hummingbird cake or cupcakes would be a super sweet touch, if you’re wanting to DIY this part.
Decorations
Just because it’s not a traditional baby shower doesn’t mean a nesting party should be boring. You could still print some large signs, create a balloon arch over the food table, and put together a few floral centerpieces to place around the house. A cute bird, egg, and nest theme is already baked into the name, so lean into it with some little faux nests and eggs or some feather accents here and there.
Nesting party activities
Chances are your pregnant friend will have some specific tasks in mind they need help with, like building some new furniture for the baby’s room or prepping a bunch of freezer meals. But it can’t hurt to come up with a few extra ideas of your own, or have some options to offer them if they have a hard time asking for help.
- Sanitizing and putting away bottles, pump parts, and pacifiers
- Laundering and putting away baby clothes, blankets, burp cloths, and crib sheets
- Finishing the nursery, whether that means building furniture (and anchoring it), hanging decorations, or baby-proofing
- Assembling gear, like strollers, bassinets, and swings
- Installing the car seat
- Preparing meals for the family to eat when they come home with baby
- Doing a deep clean of the house so Mom’s brain feels more zen
- Packing the hospital bag
Depending on the activities you’ll be doing, don’t forget to bring a toolset or some extra pots and pans to help facilitate. You can also purchase or DIY a cute Nesting Party Checklist for everyone to work together to complete.
Do you bring a gift to a nesting party?
It depends! Most nesting parties don’t involve a registry or heavy gift-giving, since the gift is really the guests contributing their time and effort to get everything ready for baby. But if you just couldn’t say no to the adorable baby outfit you saw at the store, or you want to share your favorite children’s book with the new family, no one will be offended if you show up with gifts.
Throwing a party like this for a loved one can feel like a lot of pressure to get everything just right. But no matter which decorations you put up or whether the cake is homemade or store-bought, your friend will always remember how loved they felt and how helpful you and the other guests were at this special (and, yes, stressful) time in their lives.
