Planning a baby shower is the loveliest gift that you can give to a mother to be. But it takes quite a lot of effort to make everything in the baby shower flow smoothly and in order. You have the responsibility of deciding when to hold the baby shower. Most people would prefer that it be prior to the arrival of the baby but some, due to superstitious beliefs, would prefer to wait for the baby to come. Deciding on the venue of the baby shower is also your problem, the visitors to be invited, and invitation cards; gifts to give the visitors, theme (if it is necessary), cakes, and other foods to be prepared. These are all your concerns when you are planning to have a baby shower. It is really not as easy as what you imagine. But disregarding all these worries, the bottom line is you can give happiness to a mother-to-be. One important part that people often forget to include in the planning is the games. This is one of the most exciting parts of a baby shower. It makes the celebration more fun and colorful. This is where the visitors can participate and enjoy the occasion. Most baby showers last about two to three hours. The first half hour can be used for the guests to spend mingling with other visitors and eating the finger foods and other goodies prepared for them. The next half hour could be spent in playing a couple of games. The games that will be played could be based on the theme of the baby shower. Some very popular baby shower games are: The Winning Plate, The Price is Right Game, Baby Picture Match Game, Just Eat It, Word of the Day, The Brown Bag Game, The Tray Game, Diaper Derby, How Far Around, Baby Word Scramble Game, Guess the Number of Jelly Beans in the Baby Bottle, Name That Baby, Diapers of Encouragement, and a lot more. Those are just some of the games that could add pleasure to the occasion. Make sure your visitors enjoy sharing this memorable time with the mother-to-be and it will surely be fun for everybody. After all the celebration, you should now allow your guest of honor to open her gifts! You should be prepared to write down who all the gifts came from so the mom can send thank you notes to them. After the gifts are open, usually guests have some cake, mingle some more and then leave. You might consider having some party favors and prizes available for guests to show your gratitude for attending that occasion. A great idea is mini baby bottles filled with jelly beans or some other inexpensive treat! In spite of all the preparations made prior to the baby shower, the most important thing to keep in mind is the satisfaction of your visitors. Make them feel that they are part of the occasion and that their presence is much appreciated. For more tips and strategies for planning a successful baby shower, be sure to visit Katie Simpson's Baby Shower Ideas site at: http://www.baby-shower-idea.net