It doesn't sound so strange when you consider that babies are kids, too! Anyway, why not welcome the kids into the baby shower celebration? There may actually even be an occasion when the majority of the guests are kids, like when the mommy-to-be is a favorite teacher or the shower is given for an especially caring big brother or sister.
When it's a kids' baby shower, the most important consideration is the time the shower will be held. You don't want to hold it during nap time, obviously, and you'd also want to avoid the time when the kids will be especially tired. A great choice may be during lunch time or even for a short time after school.
Don't do any “clever” themes here, be as straightforward as you can especially when dealing with younger children. Rubber duckies and teddy bears need no explanation, neither do baby bottles. But, peas in a pod may pose a few questions!
Send the invitations directly to the parents, and this is a time that e-vites may be the better choice. Inform the parents that gifts are optional, but if any are given they should be small, practical ones. This is also a good time to ask if one of the kids have special considerations like food allergies. Follow up, too, to make sure that they received the invitations. And if one of the parents offer to help out, don't refuse!
Prepare the party area very simply with a few balloons and a big poster congratulating the mommy-to-be. Accessorize the poster with streamers and ribbons to make it more festive. Be sparing with the décor, especially if the baby shower is held in a school. Neither the principal nor the janitorial staff would be very happy with a lot of stuff to dispose of afterward.
Keep it to more of a party and the kids will definitely be more comfortable. Cover the teacher's table with a paper tablecloth in your chosen theme and set your food out on that. Some special touches differentiate everyday food from party food, and you might choose to cut your peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches into duck shapes for the occasion. Sugar cookies cut into the special shapes are great, too. Have a usual beverage to go with that, but present it in a different way; use sugar-rimmed glasses, whole frozen fruit, or tinted ice cubes for a unique twist on lemonade or orange juice.
Instead of preparing a cake, one ideas is that you can bring along some unfrosted cupcakes and a tub of creamy white frosting and different kinds of sprinkles. Let the kids decorate their own dessert and have their pictures taken with their cupcakes. This can be the fun activity of the afternoon.
As a special gift to the mommy-to-be, have the kids write their
wishes for the baby or parenting advice from a kid's point of view
on a pretty piece of card. Gather all these together and put them
in a keepsake book with space for pictures from this special day.