Now, there are baby shower games that can actually reward you for bringing your home with you in your bag. It's called the baby shower purse game.
One way to play the game is to let the guests play solo. Just have a list ready of things you will be calling out. If anyone has that object in her bag, she gets a small prize.
Include some everyday things in the list like red or pink lipstick, a bottle of cologne or perfume, a handkerchief, or a cell phone or PDA. Then add some mommy stuff like a packet of baby wipes, a rattle, a baby book, a toy, or a snack. Then throw in some out-of-this-world stuff like duct tape, super glue, a thermometer, a 3-year old receipt, or an old bus pass. You'll be really shocked at what some women hoard in their bags!
A way to play this as a team would be to give each one a list and have them play scavenger hunt in their purses. Each item found should have a corresponding point. The team with the highest set of points will be declared the winner.
Your list could look like this:
nail clippers (3)
nail file (1)
hair brush (1)
nail brush (3)
deodorant (3)
mascara (2)
chap stick (2)
cherry chap stick (3)
grocery receipt (1)
cologne (2)
perfume (3)
tampon (1)
library card (5)
pantyhose (3)
The more varied your list is, the more fun the game will be. Don't be surprised if someone dumps her purse out onto the table just to search for one of those elusive items.
Another way to play this game is to match what can be found in the mommy-to-be's purse. Have each guest grab their purses and sit near the mommy-to-be. Let her take something out of her purse and the first guest that can pull out that same item gets a point. The guest that accumulates the most points will be the winner of this game. Be very attentive with the scoring in this game. The goal here is to be the fastest and the scorer must be able to spot who pulled out what first!
This is a really hilarious game since the guests will pull the most surprising things out of their purses and will also give you the wildest explanations why they have them there. You'll get to know so much about your friends through what they keep in their purses.
As a prize for the highest scoring guest, you can give something useful and inexpensive, like a bag organizer! Be sure to have an extra prize on hand in case of a tie. You could also choose to give small gifts (bag-sized toiletries, maybe?) to those guests who win the smaller rounds.
Other prizes that can be given could be to the guest that has something
in her purse that no one else has (like a hammer) and bonus points
could be given to the guest that has a really unique item in her
purse.