This is your how-to-guide for understanding how to throw the ultimate nesting party for parents-to-be.
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Celebrating moms and dads who are about to welcome a new baby into the family is so fun and exciting! While baby showers have traditionally been the go-to party celebration for an upcoming baby arrival, a new event called a “nesting party” has gained so much traction the past couple of years. It’s a fun twist on a baby shower by having guests be more hands-on in helping parents-to-be get ready.
This post will be your ultimate guide in creating your nesting party checklist. It will provide you amazing information and tips on what a nesting party is and how to execute one flawlessly. Topics will cover planning, themes, activities, and more.
This post is all about nesting party tips and ideas.
What Is A Nesting Party?
A nesting party is a new trend for either replacing a traditional baby shower or in addition to a baby shower. It’s a gathering of close friends and family to help expectant parents prepare their home for their new baby’s arrival. Unlike a traditional baby shower focused on gifts and games, a nesting party involves guests assisting with hands-on tasks. These can include setting up the nursery, organizing baby clothes, assembling furniture, or meal prepping for the postpartum trimester. It’s a cute way to celebrate the baby’s upcoming arrival while also ensuring the parents feel taken care of too.
Why Guests Love Nesting Parties:
Guests enjoy nesting parties because they offer true purpose. Its a way for them to help their friend or family member prepare for their new baby while also spending quality time with them. Instead of just watching gifts being opened, they get to actively contribute by organizing, meal prepping, or setting up baby gear, which feels so meaningful and beyond rewarding. The relaxed atmosphere of a nesting party, delicious snacks, and fun activities make it feel more like a gathering with friends rather than a chore list. Guests will feel honored to be included!
How To Plan The Perfect Nesting Party:
Planning a productive and fun nesting party is all about ensuring the parents-to-be get the help they need while enjoying being with loved ones.
Set a Goal:
Setting a goal for what you want to achieve during the nesting party is so important. Determine what the parents need the most like setting up the nursery, organizing newborn clothes, decluttering, meal prepping, etc.
Choose the Right Guests:
While you want to make sure everyone feels included, you also want people there who are willing to do the work and be proactive about tasks that need accomplished. This event isn’t a party to relax but a party to get work done!
Pick a Date & Time:
Select a Saturday or Sunday so there are limited work and personal conflicts. The recommended amount of time for a nesting party is about 3-4 hours. This way no one gets burnt out yet so much will be accomplished.
Make a To-Do List:
Write down all the tasks that need done and prioritize them on a list. Write the tasks down with the top being the most important. From there, assign who is in charge of what task for ultimate efficiency. Don’t forget to write a list of what supplies you need (clothes bins, drawer dividers, etc.).
How To Create A Fun Atmosphere:
While a nesting party is about hard work and accomplishing tasks, you want guests to feel like they are having fun and not just doing chores. Create a fun and upbeat playlist to play on a Bluetooth speaker and carve out time for breaks so guests can visit with the parents-to-be too. Have easy grab-and-go snacks for guests to munch on like a charcuterie board and create a themed mocktail drink to add a sprinkle of fun. Keep snacks and drinks simple but satisfying—think finger foods, tasty teas, or a signature mocktail.
Tasks To Accomplish:
Separate your tasks into categories:
- Clean & Organize: Dust and sweep baby room, sort clothes, organize baby essentials
- DIY Home Projects: Paint the room, hang decor, assemble and arrange furniture
- Meal Prepping: meal prep freezer-friendly dishes
Your guests can organize the nursery by putting away baby clothes, creating space for baby essentials, and arranging furniture. Next, determine easy but delicious dinners to meal prep that are freezer-friendly to make the postpartum trimester easier. If there’s baby gear to assemble, assign this to the Dad-to-be and his buddies! No matter the activity, these tasks will be filled with plenty of giggles making the nesting party both productive and a fun event.
Party Favors and Appreciation:
When you host a baby shower, guests always leave with something yummy or special as a way to say thank you. Nesting parties should be no different! Your guests have dedicated their time, expertise, and sweat to fulfilling tasks. In addition to providing snacks and drinks, include a small gift. Some great ideas are a scented candle, Starbucks gift card, mini succulents, or homemade jam jars.
You should also turn tasks into sweet bonding moment. You can sort newborn clothes while offering baby advice, swap family recipes when meal prepping, and take a moment for a toast or group photo.
Be Prepared With Supplies:
Every successful nesting party requires supplies so you need to prepare in advance. For organizational tasks, you’ll want to have storage bins, diaper caddies, baby hangers, and drawer dividers, to make sure every item can be in its proper place. For meal prepping, you’ll need freezer-safe containers, zip-top bags, and recipe ingredients. Some things the parents will already have in their home but double check that they have items like screwdrivers and batteries for assembling baby gear before assuming.
Organizing & Nursery Setup Items:
- Storage bins & baskets
- Baby hangers & closet dividers
- Drawer organizers
- Labels & markers
- Wipes & cleaning supplies
- Trash bags
Items For Meal Prepping:
- Freezer-safe containers & zip-top bags
- Ingredients & recipes written out
- Sharpie or labels for meal details
- Utensils, mixing supplies, measuring cups
- Aluminum foil & parchment paper
Items For Assembling Baby Gear:
- Screwdrivers & small tools
- Batteries for baby gadgets
Concluding The Event
Take the parents-to-be through the nursery to show them the before and after progress. Walk them through the prepped meals, tasks that were completed, and tasks that still need some attention.
After lots of hard work and dedication from guests, make sure you celebrate the work you’ve done. Offer them your thank-you gift and tell each person how much you appreciate their time and love. For an extra touch, enjoy some drinks and a dessert before departing!
Itemized Nesting Checklist:
1. Set a Goal
- Organize the nursery and baby essentials
- Assemble baby furniture
- Wash and organize baby clothes
- Meal prep (2-3 meals)
- Deep clean the house
- Organize postpartum care essentials for Mom
2. Choose the Right Guests
- Make a list of friends/family to invite
- Target 5-8 people to not overcrowd the space
3. Pick a Date & Time
- Choose Saturday or Sunday so schedules are light
- Select a 9am-12pm or 1pm-5pm timeframe so you don’t overlap with meal times
4. Make a To-Do List
- Assign everyone to a task(s)
- Prioritize what needs to be done first
- Have small snacks & drinks for guests (charcuterie board, mocktails)
6. Make A List of Things To Bring
- Bins/baskets for organizing
- Hangers/dividers for baby clothes
- Meal prep containers & freezer bags
- Cleaning supplies & trash bags
This post was all about nesting party tips and ideas.
