Nesting Party Ideas with Checklist

So, in my post on baby shower games, I mentioned that we also hosted a nesting party for my best friend, and this post is all about that. While we were planning the baby shower, we decided then and there that we should also have a nesting party because it’s so practical and would be incredibly useful for her. In this post, I am sharing everything you need to plan a nesting party, along with what we actually did.

What is a Nesting Party?

A nesting party is a fun but helpful get-together before the baby arrives. A nesting party is all about helping the would-be mom get prepared. Friends and family come over to help the mom-to-be prepare her home for the baby. Everyone makes efforts to clean, organize, and set things up for the baby to come and ease mom’s load.

It’s called a “nesting” party because many moms feel the need to “nest” before the baby arrives. They want to clean and get the home ready for the baby. So, a nesting party is a caring way for family and friends to help do everything required to support the mom-to-be. Everyone pitches in to help with simple things like folding baby clothes, setting up the crib, or even preparing meals for the family, so once the baby comes, mom will be at ease and able to help take care of the baby and mom.

But it’s not just about work; everyone gathers to help, and they enjoy time together before the big day with some chats, laughs, snacks, and music.

Nesting Party vs Baby Shower

A baby shower is about the celebration of having a new baby in the family. People bring gifts, play games, eat cake, and watch the mom-to-be open presents. It’s fun and exciting, but it’s mostly a celebration.

A nesting party is fun, but it is more about helping the mom get ready for the baby. Instead of just enjoying a party, guests help out with things like setting up the nursery, packing the bag, helping prepare some food and snacks, and cleaning. It’s more hands-on and super helpful.

For example, at a baby shower, guests might give the mom clothes for the baby. But at a nesting party, guests help organize the clothes in the closet.

You don’t have to pick one or the other. Some moms have both a baby shower for fun and a nesting party to get things done. Recently, people have preferred a nesting party as it’s more meaningful for the mom-to-be. If this is the mom’s second or third baby, she might skip the shower and just do a nesting party to focus on the stuff that really needs to be done. Either way, both parties are full of love and support, just in different ways.

Nesting Party Ideas

A nesting party is typically hosted by a friend or family of the mom-to-be, so if you are hosting a nesting party, try to make it a balance of fun and help. The key is to mix helpful tasks with a cozy, relaxed vibe. Think of it like a prep party with snacks, laughs, and friends rolling up sleeves to lend a hand. At first, I was confused about when to host, but this post cleared it up for me.

Here are some things you can do to host a meaningful nesting party:

1. Pick a Simple Theme

I always prefer to choose a theme for any party; it makes planning everything else for the party easy and gives a cohesive look to the entire celebration. It’s better to choose a cozy theme than go fancy. Here are some cozy theme ideas:

Pajamas & Prep: Everyone comes in comfy clothes to help with preparation, and the vibe is friendly, cozy, and more like close friends getting together for a casual meet. We went for this theme because we wanted to keep things casual and cozy, focusing more on helping her set up than on hosting a fancy event.

Brunch & Baskets: If you are planning a nesting party in the morning, this theme is good; instead of snacks, you serve brunch, and everyone enjoys together while preparing for the baby’s arrival.

Tidy & Tacos: Help mom tidy the house and prepare for the baby, and end the party with tacos as snacks. You can set up a taco station and some drinks to enjoy.

2. Create Task Stations

While you are planning the party, make a list of tasks that you plan to help Mom with at the nesting party. Based on these tasks, it’s better if you can divide them among the guests before the party, or you can do the same at the party. Based on the task list, set up workstations around the house so that there is enough space to work together and everything is ready to work, and guests are not running all around the house. For example, you can have:

Laundry Station: Keep all the clothes and supplies ready, for the guests to fold baby clothes and sort them.

Nursery Setup: Friends can help clean the nursery, set up the crib, hang wall art, arrange toys, and help decorate the nursery.

Labeling Zone: Set up an area with labels and markers to tag bins, drawers, and bottles.

Meal Prep Corner: Lay out ingredients and containers to help friends and family make freezer meals or snacks for the family to enjoy after the baby arrives. Don’t forget to prep something for breakfast after early sleepless nights; it will be a big help for the mom.

3. Play Music and Have Snacks

Make a playlist of some happy tunes or soft background music that can be played while everyone works. Set up a snack bar based on the theme or just some easy snacks like fruit, muffins, finger sandwiches, chips, and dip for everyone to fuel after work. Keep some simple drinks like iced tea, lemonade, or sparkling water. We kept the menu simple so no one was stuck in the kitchen, just easy bites and drinks that everyone can enjoy while helping.

Make It Personal and Memorable

Snap a few pictures of the day to make it more memorable. You can also keep a notebook for guests to write baby advice and kind notes for the mom to read later.

The best nesting parties are the ones that feel like a group hug. Everyone’s helping, laughing, and making life easier for the mom-to-be.

Nesting Party Tasks

Let’s talk about the real thing, the nesting party tasks. Here are some of the tasks that friends and family can help the mom-to-be.

• Baby Laundry
  Have a few baskets of baby clothes, blankets, and burp cloths ready. Guests can wash, dry, fold, and sort everything by size. It’s a small thing, but it saves a ton of time later.
• Nursery Setup
  Guests can help with moving furniture, painting the nursery, or putting up a wall decal. Set the crib and lay the beddings and sheets.
• Organizing Baby Gear
  Guests can help unpack and organize bottles, pacifiers, bibs, and toys. You can set up a drawer for each category or use little bins and labels to keep things neat.
• Organizing Gifts
  This was one task that we did not think of, but organizing gifts that were received at the baby shower was something my friend needed help with. She had kept all of them in a room for later and didn’t find time to deal with.
• Freezer Meal Prep
  This one’s a lifesaver; you can ask everyone to bring one freezer-friendly meal, or make them together at the party. It can be soups, pasta bakes, or breakfast burritos, anything that’s easy to reheat when baby arrives.
• Big Day Bag Packing
  Help mom-to-be pack the bag with essentials like snacks, clothes, and toiletries. Friends can help check off a list or suggest items she may have missed, especially if you are a first-time mom.
• Cleaning Help
  No deep cleaning needed, just simple things like wiping down shelves in the nursery, vacuuming, or cleaning baby gear before use, like the car seat or stroller.
• Assemble Baby Gear
  Let someone handy put together the stroller, swing, high chair, bassinet, or baby bouncer. Assembling them can be tricky; extra hands make it easier.
• Stock the Diaper Station
  Let guests help set up a changing station and fill it with essentials like diapers, wipes, creams, and backup outfits. You can also set up diaper caddies around the house if you want mini stations.
• Organize Baby Closet & Drawers
  Let friends sort clothes, hang cute outfits, and organize them into drawers. Make bins for socks, hats, and tiny mittens.
• Create a Feeding Station
  Create a comfy feeding station for the mom, add burp cloths, snacks for mom, water, and nursing pads to a basket nearby.
• Set Up a Mom Care Basket
  Make a self-care basket for mom with all things she might need, like pads, nipple cream, a water bottle, a cozy robe, and her favorite snacks to place near the bed.
• Sanitize Bottles & Pacifiers
  Guests can help wash or sanitize all the bottles, nipples, breast pump parts, and pacifiers so they are clean and ready to go.
• Create a “Grab & Go” Basket
  Put all baby essentials like diapers, wipes, onesies, and a burp cloth in a basket to keep near the couch or wherever you hang out during the day.
• Pet Prep
  If the family has pets, guests can help set up their space, organize supplies, or plan how to keep things calm when the baby comes home.

Nesting Party Checklist

Here is a nesting party checklist.

Nesting Party Invite Tips

Keep the invite casual and friendly, the event a low-key one with close friends and family whom you can rely on.

A simple text, email, or digital invite is sufficient. Let guests know the basic details like date, time, location, and that it’s a nesting party. You can also ask about their preference for tasks.

The invite can simply mention:
“Hey! I’m planning a cozy nesting party for ____ on ______ at ____ to get a few things done before baby arrives. Come comfy, we will be helping with folding baby clothes, setting up the nursery, and maybe prepping a meal or two. Snacks and music included!”

Nesting Party Gift Ideas

While a nesting party isn’t about presents, some guests might still want to bring a little something. Here are simple, thoughtful gift ideas that are useful and perfect for a nesting party

1. Freezer-Friendly Meals
   Homemade or store-bought, these are gold for tired new parents. You can bring them lasagna, or breakfast burritos, anything that is easy to heat.
2. Diapers & Wipes
   These are never enough; a few packs in different sizes go a long way, especially in those early weeks.
3. Mom Care Items or basket
   You can gift mom care items like cozy socks, a water bottle, snacks, lip balm, or a good hand lotion. Or just make a hamper or basket with all of those.
4. Baby Laundry Supplies
   Another thing that will not be enough. You can gift a gentle baby detergent, mesh laundry bags, or folding baskets, anything that is practical and often forgotten.
5. Nursing or Bottle-Feeding Basket
   These can be things like burp cloths, nipple cream, nursing pads, or a few bottles, etc.
6. Small Gift Cards
   You can also choose to give a gift card for food delivery, coffee, or baby supplies, which is always a great idea.

Hope this post helped you find something useful to plan a nesting party. It was really helpful for the mom-to-be.

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