Planning guide
How many games to play at a shower, and when
Most showers run two to three hours, and the games share that time with food, gifts and talking. Plan too many and the last one gets rushed; plan none and guests drift into the kitchen. Here is a schedule that works for most showers.
Updated October 28, 2026
The short answer
Plan three or four games for a bridal shower and two or three for a baby shower, at about 10 to 15 minutes each. Add one that runs in the background, like bingo during the gifts or advice cards by the door. A bachelorette or rehearsal dinner needs only one or two.
A typical line-up
Pick from these, in about this order of popularity.
- A quiz about the guest of honor: 10–15 questions, about 15 minutes.
- The shoe game: 15–20 questions, about 15 minutes.
- Bingo: runs for as long as the gift opening.
- A price or number guessing game: 8–12 items, about 10 minutes.
- Advice or wishes cards: no time at all, guests fill them in as they arrive.
Where games fit in the afternoon
Start with something that needs no explaining: cards for advice or wishes for baby on a table by the door. Play the seated games after food, when everyone is in one room. Run bingo during the gifts. End with the shortest game, so you finish on a laugh rather than a tally.
For a fuller schedule, see the bridal shower timeline.
What to cut if you're running late
Cut the longest seated game first, not bingo or the advice cards, which don't take any time of their own. A 15-question quiz can drop to 8 questions without anyone noticing: keep the funniest ones.
How well do you know them
How well do you know the bride
Thirty how-well-do-you-know-the-bride questions for a bridal shower or bachelorette, free to print or play live with phones.
30 questions · Bridal shower, Bachelorette
Shower bingo
Bridal shower gift bingo
Bridal shower gift bingo with thirty items and a different card for every guest. Print the cards or play on phones.
30 items · Bridal shower
Price guess
Baby shower price guess game
Guess what baby gear costs, from diapers to a car seat. Closest without going over wins. Print it free or play live.
12 items · Baby shower
Questions people ask
- How long should a shower game last?
- Ten to fifteen minutes. Past twenty minutes the room starts to drift, especially before the gifts have been opened.
- Should games be before or after gifts?
- Seated games before the gifts, after food. Bingo during the gifts. Advice cards before everything.
Play it on the big screen
Questions on the TV, answers on guests’ phones, scores kept for you. Free for up to 15 guests.
Plan a live game