Nursery Rhyme Baby Shower

Theme

I was really excited to throw my sister, Sara's baby shower. I decided among other ideas (rubber ducky party, ) that I'd throw a "Nursery Rhyme" theme party. I searched for Mother Goose Books. I ended up buying The Real Mother Goose because it had sooo many nursery rhymes in it. The pictures, however quaint, weren't inspiring. I bought the Golden Book of Fairy Tales. It had seriously great pictures, but no nursery rhymes -- all fairy tales.

THEN...I found Ruth Sanderson's Mother Goose and Friends. The front cover doesn't do the book justice. The entire book is a work of art!! You can go to her website to see the artwork from several of her books including this one. It was just the inspiration I needed.

Invitations

For invitations, I called around & Office Depot had the best price. They turned out beautiful!
I went with the non-creative, but standard wording...

Hey, diddle, diddle!
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon;
The little dog laughed
to see such sport,
And the dish ran away with the spoon.

Hey, diddle, diddle!
We can tell by Sara’s middle,
Baby Henry is coming soon;
You can bring them gifts
and celebrate,
At the shower, an hour after noon.

Food

We made a tent card with the nursery rhyme that goes with each dish

• Sandwiches : Roast Beef Roll-ups w/ toothpicks - This Little Piggy
• Salad : Em's Casa Salad - Contrary Mary's Garden
• Cheesy Potato Soup - The Winds
• Hot Beef Dip & Crackers - Over the Water
• Veggie Tray - Peter Rabbit's Garden
• Fruit Tray - Curly-Locks
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries - Curly-Locks
• Emma's Cookie Basket - A Tisket A Tasket
• Pumpkin Pound Cake - Peter, Peter Pumpkin Eater
• Kate's Cake was based on this cake - Twinkle Twinkle
• Em's Cake was based on this cake - Mother Goose
• Apple Cider - An Apple A Day
• Tea - Polly Put the Kettle On
• Coffee - Coffee and Tea
• lots of fresh spring water in a decorated bucket from Jack and Jill
• cheese tray that also has cheese curds for Little Miss Muffet's Curds and Whey or 3 blind Mice

Other ideas we didn't use :

• deviled eggs Humpty Dumpty
• Pat-a-cakes cupcakes
• Little Boy Blueberry muffins
• muffins for the Muffin Man
• Low fat trifle for Georgie Porgie’s pudding
• Little Gingerbread Men
• Avacado Boats - put sails in them and make guacamole

• An apple a day Sends the doctor away Apple in the morning Doctor's warning Roast apple at night Starves the doctor outright Eat an apple going to bed Knock the doctor on the head Three each day, seven days a week Ruddy apple, ruddy cheek
• Nuts - I Had a Little Nut Tree
• Hot beef dip = Over The Water
• Ice Cream, a Penny a Lump
• Ice cream, a penny a lump! The more you eat, the more you jump. Eeper, Weeper, Chimney sweeper, Married a wife and could not keep her. Married another, Did not love her, Up the chimney he did shove her!

• Coffee = Cross Patch, Draw The Latch -Cross Patch, draw the latch, Sit by the fire and spin; Take up a cup, and drink it up, Then call the neighbors in.

Décor

• figurines : little boy -- Little Boy Blue / Girl - Mary Contrary / bath toys puppy, cat, cow - Hey diddle, diddle / pigs -- boys need to build a house of sticks / sheep --
• popsicle stick house & fence w/ paper pigs
• hanging from chandelier: cow jumping over the moon paper - bath toys cat w/ paper fiddle taped on / plastic spoon & construction paper dish holding hands (chenille sticks) / dog
• Create a Hickory Dickory Dock centerpiece using a clock and a toy mouse
• Use children's books opened to various nursery rhymes to decorate tables around the party space & Bear reading - http://baby.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Storybook_Baby_Shower have all books w/stuffed animals

(we didn't end up using these...but some ideas on the theme I collected)

• chocolates
• Peter Rabbit
• pic
  
• Put prints into cheap frames and spread around room or tape onto walls
• Create a 'goose nest' for guests to deposit baby shower gifts
• decorate your shower venue with nursery decorations.
• One table could have a black sheep (for Ba Ba Black Sheep)
• If you or someone you know has one of those big, white, garden geese statues handy, tie a bonnet or a large hat to the statue's head to create your very own Mother Goose
• Wooly Sheep ornaments, then use as party favors
• pic
  

Music

http://www.mothergooserocks.com/

Games

• Name The Nursery Rhyme – We list 20 short phrases included in popular nursery rhymes. You may think it’s easy to fill in the rest of the rhyme along with the title, but we’ve found a few that are pretty challenging. Don’t worry, we also provide an ans wer key!
• Nursery Rhyme Jeopardy
• Mad Libs story about the guest of honor I wrote based on this one.
  
• Meanings of Rhymes

Party Favors
(we didn't end up using these...but some ideas on the theme I collected)

• star-themed book marks (twinkle, twinkle / star light, star bright / when you wish upon a)
• $20/4 Nursery glassware
• Individually wrap hot cross buns or muffins in pastel cellophane and tie with a contrasting ribbon. Attach a computer generated thank you note bearing an image of Mo ther Goose. Write the name of the nursery rhyme that the favor represents on the card and a thank you for the Mom to Be. Let her hand out the favors when the party is over.
• bulbs or plants from Contrary Mary’s garden
• miniature pie from Sing a Song of Sixpence
• beeswax candle – Jack Be Nimble
• copy a quote from your favorite nursery rhyme and have it printed on coffee mugs, or potholders for everyone
• Personalized candles in baby food jars
• "Polly Put the Kettle On" tea bags or “I’m a Little Teapot”

Presents
I just HAVE to show what my friend, Jackie, made for my sister.
jaclyn at simplyelegantfw.com

I was so glad she had the gumption (and skill) I didn't so i could give my sister some beautiful things all from Jackie's hands. Everything was soo well made! I absolutely LOVED the blanket and the wipes cover that matches her diaper bag was so sweet!