Celebrate the new baby’s arrival with these fun ideas and activities! With new life in the world, it’s a beautiful time to throw an arrival party, start new family traditions, and make the new baby feel special with personalized baby books. We’ve put together ideas for the family to celebrate separately or with extended relatives. Every activity will help you make precious new memories with the newborn. Whether you are a parent celebrating your own little one, or an aunt or grandparent celebrating with family, we hope these ideas will help you celebrate the beauty of birth!  

7 Ways to Celebrate a Baby’s Arrival 

Throw an arrival shower for friends and extended family.

Host an “arrival shower” so friends and family can meet and interact with the new baby. If the new parents are hosting, we recommend speaking with your doctor to understand when it is safe for your baby to interact with others. Unlike a baby shower, you don’t need to plan party decorations or games. Instead, focus on meaningful bonding time between your loved ones and the baby. Instead of asking for gifts, turn this event into a potluck where people can bring a dish. This will help out the new parents, so they can keep the leftovers and leave cooking off their to-do list (more time for diaper changes and maybe a nap!).  

Celebrate the new baby with personalized baby books.

One thoughtful way to celebrate the baby’s arrival is with personalized books! Custom baby books are special keepsakes, featuring the child’s name and photo, that the whole family will treasure for years. A custom baby book like New Cutie in Town is a loving storybook that parents can read with their child, and celebrates the joy of baby’s arrival into the world! There’s also a twins version made special for two babies! A keepsake bedtime book like Goodnight Little Me will lull the baby to sleep, while a photo book like I See My Family! introduces the little one to family members with their names and photos. 

Create a memory jar.

This is a beautiful activity for the new parents, or for relatives watching the baby. In the early days with your newborn, jot down happy memories on slips of paper and put them into a jar. These can be big, small, or funny moments like “today you laughed for the first time” or “I was changing your diaper and you exploded all over my hand.” Preserve the jar, so you can revisit these memories and then pass them onto your child. These little notes are precious keepsakes, to remember your newborn’s first months and milestones.  

Spend quality time with older children.

For parents with an older child, we recommend spending some quality time together (apart from the new baby). A new baby brings not only joy, but many changes. It can be difficult, at first, for the older sibling to adjust as their parents’ attention is divided. By spending time with your first-born—even an hour or two—you will help make them feel loved, supported, and valued. Plan a mommy-and-me or daddy-and-me date for dinner and a movie. You can also surprise them with a special gift for being the best big sibling. The personalized books Super, Incredible Big Brother and Super, Incredible Big Sister reassures the older sibling they are loved and rewards them for helping out. Delight your older child with this special gift and read it at bedtime, to get them excited for the new baby!

Plan a family photography session.

Schedule a professional photography session so you have new family photos to display! Have pictures taken of the newborn, but also photos with the whole family. You can use these photos for birth announcements, holiday cards, and birthday invitations.  

Start a new family tradition with the baby.

Celebrate the baby’s arrival by starting a new family tradition. This activity will be a great way to bond with the baby and make family memories. Here are some ideas to get you started:  

• Take a family walk with the baby every Friday. 
• Enjoy family storytime once a week (or more) at bedtime.
• Make Saturday “pajamas and a movie” night. When the new baby is born, gift everyone in the family new pajamas to wear (including a newborn pajama onesie for the baby!). Then gift everyone a new pair each year at the holidays!  
• Bake family cookies. Use people cookie cutters to bake cookies that represent your family! Even though your baby can’t nibble on the cookies just yet, you can still have a fun time together. Turn on some tunes and dance in the kitchen to have baby giggling!  
• Get crafty and make something with your baby once a month! Try an art project like dipping the baby’s hands in paint and making a picture. This is also a beneficial sensory activity for your little one. 

Write letters to the baby, to give them as they grow.

While it’s true that videos and photos can capture beautiful memories, there’s something so personal and thoughtful about writing letters to your new bundle of joy. Write a letter for every year the child grows and have them open it on their birthday. These letters will be precious keepsakes to hold onto and remember. If you are a relative, you can write a letter to the new parents and to the baby with good wishes for the future and loving advice.