✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Ice Ice Baby

A tiny plastic baby frozen inside an ice cube, dropped into every guest's drink as they arrive. Whoever's ice melts first and frees the baby yells "my water broke!" and wins. The game runs itself for the whole party.

✅ Crowd-pleaser
🍷 Coed-friendly
🧊 Icebreaker

⏱ Prep: 30 min+
👥 Best for: Any size
🍷 Coed: Yes
📹 Virtual: In person

What you'll need

A pack of mini plastic babies (search Amazon for "tiny plastic babies cake topper" — 100 for $10)
King-size silicone ice cube trays (standard trays are too small)
Filtered water
A small cooler or freezer-safe container to hold the cubes during the party
Drinks for guests (water, juice, mocktails, wine — match your crowd)
A small prize for the winner ($20 gift card, candle, or wine bottle)

Before the shower (setup)

About a week before the shower, order a pack of mini plastic babies on Amazon — search "tiny plastic babies cake topper" and you'll find 100-packs for around $10 with 2-day shipping. Etsy also sells themed packs in mixed skin tones if you want more options. Pick up a king-size silicone ice cube tray at Target or Walmart while you're at it — the standard ice tray cubes are too small for a baby to fit fully inside.
The night before the shower, drop one plastic baby into each compartment of the silicone tray. Fill each compartment with filtered water (tap water can cloud) and freeze overnight. Make at least 20% more cubes than guests — some always go missing in dishwashers, sink drains, or napkins. Same-day-frozen cubes have soft centers and the baby slips out too easily, so don't shortcut this.
About 20 minutes before guests arrive, transfer the frozen cubes from the tray into a small cooler or freezer-safe container lined with a towel. Set up the drinks station — water, juice, mocktails, wine, whatever fits your crowd — with the cube container right next to it. Have your prize visible — a $20 Target gift card, a Yankee Candle, or a small bottle of wine all work. Read your guest list and decide if the "water broke" line will land — skip this game entirely if anyone's had a recent pregnancy loss or fertility struggle.

Front-door setup for Ice Ice Baby — basket of clothespins and a chalkboard rule sign by the entryway — Set up at the front door so the game starts the second guests walk in.

How to play

As each guest arrives, hand them their drink with one frozen-baby cube dropped in. Tell them the rule out loud, every time: "When your ice melts and the baby pops out, yell 'my water broke!' as loud as you can. First person to do that wins this prize over here." Point at the prize so they remember. Repeat the rule for every guest because guests will absolutely forget by the time their cube melts 25 minutes later.

The game now runs itself for the rest of the party — no host involvement needed. Some guests sip slowly to nurse their cube; others chug their drink and end up with a slowly-melting cube sitting on top of an empty glass. Both strategies work. The host's only job is to occasionally re-explain the rule when a guest looks confused at their now-loose plastic baby floating in their wine.

When the first guest's baby floats free and they shout "my water broke!" the room laughs, the host announces the winner, and the prize gets handed over right there. If two guests free their babies at nearly the same time, the louder one wins (be the judge). Most guests keep their plastic baby as a memento. After the shower, collect any uncalled-for babies and freeze a few extra in case someone wants a second drink — the game can keep running.

A hand lifting a clothespin off another guest's shirt — the steal moment in Ice Ice Baby — The moment of the steal — someone slipped, someone caught it, pin changes hands.

Variations to try

No-drink version. Each guest gets their cube in a small empty cup. They have to melt it using only hand heat — no putting it in their mouth, no warm drinks. First to free their baby wins. More active, no alcohol involved, perfect for daytime showers.
Team race. Split guests into teams of 3–4. Each team gets one cube on a small plate. They have to melt it together using only their hands (passing it around, breathing on it, rubbing it). First team done wins. Builds camaraderie fast.
Whole-tray race. For groups under 10: dump the entire tray into a single bowl on the center table. Each guest picks one cube and starts trying to melt it. First baby out is the winner. More chaotic and faster — about 5 minutes total.
Hot-drink edition. For winter showers or evening parties, drop the cube into warm tea, mulled cider, or hot chocolate. Melts in 2–3 minutes instead of 20+. Same game, much faster — works as a quick "opening round" while guests are getting settled.
Zoom version. Mail each Zoom guest a small thermos with a pre-frozen baby cube the day before the call, or send the plastic babies in advance and have guests freeze their own. They drop the cube in a drink at the same moment on camera, and whoever shouts first wins. Awkward logistics, but it works for far-flung families.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

Freeze the cubes the night before, not the morning of. Same-day-frozen cubes have soft centers and the baby slips out too easily, ending the game in 30 seconds.
Buy more plastic babies than you need. Some always end up in dishwashers, garbage disposals, or guests' napkins.
Tell every guest the "my water broke" line clearly when you hand them the drink. Half will forget by the time the cube melts.
Skip this game if anyone in your guest list has had a recent pregnancy loss or fertility struggle. The line lands badly in the wrong room; pick a different game like [[memory-or-wishes-jar]] instead.
Have a backup small prize for second place. Guests get competitive and near-ties happen often when several cubes melt around the same time.
King-size silicone trays make the right cube size. Standard plastic ice trays are too small for a baby to fit fully inside.
Add a tiny drop of food coloring to half the cubes if you want "team blue" vs "team pink" energy without doing a gender reveal.

Common mistakes to avoid

Using standard ice tray cubes. The baby doesn't fit fully inside the cube, you can see them through the ice, and the game spoils itself.
Freezing the cubes the morning of the shower. Soft centers, babies slip out within minutes, game ends before it starts.
Forgetting to re-tell guests the rule. Some guests will end up with a loose plastic baby in their wine and have no idea why.
Skipping the cooler. Cubes melt on a counter while you're setting up other things — keep them in a freezer-safe container until guests arrive.
Running this game when someone's had a pregnancy loss. "My water broke" is funny in the right room and devastating in the wrong one. Read your guest list.

Best prize for this game

Keep it small since the game itself is light — a $20 Target or Trader Joe's gift card, a Yankee Candle, a small bottle of wine for over-21 winners, or a basket of fancy chocolate. Wrap it visibly near the drinks station so guests see the prize when they get their drink. The winner reveals when their cube melts, so timing isn't predictable — keep the prize in the same spot the whole party.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

A passive game that runs in the background while guests mingle — almost no host work after setup. The photos of grown adults yelling "my water broke!" across the living room are the whole reason this one's been a baby shower classic for 30+ years.

Ice Ice Baby — FAQ

Where do I buy the tiny plastic babies?

Amazon search "mini plastic babies cake topper." Most packs run 50–100 babies for around $10 with 2-day Prime shipping. Etsy also sells themed packs in mixed skin tones and different positions if you want variety.

What size ice cube do I actually need?

King-size silicone ice cube tray. The baby has to fit fully inside the cube with water all around it. Standard plastic ice tray cubes are too small — the baby sticks out and the game spoils.

How long does it take a cube to melt in a drink?

Cold drinks: 15–30 minutes. Room-temperature drinks: about 10 minutes. Warm drinks: 2–3 minutes. Pace your shower around when you want the first winner to be revealed — usually right after gifts is a good moment.

Is this appropriate for every baby shower?

Mostly yes — it's a classic for good reason. But skip it if anyone in your guest list has recently had a pregnancy loss or fertility struggle. The "water broke" line is funny in the right room and painful in the wrong one.

Can I run this on Zoom?

Yes, with some logistics. Mail each Zoom guest a thermos with a pre-frozen baby cube the day before, or send just the plastic babies and have guests freeze their own. Everyone drops their cube at the same time on camera; first to shout wins. Works for far-flung families willing to plan ahead.

What happens if a baby comes loose before it should?

The guest still wins. Don't try to enforce "the cube has to fully melt" — once the baby is visible and free, that's the win. If you're worried about cheating (someone biting through their cube), set a no-mouth rule at the start.

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About the author

Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team — Party planners, parents & writers. We’re a small team of party planners and parents who’ve hosted — and been guests at — dozens of baby showers. Every game here is sorted by what actually lands in a real room, not by what just looks cute on a Pinterest board.