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Wishes Jar — baby shower game

✍️ Best Baby Shower Games Editorial Team · Updated May 2026

Wishes Jar

Each baby shower guest writes one or two wishes for the baby on a small slip of paper and drops it into a labeled jar. The parents seal the jar, store it, and open it together on a chosen birthday — the baby's first, fifth, thirteenth, or eighteenth — and read every wish in one sitting. Five-minute setup, lifelong keepsake.

  • 💝 Sentimental
  • 🤝 Low-pressure
⏱ Prep
5 min
👥 Best for
Any size
🍷 Coed
Yes
📹 Virtual
Works on Zoom

What you'll need

  • A quart-size mason jar with lid (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or Target — $3–$5)
  • 100 small paper slips, cut from sturdy cardstock (a $5 pack covers any shower)
  • 5–6 nice pens (Pilot G2 gel or Sharpie fine-tip)
  • A pretty label or kraft-paper tag with the "open on" date written in big handwriting
  • Sage-green ribbon or twine to tie around the jar's neck
  • Masking tape to seal the lid underside before the jar goes home

Before the shower (setup)

  1. About a week before the baby shower, pick up a quart-size mason jar (Michaels, Hobby Lobby, or Target's craft aisle — $3–$5) and a $5 pack of cardstock slips. Cut the cardstock into roughly 100 small slips, about 3×4 inches each. Plain index cards from any drugstore also work — sturdier than napkin paper and they survive years of storage. Grab 5–6 nice gel pens (Pilot G2 or Sharpie fine-tip rollers from Target) so guests want to write thoughtfully.
  2. Decide the "open on" date in advance and talk to the parents about it — they're the ones who'll actually open the jar, so it has to fit their plan. The safest pick is the baby's first birthday: close enough that the jar doesn't get lost in moves, far enough that there's real reveal energy. Other strong choices: age 5 (kindergarten), age 13 (becoming a teenager), or age 18 (graduation). Write the open-on date on a kraft-paper tag or pretty label in big readable handwriting — that tag goes on the jar's neck.
  3. About 20 minutes before guests arrive, set up the wishes jar station on a small table near the entry or by the gift area. Place the jar with its label visible, stack the cardstock slips, lay out the pens, and tape up a small sign: "Drop a wish for the baby in the jar — funny, serious, or somewhere between. To be opened on [date]." Tie a sage-green ribbon around the jar's neck for a finished look. Have masking tape ready on the side; you'll seal the lid before the parents leave.
Front-door setup for Wishes Jar — 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 guests arrive, point them at the wishes jar station. Tell them once: "Write a wish for the baby on a slip and drop it in. Any time during the party works." Some guests will scribble one quick line and move on; others will sit down and write a longer note. Both are perfect. Don't put pressure on length or content — "anything you want to say to the baby" beats "a meaningful wish for their future" because guests freeze on prescribed wording.

Mid-party, give one gentle reminder out loud: "Don't forget the wishes jar by the door if you haven't dropped a wish in yet." Some guests get busy chatting and need the nudge. Walk by the jar once or twice during the party to check it's filling up and that pens haven't disappeared into someone's bag. If a guest writes something inappropriate (it's rare but happens once in a while), the host quietly pulls the slip and replaces it with a blank — the parents don't need to see it.

Before the shower ends, screw the lid on the jar tight. Run a piece of masking tape across the underside of the lid (a small seal) so it doesn't get opened accidentally during cleanup or moves. Hand the jar to the parents with clear instructions: store it somewhere they'll actually see — a shelf in the nursery, the bookshelf in the living room — not the basement, where humidity ruins paper. The open date stays visible on the label. The jar waits.

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

Variations to try

  • Time capsule jar. Pair with [[time-capsule-for-baby]] — guests add a wish slip AND a small item (a coin from the shower year, a Polaroid, a tiny note from the parents) to the same jar. Layered keepsake. Use a bigger jar (half-gallon mason from Walmart or Target works) so everything fits.
  • Multiple jars for multiple ages. Three small jars labeled "Open at age 5," "Open at age 13," and "Open at age 18." Guests pick which jar their wish drops into — some pick one, some write three different wishes. Spreads the keepsake across decades and gives the parents three separate reveal moments.
  • Photo wishes jar. Set up a Polaroid camera or a phone-printer (Fujifilm Instax mini, ~$80) at the station. Each guest takes a quick photo of themselves at the shower and slips it into the jar alongside their wish. When the parents open the jar, they see the face attached to every wish — far more emotional than text alone.
  • Audio wishes (modern version). Skip paper entirely. Each guest records a 30-second voice memo on a shared phone or a Marco Polo group video chat. Compile and save to a USB drive or shared cloud folder labeled with the open date. Modern, requires more setup, but the result is unforgettable when the kid is old enough to hear it.
  • Zoom version. For virtual showers, share a Google Form link in the Zoom chat. Each remote guest types their wish into the form. After the call, print all the responses on individual cardstock slips and seal them in a physical jar to mail to the parents. Same reveal moment 5 years later, just with extra logistics on the front end.

Pro tips from hosts who've actually run this

  • Pick an "open on" date the parents will actually remember. The baby's first birthday is the safest — too distant a date and the jar gets lost in moves over the years.
  • Use cardstock slips, not napkin paper. Napkins shred in storage and the wishes become illegible after a few years.
  • Write the "open on" date in TWO places — the front label AND a sticker on the lid. One label always falls off over time.
  • Tell the parents explicitly to store the jar somewhere visible — a shelf in the nursery or living room, not a basement box. Out of sight, out of mind for a decade.
  • Drop a handful of extra blank slips inside the jar so the baby and parents can add to it over the years. Turns a static keepsake into a growing one.
  • Keep the prompt loose: "Anything you want to say to the baby" beats "a meaningful wish for their future" because the loose prompt produces funnier and more personal slips.
  • Take a photo of the filled jar before the parents leave the shower. A digital backup helps if the physical jar ever breaks or gets lost in a move.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using napkin paper or thin printer paper for the slips. They shred in storage and the wishes are unreadable five years later.
  • Picking an "open on" date too far in the future. A jar marked "Open at 30" gets forgotten or lost in moves. First birthday or age 5 are the safe picks.
  • Forgetting to seal the lid before handing over the jar. Without tape on the underside, the jar gets accidentally opened during cleanup or by a curious toddler later.
  • Storing the jar in the basement or attic. Humidity ruins paper over years. Tell the parents directly: nursery shelf or living room only.
  • Writing the open date in only one place. Labels fall off; backup it with a sticker on the lid or write it directly on the glass with a Sharpie paint pen.

Best prize for this game

Skip the prize entirely — the wishes jar IS the prize, and it goes to the parents. Like the advice-cards game, adding a competition ruins the tone (guests start trying to write punchlines instead of real wishes). The jar's emotional payoff at the open date is the whole point.

→ More baby shower prize ideas, by budget

Our verdict

Five-minute setup, lifelong keepsake. The parents read these wishes more often than any other shower memento — birthdays, hard days, milestones. Pair with [[advice-cards-for-parents]] for a double keepsake at zero extra effort.

Wishes Jar — FAQ

What date should the parents open the wishes jar?

The most popular pick is the baby's first birthday — close enough that the jar doesn't get lost in life, far enough that there's real reveal energy. Other strong picks: age 5 (starting kindergarten), age 13 (becoming a teenager), or age 18 (graduation). Whatever date you pick, the parents should agree with it upfront.

How big should the jar be?

A quart-size mason jar (about 32 oz) fits roughly 100 folded slips — enough for any baby shower up to 40 guests. Bigger half-gallon jars look more dramatic but are harder to store on a regular shelf. Stick with quart-size unless you're combining it with a time capsule.

Should guests sign their names on the wishes?

It's optional. Most guests sign at the bottom of their slip; some leave wishes anonymous on purpose. Both are fine — the meaning is in the wish itself, not the byline. The parents will recognize most handwriting anyway.

What if a guest writes something inappropriate?

It's the host's call to quietly remove a slip before the jar is sealed. Most guests write thoughtful things. If someone writes a joke that crosses a line, the host pulls the slip and replaces it with a blank. The parents don't need to see it.

How do the parents preserve the jar long-term?

Seal the lid with masking tape on the underside to prevent accidental opening. Store on a shelf out of direct sunlight. Skip the basement and attic — humidity and temperature swings ruin paper over years. A bookshelf in the living room or the nursery is ideal.

Does this work for a Zoom shower?

Yes — see the Zoom variation. Share a Google Form link during the call so remote guests can type their wishes in. After the call, print the responses on cardstock slips and seal them in a physical jar to mail to the parents. The reveal moment years later is identical to the in-person version.

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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.