"Summer offers plenty of baby shower inspiration to draw from. You have the sunshine, the beach, fresh fruits and veggies, and more. Plus, depending on your summer weather, there can be opportunities to host an outdoor event versus being inside for a winter baby shower. And having a summer-inspired baby shower theme with thoughtful menu options, drinks, and decorations can help tie together the event.
If you’re in search of summer baby shower themes—including where you can shop for invitations and decor—keep reading. Plus, I tapped a party-planning expert, Olivia Pollock, etiquette expert and party data analyst at Evite, for tips on planning and hosting a summer baby shower. Find your perfect summer baby shower theme and everything you need to create a memorable event.
‘Picnic in the Park’ Baby Shower
Summer means picnic season is back. Picnics are one of the most underrated activities and one of the cutest aesthetics to draw baby shower inspiration from. This is the perfect theme to throw at a favorite local park or someone’s spacious backyard.
Planning a Picnic Baby Shower
- Decor: Think cute baskets, checkered blankets, mason jar vases, and pillow seats. Along with some great, budget-friendly decor, a picnic baby shower theme could be completed by picking up some baskets and pillows for seating from a local thrift shop in your area.
- Menu: Think about the food you’d like to eat outside on a picnic blanket while gazing at a lovely view. Refreshing lemonade or sweet tea, along with light foods like salads with summer veggies, a fresh quiche, and a spread of sandwiches like chicken salad.
- Favors: For a picnic-themed shower favor, consider picking up some adorable mini picnic baskets to fill with goodies.
Backyard ‘Baby-Q’
Dads are also being showered in creative ways, from diaper parties to co-ed baby showers, and this Backyard Baby-Q couldn’t be more perfect for a couple’s baby shower. The best of both worlds mesh in this theme: grill season and the budding flowers of summer.
Planning a Backyard Summer Baby Shower
- Decor: Decorations for a backyard ‘Baby-Q’ could include checkered tablecloths, a potluck-style buffet, and daisies in a ball jar for pretty centerpieces.
- Menu: Since it is backyard barbecue-inspired, whip up some of everyone’s favorites on the grill! Go casual with burgers and hotdogs, or step it up a notch with homemade baby back ribs.
- Favors: No one will ever complain about an edible baby shower party favor. Send everyone home with a sweet treat like a s’mores kit.
‘Blue Jean Baby’ Summer Shower
A ‘Blue Jean Baby’ shower theme plays into Elton John’s famous song, Tiny Dancer. “Lately, we’ve seen a rise in on-trend concepts like Blue Jean Baby,” said Pollock. “Which celebrates tiny overalls and denim details as a subtle nod to classic summer style.”
Planning a ‘Blue Jean Baby’ Baby Shower
- Favors: “For a Blue Jean Baby theme, I always recommend a DIY denim bar,” said Pollock. “Let guests design mini totes or bandanas using fabric paint, patches, and fun embellishments. It’s interactive, totally on-theme, and leaves everyone with a keepsake they actually want to take home.”
- Decor: Focusing on one color—blue—can keep the baby shower decor cohesive. Bring in the theme with DIY denim garland or denim-inspired favors.
- Menu: Jeans inherently makes this baby shower a less-formal affair, so a menu with pizza or other casual eats feels fitting.
‘Someone Berry Sweet is On the Way’
One of the best parts about welcoming summer (the list really does go on and on) is that it’s berry season once again. Share in the sweet tastes of summer by celebrating someone berry sweet. Whether you have a favorite berry or want to opt for pink or blue colors, this theme can easily be either strawberry- or blueberry-focused. Bonus if you can host the summer baby shower at a local berry farm!
Planning a Summer Berry Baby Shower
- Decor: Consider a branded welcome sign to greet guests, as well as themed napkins, balloons, and cake toppers. For something extra special, don the tables with adorable ceramic fruit baskets like the ones shown below (plus, these are so cute you’ll want to use them as regular decor!).
- Menu: Add fruit-centric dishes to go along with this theme: tasty fruit pizza, a fresh fruit salad, and an angel food strawberry or blueberry shortcake to top it all off!
- Favors: Play into the fact that strawberries and blueberries are oh-so-tasty with either a scrumptious lip balm or a handmade jar of jam.
‘A Little Cutie is On the Way’
If berries aren’t your jam, perhaps you’re more keen to something on the citrus side. Welcome your little cutie with this adorable clementine party theme. A perfect option for parents not finding out the sex of their baby—it’s full of the gender-neutral color orange.
Planning an Orange-Themed Baby Shower
- Decor: Whether you go more cutesy or watercolor-inspired—or a bit of both!—there are decorations for that. Lean heavily into the color orange, but also incorporate some neutrals and maybe even a few pastel greens.
- Menu: Since clementines are related to oranges, it only feels right to offer a mimosa bar! For a fun, on-theme dessert, consider opting out of the traditional cake and whipping up a homemade iced clementine pound cake instead.
- Favors: Ensure the celebration goes on well after the party ends by sending everyone off with their own mimosa kit with a mini bottle of champagne and some orange juice. Pick out a cute themed sticker to place on the champagne bottles.
‘Mommy to Bee’ Baby Shower
One sound we can’t escape in the summer (whether we like it or not) is the sound of bees busy at work buzzing around. Even though they may strike fear in many of us, we can all agree that they’re one of the cutest winged creatures. This also happens to be another great gender-neutral option, as the decor will be filled with yellow!
Planning a Bee-Themed Baby Shower
- Decor: Yellow, black, and white will rule this theme. Beyond balloons, there are tons of adorable themed decorations like cut-out paper bees, decorative tassels, adorable napkins, and more that will leave everyone buzzing with excitement.
- Menu: Lean into honey-forward recipes that everyone will enjoy for this theme. Simply incorporate the sweet nectar by drizzling it on things like a fruit salad or fresh biscuits, and the honey will be a standout in every dish.
- Favors: It’s only right to celebrate the fruits of a bee’s labor by sending everyone home with some delicious honey in a cute jar as a party favor.
Lemon Summer Baby Shower Theme
Summer is prime time for refreshing citrus and lemonade. Celebrate with a “Mama’s Main Squeeze” lemon-themed baby shower.
Planning a Lemonade Baby Shower
- Decor: Yellow lemon decor can make this a perfect gender-neutral baby shower option, but it’s also super simple to add in hints of pinks or blues if preferred—think pink lemonade or an Amalfi Coast-inspired blue and yellow.
- Menu: You can’t go wrong serving fresh lemonade at a lemonade-themed party. Then, include some classic lemon-forward favorites like lemon bars, lemon pound cake, or glazed lemon bread. If leaning into coastal Italian fare, consider Neapolitan pizza, Caprese salad, and Limoncello cocktails (and mocktails!).
- Favors: There’s nothing quite like the smell of citrus. It’s exactly what you want your home—especially your kitchen and bathroom—to smell like. That’s why the perfect favor for a lemon-themed baby shower comes in the form of handmade soaps.
English Garden Party Baby Shower
If the summer months mean extra time outside spent in the garden, this theme is for you—or anyone who appreciates a highly feminine floral theme! For the girly girl mom-to-be, consider this floral-inspired theme.
Planning a Summer Garden Party Baby Shower
- Decor: An English garden party will incorporate lots of elegant florals, baroque designs, and plenty of pastels. Add a hint of feminine touch wherever you see fit!
- Menu: There are plenty of similarities between an English Garden Party and a traditional high tea. Incorporate similar refreshments like tea varietals, English tea sandwiches, and biscuits.
- Activities and Favors: For a fun activity during the event, consider hosting a floral arrangement tutorial (meaning everyone goes home with a beautiful bouquet that doubles as a party favor!). Other on-theme baby shower party favors could include a floral-scented hand cream, seed packets, or flowers they can take home with them.
Watermelon Summer Baby Shower
Along with berries, watermelons are THE fruit of summer. Not only do they offer pretty pink and green baby shower decor inspiration, but they’re also a perfect metaphor for what it feels like walking around pregnant in the third trimester. Bonus points if the mom-to-be is a Harry Styles fan.
Planning a Watermelon Summer Baby Shower Theme
- Decor: Decorate the space with plenty of pinks and greens. If leaning into the summer cookout vibe, consider green gingham tablecloths and centerpieces with pink flowers.
- Menu: Watermelon salads and slices are a must, which go well with other Mediterranean dishes. Hosts can also get creative with watermelon-inspired drinks like a watermelon limeade cocktail/mocktail or watermelon margaritas.
- Favors: Grab a multi-pack of watermelon flavored lip balm you can package in clear bags with custom ‘Thanks a Melon’ stickers for a sweet-smelling—and useful—baby shower favor.
‘Baby on Board’
The adventurous beach bums can give new meaning to “Baby on Board” with this beach surfboarding-themed party. A perfect choice for parents welcoming a little boy (or parents who simply enjoy blue!), there’ll be plenty of blue hues incorporated that mimic an ocean scene. But don’t worry—it can easily become a gender-neutral or feminine baby shower theme depending on the chosen color palette.
Planning a ‘Baby on Board’ Surf-Themed Baby Shower
- Decor: A real (or fake) surfboard is something you can display with either a greeting or your baby’s name. Using tropical blues, greens, oranges, and yellows throughout will give you that summertime look. For table decor, use tropical florals, palm trees, or seashells.
- Menu: Serve fruit, sandwiches, pasta salad, a summertime cheese board, lemonade, and mimosas for your adult guests.
- Favors: Let your friends and family continue to feel the island vibes with a beach-scented room spray or personalized jars of bath salts.
‘Red, White, and Due’
A theme that’s perfect for parents wanting to show their patriotic side, “Red, White, and Due” is a staple summer baby shower theme. Especially if you’ll be celebrating near the Fourth of July holiday, this theme will give everyone a reason to celebrate.
Planning a Fourth of July Baby Shower
- Decor: Filling the space with plenty of whites, blues, and reds can make this a great gender-neutral summer baby shower theme. Patriotic touches like stars, stripes, and fireworks will really lean into the theme.
- Menu: The Fourth of July always lends itself to a great cookout opportunity. Fire up the grill for everyone’s favorites, like sliders and salads. Level up the offerings with plenty of festive bomb pops for tons of red, white, and blue spirit!
- Favors: Keep the celebration going after the sun goes down with complimentary sparklers for guests. They can either share in the celebration then and there or head home and light them up on the holiday or when baby arrives.
‘Ahoy, It’s a Boy’ Nautical Baby Shower
This summer baby shower theme is fit for ocean or lake-loving parents who are ready to set sail on their greatest adventure yet!
Planning a Nautical Baby Shower
- Decor: Tap into multiple nautical summer baby shower themes, whether you’re going for a boy, girl, or gender-neutral event. While it may seem boy-centric with lots of blues, it can certainly be made more feminine with a “Yachts of Love” theme and some coastal-grandma touches.
- Menu: Having some seafood options may be a great choice for this theme, but we’ll want to keep in mind what types of foods moms-to-be are recommended to avoid (such as anything raw). To play it safe, we can incorporate other kinds of favorites, like those associated with seafood boils. Things like crab cakes, corn on the cob, and red potatoes are delicious options.
- Favors: For baby shower party favors, ensure their drinks are cold for the rest of the summer by gifting personalized can coolers.
‘Ray of Sunshine on the Way’
The quintessential summer inspo comes by way of the shining sun. This summer baby shower theme can also be modified for parents welcoming a little guy this year with a ‘Here Comes the Son’ boy baby shower theme. A fun play on words that can inspire a built-in playlist by incorporating plenty of The Beatles’ greatest hits.
Planning a Summer Sun Baby Shower
- Decor: For colors, use white, yellow, orange, and blue hues. A balloon arch will go great with this theme, along with sunshine decor and floral arrangements.
- Menu: A sunshine-themed shower calls for lemonade, orange- or lemon-infused water, and light finger foods.
- Favors: Sunshine seed packets or a summertime stovetop potpourri made with orange slices, vanilla, and coconut are creative ways to incorporate the theme.
‘Beach Baby’ Summer Baby Shower
Whether opting for the gender-neutral ‘Beach Baby’ theme or leaning into a ‘Beach Babe’ theme celebrating a baby girl (or her mom!), the beach offers so much inspiration—from decor to fun summer-inspired drinks.
Planning a Beach-Themed Baby Shower
- Decor: Take inspiration from cabana stripes, beach umbrellas, beach balls, and the sandy shore for a ‘Beach Baby’ summertime baby shower.
- Menu: Consider trying an island-themed recipe like jerk chicken that everyone is sure to enjoy. Drinks with umbrellas are also a must.
- Favors: Turkish beach towels could be a surprising and useful beach-themed baby shower favor.
Desert-Themed Baby Shower
Of course, the summer gives way to warm weather, but no place is warmer than the cactus-speckled desert. The landscape also offers plenty of summer baby shower decor and menu inspiration.
Planning a Cactus-Themed Baby Shower
- Decor and Favors: Mini cacti, succulents, and desert flowers can double as table decorations while allowing baby shower guests to take them home as favors.
- Menu: Mexican-inspired menu options for a desert-themed baby shower could include a taco or salsa bar.
‘Locally Grown’ Farmers Market Baby Shower
Perfect for a summer baby shower, this theme plays on a classic warm-weather activity: visiting a local farmers market! Fresh fruits, baskets, homemade sandwiches and baked goods, and plenty of flowers will make this shower theme one of a kind.
Planning a Farmers Market Baby Shower
- Decor: Incorporate berry baskets, crates, picnic tablecloths, and cute vintage farm trucks with fresh flowers.
- Menu: Serve “farm-to-table” dishes, like veggie and fruit platters, sandwiches, and salad.
- Favors: Send guests home with a farmers market tote or seed packets of your favorite garden veggies.
‘Happy Little Camper on the Way’
If the parents-to-be have an affinity for the great outdoors, celebrate the best adventure yet with this adorable “Happy Camper” summer baby shower theme. Whether you go vintage or cutesy, this theme couldn’t be more perfect for hikers, outdoor enthusiasts, or anyone who simply thinks it’s adorable!
Planning a Summer Camp Baby Shower
- Decor: Play into whichever elements of this theme reflect the parents-to-be, and you’ll have yourself the outdoorsy shower of your dreams. The National Parks route is sure to have a vintage feel to it, while there are also plenty of cute critters you could focus on. A summer camp-inspired baby shower could include vintage lanterns, felt pennants, and tent photo backdrops.
- Menu and Favors: Try a DIY trail mix bar that is perfectly on theme for this shower. Set up things like nuts, raisins, pretzels, M&Ms, and more with some cute goodie bags, and let everyone make their own special mix. Trail mix can also be a great baby shower party favor!
Tips for Planning a Summer Baby Shower
Outdoor vs. Indoor
For some climates, an outdoor venue is memorable and can allow for a larger group of attendees. Plus, “open-air spaces also naturally feel a bit more laid-back and give guests room to walk around and mingle and gives you the option of having outdoor and lawn games available,” shared Pollock. But if summer pushes the limits on heat for the pregnant mom—and her guests—“indoor [air-conditioned] showers are also great, especially if you’re aiming for something smaller or more styled,” added Pollock. “Having control over things like lighting, décor, and temperature makes it easier to create an intentional feel that is perfect for a smaller group.”
Making it Memorable
Once your theme is in place, Pollock always recommends baby shower hosts add thoughtful, personal touches that truly bring the event to life. “A letter-writing station, favors that reflect the theme, or a charming, well-planned game can go a long way in making guests feel seen and celebrated. It’s these intentional details that turn a gathering into a meaningful and memorable experience.”
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
Kathy Sisson has been a key contributor in the editorial parenting space for eight years, not only as a full-time editor at The Everymom but previously as a freelance writer for top parenting sites, including Scary Mommy, Motherly, Parent Co., and more. As an editor at The Everymom, she has produced hundreds of articles on a range of parenting topics, reviewed dozens of family-focused products, interviewed leading experts in the children and parenting world, and created viral parenting social media content. A mom of two, she is committed to sharing the honest, helpful, and often humorous stories of motherhood.
Brett Nicole Hayden, Former Editorial Assistant
As the Editorial Assistant, Brett worked with the editors of The Everymom on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and pitching and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and living.