Guest Author - Kristi Larson

What child or parent doesn't love Mother Goose? Mother Goose nursery rhymes are timeless and are probably the first rhymes many children hear. My fondest memories of my son as a baby was watching him and my mother read the book, "Read to Me Grandma" which was a collection of nursery rhymes and finger plays. He didn't say many words, but they had actions that went along with each one! What sweeter way to welcome a new baby into this world than with a Mother Goose Baby Shower?

This is an easy invitation that you can make yourself. Purchase white cardstock invitations from your local craft store. Draw a moon on the front or print out a piece of clipart and glue it on the invitation, do the same with a cow. On the side of the moon, write or print, "Hey Diddle Diddle, Here's a big riddle, Who's baby soon will be due?" Continue the rhyme one the inside, "A Mother Goose Shower and Three is the Hour, May 1st we celebrate for two!" Put specifics at the bottom. Decorate the envelope with hand-drawn stars and moon. You can also do something similar with an evite.

One fun idea is to assign each attendee a different nursery rhyme. Their gift must be related somehow to that rhyme. For example, "Baa Baa Black Sheep" may inspire something made of wool or fleece. "Wee Willie Winkie" might produce pajamas or a nightlight. For a shower game instead of having people tell which rhyme they had, have them keep it a secret. See if anyone can guess which one they had after the gift is opened.

You can also play nursery rhyme pictionary or charades. Or see who can list the most nursery rhymes. National Mother Goose Day is May 1st but you can throw a Mother Goose shower any time of the year.

Mother Goose is, after all, timeless!