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6 Tips for Hosting an Adoption Shower

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Sometimes those who are adopted are forgotten when it comes to showers to celebrate a new addition to a family. Nicole Witt, Executive Director of The Adoption Consultancy, says there are six key tips to keep in mind if you’re planning an adoption shower for a friend or family member who is adding to the family.

  1. Ask What Time Works Best: Some people prefer showers before the adoption, while others would like to wait.  Ask the prospective parents what they want. Some will want the baby shower prior to the birth so they can enjoy what other women get to enjoy, while others will prefer to have the shower after the placement when they no longer have to worry about the adoption falling through.
  2. Specify Age, Gender and Size on the Party Invites: If the child was not adopted as a newborn or if the shower is taking place some time after the placement, make sure guests know the age (& sizes) of the child so they can buy appropriate clothing
  3. Choose an Appropriate Theme: An adoption shower should have a non-pregnancy theme, either something cultural associated with the birth mother’s life or where the baby will be/was born. You can also make it match the nursery design the parents have selected.
  4. Consider a Co-ed Shower: Having a co-ed shower makes it less baby-centric and more of a celebration of life and the parenting journey.
  5. Adult Beverages or Fancy Non-Alcoholic Drink Are a Must: Serve mimosas or another specialty/themed cocktail (with alcohol or not) so that the adoptive mom gets something special from not being pregnant.
  6. Games Are A Must–But Stay Away from Anything Pregnancy Related: Do a baby shower games that don’t relate to pregnancy, such as Nursery Rhyme Jeopardy or a Baby Item Scavenger Hunt.

If your shower is for a child placed through an international adoption, I love the globe themed shower at The Pleated Poppy. I think this beautiful event perfectly showcases the miracle of the adoption process. If you think about it, there’s nothing more amazing than a child traveling halfway around the world to meet his forever family.

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Hanukkah Unit Studies for Kids

Learning about Hanukkah is important for people of all faiths as a reminder that December isn’t just about Christmas and that their are many other important holidays that happen during this time. Hanukkah unit studies can give you ideas for incorporating the holiday into your holiday studies that happen in December, or to use at home for learning about people of different faiths.

Homeschool Superfreak has a lot of basic ideas for how to build a Hanukkah unit study, as well as FAQs about what Hanukkah is and why it is celebrated. This list is a good stargint point but doesn’t include all the details you’ll need. For example it says you can play the dreidel game but doesn’t explain how to do that or why it’s important. (If you need that information, this post from Mama Smiles is a good source.)

Teachers Pay Teachers has lots of great lesson plans and activities if you’re willing to pay a little bit to get some good content. Two I really like are this Hanukkah PowerPoint presentation from Shelia Melton, which provides a good overview of traditions, food and the history of Hanukkah; and a virtual field trip to Jerusalem from MagiCore, which includes lots of videos showing the city and activities like playing dreidel, drawing a menorah and making latkes. It’s a Google Drive folder and also includes writing activities and more for kids in second to fifth grade.

Kids Activities Blog has some simple printables with facts about Hanukkah and things kids can color in like a Star of David, sufganiyots (jelly doughnuts) and a menorah. These are great for learning the basics.

Homeschool Giveaways has a printable ebook about Hanukkah complete with questions kids can answer after they read. This would be a good one for older kids with good reading comprehension.

NurtureStore’s Hanukkah unit study includes a printable mini book, tons of crafts, as well as math and writing activities. I love the dominoes game that’s part of the unit.

And check out our previous posts for more Hanukkah crafts and learning activities!