48 baby shower trivia questions, with answers
Six rounds for a baby shower quiz that grandparents and teens can play together: newborn facts, baby animals, nursery rhymes, baby names, baby gear and books, and birthstones and twins. Every answer links to its source.
48 questions · Baby shower trivia questions with answers · answers included
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Newborn facts
- 1
About how many bones does a baby have at birth?
easy
Hint: Far more than an adult's 206.
AnswerAbout 300.
Many of them fuse as the child grows, leaving the 206 bones an adult has.
Source: NIAMS (National Institutes of Health) https://www.niams.nih.gov/health-topics/educational-resources/health-lesson-learning-about-bones
- 2
What are the soft spots on a newborn's head called?
medium
Hint: A baby has a large one at the front of the head and another at the back.
AnswerFontanelles.
They are gaps between the bony plates of the skull, and they close as the brain reaches its full size.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002270.htm
- 3
What is the thick, waxy coating on a newborn's skin called?
medium
Hint: It starts with V.
AnswerVernix.
It protects the baby's skin from the fluid in the womb and washes off at the first bath.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002301.htm
- 4
Small red patches on a newborn's forehead, eyelids or neck have a nickname that names a bird. What are they called?
medium
Hint: A tall bird with long legs and a long bill.
AnswerStork bites.
They are caused by stretched blood vessels and often go away within 18 months.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002301.htm
- 5
Which doctor gave her name to the quick check of a newborn's breathing, heart rate, muscle tone, reflexes and skin color?
medium
Hint: Her first name is also the name of a US state.
AnswerVirginia Apgar.
She introduced the Apgar score in 1952, and it is done 1 and 5 minutes after birth.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003402.htm
- 6
What is the medical term for a newborn's first stools?
hard
Hint: It starts with M.
AnswerMeconium.
It is a tarry green or black substance the baby makes before birth.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002395.htm
- 7
A newborn's startle reflex, when the arms fling out and then pull back in, is also known by what name?
hard
Hint: A short name that sounds like "more-oh."
AnswerThe Moro reflex.
Loud sounds or sudden movements often set it off.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002004.htm
- 8
How many baby teeth does a child grow in all?
easy
Hint: More than 15 and fewer than 25.
Answer20.
All 20 baby teeth should be in place by the time a child is 30 months old.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002045.htm
- 9
A newborn can see things within a range of about how many inches?
medium
Hint: Less than a foot and a half.
Answer8 to 12 inches (20 to 30 centimeters).
Color vision develops later, between 4 and 6 months.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002004.htm
Baby animals
- 10
What do you call a young kangaroo?
easy
Hint: It sounds like a boy's name.
AnswerA joey.
Joeys finish developing in their mother's pouch.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kangaroo?oldid=1380370831
- 11
What is a young goat called?
easy
Hint: It is also an everyday word for a child.
AnswerA kid.
The word came into English from a Scandinavian language, such as Old Norse.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat?oldid=1382095396
- 12
What is a baby goose called?
medium
Hint: It ends in -ling, like duckling.
AnswerA gosling.
Young geese are called goslings until they fledge.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goose?oldid=1380166003
- 13
What is a young swan called?
medium
Hint: It sounds like "signet," as in a signet ring.
AnswerA cygnet.
The word comes from cygnus, Latin for swan, with a French ending that means little.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swan?oldid=1380087364
- 14
What are young red foxes called?
medium
Hint: The same word as a box of parts you put together.
AnswerKits (or cubs).
A litter usually has four to six kits.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_fox?oldid=1383416474
- 15
What is a hare less than a year old called?
hard
Hint: It starts with L and has three syllables.
AnswerA leveret.
A group of hares can be called a husk or a down.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare?oldid=1383486820
- 16
What is a baby echidna called?
hard
Hint: It rhymes with snuggle.
AnswerA puggle.
Echidnas are spiny mammals of Australia and New Guinea, and their young hatch from eggs.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echidna?oldid=1383318951
- 17
What is a baby alpaca called?
hard
Hint: Four letters, starting with C.
AnswerA cria.
A newborn alpaca is usually standing within 30 to 90 minutes of birth.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpaca?oldid=1378053620
Nursery rhymes and lullabies
- 18
In "Rock-a-bye Baby," where is the baby at the start of the song?
easy
Hint: Up high, where the wind blows.
AnswerOn the treetop.
The rhyme first appeared in print in Mother Goose's Melody, around 1765.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock-a-bye_Baby?oldid=1354259908
- 19
In "Hey Diddle Diddle," what did the cow jump over?
easy
Hint: Look up at the night sky.
AnswerThe moon.
The rhyme gave English the expression "over the moon," meaning delighted.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Diddle_Diddle?oldid=1380480942
- 20
"Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" shares its tune with which song that children use to learn their letters?
medium
Hint: Children sing it before they can read.
AnswerThe alphabet song (the ABC song).
The tune is a French melody, "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman," and "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep" uses it too.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkle,_Twinkle,_Little_Star?oldid=1383137187
- 21
Who wrote the poem that became "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"?
hard
Hint: Think "plain ___."
AnswerJane Taylor.
It was first published as "The Star" in 1806, in a book of rhymes she wrote with her sister Ann.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twinkle,_Twinkle,_Little_Star?oldid=1383137187
- 22
In the rhyme "Monday's Child," Monday's child is fair of face. What is Tuesday's child?
medium
Hint: It rhymes with "face."
AnswerFull of grace.
The rhyme was first recorded in 1836, in a book about the traditions of Devon, England.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monday%27s_Child?oldid=1368313015
- 23
In the lullaby "Hush, Little Baby," what is the first thing the baby is promised?
medium
Hint: A songbird famous for copying other birds' songs.
AnswerA mockingbird.
The lullaby is thought to have been written in the Southern United States.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush,_Little_Baby?oldid=1378445472
- 24
"Mary Had a Little Lamb" was the first thing Thomas Edison recorded, in 1877, on which new invention?
medium
Hint: It led, in time, to the record player.
AnswerThe phonograph.
The poem was written by Sarah Josepha Hale and first published in 1830.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Had_a_Little_Lamb?oldid=1380874920
- 25
Which German composer wrote the famous "Lullaby," also called "Cradle Song," first published in 1868?
medium
Hint: His surname starts with B, like Bach and Beethoven.
AnswerJohannes Brahms.
He wrote it for his friend Bertha Faber when her second son was born.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiegenlied_(Brahms)?oldid=1355367951
Baby names
- 26
According to the Social Security Administration, what was the most popular name for baby girls born in the US in 2025?
easy
Hint: It starts with O.
AnswerOlivia.
Charlotte, Emma, Amelia and Sophia made up the rest of the top five.
Source: Social Security Administration https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
- 27
According to the Social Security Administration, what was the most popular name for baby boys born in the US in 2025?
easy
Hint: A short form of William.
AnswerLiam.
Noah, Oliver, Theodore and Henry made up the rest of the top five.
Source: Social Security Administration https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
- 28
Which girls' name ranked second in the US in 2025, right behind Olivia?
medium
Hint: A royal name that is also a big city in North Carolina.
AnswerCharlotte.
Emma came third and Amelia fourth.
Source: Social Security Administration https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
- 29
Which boys' name ranked second in the US in 2025, right behind Liam?
medium
Hint: The man who built the ark.
AnswerNoah.
Oliver came third.
Source: Social Security Administration https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
- 30
Which of these boys' names ranked fourth in the US in 2025: Theodore, Thomas or Tobias?
medium
Hint: Its short form is also the name of a cuddly toy bear.
AnswerTheodore.
Henry came fifth, right behind it.
Source: Social Security Administration https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
- 31
The Social Security Administration's lists of baby names go back to babies born in which year?
hard
Hint: Late in the 1800s.
Answer1880.
Its names come from Social Security card applications for US births after 1879.
Source: Social Security Administration https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/background.html
Baby gear and books
- 32
The teddy bear got its name from which US president?
easy
Hint: He was the 26th president.
AnswerTheodore Roosevelt.
The name came from a bear-hunting trip in Mississippi in November 1902.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teddy_bear?oldid=1379931254
- 33
Who wrote and illustrated "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"?
easy
Hint: His surname sounds like the first name Carl.
AnswerEric Carle.
The 1969 picture book has holes in its pages where the caterpillar "ate" through.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Very_Hungry_Caterpillar?oldid=1381114883
- 34
Who wrote the bedtime book "Goodnight Moon"?
medium
Hint: Her surname is a color.
AnswerMargaret Wise Brown.
It was published in 1947, with pictures by Clement Hurd.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Moon?oldid=1372701318
- 35
Why are the characters in "Goodnight Moon" drawn as rabbits?
medium
Hint: It came down to the artist's skill.
AnswerThe illustrator, Clement Hurd, was better at drawing rabbits than people.
The book's first title was "Goodnight Room."
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Moon?oldid=1372701318
- 36
In the picture book "Guess How Much I Love You," what kind of animals are Big Nutbrown and Little Nutbrown?
medium
Hint: They have long ears and long back legs.
AnswerHares.
Sam McBratney's book was first published in 1994 and has sold more than 43 million copies.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guess_How_Much_I_Love_You?oldid=1381929215
- 37
Which company makes Pampers diapers?
medium
Hint: Two surnames joined by an ampersand.
AnswerProcter & Gamble (P&G).
The brand dates from 1961, when P&G researcher Victor Mills set out to make a better disposable diaper.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pampers?oldid=1380204336
- 38
Which country has given parents-to-be a "baby box" of clothes, diapers and bedding since 1938?
medium
Hint: A Nordic country whose capital is Helsinki.
AnswerFinland.
The first boxes went to families with low incomes; since 1949 they have gone to all mothers-to-be in Finland.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maternity_package?oldid=1376095342
- 39
Marion Donovan's "Boater," an early waterproof diaper cover, was first made from what household item?
hard
Hint: Look in the bathroom.
AnswerA shower curtain.
She called it the Boater because it helped babies "stay afloat," and it went on sale at Saks Fifth Avenue in 1949.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Donovan?oldid=1371967695
- 40
The baby in the famous Gerber baby food drawing grew up to be a teacher and a mystery novelist. What was her name?
hard
Hint: Her married surname is also a word for someone who makes dinner.
AnswerAnn Turner Cook.
Her neighbor, the artist Dorothy Hope Smith, made a charcoal drawing of her as a baby.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Turner_Cook?oldid=1383524600
Birthstones, twins and traditions
- 41
Which gem is the birthstone for April?
easy
Hint: The hardest of all gems.
AnswerDiamond.
It has been April's stone on the US list since American jewelers agreed on a list in 1912.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthstone?oldid=1372868697
- 42
Which green gem is the birthstone for May?
easy
Hint: The Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz is named after it.
AnswerEmerald.
Emerald has been May's stone on the US list since 1912.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthstone?oldid=1372868697
- 43
Which gem is the birthstone for September?
medium
Hint: It is usually blue.
AnswerSapphire.
The American jewelers' list of 1912 gave September the sapphire, and US lists still do.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthstone?oldid=1372868697
- 44
Which gem is the birthstone for November?
medium
Hint: Five letters, starting with T.
AnswerTopaz (newer lists add citrine).
Topaz has been November's stone since the US list of 1912; citrine was added later.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthstone?oldid=1372868697
- 45
Identical twins come from how many fertilized eggs?
medium
Hint: Think about the word "identical."
AnswerOne.
The single fertilized egg splits in two very early on, making two separate embryos.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/twins/
- 46
Which are more common: identical twins or fraternal twins?
hard
Hint: The kind of twins who can be a boy and a girl.
AnswerFraternal twins, about twice as common.
Fraternal twins come from two eggs, each fertilized separately, and they are much more likely to run in families.
Source: MedlinePlus (National Library of Medicine) https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/twins/
- 47
Traditionally, a baby shower was given for which baby in a family?
medium
Hint: Think about which baby needs the most new things.
AnswerThe first child.
A smaller shower for a later baby, called a sprinkle or a diaper shower, suits parents who already have most of what they need.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_shower?oldid=1382521860
- 48
Baby showers became popular around the middle of which century?
medium
Hint: The century of the moon landing.
AnswerThe 20th century.
Customs around a baby's birth are far older, going back to ancient Egypt and ancient Greece.
Source: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_shower?oldid=1382521860
Use this set at a baby shower
Print the questions for the guests and keep the answer key apart. Read each question aloud and let guests write their answers, alone or in teams that mix ages. To add a round about the parents-to-be, ask them a few questions before the shower, such as where they met, and read their answers out at the end.
Timer and team scores
8 turns × 60 seconds = 8 minutes of play, plus instructions and breaks.
60
Pause whenever the group needs more time.
Team Lime's turn
Team Lime: 0
Team Violet: 0
Team Tangerine: 0
Team Sky: 0
Team Lemon: 0
Team Bubblegum: 0