You can also have someone else secretly recording video of the entire announcement—just tell your family they’re getting shots from a different angle. If it’s the first grandchild in your family, you might get yourself, your mother, and your grandmother together and say you want to take a photo of “four generations of women. " Wait for it to sink in that you said four instead of three. Sneaky!
Set up a camera to record or have someone else filming so you can be sure to get the moment when someone finally figures out what you’re saying.
You don’t even have to buy a new frame! Replace a photo in your home with the sonogram, then invite your family over and wait for someone to notice it.
If you don’t want to actually play a game, you can set up a scrabble board with words related to your announcement, such as “baby” and “grandparent” crossing “pregnant. "
This is a great idea if you want to tell your mom on Mother’s Day. She’ll initially think that you’re just giving her a Mother’s Day present, then you surprise her with the news that she’s going to be a grandma! You might have to prod a little if they don’t get it at first. Looking for a way to make it more obvious? Include a print of the sonogram in the box.
Make sure you’re using nontoxic ink that won’t bleed or run when you cover your message with food. If it’s normal in your family for people to serve themselves, write your message on one plate and put it in the stack of plates. If you want a specific person to find it first, just insist they go in order to uncover the plate with the message.
For example, you might write “New Baby” along with the month and year the baby is expected to arrive. You could also say “We’re expecting” or something similar. You can also bake cupcakes with tiny toy babies inside. When your family members bite into the cupcakes, they’ll reveal the surprise![5] X Research source For a play on words, bake buns before your family arrives at your home. Make a show of opening the oven and prompt them to say you’ve got a “bun in the oven. "
You can choose the number of pieces and the number of puzzles you want, so you could potentially make a separate puzzle for every member of your family.
Since these little cards are really portable, you can make your announcement virtually anywhere. Just slide the cards in your pocket or purse and go.
You can make several different messages, but since you’ll have no way of knowing which message is in which cookie after they’re packaged, make sure each message could apply to anyone in your family.
You can also make “Promoted to” T-shirts for your family. This theme is popular—for example, a “Promoted to Aunt” shirt for your sister, if it’s your first child. If you have a pet, get them in on the act! Pet bandanas and T-shirts are popular and can also be custom-printed with a special message for the occasion.
If you want to be sneaky, use a heat-activated mug that reveals your message when the mug is filled with a warm beverage—just make sure they use it right away!
If your mom has a charm bracelet, you might get her a new charm that represents the new baby.
This option is especially fun if you’re timing your announcement to coincide with Father’s Day or a family member’s birthday. You’re giving them the sort of gift you normally would, but with your special message attached.
If your family celebrates Easter and you’re making your announcement in springtime, an Easter egg hunt is a fun alternative to a scavenger hunt. Just put your announcement inside one or more eggs.
