Baby Arrival

Guess the day. Guess the time. Closest wins.

The baby pool your family already plays on a group text, run properly. Everyone guesses the day and time the baby arrives, the board shows who picked what, and when the baby comes we work out who was closest — to the minute. Free to run, or charge a few dollars a guess and split the pot with the new parents. Nobody needs the rules explained.

Start Baby Arrival How it works

Great for:Baby showersFamilies & group chatsOffice baby poolsAnyone who has never joined a sports pool

How it runs

Baby Arrival, start to finish.

Set the due date

Tell us when baby is expected and we suggest the guessing window — a week either side. Change it if you like.

Share one link

Everyone guesses a day and a time on their phone. No account, no app, no download — a name and an email and they are in.

Baby arrives, we do the maths

Type in the real date and time. We rank every guess by how close it was and show who won, down to the minute.

Everything you can customise

Features, options & plans.

Tune every detail to fit your group — and see exactly what is on each plan.

FeatureOptionsFreeFreeContest PassOne contest, once★ PopularPro CommissionerEverything, no busywork

How it plays

Guess a date and a timeNot just the day — the time is what makes it a real contest✓✓✓

The Arrival BoardA calendar of everyone’s guesses — the due date is ringed and you can see the pile-up around it at a glance✓✓✓

One guess per slotTaken times grey out, so getting in early matters. Or let people share a time✓✓✓

How preciseTo the minute, every 15 minutes, on the hour, or just the day — your call✓✓✓

Closest winsRanked by how far off each guess was, measured against the real moment✓✓✓

Nobody has to know anythingNo sport, no season, no scoring system to explain to your aunt✓✓✓

Bonus guesses

WeightClosest to the birth weight, in pounds and ounces — its own prize if you want one✓✓✓

LengthSame idea, in inches✓✓✓

Head circumferenceThe third number on the wristband — off by default, one tap to add✓✓✓

Boy or girlOffered only where it is still a surprise. Great as the tiebreaker✓✓✓

Each one stands aloneA bonus guess is its own little contest, with its own winner✓✓✓

Twins & triplets

Say how many are comingOne, twins or triplets — the questions rearrange themselves✓✓✓

One arrival guess, stillEveryone guesses when the FIRST one arrives. Twins are minutes apart; two boards would be the same board twice✓✓✓

Who arrives first?The question every family already argues about, scored on being right✓✓✓

Who arrives last?Added for triplets. With twins it is the same question twice✓✓✓

How long between themIn minutes, from the first to the last✓✓✓

Weight, length and the rest, per babyAsked once for each of them, labelled by name if you have one✓✓✓

Money

Free to playRun it for bragging rights and pay nothing, ever✓✓✓

Or charge a few dollarsSet any price per guess. Players pay you directly — no platform fee✓✓✓

Split the pot with the familyHalf to the closest guess, half to the baby fund — or any split you like✓✓✓

Everyone sees the split firstThe share is on the join screen, before anybody pays a penny✓✓✓

Payment methodsVenmo, PayPal, check, cash✓✓✓

Running it

One clockEvery guess is read in the timezone you choose, so it works with family in other states✓✓✓

“It’s happening”One tap closes guessing when labour starts, so nobody sneaks in a late one✓✓✓

Nothing publishes by accidentYou type the real arrival, check the standings, and confirm before anyone is told✓✓✓

Change your mindGot the AM/PM wrong? Undo it, so long as nothing has been paid out✓✓✓

Baby themesNursery Sage, It’s a Girl, It’s a Boy — or your own colours and photo✓✓✓

Your photo and a noteA banner across the top of the guessing page. No photo? We give you a prompt to paste into any AI image generator✓✓✓

Locked guesses, or notGuesses are final by default. Let people change theirs if you would rather — and you can always move one yourself✓✓✓

What everyone gets emailed

You’re inA confirmation with the exact time they took✓✓✓

Closing tomorrowOne reminder before the deadline, and only if you set one✓✓✓

It’s happening!Sent the moment you close guessing — everybody knows at once✓✓✓

They’re hereThe arrival, the closest guesses, and a different letter for the winner telling them they won✓✓✓

Nothing elseFour emails, all tied to something real. Nobody mutes a baby pool for spamming them✓✓✓

＋ Add-on = a paid add-on, included on Pro Commissioner. A Contest Pass unlocks the Pro tools on one contest — it does not include separately-sold modules like Fundraising, or anything account-wide such as extra admins. See full pricing →

FAQ

Baby Arrival, answered.

Is it free?

Yes. Baby Arrival is free on every plan, including the free one. You can charge an entry fee if you want to — that money goes to you, not to us — but nothing about running the pool costs anything.

Do people need an account?

No. Anyone with the link picks a time, types their name and email, and they are in. The email is only so we can tell them if they win.

What if the baby comes outside the guessing window?

Nothing breaks. Babies do not respect the window. Everyone is still ranked by how far off they were.

What if two people are exactly the same distance away?

You choose in advance — split the prize, or use a bonus guess like the weight as the tiebreaker.

Can family in other states play?

Yes, and this is the bit most baby pools get wrong. You pick one timezone when you set it up and every guess is read in that clock, wherever the person guessing happens to be.

Can we guess the weight and length too?

Yes. Turn on as many bonus guesses as you like, each with its own winner. Boy-or-girl is there too, if the family has kept it a surprise.

Can part of the money go to the parents?

Yes, and it is the nicest way to run it. Set a split — 50/50 is typical — and everyone sees it on the join screen before they pay. It turns the pool into a shower gift with a game attached.

We’re having twins — does that work?

Yes. Say how many are coming and the questions rearrange themselves: everyone still guesses ONE arrival time (the first baby’s), and weight, length and boy-or-girl are asked for each of them. You also get two questions only a multiple birth can ask — who arrives first, and how many minutes between them. Triplets add “who arrives last”.

Does everyone get emailed?

Four times, all tied to something real: a confirmation when they guess, one reminder before the deadline if you set one, “it’s happening” the moment you close guessing, and the result with who won. The winner gets a different email telling them they were closest.

Can people change their guess?

Only if you let them — guesses are final by default, because a time is a claim on a slot and letting people vacate and re-take the good ones rewards whoever refreshes most. You can always move or remove a guess yourself.

Can I use this for something that is not a baby?

Yes. Baby Arrival is one template of our Closest Guess contest — the same engine runs “when will it first snow”, “what time will the game end”, or “when do we hit our fundraising goal”. Start from scratch and ask your own question.

👶 Commissioner setup guide

Baby Arrival — Commissioner Setup Guide

The baby pool your family already plays on a group text, run properly: everyone guesses the day and time, the closest wins to the minute, and you can split the pot with the parents so it reads as a gift rather than a bet.

Read every setting explained · 5 min →

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