So congrats, someone you know is pregnant (maybe it is yourself!!!)! A baby coming into the world is the most pure and precious thing in life…and what better way to celebrate than with a party for the baby?
Here is everything you need to know about Baby Sprinkles, from what it is, when to have one, who to invite, theme ideas, and more!
In this guide you will learn what is a baby sprinkle, what the difference between a baby shower and a sprinkle is, where to have a baby sprinkle, how much to give for a baby sprinkle, what to wear to an afternoon baby sprinkle, how to throw a baby sprinkle for a certain amount, how to decide who to invite to a baby sprinkle, who hosts a baby sprinkle, how to organize your own baby sprinkle, what do you do at a baby sprinkle, baby sprinkle decoration ideas, how long is a baby sprinkle, baby shower vs sprinkle, baby sprinkle etiquette, where to find baby sprinkle clipart, baby sprinkle quotes, baby sprinkle sayings and so many other fun baby sprinkle related things!
Baby Sprinkle Guide:
Everything You Need to Know
- What is a baby sprinkle?
- The baby sprinkle definition is as follows: a baby sprinkle is similar to a baby shower, which is a party planned to celebrate the expecting mother’s baby by showering them with gifts. A sprinkle is usually geared for a mother who already has had at least one child and generally has kept some/a lot of baby essentials from their first pregnancy. So basically, it’s the mother’s second baby shower. Just because the mom may not need “as much”, there is no reason not to celebrate a beautiful baby coming into the world. Baby sprinkles are generally smaller in size (attendance) and possibly even a little more laid back than the first one.
- Why would a baby sprinkle be thrown if the mother-to-be already had a baby shower for her first child?
- If the gender of the baby is different: i.e. the mom had boy the first time and is having a girl the second time, she wouldn’t have a ton of gender specific clothes/toys/decorations for the baby. She may have some gender neutral items (like a crib and changing station), but it would be nice to have some items specially picked out for the new baby.
- If it’s been a long time since she has been pregnant, (5+ years, most likely) she probably won’t have kept much of what she had. Whether she was planning on having another child, or is in a better financial position to have the second, or is in a new marriage/relationship and they decided to have a child together.
- If she is having twins, triplets, etc. she will definitely need more essentials even if she kept everything from pregnancy 1. A mother-to-be of multiples deserves to be severely “sprinkled”, if not “showered” with baby gifts. Babies are expensive and most people do not plan on the chance of having twins (or more). It is also less that the mom has to worry about before giving birth or after.
- If she just wants to celebrate or family/friends/coworkers want to get together to celebrate her baby.
- Is it okay to throw a baby sprinkle if this is the mother’s third baby, fourth baby, etc?
- Yes, of course. Just keep in mind that “some people” might think having more than a couple sprinkle/showers is “unnecessary” and won’t attend. There is nothing wrong with celebrating the birth of a baby. You may want to see if the mommy-to-be has specific items she really needs/wants (like diapers) and if not, she might want to write a note stating she doesn’t want presents (to avoid putting pressure on anyone).
- Why wouldn’t you just throw a regular baby shower instead?
- Obviously, you could. It really just depends on the mother and what she wants. Baby sprinkles are generally less expensive to throw.
- If the mother is in a good place financially, it probably would make more sense to have a baby sprinkle just to update clothing and get some diapers.
- If the mother is in a bad place financially (unexpected pregnancy, lost her job, her husband lost his job, her baby’s father is out of the picture, whatever), it could make sense to have a baby shower and have a full registry.
- Also, the money spent on a baby shower could be moved more to a “fund” as your gift to the mom.
- Alternatively, you could personally contact everyone invited to the baby sprinkle and explain the situation, stating gifts aren’t necessary but if you want to contribute to a fund, it would help the mother immensely.
- There are also women who just love celebrations and want a big celebration for each one of her children. There is nothing wrong with that. Just keep in mind some might not go “all out” like the first baby shower.
- Who typically throws the baby sprinkle?
- Her mother, her husband’s mother, her sister, her sister-in-law, her best friend or close group of friends, her cousin(s), her grandmother, her aunt, her coworkers, or even that mother-to-be herself (with the help of someone else).
- How much should your budget be to throw a baby sprinkle?
- At least $200 total (for 20 to 30 people) – you can obviously do things cheaper (like purchasing decorations from the dollar store, have a potluck style to save on food, and make your own invitations, etc.)
- The mommy-to-be might want to contribute with items like invitations, decorations, thank you cards, but the person throwing the shower should expect to cover those costs. You should have a conversation with the mom and see what she wants and you will get a better understanding of what she wants and if she is going to take care of anything moneywise
- Here is a list of items of how a $200 budget could look like:
- Invitations, Raffle Cards/Thank You Cards, Stamps $40
- Food and Drink $60
- Decorations (Streamers/Banners/Ballons/Games) $50
- Favors $30
- Misc $20
- Obviously, there are plenty of ways to spend way more than $200, but if you do your research, you can have a beautiful baby sprinkle for the mommy-to-be
- When should a baby sprinkle be thrown?
- The answer depends on the mommy-to-be, but many have theirs at about 7 months pregnant. Your cute pregnant belly is sticking out (and you are glowing!) but you aren’t usually 100% miserable yet (swollen and bed ridden). I would recommend anywhere between 6 and 8 months if possible; any time after 8 months, the baby could truly be coming at any time and the mom might not be up to it. Get Pampers Diapers Coupons FREE
- If the baby comes before a baby shower can be thrown, it is possible to have one after. The one issue that would be of concern is having so many people around the baby because the baby’s immune system hasn’t been built up. This is an issue even in a non-Covid era, so I would suggest maybe an e-baby sprinkle or drive-baby sprinkle for that situation.
- Where should you have a baby sprinkle?
- Someone’s home: maybe the person throwing the baby sprinkle has a small apartment or house and doesn’t have room to entertain a big group, they may want to reach out to the mom-to-be or one of the mom’s relatives (mom, sister, aunt) to see if it can be thrown there.
- Drive-by: Either have a parade of cars drive by the mom’s house at a specific time, or have a “walk up” if you are concerned about social distancing or even if you don’t want everyone in your house
- Restaurant: Less clean-up and no cooking needed
- Outside: In the backyard or at a park – again, great for social distancing in the covid era
- Online (Skype/Zoom/Facebook/Instagram): If there are serious covid concerns or maybe the mommy-to-be is bedridden or has a lot of out of town family/friends you can have someone stream the virtual baby sprinkle event of a small group or just the mom/dad opening up presents, etc. You can have the mom sign up for an Amazon baby registry and have all the gifts shipped to the mom so she can open them all at once.
- Who should be invited to a baby sprinkle?
- Female family of mommy-to-be/daddy-to be, friends of mommy-to-be, coworkers of mommy-to-be
- Young children (Under 12 since they require a babysitter)
- Co-Ed option: Check with the mommy-to-be, but maybe have more of a BBQ style or just casual party and invite friends and family of both genders and the daddy-to-be can also attend
- Obviously, check with what the mom wants and let her decide who and how big of an event she wants
- Should the father be included in a baby sprinkle?
- First (most important!), if the mother wants him to be involved
- If the father wants to be involved
- If it is a co-ed it is more likely the father may be invited
- If it is his first child (and the mother’s second) the father might want to join in on the celebration
- What day show a baby sprinkle be on?
- Saturdays are most popular, just because most have the weekend off
- Sundays are also popular, but you want to check to see if it may conflict with religious commitments of the guests
- If the mother works on the weekends, it could be during the week in the evening.
- What time should a baby sprinkle start at?
- If it has to be during the week, it shouldn’t start before 6pm, most people get off work between 4pm and 6pm.
- If it is on Saturday, it could start between 10:30am and 1:30pm, but make sure to provide an actual meal if it’s around lunchtime.
- Also on Saturday, you could do between 1:30pm and 4pm and just have snacks/appetizers and not worry about providing a full meal
- On Sunday, it would probably make sense to have it after 1pm because some guests may attend religious services in the morning; obviously, you can check with your guest individually if you want every single one to attend and pick a day/time that works for everyone
- How long should a baby sprinkle be?
- 2 hours, 3 at the very most – anything longer than that may be too much for the guests; we all have busy lives and having to drive to and from a baby sprinkle, then spend 3 hours there is quite a time commitment already
- Examples: Saturday from 11am to 1pm, Saturday 1pm to 3pm, Saturday 2pm to 4pm, Sunday 1pm to 3pm, Sunday 2pm to 4pm, Wednesday 6pm to 8pm
- What to wear to a baby sprinkle?
- Pastel colors, florals, or pink/blue colors, a nice blouse and skirt/capris/pants or a casual, modest dress (let’s not dress like we are going to the club!); think casual Easter attire
- You can check with the mommy-to-be with how she is dressing and what she expects, but it is nice to dress slightly nicer than you would to go out to lunch in
- Does a baby sprinkle need a theme?
- No, not at all. Some mommy’s might not want a theme. I didn’t for my baby shower. I just said “blue”. It could be frustrating for the person throwing the party to not have a road to go down, but if you know the gender of the child, you can stick with a pink colored sprinkle for a girl and a blue colored sprinkle for a boy.
- If a mom wants a theme, give her a theme. Even if you have to handmake some items because you can’t find the specific theme she wants.
- Theme ideas:
- Donut themed: Taking the “sprinkle” part of the party literally and have donut decorations, donut wall, donut themed party favors
- Rainy Day themed: Another more literal translation theme idea. Umbrellas with rain, maybe rain boats, Umbrellas in drinks, Umbrellas as a decoration wall, etc.
- Succulent themed: Succulent plants are in right now and there are tons of cute decorations available. You can give mini succulents as party favors or you could have a succulent decor wall, you could give out aloe vera lotion or gel as a party favor.
- Whale themed: “Whale hello” – Great for a boy themed, have whale banners, whale cupcake decorations, there are tons of ocean themed decorations out there
- Jungle themed: Giraffes, elephants, monkeys, lions, tigers – there are tons of decor out there and you could have non-alcoholic jungle juice, monkey bread, etc.
- Woodland creature themes: Foxes, squirrels, bears, raccoons – all the cute creatures of the forest. You could label a food as: bear-y delicious. There are tons of woodland creature decorations out there.
- Whatever her nursery theme is: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Princess, or whatever — then she can re-use some of the decor for her nursery. Or maybe she already has some and you can use it for the sprinkle
- Baby Sprinkle Invitations
- Send out at least 3 to 4 weeks before the baby sprinkle
- Make sure to include an R.S.V.P. phone number and date to R.S.V.P. by (give yourself at least a week before the baby sprinkle is scheduled so you can make sure you have enough of everything)
- Diapers: Diaper Raffles are common with baby sprinkles because the mom might not need much else. This puts the pressure off the guest to get a gift, but if they do, it gives them an incentive to bring diapers
- Books: Some mom’s would prefer everyone to bring a book over anything else. You could say “although the baby has almost everything she needs, we would love if you would pick out your favorite board book for her”
- Mini-Registry: If the mom doesn’t need a lot, but might need a few specific things, have her create a mini registry with 10 to 30 items that she might prefer guests to bring rather than get a whole bunch of clothes that she might not need
- Make Your Own: Invitations can run anywhere between $10 and $25 usually for approximately 10 to 20 invitations. That might be a little pricey, especially if you are sending out 20+ invitations (stamps are expensive!), you might want to save money and make your own. Canva is a great free app that has templates and free pictures to make invitations and thank you cards with. You can sign up for Canva here to get a credit for a premium element (not all pictures are free but there are so many that the free version is almost as good as the paid)
- Baby Sprinkle E-vites: To save on money or if you are doing an E-Baby Sprinkle (steaming online), this is a great idea as long as you have a way to contact all of your guests online. You might still need to contact some via snail mail (grandparents, etc). Facebook has an e-vite option for events (make sure you put it to private), or if you have actual emails, you can send your DIY Canva invite that you made.
- Where to buy: Amazon has a ton of options and then you don’t have to go searching in-store for multiple stores for the right theme. Amazon is also super quick.
- Here are some invite ideas if you don’t know where to start (please note that all of these do not say Baby Shower on them on purpose — there are soo many that have baby shower so I picked out ones that either said sprinkle or weren’t specific):
- Donut Themed Sprinkle Invite (25 ct)
- Generic Baby Sprinkle – Gender Neutral Invite (20 ct)
- Baby Boy Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Sprinkle Invite (20 ct)
- BBQ themed Sprinkle (BabyQ) Invite (25 ct)
- Baby Girl Floral Sprinkle Invite (25 ct)
- Baby is Brewing Sprinkle Invite (25 ct)
- Mermaid themed Sprinkle Invite (20 ct)
- Generic Pink and Gold Baby Girl Sprinkle Invite (15 ct)
- Bee themed Sprinkle Invite (50 Pack)
- Baby Sprinkle Decoration Ideas
- Once you have chosen your theme, you can start picking out the baby sprinkle decor. It might be a little difficult finding specific decor for sprinkles, so stick within the color scheme when looking for decorations
- What you will need
- Balloons
- Streamers
- Banners/Signs
- Wall decor
- Other decor- Like these huge Baby Blocks
- Table cloths
- Confetti
- Food signs (or food walls i.e. donut wall)
- Cupcake/Cake toppers
- Mommy-to-be sash, ribbon, button, and/or crown
- Here are some Baby Sprinkle specific decor ideas:
- Sprinkled with Love Sign w/Pink Hearts
- Sprinkled with Love Sign w/Blue Hearts
- Sprinkled with Love Gold Balloon Sign
- Baby Sprinkle Cake Topper
- Baby Sprinkle Paper Plate and Napkin Bundle – (16 ct)
- Party Pack of Foil/Latex Ballons, Lanterns, Banner (cute!!!)
- Hanging Raindrop Garland
- Baby Sprinkle Chocolate Labels (different color options)
- Baby Sprinkle Food Ideas
- Depending on the time of the party will determine what kind of food to have
- Lunchtime/Dinnertime: Make sure to have an actual meal available for your guests. Here are some easy meal options:
- Pizza – Either frozen or delivery, have at least 2 or 3 topping options for guests
- Enchiladas – Easy and you can make the night before and bake them in the oven right before
- Sub Sandwiches – Whether you make them yourself or you get them from Jimmy John’s or Subway – Cut them into smaller pieces for more servings (i.e. take the foot long Subway sandwich and cut it into four small sandwiches)
- Pasta – You can either make a large bowl of noodles and have two different sauces available (marinara and alfredo); or you can whip two bowl up yourself with the sauces already included
- Barbeque – If you want someone outside manning the grill for the entire party (might want to rope the father in if it’s all ladies) and have barbeque related fare along with bbq beans and potato salad
- Brunch – If you are having an earlier baby shower (10:30am or so), you could do waffles, pancakes, muffins, etc.
- Remember to think about people with dietary restrictions (nut allergies, gluten free, vegetarians/vegans) and have at least something available for them
- And maybe let them know what you will have available beforehand so they can either eat a snack before or bring their own dish if that’s not exactly something they would like
- Salad, tea sandwiches (like cucumber/cream cheese and PBJ), fruit bowls, veggie trays, cheese and cracker trays, hummus and pita chips are always a hit too – these items would be especially great if you aren’t having it around meal time — but your guests could still be hungry! These are also great options to have in case someone doesn’t like or can’t eat the main course
- Lunchtime/Dinnertime: Make sure to have an actual meal available for your guests. Here are some easy meal options:
- Beverages are easy but can get a little expensive if you don’t make a list: bottled water (or glass pitchers of ice water/lemon), iced tea, lemonade, and maybe a regular and diet version of a popular soda; I probably wouldn’t make anything alcoholic because the mom can’t drink — but if she’s okay with it, maybe have a few wine coolers ready for certain guests
- Dessert – Cupcakes or a regular baby sprinkle cake is fine (or donuts — because it is a sprinkle!!); Grocery stores can personalize their generic cakes usually for free (on top of the price of the generic cake) or you can get something super delicious like Nothing Bundt Cakes (if you don’t have one in your area, you are truly missing out); If you have a specific theme, try to get a dessert topper with that item.
- Depending on the time of the party will determine what kind of food to have
- Baby Sprinkle Games
- Baby sprinkles are generally (not always) shorter in time than a first Baby shower so you might want to plan a few less games than you would for a normal one (less pressure on you and less expenses!)
- Game ideas-
- “Don’t Say Baby” – a classic baby shower game where you give each guest a clothespin or blue/pink clip and have them attach it to their shirt. If they say “baby”, someone can take their clothespin, if someone else says “baby”, they can take theirs – winner at a designated time (possibly when the first guest tries to leave, lol) gets a prize
- How Big is Mommy’s Belly? – Obviously, only if mommy-to-be agrees. Go to each guest with a long strand of ribbon and have them “cut” the ribbon based on how big mama’s belly is — closest (without going over) gets a prize. Here is an example if you want to buy tummy measure tape.
- How Many Candies in the Baby Bottle? You can use m&ms, jelly beans, whatever. You can pass out paper and people can write their name and guess how many candies are in the baby bottle. Closest without going over wins. Here is an example of a baby bottle guessing game.
- Should the mother have a baby registry available for her baby sprinkle?
- Yes, I think she should. Even if she doesn’t include it in the invitations, someone may ask and then she can direct them there.
- Have her really focus on what she actually needs
- Include items like
- Diapers
- Wipes
- Gender specific outfits
- A new carseat (carseats tend to get gross/dirty and do expire)
- Gift cards
- Decor if the nursery theme is different from baby 1
- Breast pump (they wear out and if you really used the first one, you will want a new one, trust me, I had 2 and I wore both of them out and had to replace parts)
- Anything else that possibly has gotten stained or damaged from baby one
- How much should you spend on a baby sprinkle gift?
- It really depends on your financial situation and the mother-to-be’s situation – if money isn’t much of an issue for you, and your are close to the mother (best friend, close friend, sister, mother, grandmother, whatever), I would say $100 at least.
- If money is an issue for you, don’t stress. You can find cute clothes at places like TJ Maxx, Ross, Walmart for cheap. Walmart baby clothes are like $3 or $4 a piece. You could buy a cute container from a dollar store and make like a cute gift basket with inexpensive clothes, burp cloths/wash cloths, and a small pack of diapers. You could easily make a cute basket for less than $25 and it would be way better received than just giving her a $25 gift card.
- If you aren’t as close, but money isn’t an issue. I would say $50 would be a good amount to spend on a gift.
- If she doesn’t want gifts or doesn’t need much, you can buy a few adorable outfits in different sizes, board books, and diapers in multiple sizes.
- Baby Sprinkle Favors
- Soap i.e. Woodland Creatures Or Bee Themed Or Baby Feet
- Seed Packets
- Candles
- Candy i.e. It’s a Boy Or It’s a Girl
- Nail Polish Blue Or Pink
- Check out my blog post for Inexpensive Party Favors that Your Guests will Love for more ideas with cost breakdowns per person. These are ideas that will fit into a limited budget but people will actually enjoy taking with them.
- Baby Sprinkle Thank Yous
- Make sure to make a list of everyone who came, even if they didn’t bring a gift. Someone taking their time out of their day to wish your baby a lifetime of happiness deserves a thank you.
- If you do open presents during the shower, have someone be in charge of writing down what was from each person attending so you can personalize the thank you card
- Send thank you cards out within two weeks of having the shower as proper etiquette.
- Baby Sprinkle Duties of Host
- Sit down with mommy to be approximately 4 months before baby’s arrival to find out when (Date/time) she wants a baby shower/theme/who she wants to invite/location (what type – in person, drive by, outdoor, etc)
- Set a budget for yourself, or for the group hosting the shower
- Have invitations in hand at least one month before baby shower date
- Send out invitations 3 to 4 weeks before via mail
- You can also follow up with an e-vite or phone call a week to a week and a half before if you haven’t received much of a response
- Purchase decorations, games, and favors at about the 3 week mark
- The week or two before (once you receive a proper headcount), purchase food and beverages
- Day before (if possible): decorate space except for helium balloons, prep food (cut up veggies for veggie tray or pre-make enchiladas so you can just stick them in the oven the next day right before)
- Day of: fill helium balloons and finish decorating; finish cooking/baking any food/snacks that could not be totally pre-made
- Greet everyone, be an amazing host by showing guests where to put presents, where the food is, and what is happening next at the shower
- Make sure the mommy-to-be is comfortable (hydrated, comfy chair, snacks) and is having a great time
- Ask one or two guests to take pictures (with their phones) if you don’t have a photographer (some do…I never did), and anyone that offers help, take it…have them help you re-stock food or write down names when presents are being open or help corral trash
- Encourage everyone to take a favor home
- Clean up
- Baby Sprinkle Duties of Mommy-to-be
- Four months before your due date sit down with whomever is hosting your event (your mom, sister, best friend, group of friends) and let them know when you want the baby sprinkle, what theme, food, games, favors/whom to invite
- Create a mini-baby registry on Amazon, Target, or Buy, Buy, Baby before your invitations are sent out
- Be the guest of honor on your baby sprinkle day, possibly wear a crown, sash, or ribbon and enjoy yourself
- Send thank you cards out to your guest within 2 weeks of having the baby shower. I would suggest doing it immediately after the shower if you are getting very close to your due date so you don’t forget.
- Enjoy being pregnant – motherhood is a beautiful thing
So now you know everything there is to know about throwing a baby shower. What theme are you going to have? Where will it be? I would love to know! Leave a comment and tell me. Enjoy pregnancy, mama! You are growing an amazing, beautiful, bright eyed, little buttercup in there!
This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a percentage of a purchase if you choose to buy something. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to take over the world, just trying to take care of my toddler. 🙂
