Crew Gaines: What Most People Don't Know About Chip & Joanna's Youngest Son

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In June 2018, Chip Gaines and Joanna Gaines became parents of five children. After so many years as a family of six, the Gaines bunch was finally complete. While their four oldest were born before Chip and Joanna's HGTV fame, Crew came along when they were household names thanks to the massively popular "Fixer Upper." While Chip and Joanna are protective of their children's privacy, they seem more relaxed about sharing Crew on social media.

There are rare times when Joanna and Chip let us see Drake, Ella, Duke, and Emmie, but Crew is the one we see featured on Joanna's socials the most. With a big age difference, Crew adds contrast to his parents' lives. They've already sent some kids off to college, but Joanna and Chip still have plenty to look forward to with their youngest. Crew has also taught his parents important lessons in these short years and completed their family in ways they didn't even know they needed.

"This little boy knows how to live — eyes wide open, always expectant for a glimpse of wonder," Joanna captioned an Instagram video of Crew exploring nature. Welcoming Crew when the Gaineses were building their Magnolia empire also meant he was in for a ride. "He comes to work with me every day and goes to all my meetings. I always tell Chip, 'This boy is going to be able to run the company by age 5!'" Joanna told People in 2019. Even though he's still little, the snippets of information the Gaineses have shared give good insight into his life and personality.

Crew Gaines isn't like his siblings. After four kids, Chip Gaines finally got one to take after him. "He's my boy. Literally, the one that I relate to the most is the 6-year-old," he told Today in May 2025. "The other kids take after their mom: They're thoughtful, attentive, caring, pretty reserved, very cautious. When they go outside, I don't have to worry if they're going to come back with a broken nose. But with Crew, anything is possible."

Chip and Joanna Gaines seem to take Crew's shenanigans for granted, often catching them on camera inadvertently. In June 2025, Joanna shared a video featuring her oldest boys, Drake and Duke, riding a small bike on their farm. That was the point of her Instagram post. However, her followers quickly noted Crew emerging from a treetop in the background. "It's the kids jumping out of the tree for me! People everywhere! I love it," one user wrote.

Another user agreed. "Love how Crew dropped out of a tree!! It's so good to see kids being kids in summer!!" the netizen gushed. Chip has also shown off Crew's fearless side on his page. In 2020, he shared a video of a 2-year-old Crew, with just a pacifier for protection, charging at a herd of goats. "Go get 'em today, y'all!!" he captioned the Instagram post. He may be a bit wild, but his father wouldn't change it for the world. "I've got my hands full.. but I LOVE it," he wrote in 2020.

Crew Gaines was headstrong from the start. Joanna Gaines and Chip Gaines hadn't planned to have five kids, but Crew had other ideas. He also had other plans regarding when to join the family earthside, coming at 37 weeks. "Our baby boy, Crew Gaines, is here and we couldn't be more in love. He made an unexpected (and speedy) entrance into the world two and a half weeks early — which is fitting given he was a sweet surprise from day one," Joanna captioned the Instagram post that announced his birth.

He may not have been planned, but Crew was very much anticipated. While Joanna felt his birth had happened all too fast, his siblings couldn't disagree more. Drake, Ella, Duke, and Emmie stood by Joanna's hospital room, their ears pressed against the door, as they counted the long minutes until they heard Crew's first cries. "One of my favorite pics a friend showed me after Crew was born. They couldn't wait to meet their new baby brother," Joanna captioned a Facebook post.

The older kids' reaction to the pregnancy news made the experience that much more special to Joanna and Chip. They were so eager to tell them that they didn't even wait a day. "Out of anybody, we were most excited to tell the kids," Joanna told Country Living in 2018 (via People). When Joanna got pregnant with Emmie, Drake, the oldest, was just 4. "Now that they're older, they get it and understand," she said.

Joanna Gaines didn't plan to be a new mother at 40, but welcoming Crew at an older age turned out to be the elixir of life. Experiencing motherhood at a point where her career was at its peak and her other kids were older forced her to slow down and become more present and appreciative. "I kid with people, 'If you ever want to feel young again, have a baby at 40,'" she told People in 2019, when Crew was 1. "It's brought this whole new thing for me where I'm a lot more laid-back."

The changes didn't go unnoticed. "People joke that I'm the 'Fun Jo' now," she laughed. Having to run after a little one at that stage in life opened up her horizons, too, having the opposite effect of making her tired. "I feel younger than ever because I now see the world like Crew sees it," she told People again the following year. When she was younger, it was easy to fall into the daily grind of raising four little ones close in age and trying to build a business from the ground up.

With Crew, she felt more confident taking the time to enjoy the small moments. "I realized there has to be spontaneity, and schedules kind of go out the door," she said. "It's like, 'Hey, if I don't get to it, it's fine.' I've just relaxed so much more, and it's been fun for me."

Crew's adventurous spirit expanded Joanna Gaines' ability to appreciate the vastness of our world. She slowed down and saw her surroundings through his lenses. She loved what she saw — and heard. So much so that she began to keep track of the things he said. "A few years ago I started recording these little chats I'd have with Crew about all the ways he finds beauty and surprise in the everyday," she wrote in an Instagram post.

These conversations inspired Joanna to write a children's book, "The World Needs the Wonder You See," which came out in January 2025. "As someone who spent far too long moving far too fast, I hope this story is a beautiful reminder for kids (and parents too!) that wonder is everywhere, and that it's ours for the taking if we're willing to look up and reach for it," she wrote on Instagram. While promoting the book in 2024, she released videos of Crew playing in nature, illustrating the journey that led to her book.

They showed Crew inspecting insects (seen above), wading through creeks, splashing in puddles, digging for worms, harvesting honey, and just exploring his world. Crew has been a great teacher for Joanna since birth. "His natural curiosity can draw out my own, and whenever I sense that old tendency to give into hurry, he is there to remind me of the small joys that can only be noticed in pause," she wrote in her Magnolia journal.

Crew Gaines really is up for anything. In April 2022, at just 3 years old, he put on his headband, attached the number 15 on his shirt, and ran right alongside Chip Gaines. Okay, his parents probably did all the dressing-up part, but the running was all his. As the photo above shows, the look on Crew's face was of pure determination. "My baby is better than your baby," Chip captioned an Instagram video of Crew running — and high-fiving — next to him.

Crew didn't just show off his cuteness. He also helped a good cause. The Gaineses started hosting the Silo District Marathon in Waco, Texas, to support the Brave Little Gabe Foundation, which raises awareness for rare cancers. "This weekend, we raised over $150k for @bravelikegabe and $50k for the Community Cancer Association of Waco," Joanna Gaines shared on Instagram. This wasn't the first time Crew had participated in the charity event. In fact, he had been since before he could even run — or walk, for that matter.

In 2019, when he was 10 months old, he took part in the Silo District Marathon in his stroller. Chip pushed him for the half-marathon as his oldest daughter, Ella, ran alongside the duo. "So many of you would tell me who you were running in honor of and I was literally teary eyed the entire time," Joanna wrote on Instagram. And she couldn't help but gush over her husband and children. "I was also so proud of @chipgaines and Ella (and baby Crew) for running the half marathon today and killing it!"