Easter is all about chocolate, everyone knows that. Even my two year old knows that the Easter Bunny brings chocolate. I’m all for a small selection of chocolate on Easter but I don’t want my daughter to think that’s what it’s all about.
When I was a kid, my mom always went overboard with a giant basket full of goodies for Easter. It was one of the three times each year she spoiled me along with my birthday and Christmas (they were evenly spaced out so it worked well: early spring, late summer and the end of the year). Miss O’s birthday is mid-June so it’s also a perfect excuse to spoil her a little bit at Easter. It’s hard not to spoil your kids so I try to save the major spoiling for holidays.
It’s very easy to go to your local dollar store and buy a bunch of cheap Easter-themed toys but that doesn’t seem worth it. I would rather put just a few small Easter items in her basket and then load it up with fun things she is likely to play with year-round or at least more than a few days. So here are a few ideas for what to include in your child’s Easter basket this year that will entertain them for more than a few hours after they consume copious amounts of chocolate. Many of them will also fit inside plastic eggs which makes for a much more entertaining egg hunt!
Bunny Ears
This is one of those token Easter items that just needs to be included in a gift basket. I found some cute ones at the local dollar store this year – instead of a headband, it is two hair clips each with an ear attached. The dollar store carries so many different kinds that I’m sure you’ll find the perfect pair for your little one.
Small figurines
Miss O loves Shopkins, Lalaloopsy, My Little Pony, basically any tiny little figurine she can play with. These are perfect for putting a bunch into a plastic egg. Boys might like things like Lego Men, army men, Pokemon cards, Minion figurines or diecast cars. Another excellent toy that I have discovered for little girls is Magic Clip dolls. You simply pinch the bottom of the dress, the top opens up and the doll slides in and out. They have them in every Disney Princess you could ever want. I picked up a big pack of them on clearance and managed to get all of them into a giant plastic egg!
Books
Books are always the perfect gift in my opinion. I found a Dora bathtub book for her basket this year. Last year I made Miss O her very own Easter Colouring Book. You can just as easily purchase a non-Easter-themed colouring book and include some new crayons, markers or pencil crayons.
Stickers
Kids love stickers. Add a few fun ones to their basket. I decided to stay away from Easter ones and instead picked up some forest animal stickers and some robots! Adding a small sticker book to put them in is also a great idea so they don’t start sticking them all over the house. Miss O is obsessed with sticking them all over her face and anyone else around her. I also found some stickers of faces to put onto Easter eggs. I don’t think she is quite ready to dye real eggs so these seemed like a fantastic option for her – we will stick them all over plastic eggs!
Stamps and Other Arts & Crafts Items
Miss O has a new found love in ink pads and stamping. Traditional square stamps are still a bit difficult for her to maneuver, especially onto an ink pad. I found a few different types of self-inking ones in the form of Cars, Tinkerbell and Easter/Spring-themed ones. I think she will have a lot of fun with these as she doesn’t have any yet. Sidewalk chalk is another great idea with the warmer weather coming our way. Play-Doh is always fun – especially when you find some that comes in bunny & chick eggs! You can find any sort of crafty item in the aisles of your local dollar store – check out areas other than just the kids aisle. Peruse the craft section, the stationery aisle and more – I bet you’ll be inspired!
Bath & Body Products
I found a nifty little egg with fun Easter flavours of Lip Smackers. Lip balm, perfume, fun flavoured toothpaste and a new toothbrush with their favourite character. These might not be the most favourite item in the basket but you will get some piece of mind knowing they have clean teeth!
Glow Sticks!
Face it: everyone loves glow sticks. They make so many different items now from necklaces to bracelets to headbands to wands. Just about any dollar store sells them in so many fun designs. Another fun way to use them is to crack a bunch of them, toss them in the bathtub, turn off the lights and have a glowing bath party!
Here is Miss O’s completed Easter basket. There are some small Frozen jelly bean packages and two small containers of m&m’s. There are a few more toys and plenty of chocolate & candy that she will go searching for during her egg hunt. I decided I didn’t want to put tiny little eggs all over my house in fear of losing them so I opted for larger eggs that she will be able to find easily. The big egg above with the Magic Clip dolls will (hopefully) be one of the last ones she finds along with the giant Kinder Eggs!
What items do you love to include in your no candy Easter baskets for your kids? I would love to get some new ideas!
Also be sure to check out this post for even more ideas!
Looking for more great crafts, activities, and foods to celebrate Easter? Check these out.
Andrea can always be found with a new craft in front of her, a form of technology on her right and a coffee on her left. This is how she survives suburbia with her two crazy toddlers in tow.
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