Easter Basket Advice

How about a basket filled with crafty things like stickers, construction paper, washable markers or crayons - and I bet he would have lots of fun bending fuzzy pipe cleaners into place.

Cut out the michael's coupon from the paper today to help with costs

Good luck!

I don't do too much candy either. After the candy I do put in, I then take some of his usuals snacks, goldfish, animal crackers, etc and put in little decorative baggies. Then I also add some small toys, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, coloring books and crayons to the basket. Also, my son is really interested in putting change in his piggie bank, so this year I plan to hide some plastic eggs around the house and in some of them put a few pennies for him to save in his bank.

How about some snacks for his basket like cheerios, or goldfish crackers or raisins? that's what I plan to do for my 18 mo old son. Also maybe some sidewalk chalk or some balls for outside? Good luck

Stuff you can pick up from a dollar store bubbles, sidewalk chalk, coloring books ect.

How about some books and music? Two is a great age to begin amping up the vocabulary intake. You can find low-cost books at consignment shops in your area.

I have to tell you, I used to make big easter baskets for my son every year but the past two years I didn't have the money to make a big one for him. So I went to Wal-Mart and got one of those big pre-made baskets for twenty bucks. I have to tell you I didn't feel very good about having to do that because I had always made a basket for him. But in the end he seemed to like those baskets better. They have them for all ages. They don't have a lot of candy in them and they also have great toys in them. You child will love it.

dollar tree is a chain of dollar stores. they have a great selection of easter items. stuffed animals, bubbles jumpropes, coloring books and other stuff. i was able to do easter baskets for our church really nice full and cost less then $20 each

Hi T., There is NO rule that says you have to give anything for Easter. It's supposed to be a day of faith and reflection not gifts and tons of candy at all. So do what you want and can afford. We have never given our girls more than a small basket and small stuffed easter animal through the years. When I was a kid we got a basket and new clothes to wear to church... I don't understand the amount of gifting that people have been doing around Easter in recent years either. Best wishes.

There are a lot of little "egg shaped" toys that don't cost a lot that are age appropriate...They make play-doh in Egg containers, and I've picked some up that look like chicks and bunnies, and little cars or trains in Egg shaped containers... He's 2, so he won't notice much anyway... Maybe a soft little stuffed bunny. Or a ball (kinda egg-shaped)...Some bubbles. An Easter coloring book with new crayons. You don't have to spend much to put together something cute and fun for him. Have fun with it! He's at a great age!

I go to the dollar store, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sunglasses, and a lil bit of candy., oh and even a lil stuffed Easter bunny, they love it and it's inexpensive.

I don't do alot of candy. I do buy some but I have added a movie, a new outfit, outside toys, school supplies, and things they might need. I only buy what will fit in the basket.

I got some cute plastic egg chick and bunnies that stand up a couple of years ago at the dollar tree. I reuse them each year. When my kids were smaller, I filled them with snacks my kids liked, goldfish, teddy grahams, etc. At age 2, your child won't know if it's something from the snack closet! Raisens and dried fruit are also good options. I often buy stuff at Wegman's bulk food, you can get a few jelly beans, a few m&m's, yogurt covered pretzels, and it all adds up to very little since you are buying very little. Honestly, at that age, my children had more fun playing with the eggs & finding them then eating what is inside.

Good luck!

T.,

My husband and I feel the same way you do. I go to Target and in their Easter section they have several little things to put in Easter baskets. Last year I got my son a Thomas Easter train. It was only 2-3 dollars. This year I noticed they had egg shaped play-do containers. I'm sure if you look through their section you will find a few choice items to put in his basket!

I'm with you!! Dollar stores are great...I just got a whole bag of Easter themed stuff...the "egg" shaped bubbles are fantastic..I am actually really impressed by the quality of their bubbles. Depending on where you live, but the one at Century Square is pretty good. :)

T., I'm not a big fan of lots of candy or wasteful toys either. I have 3 children and each year I change what they receive. One year it might be a bathing suit and goggles or watershoes. Another year it might be a package of summer socks. Next, a short set with a character they liked. I might add a $5 gift card to a favorite ice cream shop.One year, a package of freezer pops (the kind that are liquid and you freeze them).Maybe a sports ball, horseshoe set,chalk,baseball glove or anything I felt they wanted and didn't have like a DVD or Cd. One piece of candy is all that I include. I usually try to do something they really could use so that I don't wind up throwing things away in a week or two.

When my daughter was that age, it was all about the egg HUNT! I got plastic eggs at the drugstore and put very simple things in them: a single chocolate in one, a pom-pom or 2 (she was really into them) in another, a small plastic animal in another, sometimes just a note with a big heart drawn in it or "ILY". Hide them all over the yard and let him find them--the hunt is the fun part, because he gets all your attention that way! Then you can sit with him while he dumps them all out. Explain that the Easter Bunny needs the plastic eggs back so he can fill them again next year.
Best of luck!

I agree that the easter basket should not look liek christmas. my local good will has baskets,grass and the easter eggs for very reasonable. go to the dollar store or target. target has a great $1 section. put in a coloring book,crayons,may be some easter socks.if he likes cars,the matchbox cars are usually pretty cheap. the one chocolate thing i would put in is the chocolate easter bunny.

I don't like giving lots of candy or toys on Easter. We do one small toy or movie and then some candy or cookies (small amounts). The basket does not to be full. The kids have more fun looking for hidden Easter eggs than what they got in their basket anyway.

good morning T.,
the Easter Bunny always put swim trunks/suit with googles , flip flops etc .. plastic egg with money ...
the child learns to save and /or spend .. [coins , dollars whatever]
also; their is alot of spring / summer cheap toys ...buckets, water cans, gloves, skip it [ cool toy] , jump rope, balls, etc.. In our family we called these ' OUTSIDE' toys ....handy in a bucket, basket kept by the door in the spring ...

you could do a peice of choc in the shape of something he loves like tractors, a coloring book and crayons (washable ones), a balloon (my son loves the ones you blow up and has the rubberband that you can hold onto and bounce), matchbox cars and you could do a easter egg hunt and fill up some with coins for his piggy bank, a tootsie roll, stickers, or packs of the toddler gummies. i hope this helps you!

I have a 2 year old son as well, and he doesn't even know what candy is! For Easter, his Easter basket will include: animal crackers and/or goldfish type snacks, little sunglasses, bubbles, coloring book and crayons, sidewalk chalk, and a dvd. A cute idea is also to get some sand toys. I agree with you in not making Easter a second Christmas.

Hi T.,

I was just telling my husband that i do NOT want our children to think of easter as a time to receive gifts, as it is SO much more than that. Anyway, i don't like lots of candy either, so this year i'm putting juice-boxes, fruit snacks, granola bars and very minimal chocolate in their baskets. as far as the gifts go, we don't have the $ either, so, we just got them each a crayola color wonders set. as far as easter baskets, you could always go to the dollar store or walmart and get a bucket and pal, (they're like $1-2 or so) and use that, then they'll have a "toy" for summer play. whatever you decide, i'm sure your kids will love it!!!

We do a small basket with a solid chocolate bunny each, candy filled eggs, and a pair of sunglasses and dollar store type toys, and maybe a book, bubbles, etc. You can do fruit snacks instead of all candy. They do make sugar free candies now for easter. I saw some at Giant grocery with sugar free chocolate bunnies, etc. You could do a simple egg hunt, hidden in plain sight since he's only two and fill each egg with one jelly bean or cracker.

K. B
mom to 5 including triplets

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I did my Easter shopping at Dollar Tree where everything is a dollar. They had some religious type Easter eggs & things so you can still keep your focus on the reasons behind the holiday. I got each kid one chocolate bunny (3 for $1) and the Easter eggs I'm hiding have little chocolate balls in them, but that's it for candy. I also got each kid a pinwheel (3 for $1), a container of playdough (3 for $1), and a Easter type toy (for the baby I got bunny ears on a headband, for the older girls I got a wind up bunny/chick). I put them in a pail which were $1 each and will hold water in the summer for "painting" the house/deck, washing the car, etc. So the whole holiday cost me $11 plus tax.

Small board books and/or videos, especially about the true meaning of Easter - Veggie Tales have some good books for this age, and if you get their videos now, he will grow into them :-) If you have a Family Christian Store or something similar near you, they have tons, but even regular books stores should have some.

I would go with fruit snacks for the "candy" and some juice boxes to help bulk it up. Then I would add some coloring books and bubble supplies. Maybe a sand bucket with toys if thats something he likes. Cars or bath toys are great also! The dollar stores are great for these kind of things :)

Seeds to plant a garden, or small plant. This is a great learning tool for young kids. Arts and crafts type ideas - then you can make projects for the grandparents. A collection of ingredients to make cookies... sprinkles, dough mix, choc chips, etc. Then he can help make his special treat before eating it - teaching him something and making for a fun afternoon.

Remember Easter is about Jesus, not candy and presents.

Even up until my son passed away, I did very little with the candy. So, I would get a couple of his favorite candies, a toothbrush, coloring books, reading books, and a movie. WE also did the traditional dying of the Easter eggs and doing an egg hunt, which is also very fun! Hope this helps=:) I also agree with Michelle- bubbles and kids go hand in hand! I keep editing my response, because I also wanted to tell you that one year I even created an untraditional easter basket, by taking a new beach pal and filling it with what I've listed above....so he/she has something to look forward to using during the next season.

Hi T.!

My daughter is 6 and each year, she pretty much gets the same things. She is not a huge candy eater, so the only thing I buy is one bag of the Miniatures to divide between her and her cousins.

What I do is go to the dollar store and get chalk, bubbles, a new kite, outside stuff and that is all. I do usually put in a new bathing suit and that is all.

Hope this helps.

Like you, I did not want Easter to become a 'second Christmas' with regard to getting 'gifts'...

My mother used to give me a basket filled with mostly inexpensive items, and she would hide the basket on Easter morning and I had to hunt for where the Easter Bunny hid it. I LOVED THAT. And I remember enjoying receiving a basket for Easter, and did not expect gifts like I got on Christmas. I want the same for my son, who is now 3.

Like most of the others here, I plan to do a basket with minimal candy... I got several items in the dollar section at Target - they have some great things. My son likes note pads and stickers, bubbles, stampers, crafty stuff, little bags of fruties, teddy grahams, play-doh, sunglasses, books, etc.

Another idea is to put in a few items that either you could use in the household in general, like cartoon band-aids (my son loves them), or character bath soap or shampoo, etc. Or you could include a couple things your son will need for the upcoming spring or summer like maybe swim trunks, or a couple summer t-shirts, etc... This way, you are spending money on things you might need at some point anyhow!

Also, you can be creative about what you use for your basket. My mom used the same one for me throughout my childhood, and that is certainly an option, but I recently found at Wal-Mart, this adorable child's gardening bucket that is the pull-cart type... it has a high back on one side with a handle, and wheels for pulling. I thought that would be a great toy for summer, with my son always hauling around his sand toys, or gardening tools, etc., and then it can be brought in for the winter to cart around his toys inside... and it was only $10 - this is going to be our basket this year. A laundry basket is another multi-purpose basket solution!

Best wishes!

Try puzzles, crayons and books. After you have the egg hunt, then have a treasure hunt with age appropriate clues to lead to a big surprise like a gift certificate to their favorite place. You can also use baby powder or corn starch to place rabbit paw prints throughout the house and finally leading to the baskets. Good Luck, A.

Spring outdoor toys like chalk, balls, horse shoes, bubbles, you can find that stuff pretty cheap. Also, the Easter Bunny always brings underwear (for potty training) and an Easter outfit. Spring/summer sneakers are good too. Have fun with it.

Hi T.,

I started, an each year I buy the girls sunglasses and a hat for summer. They are both 3 this easter so I'm adding a bathing suit and a few outdoor toys for spring and the little blow up pool i buy each summer! Maybe you can get him a flashlight and camping things to pretend, as he grows you can buy more adult versions?

My kids enjoyed getting toothbrushs last year. I found $2 brushes at Walmart that sing the veggie tales songs as they brush. I think anything along those lines, like fun bandaids, shampoo, bubble bath would be good. Stuff you would probably buy anyway- he's 2 it's not like he'll really care anyway.
Board books, DVD's and bubbles are good for that age and are a little better than toys and candy in my opinion. I find books and movies at our consignment store or yardsales if i shop ahead.

You could always get him an Easter Outfit,undies/socks, new jammies, or a swimsuit for the summer and put them in the basket. Again, it's something you would end up buying anyway, but he'll like it if you get ones with cool characters on them. I don't know how well that will fly when he's 10 but for now it should be fine.

Target has the best variety of basket stuffers if you Are looking for toys and don't mind paying a few bucks. They have it back in the seasonal display area. I like to go the day after easter and try to stock up for next year at a huge discount.

Happy Easter!

Hi T.,
I hear ya about all the candy and actually, I went to the Dollar Tree and to AC Moore last month and had a great selection of cute stuff for cheap! I got easter egg sidewalk chalk, stickers, things to color/paint and lots of arts and crafts type stuff as well as a kite (at the $ store). AC Moore I dont think you would normally think of as a place to go to but they have GREAT holiday stuff and if you go there a couple of weeks after they bring the stuff out, it generally goes down to 40% off. The $ store, I tend to buy early b/c selection goes fast. Hope this helps some! Have fun!
K.

Spring arrival gear! Sidewalk chalk, pool toys, bubbles, squirt gun, pay doh are all great (and cheap!) ideas. Also, toothbrush/toothpaste/bubble bath/shampoo/soap on a rope, etc. All useful things that you can find as cute stuff. Dollar store items like baseball mitt/velcro/balls, balsa wood airplanes, flashlights, etc.