My mom gave me Easter baskets well into adulthood, and I LOVE the tradition. It’s been so fun starting this tradition with my own children. My daughter’s birthday has fallen very close to Easter Sunday the last few years, so I have tried to make her basket distinct from any other gift; I’m pretty thoughtful about what goes into it.
Since I’ve seen the question of what to put into kids’ Easter baskets pop up on all the mommy social media groups, I thought I’d share how I typically curate our Easter baskets each year. Here’s an easy template and some ideas to get the juices flowing. And, for easy remembering, I made it into an EASTER acrostic. Think about each theme and start building your perfect Easter basket. And enjoy the excitement of Easter morning!
Easter Basket Gift Ideas for Kids
Educational items
Why do we celebrate Easter? Choose books or interactive options to teach your children about faith and the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Use the gift as an opportunity to have important conversations about this milestone occasion. Here are a few ideas:
- Tiny Theologians ABCs of Easter is a beautiful set of cards for little ones to learn the alphabet AND the Easter story.
- My great-aunt passed down a beloved set of Resurrection Eggs from her grandkids to my children last year. It is vintage and so cute. Family Life has been making these for years, and you can get the latest ones for tiny hands!
- The Story of Easter is a great Little Golden Book to teach children about the holiday. For more options, check out this Read Aloud Revival podcast episode on book ideas for Easter baskets.
Art projects
Coloring books, markers, and activity items from a local dollar store or the dollar aisle are easy and can even be used to continue the discussion about why we celebrate Easter. I love having some things for the kids to do while I’m prepping Easter brunch or to play with if they come to “big church.”
- Crayola has lots of products for Easter baskets. Find and print coloring pages about the Easter story on Pinterest to include in the basket. Last year we downloaded and printed palm branch coloring pages, then colored them and discussed their significance in the Easter story.
- Jane.com typically has some great Easter finds (while they last!). I like this decorating kit option.
{Read More: 6 Candy Alternatives for Your Child’s Easter Basket}
STEM activities
Creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking are the guiding principles of STEM. Think of some options that let you collaborate as a family and ways your little ones can think critically.
- B’loonies are a huge hit in my house. (But watch for small parts for the littlest ones.)
- Kites are another great option and help you get out of the house and enjoy the spring days.
- My aunt is a longtime teacher, and she engaged our 4-year-old for a good while with Zingo.
- Have you seen this option to build a home for your Peeps?
- Include seeds or items to make a fairy garden and inspire your kids to get outside and create in nature.
Tasty treats
This is your softball, obviously. I like to go both traditional and innovative. Every Easter basket in my home gets delivered with a Cadbury Crème Egg or Reese’s Peanut Butter Egg. Then, I’ll add whatever the latest and greatest is in the Easter section of my favorite retailer.
Efficacy gifts
First, I love this word—it’s all about producing results. I try to find a small gift that can get my kid excited about a necessary and often mundane daily task. The result is a win-win for both of us that empowers my kids to take care of themselves. I typically choose one of the following:
- Bath treats like bath glow toys, bath capsules, and color bath tablets are all great to include because kids need all the reasons to take a bath!
- A new toothpaste or toothbrush. Last year I got them new toothbrush holders so they could stow theirs away properly.
- A fun new hairbrush and spray conditioner help encourage actually brushing hair and relieve the fights about tangles.
Real needs
This is the same concept as new underwear at Christmas. Use the Easter basket as an opportunity to purchase that must-have article of clothing or cute Easter pencils for school.
Enjoy your spring and Easter traditions! Let me know your favorite Easter basket finds in the comments.
