Easter is around the corner. Some of you are scrambling for ideas to fill Easter baskets (and time). After I posted about Target egg-shaped ideas, several moms told me they don’t have time to go to target or would prefer to get it on Amazon. I am here for you. I got you!
Even better, I will give you some tips about how to gift to your kiddos or friend’s kiddos in the future. Let’s get into it.) Affiliate links are included in this post.)
The Tips:
If you’re new here- I like a good theme. It makes everything cohesive and pretty, and it makes me happy. This theme is probably going to look like Spring and Easter.
When I gift to kiddos, I always make sure to consider the following list that lives in my head:
- Age
- Development stages
- Theme
- What the child is currently into/ obsessed with
I also like to include one of each of the following:
- Something for art
- Something for Language
- Something for Practical Life or Sensory
- An amazing book… or 5
With this information, let’s start building a basket!
The Basket:
Growing up, we always left our basket out for the Easter Bunny- that was our tradition. Make sure you honor yours or create a new one! Our Easter basket didn’t change from year to year. It also wasn’t a toy. It was a temporary placeholder for everything we got or later for collecting eggs. Consider this and the festivities when choosing a basket. Here are some options I found online:
Filling the Basket:
Adding grass is a fun way to add color or filler to your basket and push everything up to the top of the basket. I prefer brown paper or white paper to keep the attention on the activities instead of how enticing the grass might be to eat or scatter. Use paper to prevent choking, and why not use recycled? Here are some options I put together for you:
Once your basket is ready- it’s time to fill it! I choose one thing from each item on the list above. Fill the basket with puzzles, games, art supplies, books, and egg-themed sensory items. I compiled an Easter Basket Ideas list on amazon.
Art supplies are always a win with the kiddos. If you aren’t artistic or your child hasn’t shown an interest, consider these “open-ended” art supplies and activities. Open-ended means there isn’t an intended ending to the activity. It can become anything their imagination decides it to be. Open-ended activities foster creativity and cognitive skills. One great thing about art, you can make art anywhere. Inside on an easel, at a table, outside on the ground, on grass, or at a picnic table! Here are some ideas to get you started:
The sketch pad is great if you plan on giving a watercolor art set or triangular crayons and markers. Those triangular crayons and markers will help your child with pencil grip and won’t roll! Sidewalk chalk is a must in any form! These egg-shaped ones would look super cute in a basket. In fact, I have gifted them multiple times. I’ve never met a kid who didn’t enjoy drawing on the sidewalk. I also included this little art kit. A friend of mine had this for her kiddos, and they love it! It includes pre-cut pieces of paper they can collage to create an animal or add to a drawing they have already started. There are a few sets, but this one is great for toddlers and preschoolers.
These go right along with the Easter or Pring theme. Egg-shaped Sensory and Practical Life ideas! These are similar to the ones I posted from Target. I found so many variations of nesting dolls, but these two are fun and keep with the theme. I also included the Kinetic Sand and Play-Doh eggs. While these activities foster creativity, they are also great for sensory play! They can also be messy, so keep that in mind. Play-Doh is great for helping those fine motor skills and strengthening the muscles in the hands to later help with writing. The eggs in the yellow carton open to reveal a color and shape. They encourage matching skills and motor skills and are self-correcting! The patterned eggs are great for matching as well. The child is encouraged to place the eggs together according to the pattern outside of the egg.
Developmental toys! If you gift a toy, you better make it food for their brains. These toys are designed to keep their brains moving while they play. The owl nesting dolls are another option for the ones above- if you’re all egged out. The toy cars are the pullback and release kind. They can also be used as push cars, but why not encourage a new skill? Plus, the car bodies are soft for the chewers on your list. The apple lacing activity is to help with their control of movement. A developmental step they are already learning. The trees and garden toys are on with this month’s tree and Spring theme in my curriculum. They encourage imaginative play and hand-eye coordination, and the wood will last. Melissa & Doug- they are lovely, aren’t they? I was so excited to find this puzzle. It’s hide-and-seek meets clean-up. It encourages them to use problem-solving skills as they discover each piece has a home. In a Montessori classroom, we invite the child to care for their environment. This one activity is a great tactile way to show them everything has its place.
These are just a few ideas to help you decide what to include in your child’s Easter basket or to just use during the Springtime! Have fun getting creative and learning with these hand-on activities that your kiddos are sure to love.