Prepping for Easter baskets

18 March 2021

Filling Easter baskets for our kiddos has become one of my favorite springtime traditions! As someone who didn’t grow up with them, I’ve really grown to love the opportunity they give me to highlight an important holiday in our faith, support small businesses, replenish basics at the turn of the season, and create some magic for my little ones. And personally, as a creative person, they’re just really fun for me to collect, curate, arrange, and fluff!

This year, we’re doing Palm Sunday baskets as opposed to Easter baskets. I agonized over this decision, but so many of the items I’m including will be used on spring break, and our break falls before Easter. It didn’t make sense to withhold the items I’d planned to include and buy extra things simply to fill their baskets. Plus, these baskets will double as road trip goodies – which is why they’re a little more stuffed than usual!

(If you’re curious, I’ve written extensively on my feelings about Easter baskets in the past – this post from last year captures why I love them and feel they’re an important part of our faith tradition! This post covers some of my tips for keeping baskets budget-friendly.)

Onto the stuffing! Before I get into the 2021 specifics, here are a few things I consider including each year:

— A faith-based book to add to our library. I’ve rounded up some of our favorites here. (I try to buy these from a local source when possible, like Quail Ridge Books or McIntyre’s Books!) Of course, Write the Word Kids is also a perfect pick for 5-12-year-olds – LOVE the new Adventure volume!

— Pajamas. These usually come from Hanna Andersson or my favorite consignment sale (which sadly has been canceled three times in a row now due to COVID, sob!).

— A bathing suit or beach item. Hanna is also our favorite for rash guards, but love this navy daisy one-piece and sky blue floral swim top! (I want it in my size!)

— A fun accessory or clothing item, like a Little Poppy hair bow, a Harding Lane needlepoint hat, a twirly dress from Alice & Ames, or this cheerful gingham bag to tote around treasures.

— Summer shoes. In our house, that’s usually a pair of Saltwaters and a pair of Natives.

— Something fun to play with, like new chalk, a DIY magic wand, bubbles, MagnaTile cars, a card game, star bath bombs, a mini play mat, or a personalized memory game. Many more ideas here!

— A special snack or candy, like bunny grahams, gorgeous gummy butterflies, gorgeous foil eggs, or those frosted animal cookies.

Tucking in some a few of their favorite stuffed bunnies has become a tradition – we also love Jellycats and Cuddle + Kind dolls, which I like to get from a favorite local store.

Now, here’s what’s going in our little ones’ baskets this year!

June, age 5, will have a copy of The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross; this water bottle she spotted while shopping for our donation baskets; the cutest rainbow Keds; a strawberry rash guard; sunglasses; a few pairs of socks; conditioner; color-changing ponies (!); swim goggles; this Paw Patrol coloring book; a knotted gingham headband; a pair of face masks; a few bath bombs; and stick-on earrings.

Shep, age 2, will have a copy of God’s Very Good Idea; the next size up in Natives; a few pairs of socks; the most adorable seagull swim trunks; a water bottle; bath bombs; swim goggles; water-activated grow capsules I found at the grocery store; a green tractor toy (bought at a consignment sale!); and this sticker activity book.

Knowing that not everyone chooses Easter baskets as their big parenting moment (ha!), I would love to hear something you are “extra” about celebrating! (Or that was celebrated big in your family growing up!) The less traditional or expected, the better. The first day of school? The first day of summer? The tooth fairy? Tell us below!

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Abigail Gray
March 18, 2021 1:58 pm

I love getting a glimpse into your Easter baskets! My mom used to make me a basket comprised almost exclusively of different types of jelly beans because they are my favorite and are rather seasonal, ha! :) Our extra celebration was always the first snow in Boston, we would eat breakfast for dinner! I vividly remember watching the first snowflakes fall outside my classroom window and crossing my fingers that they would stick (it had to stick to count!) and feeling butterflies of excitement knowing that we would be ditching regular dinner plans for french toast and eggs!

Last edited 3 years ago by Abigail Gray
Laura B
March 18, 2021 4:44 pm

Love these so much! I’m also already done with Jason’s basket but I was waiting for your post to see if you had any ideas for some last minute additions. I am doing Joanna Gaines’ children’s book: The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be https://www.amazon.com/dp/1400314232/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_TA4JCWCA0QVJ7CY74E4Z and these Carter’s bunny pjs: https://www.carters.com/carters-toddler-girl-pajamas/V_2H760910.html Thank you, as always, for the inspiration! I love this tradition.

Zoe T
March 18, 2021 5:17 pm

These are lovely.

I am extra about celebrating everything! We are hosting our first Seder this year. At lunchtime (because small kids) but am enjoying planning the menu and thinking of Benjamin answering the questions ????

Victoria B
March 19, 2021 7:42 am

I love making Easter baskets too! My son’s this year (almost 4) is filled with a LEGO bunny mini figure, LEGO City Easter book, LEGO City coloring book, bunnies sticker book, Cuddle & Kind bunny stuffy, and a bunny travel tic tic toe set. He loves LEGO, obviously. Definitely thinking of a last minute edition, maybe the MagnaTiles cars. Growing up we celebrated Easter big with a massive egg hunt, Easter baskets, and a piñata! It was always such a fun day! In my house, one unusual thing we do is we celebrate half birthdays. Each of our half birthdays are near the Fall holidays, so we always do one thing together as a family to mark the holiday and the half birthday person gets to pick dinner. We do pumpkin carving, hand turkey making, and look at Christmas lights on each of our days each year, and I always pick sushi!