With Easter coming up in a few weeks, my brain has been swirling around the idea of what to put in my kids’ Easter baskets. Sometimes I feel stuck to doing the “norm” of candy and a stuffed animal, but I have a few reservations about going that route. The first is I don’t allow my kids to eat a ton of candy, so most of it would probably go bad before they got to enjoy it. The second reason being, my kids have an exorbitant number of stuffed animals already and I don’t really want to bring more into the house. So, what do I put in the Easter baskets instead?
The first thing I remind myself is that I don’t need to go overboard, and getting them a few things they will enjoy is all that matters.
My kids love arts and crafts, so I like to fill Easter baskets with little crafts from the dollar store. The Target dollar section normally has great little crafts as well. I buy a few different options and throw those in there. It never fails that the crafts are the first thing pulled out of the basket to be used. I also throw in a new coloring book and crayons if they are running low on those. Those are always winners.
I also like to put in a new springy outfit or a new pair of shoes for spring. My 5-year-old little girl loves this! I’m 90% sure she’s going to have a walk in closet full of just shoes one day. This is a great basket filler, because kids grow out of shoes and clothes so quickly they are probably in need of new things by spring.
I really enjoy throwing in a book, as well. I always loved reading, even from a young age, and that love has seemed to have passed down to my kids. With my oldest currently learning how to read, this is especially great this year. My toddler also enjoys books, especially the touch and feel ones.
Now, I know I said my kids don’t eat a lot of sweets, but they are allowed to have snacks and a small amount of candy. So, I will throw in a few pieces of their favorite as filler for the basket.
I don’t know about you, but that is an Easter basket I can actually get behind and look forward to giving to my kids. My kids still love it and get excited about everything in the basket and I don’t have to feel guilty for just giving them a bunch of candy and another silly stuffed animal. Hopefully this gave you some ideas for your Easter baskets!
ANN BURNS is a Morgantown native, raising two young children with her husband, Drake. She writes weekly columns for The Dominion Post. Contact her at Columns@DominionPost.com.
