Unlike a Christmas gift, loaded with expectation, an Easter basket is light and uncomplicated, a welcome springtime treat.
It ushers in a new season, effortlessly combining the fun and the practical. When a kid is excited for warmer weather, the gift of a much-needed new swimsuit or a pair of swim shoes is exciting. A new box of crayons at this point in the school year can be a great relief. Practical gifts are just more fun tucked in an Easter basket — especially when they’re surrounded by candy and a stuffed bunny.
Here are 50 ideas to fill that basket! Shop your basement, shop your neighborhood Dollar Tree or Target, splurge on a couple special items.
2. Bubbles
3. Walkie talkies. Consider a three-pack with three different colors.
4. A gardening kit. Amazon has a host of kid-friendly kits, like this one, which includes an apron, gloves and a tote bag for tools. Throw in some flower or vegetable seeds, like the Carrot Grow Kit (pictured above) from the Target dollar-aisle.
5. A pop-it with an Easter theme. This four-pack is festive.
6. Honey Bee Acres Bunny Family, Walmart’s new, low-cost alternative to Calico Critters. Bonus: the $10 van, complete with a picnic basket!
7. Blume Baby Pop. These scented, glittery babies burst with springtime charm.
8. A sticker book. Melissa & Doug’s reusable puffy stickers are ideal for 3- to 5-year-olds.
10. Bogs Kids’ Kickers II. These shoes were just released by the pre-eminent boot experts. Kids appreciate the elastic slip-on. They’re sturdy, lightweight and machine washable! Pictured: the turquoise Kickers II.
11. Jelly Cat makes a super-soft bunny (pictured above) that’s hard to resist.
12. A waterproof coat like the Joules’ Golightly in Butterfly Ditsy (pictured above) is practical and pretty. It has pink buttons and an adjustable waist — and it packs into its own pocket.
12. Puzzles like “Boss Dogs,” a 500-piece, Amazon’s choice puzzle, will engage the whole family.
13. Pajamas. Hanna Andersson has a wide range of bunny jammies, and Gymboree’s stands-outs this spring are the lemon PJs and the pirate PJs.
14. A chess set
15. A flower crown. There’s something at every price point, from Claire’s flower crown for $6.49 to Boden’s $38 rainbow flower crown.
16. Every Easter basket deserves a Crayola product. Don’t forget to look beyond the standard crayons for popular items like the Scribble Scrubbie Pets (pictured above: Arctic Igloo Playset) and the Watercolor Crayons.
The pink felt bunny basket is from Target — $3!
17. Magnetic tiles.
19. Figurines of the famous family Madigral from Encanto would fit in Easter eggs.
20. An eraser toy set. Fill those eggs with 60 pencil erasers — a piano, a whale, a popsicle, a helicopter and McDonalds French fries.
21. An umbrella. Amazon’s $20 pink-ruffle umbrella will make you swoon.
22. Play-Doh. Individual containers are easy to tuck into a basket — or opt for the Play-Doh Ice Cream Truck Playset, which has great reviews and is on sale at Target.com.
22. Binoculars. Melissa & Doug’s Giddy Buggy Binoculars are classic!
23. A bird guidebook.
24. A birdhouse. The Dollar Tree carries several small wooden birdhouses begging to be painted.
25. A drawing tablet. High-tech in their ease of use, low-tech in their (blessed) absence of internet. Doodle in the car, write your spelling words, practice division, play tic-tac-toe. Equally fun for a 2-year-old as a 10-year-old. Be sure to select a tablet, like this popular $22 one from Amazon (pictured), that comes with an attached stylus.
26. Hatchimals just seem Easter-y, and the Shimmer Babies, in the pink 12-pack egg carton pictured above, are sure to delight. (The floral basket with a ribbon handle is by Spritz for just $3. Cotton candy is from The Dollar Tree.)
27. Rain boots. Bogs makes top-notch lined rain boots, like the pink pair pictured above, available in little kid sizes all the way up to a big kid 6. You won’t find a prettier pair than Joules’ yellow floral rain boots, pictured here (amidst Target’s farmhouse Easter eggs.)
28. Cuddle & Kind. Here’s your splurge item. Have you ever held a hand-knit Cuddle & Kind doll? They’re in a class of their own. This is heirloom quality — a stuffie you’ll keep forever. Plus, with the purchase of one doll, 10 meals are provided to children in need. There are so many pretty pastel options for Easter, including fawns, lambs, Daisy the Kitten (above) and Henry the Bunny.
29. Don’t forget the eggs! This spring’s offerings are cuter than ever, especially this farm-themed 8-pack by Spritz, perfectly matched to Spritz’ farm-patterned basket.
31. Thomas & Friends Minis will fill 20 of those eggs nicely.
32. Squishies. Another sugar-free way to fill eggs. This Easter-themed 24-piece set is so cute! Split them among the kids.
33. Peeps. Non-negotiable.
34. Jelly Beans. The Starburst brand are delish.
35. Kinetic sand
36. Sleeping Queens. This card game has exceptional reviews — for good reason! It comes in a tin case, easy to tuck into the basket.
37. A kite
38. A water gun
39. Sandals or water shoes
40. Sunscreen. Round out the basket with something you really need.
41. Sunglasses
42. Goggles. The Splash Swim Goggles have a soft, stretchy band instead of the rubbery one. They don’t pull hair or require frequent readjustment.
43. A swimsuit
44. Maileg mice. Move over, bunnies, because these mice are irresistible. There are many charming options, but the idea of a mouse sleeping in a matchbox is hard to beat. Especially when they’re baby triplets and you can tuck each one in. Guaranteed to delight all ages.
Also adorable: the grandparents, complete with argyle socks, corduroy pants and glasses. The textures and hues in this set — from their outfits to their pillows and blanket — are so rich. Buy it for your kid — or yourself.
45. Dinosaurs. This best-selling $21 set comes with a play mat, trees, nine dinos and — best of all — a storage case with a handle.
46. A picture-book. The latest release in the beloved Goodnight, Goodnight Construction Site series is titled “Spring Delight,” an Easter lift-the-flap book. “How to Catch the Easter Bunny” is another sure-fire win. And don’t forget Richard Scarry, the gift that keeps giving.
48. A diary. Preferably one with a lock.
49. Gummy Bear charms for jewelry making.
50. Easter Grogu
And that’s a wrap! Happy Easter!
Christina Ries is a freelance writer in Inver Grove Heights. She and her husband, Ted, have four children.
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