Ah spring is in the air! The birds are chirping and the flowers are sprouting and soon Peter Cotton Tail will be on his way. Time to break out the spring décor and see what gifts spring has to offer.
One spring tradition that I love is the gifting of Easter baskets to children. I still remember coming down on Easter mornings to find them on our fireplace growing up, filled with eggs and candy. Now I still love a sweet treat as much as the next mama, probably even a little too much – just ask my dentist. But when it comes to my kiddos I’m trying to tone it down a bit and mix in some non candy options, as they get plenty of other sweet treats around this and all other holidays. So here are some Easter activities and non candy basket fillers that my kids have loved!
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through a link we may earn commission, at no cost to you.
Pre Easter Activities
A Spin on Egg Decorating:
Leading up to the holiday itself there are some classic traditions like dying eggs of course, but have you heard of the Eggmazing Decorator tool?! My sister-in-law brought one to Easter and it was a huge hit with the kids! You place the egg in a machine that spins it all while the kids color it with markers. It was super fun and less messy than traditional egg coloring methods, and it comes with markers too. The kids were each waiting for their turn to enjoy it and they were proud of their colorful designs.
Hide and Go Seek Alphabet Egg Game:
Here’s how it works:
- Grab some larger sized plastic eggs
- Use wooden letters, like the ones from this Alphabet Puzzle Board
- Fill each egg with a letter
- Hide them around the house
- Have kids retrieve the eggs/letters and place them back into the letter board, as they do so they can practice naming the letter and the sound
This is great for kids who are learning their letters because they can practice through play! Either way it’s fun to find them and then hide them over again. Plus it entertains kids for a LONG time! Give it a try!
Bake Some Festive Treats:
Here are some spring desserts that I’ve had fun creating (and eating):
- Cupcakes with bunny ears & nose: I used a funfetti boxed cake mix, made my own frosting, then cut a large marshmallow in half and dipped the sticky sides in fine sprinkles, lastly added a jellybean nose
- Cupcakes with robin eggs & nest: Again used funfetti cake mix and my own frosting, then laid 3 hard shelled chocolate eggs surrounded by rainbow sprinkles. I think these were the crowd favorite flavor wise.
- Ice cream cone cupcakes: A spin on normal cupcakes but baked in a an ice cream cone instead, no real ice cream involved, just a fun twist for the kids
It’s always fun to get the kids involved in baking too. My four year old is now very interested in helping cook and wants to break the eggs and help pour and mix ingredients. He especially loves to savor the end results fresh out of the oven.
Easter Baskets
Basket Finds:
Picking the right basket can be a hunt in itself. Finding the right size, look, durability and price point is a balancing act. And some stores price them pretty high or run out. So the baskets themselves are one thing you should try to buy a bit ahead, or even on clearance at the end of a season. I’ve purchased some cute, medium sized and budget friendly ones in the past from Five Below and from Amazon.
Bunny Basket with Soft Floppy Ears
I prefer to do a cute decorative basket for Easter morning that I fill with items but then I also get a cheaper plastic bucket for the outdoor egg hunts. For cheaper plastic ones for outdoor use I’ve had luck picking them up at Dollar Tree.
Another thing I get my boys leading up to Easter are matching bunny pajamas. I got ours from Gap and they have gotten a lot of use out of them! Other places that you can find matching sets are Target, Old Navy or Amazon but I find Gap to be high quality and soft. I wouldn’t save these for the baskets because I try to get maximum use of them and it’s cute to have them wear them waking up on Easter!
Basket Fillers
Filler Finds:
When in doubt stick with the 3 B’s, Books, Bubbles & Bunnies. Here’s a list of a few of my favorite non candy basket fillers for my little boys:
- Books – Animal Sounds Book for my 1 year old & PJ Masks Book for my 4 year old
- Bubbles – Wands, bottles of bubbles, etc kids love all things bubbles and they help to kick off spring outside
- Bunnies by Jellycat – Amazon has multiple colors, sizes and patterns that are all so SO SOFT and just adorable for Easter. We also have a baby bunny rattle version too.
- Bunny Ears
- ‘Dinosaur Eggs’
- Puzzles
- Bunny Teether for babies
Another adorable Easter themed toy we have is this Carrot Count Stacker, it’s a super cute wooden toy that’s great for practicing stacking and counting. It was gifted to our oldest son by a friend and both boys have now gotten a lot of use out of it!
Overall I keep their baskets pretty simple with just a few things I think they’ll really enjoy! I may still throw in some Peeps and Reese’s Eggs for tradition’s sake but other than that I think books, bubbles and bunnies go a long way.
Spring Time Kid’s Books
I trade out some of our kid’s books seasonally to make them feel new again each year. It helps the kids get excited for season as well and makes the books feel fresh! So Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Halloween books etc. are stowed away for now. And this time of year I bust out books like:
- Little Blue Truck: Springtime
Tip: Switch out kid’s books seasonally. Keeping the other seasons stashed away in a closet leaves less clutter and makes the books feel new again each season!
Spring Decorating
Though we may be too old for Easter baskets of our own, a little home refresh makes me just as happy as a basket full of goodies. Here are some things I do to brighten my home for spring time.
- Spring cleaning anyone?! Who doesn’t love a clean house? We’re never quite there with two little boys running around but even tidying up one area can feel great! This weekend my husband and I organized a messy desk area and he wiped down some windows and glass doors from both inside and out and man it made a difference!
- Shift your color pallets with minor décor adjustments. When it comes to seasonal decorating I don’t believe that it has to be clearly spelled out or decorated with only seasonally specific items. Instead a simple shift of color pallet can make all the difference. So for spring I switch my front door wreath to one which contains branches with three subtle shades of pink. I add more light green faux greenery to my big ceramic vases. And I bring home tulips, peonies or other fresh floral varieties from the grocery for a glass vase in the kitchen as a table centerpiece.
Tip: My favorite place to find fresh flowers is Trader Joe’s, they’re reasonably priced and usually have great varieties! Treat yourself!
Tie in some seasonal branches. I have used real pussy willow stems placed in a white ceramic vase to add height and texture to my entry table. I’m particularly fond of these because we had one planted behind our house growing up and I remember finding its softness intriguing. Even as an adult I’m still amazed by the softness of the buds, which are likened to cats’ paws thus the name of the plant itself.
For Easter specifically: I keep it minimal with one white ceramic bunny that I display atop books, one string of garland with pastel eggs, and one decorative bunny pillowcase. And that’s about it for Easter specific decorations in my house. These few pieces add just enough whimsy without being over the top.
Coffee Table Books: PEONIES & The Art of Home
This exact bunny was from Target a few seasons ago, but here are similar ones on Amazon: White Ceramic Bunnies
Gifts of Spring
Ultimately spring is a season a rebirth, of growth and of true beauty.
For me, the real joy of this season comes from seeing my children’s excitement and enjoying the simple pleasures of spring. The sweet smell of fresh flowers. Watching my boys delight in creating a colorful egg design or their thrill in finding a hidden egg.
And though I truly enjoy filling my little ones’ baskets with gifts, I know that this time with family and the memories made are far greater than anything that could be held in a basket. May you and yours savor this spring and all the beautiful gifts it brings.
