Easter basket ideas

coasterqueen wrote: I JUST got done with Megan's birthday and now Easter is in like two weeks. My kids don't need anything, really. Megan still has a load of cash and gift cards (not counting all the toys she got from people) to spend from her birthday.

So what are your ideas for your kids Easter baskets? I don't want to do the normal sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sand toys, etc because they get ALL that and seriously a lot more at the family Easter egg hunt. They get HUGE baskets of stuff from them.

I know I'm going to get Megan a swim suit (one of those floatie ones) because she's outgrown hers. I may try to find Kylie a swim suit too. She has two new ones that I bought her years ago and just finally fit her, but I don't like how they "accentuate" parts of her body.

I was going to get them some music since they love it, but their DCP just gave me a ton of new kids music cd's for them. There are two I still would like to get so I may get them.

Other than that I was thinking Moon sand since theres is in terrible shape.

I did pick up a singing/moving monkey for each of them from Target. They sing Party In the USA from Miley Cyrus. They like those types of things.

So again, after all my blabbing, what are your ideas? Maybe I can "borrow" some.

MommyToAshley replied: I don't like for her to get lots of candy so I always try to get some outside, springy type stuff since her birthday is in the fall (September). She just got two new jump ropes and hulla-hoops so that wouldn't make since, but I think I might get her a pogo stick. She was playing on the neighbor boy's pogo stick and was having a blast with it. I just bought her a bunch of summer outfits at Justice because with the store sale and my coupon, I got 70% off... so she doesn't need any of that stuff. In others words, I am clueless too. LOL

MoonMama replied: I was just thinking about this too. I picked him up a summer outfit yesterday but other then that I am stumped too.

jcc64 replied: I don't like how Easter is becoming Christmas in the spring. My kids have come to expect gifts in lieu of candy, but I'm not looking to spend a ridiculous amount of money. I bought Corey yet another Barbie play set thingie (I think it's a vacation house) for $20. I'm throwing in some chocolate, an outfit, and calling it a day. The boys, I have no idea--they're no fun to buy stuff for anymore, but I gotta give them something. Not sure what. Maybe some new flip flops.

MommyToAshley replied: I totally get what you are saying, and I am probably guilty there. But, I think we use this as an opportunity to buy stuff that we'd normally buy for spring/summer anyways. I hate that her birthday is in the fall... who wants a bicycle or scooter in September or at Christmas when it's cold and snowy outside.

coasterqueen replied:
I think what you are getting is great! Especially compared to what we got as kids. I used to get a CHEAP necklace and hair clip to wear on Easter Sunday, and some candy. That's it.

coasterqueen replied:
I understand, it is hard. Ryan wants to get the girls a 4-wheeler or go-cart and he keeps saying when do we give it to them? Megan's birthday is in March when it's still cold and Kylie's is in fall when they have a month or two to use it and that's it before the cold hits. Can't give things like that at Christmas, so......what to do? Since it's a joint "gift" for them you can't give it to one of them on their birthday and say "hey, it's actually a gift for the both of you".

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
We buy ONE small toy for the Easter basket, (last year it was a my little pony for Allie and I can't remember what for Andrew.... I think it was a helicopter we'd gotten on clearance) and the rest is candy and bunny shaped graham crackers. We don't fill the baskets too awfully full either, because we don't want them to load up on too much candy.

I know what you mean about when to give them the Spring/Summer stuff you want to get them, but why not just get it for them, just because? Things like bubbles, balls, swimsuits and other summery stuff I like to just get for them just for fun. We don't buy a toy every time we go to Wal-mart, but when the weather is warm they love to go and get something fun to play with outside. Andrew has a summer birthday, and I think we still got his bike for him a couple months before hand, just because we didn't want to wait until June for him to be able to ride his bike.

mckayleesmom replied: I don't always do traditional baskets....one year I did a wheel barrel with sand toys....I always get them a new tooth brush for every holiday....since your suppose to change them anyways and a holiday always hits when its about time...

Our Lil' Family replied: I'm having the same problem. His birthday is the 30th, Easter is 5 days later! I was thinking of getting him Toy Story 2, we have 1 and 3 is coming out soon. I need him to try on his swim suits from last year, if they are too small he'll get at least one of those. Other than that and a chocolate bunny I'm stumped!

msoulz replied:
Same here. New swim suits and sandals are a staple. Erin will get a bike this year because her old hand-me-down was thrown away last fall, and she has that November birthday and in Michigan it is just cruel to give a kid a bike for Christmas! Jump rope, Crayola color wonder stuff, bubbles, flash cards, and I will do plastic eggs with small candy (and a couple I put in a dollar and/or quarter) inside hopefully hidden in the yard if the weather cooperates. Jake is getting tough because everything is so expensive for him, but so far I have two baseball t-shirts, a collared shirt, a robe that he has been requesting, the new Whimpy Kid book and that is about it. I may get him some new underwear too ... So it's stuff they would get anyway just saved up for a while and a little bit of candy. OH, and there will be some small stuffed animal in each one too. They love that.

I am TOTALLY stealing the toothbrush idea!

Last year Erin's "basket" was a little wagon that had sand toys in it, which worked well. This year I may recycle a bucket she already has or pick up a new one as there is always use for a bucket!

stella6979 replied: The Easter bunny will be bringing Avery some gardening gloves/tools and a strawberry and blueberry plant for her to plant in our garden. Also, a fishing pole. We don't do lots of candy either. One chocolate bunny, some jelly beans and a sucker.

PrairieMom replied: mine aren't getting much at all. A small chocolate bunny, a few eggs filled with candy, and a book.

jcc64 replied: Love the toothbrush idea. I'm stealing it, too!

CantWait replied:
This. I totally agree. The kids are getting NO chocolate this year. They always have so much junk in the house left from Halloween and Christmas. I'm even telling my friend to skip sending them any chocolate this year, it's just not needed.

Easter is usually when I buy all their outdoor gear, sporting goods and summer clothes.

mckayleesmom replied: My kids think toothbrushes are great presents...lol. I wonder how long it will be before they realize that you need to change them anyways...

kimberley replied: i guess we are cheap for the girls it's spring outdoor stuff from the dollar store (sand toys, bubbles, skipping ropes), chocolates and a stuffed bunny. the boys.... chocolates and money.

my2monkeyboys replied: We got Waylon a small plastic wagon and some candy he can eat like reeses cups and a sucker, a choc bunny, and a few outdoor toys... bubbles, small ball, and a water sprinkler. Will is getting a big boy tacklebox (he.s had a spiderman one for a few years) with some candy, a frisbee and a tiny finger kite.
It really has become more about the little toys than the candy here... we have been trying to limit that junk... though it is so good!

coasterqueen replied:
Oh yeah, small things we do give to them "just because", but larger items like for instance the 4-wheeler or go-cart Ryan wants to get the girls, I don't like doing that "just because", kwim?

coasterqueen replied:
Mine think they need to change their toothbrush every 2 weeks. We go to the grocery store every 2 weeks for groceries and it's always "mom, I need a new toothbrush".

coasterqueen replied:
No you aren't cheap. I'd TOTALLY do those types of things, but like I posted earlier they get ALL that stuff and MORE at the family egg hunt. They both come home with several jugs of bubbles, at least 3 things of sidewalk chalk, etc, etc, and I still have a HUGE box full of all that kind of stuff that they don't go through every year just from what they've gotten from Easter and birthdays. They play with the stuff, but they get so much we can't go through it fast enough. So I can't be cheap and just buy that kind of stuff.

Sarah&Mackenzie replied: Well Mackenzie is starting T-Ball this spring so we got her a T-Ball helmet and a T to practice on. Also going to get her some playdough and a little bit of candy.

moped replied: SO far I don't have much but I got Laila a pair of Puma runners. Jack some swimming trunks and have some chocolate, and will likely get them a small toy each a spring/summer outfit. Jack will liekly get some sandals!

I have no clue!

mummy2girls replied: Breanna im just getting her a stuffy, outfit and mummums

Jenna.. not sure yet

Calimama replied: Bells is getting Gator golf, Hungry hungry hippo, fruit, bubbles, and some art supplies. I'm not getting her candy because between the two families, she gets too much.

coasterqueen replied: I'd do outfits, but my kids could care less about clothes. If they saw clothes in their basket they'd be like "huh, the bunny KNOWS I don't like clothes".

ETA: I'm thinking about getting them a little cute Melissa & Doug bug box, bug net and binocular set for their basket, though. They love catching bugs.

luvmykids replied: I'm going "traditional" this year A chocolate bunny, some jelly beans, and peeps and that.is.it. LOL

coasterqueen replied: Thanks everyone for the ideas. I love the toothbrush idea, too.

I think Megan is going to get the monkey I mentioned earlier, a floatie swimsuit, a jump rope and some sort of small candy. Kylie is going to get a volleyball net/ball set (cheap set!!!), the monkey I mentioned, jump rope, and some small candy.

Not really spending too much as Megan needs the new swim suit since she outgrew her other one. Ryan was going to get Kylie a cheapy kid volleyball set before she starts camp in mid summer. The monkeys were cheap and the jump ropes were from the dollar store.

Now to go buy the stuff I haven't already gotten and try not to get anything more.

ETA: I forgot that I am going to also put a new toothbrush in their basket.

~Roo'sMama~ replied:
lol that's pretty much the same we'll be doing, minus the peeps. We're also going to put a mini etch-a-sketch in each of their baskets.

moped replied:
OMG I LOVE PEEPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

coasterqueen replied: Peeps - ick! Megan loves them, though.

Well, I finished last Friday. I decided to take back the monkeys.....they will annoy the crap out of me forever, so it was best to take them back.

So....

Megan is getting: floatie swimsuit, a dollar store jump rope and little Princess purse/lipstick, small tub of moon sand, lil' webkinz and a choc bunny (thta she'll only get a piece of because she's allergic to it, lol)

Kylie is getting: a volleyball set from TRU I got for $7.98! Also, a dollar store jump rope and some game, small tub of moon sand, lil' webkiz and a choc bunny.

Then for the eggs that the Easter Bunny leaves they will have: bubble gum coins, bubble gum and laffy taffy in them. One bigger egg has a finger kite in it for each of them and then a few eggs will have some quarters in them.

I was amazed at how much less I spent this year, yet their baskets look full! Shopping on a budget, gotta love it.

moped replied: I am going out tomorrow to get goodies for them!

Will report back

coasterqueen replied:
Have fun.

I still want to do the toothbrush idea, but forgot to get them. I'll have to see if I have time before Sunday.