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Older children that have outgrown your typical Easter basket still love getting a basket, so I put new summer outfits, passes to a movie, gift certificates or cards to fast food places, and favorite candy bars, cookies or even gum.
Little kids like little things-so use your samples and hotel size toiletries that you don't want as Easter basket fillers. Just make sure the kids are old enough to know what they are.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have small children and much of the stuff to put in the Easter baskets is candy or are not really suited to little ones. I'd like to include healthy snacks rather than candy. Does anyone have suggestions for a safe and healthy Easter basket?
Fresh fruit is colorful, fun and healthy. So is dried fruit and nuts. You can bake healthy easter miniature-sized muffins, cookies and granola bars. There are tons of inexpensive treats and toys at the local dollar store.
Chex, goldfish crackers, Cheerios, all flavors graham goldfish crackers, teddy grahams, raisins, stickers
- Shawn
Raisins
Other dried fruit
Fresh fruit
Bread sticks or crackers and dip
Carrot sticks and peanut butter
Home made cookies or muffins: Use half the sugar and replace half the fat with either applesauce or mashed banana.
Ants on a log: celery stick stuffed with peanut butter, and studded with raisins
finger sandwiches
Coupons for healthy homemade meal of choice: Give the child a short list of choices, mother-approved things he or she seems to enjoy.
Non-edibles that encourage learning and exploration: Puzzles, art supplies, books, games, music toys, jump rope, jacks, origami kit, kite, etc.
- Rose B.
My son loves those "diet" tortilla chips (yes, its my fault) with home-made salsa. I share custody of him with his father and Easter is one of his holiday's, but we have used tortilla chips and salsa for Santa instead of milk and cookies. He also thinks it's cool to get the same snack from Santa in his stocking.
I have found they love getting books, erasers, stuffed animals and figurines. My older daughters still have all the figurines they got in their Easter basket.
By Jane Squires
The baby food section has many toddler snacks available. I buy the gummy bears, crackers, puff wheat, cookies and juices to give to my two year old.
I find that EnviroKids organic crispy rice bars are a great source of low sugar and low sodium and also glutin free snack. Also the Fiber One bars in peanut butter or chocolate chip have a very high fiber content and yet sweet enough to please the picky eaters.
My son loves those "diet" tortilla chips (yes, its my fault) with home-made salsa. I share custody of him with his father and Easter is one of his holiday's, but we have used tortilla chips and salsa for Santa instead of milk and cookies. He also thinks it's cool to get the same snack from Santa in his stocking.
My 10 year old DD is getting a movie and a Webkin this year plus a few candy snacks
The 16 year old is getting a Pilates video , weights and an exercise band plus some candy snacks
I've included gift certificates, toys, movies, hand held travel games, beauty items, socks, etc in baskets from years past. Give what the child needs and likes-not just candy
my grandsons are 1 and 18 months. I bought the 100 calorie snack packs that had cheese its, and 2 different cookies in it. also bought snack size baggies and filled them with cheerios and cheese curls
Being a "Heath Food Hippie" when my kids were young, I wouldn't let them near any candy. Here's some tips for healthy Easter Baskets: Small boxes of Raisins, several Small apples, String Cheese, Frozen yogurt sticks, Movie coupons, Power bars (nutritional bars that taste like a candy bar), graham cracker bears, Homemade cookies & muffins. Natural Licorice. Sesame/Honey bar snacks & of course there's always hard-boiled Easter Eggs!
* I'd usually go to Trader Joe's, or a Health Food Store & buy some yummy stuff for them. Health Food Stores have all kinds of "good for you" candy, bars & gum.
Don't forget bubble bath and bath toys too.
Also look for Sundrops at your health food store, they're "healthy" m&m's!
I was a health food hippie too. I bought the fillable eggs & put trinkets inside & hid the eggs. I put coins in some of the eggs, sugar free bubblegum, small toys, erasers, etc. I also liked to include a book or 2 in the basket.
Any suggestions as to what to use instead of the traditional basket at Easter time for a boy? In the past I have used a dump truck, baseball helmet, small tackle box, childsize wheel barrow, small wagon, and of course the sand pail with shovel. I need some ideas appropriate for 6 and 8 year old boys.
By Helen from SC
All of the actual Easter Baskets don't look girlish. I have seen ones that can be used for either sex. But then on the other hand Instead of buy a basket/container and the candy, etc. to put in it why not buy each kid an appropriated stuffed animal or a game or something? When my grandkids were in the Easter bunny stage, I figured they got enough crap from everybody else, so I bought the boys a summer outfit and made outfits for the girls. This didn't cost any more than other Easter treats and the kids appreciated the clothes, even when they were really little.
I have two boys, now 8 and 11. I often do "gardening" theme Easter baskets. I have found small totes with garden tools and added kid sized gloves, one year I did a pot with some plants and seeds. A watering can could be used as a basket to fill.
Last year I found some sports themed baskets, they were basketball or soccer shaped. I did some other sports stuff, like Nerf guns. That was a big hit.
Another good idea I have heard is to give summer fun toys, like a sprinker or slip and slide. The sand toys are a similar idea.
Happy Easter!
One year I bought a small plastic swimming pool about 3 ft. in diameter. I added cheap summer toys, bubbles and of course the candy, etc. My son loved it.
Walmart usually has baskets shaped like footballs, basketballs and one with different sports on it. Check your local walmart or any other store around you!
My 3 boys always got their first kite for Easter, along with all the other stuff!
If you can sew, make a simple drawstring tote bag out of Easter or "boy" print fbric and put everything in there. They can reuse the bag over and over to stash stuff-think Legos, toy cars, marble, crayons, etc.
Here are a few to consider;
Cowboy hats, baseball caps, carpenter's tool box, mechanics toolbox, beach bag.
My children each got an Easter basket for their first Easter. My 34 yr old daughter, my 32 year old daughter and my 30 yr old son still bring me THEIR baskets to be filled for Easter! We never did toys, though, just candy and eggs.
Do they have or need a suitcase or backpack? My kids loved this.
I'm thinking about buying the boys (12 & 3) new trash pails for their bedrooms. I'll fill them with all kinds of things, including the traditional chocolate bunny but also a nice shirt, sunglasses, coloring book... just fun stuff I would normally not buy if they went with me on shopping run : )
Any ideas for men's Easter baskets? I have done food, so I looking for something new I can purchase or make. We do an adult basket exchange and it can change hands 3 times before it is kept. With that said we have all size men from small to XXL. That makes it more difficult.
I have cuff links I am making for Christmas prizes, so I don't need that and that is the top gift I seem to find on the internet for gifts for men. I can't do sports as each person likes a different team, some golf and some don't. I need something generic. Please Help.
By Di from MT
How about generic office supplies, you could go as inexpensive or not so inexpensive as you need to. Pens, pencils, post-it notes, clips, a stapler, etc. Whether taken to work or used at home, it's stuff most people can use. Or maybe small games, classics like checkers, chess, cards, dominoes, etc. Add some microwave popcorn and call it "game night". Again, you can go dollar store or more upscale.
You could do an emergency kit with a space blanket, small first aid kit, a candle with waterproof matches, a flashlight, maybe a sewing kit, a multi-tool of some sort, maybe a small can opener, etc. A sports spectator survival kit: sunscreen, maybe bug wipes or repellent, a bottle of gatorade, a cup/can coozie, lip balm, some sort of noisemaker, etc. Other ideas: car wash kit, shoe shine kit, a breakfast kit (pancake mix, good syrup, maybe a small non-stick pan, etc).
I suspect others will have ideas, as well. Sounds like you're in for some fun!
How about socks, a jar of mixed nuts, a simple man's manicure set, shaving lotions, "manly" shower gels, tire pressure gauges (for air)? I see what my husband gets a kick out of when he accompanys me to the dollar store and I make a mental note for occasions like this. Have fun with this!
First thing I thought of was a Tide stain stick.
Then a gift certificate to a car store or hardware store (Lowes/Home Depot).
You could also get a set of nail clippers for on a key chain.
How about a Walmart money card.
A gas card for a local gas station that seems pretty popular.
A deodorant stick (brute/ old spice).
A deck of cards.
Movie passes.
A pocket knife.
A small keychain flashlight or just a small light that can be kept in a car.
A McDonald's card.
I am just thinking of things that more than half the men in my church would enjoy.
A popcorn kit could be fun to put together, different types, assorted seasoning salts, an inexpensive bowl, and perhaps a vintage western or action flick that you can get for $5.
Thanks for all the ideas. If anyone has more I would love to hear them.
I plan Movie night
Twizzlers Favorite Red Licorice
M&M'S Milk Chocolate
Snowcaps Theatre Size
Jaw Breakers
A new DVD
Moviehouse Popcorn tall bag
Microwave Popcorn
Pop
Please add to it if you think of anything else.
JLson: Our children are all grown up and I thought who doesn't like an Easter Basket so we started it. Now into the 7th year. It took a while for them to catch on, but there is no price limit just an Easter basket. Well I go all out......and they have gotten better at the baskets items.
Then my fil said let the boys have an Easter egg hunt. Now seriously they are all grown up, I thought I will get even. I will do an Egg hunt alright, I will do one egg per person and they all have to hunt for only their egg. We also said that you could move someone's elses egg if you found it. The first year we lost an egg, and wasn't until spring when we were remodeling an garden area that we found it and it was a real one. Lol This now will be our 3rd year of doing this.
I love the pop corn idea, and I have receipes to make different colored ones. I might have to look into that see if you can do it, without having to make it up, so they could make it up when they want.
Thanks of the other ideas posted too. Wow you people are gerat.
I'm making a small gift basket for my husband for Easter and am running low on ideas. We don't have the $ for me to go out and buy the video game he really wants, but I'd really like to get him some small inexpensive things. He's so hard to buy for.
His family is Hawaiian so that's a theme I could work with. He's 26 and a bit of a geek (loves video games and books, not sports or being outdoors as much). He also loves DVDs and cooking. Any ideas would be more than helpful. Thanks.
By Katrina from Baltimore, MD
Hit your local pawn shops. I can't tell you how many times I've bought games that are only a few weeks old for much much less than retail. I'd also recommend hitting Blockbuster when they have buy one get one free sales or 1/2 price used games. I'd also consider buying games that you know will trade in for much higher than what you paid for them at the bigger gaming stores. Video Game flipping is one of the easiest things in the world to do to get trade credit for games at one of the big game stores.
Get him a cute apron. You can iron on a picture on something from Hawaii. Also get him some recipes (online)from his home town, good luck.
Hit a used bookstore too--you can pick up lots of titles (especially cookbooks) quite cheaply. If you're set on new books and your husband is an adventurous reader, try doverpublications.com. They have paperback editions of classic books, many for a dollar! The geeks in my life have enjoyed Oscar Wilde, O'Henry, and Saki's work. Dover also has cookbooks though they are typically priced a bit higher.
You could also rent or check out from your local library a movie that you think he'd enjoy and put it in the basket with a note stating that the movie has to be returned, but that he can hang on to you. :)
And I think it's really cool that you're making an Easter basket for your guy. I don't know a lot of women who do that.
If you have DollarTree stores in your area, go and get kitchen tools, towels, pot holders etc, that you do not have, recipe/cookbooks, and DVD"s of old movies or tv shows. $10 will fill a nice basket and you can buy the basket there too.
How about sending a plea to his family members asking for their favorite Hawaiian recipes (let them know that you're compiling them for your sweetheart)? You can then put them on recipe cards, make a simple but elegant "stack" of the cards tied with a ribbon, and make a tag in Hawaiian expressing your love!
My son is 10 yrs old. He loves WWE wrestling more than anything. I need creative ideas on how to make him a wrestling Easter basket. Last year he didn't have a good Easter at all. I have a disabled daughter and I'm a single mother. I promised them I would make it up this year. It's really important because we have no other family. What I get is all they get. Please help me.
By Angela
Well, there are all kinds of wrestling figurines, and they come with a wrestling ring sometimes. Also, maybe you could find some of his favorite wrestlers, then get some info on the wrestler. Hope this helps!
Maybe use a wrestling ring as the basket. Put WWE action figures in the ring along with themed candy. Wrap with cellophane.
I am looking for duck bills/beaks. They are used for making baskets for Easter. I have searched the web and have not found any.
Sarah
Hi! I sell these in my craft shop! contact me off list @
beadlady @ preferred.com. (remove spaces) I have 2 sizes.
Thanks!
Cindy
I bet you could make them easily out of fun foam!
I am trying to find a pattern for an Easter basket made from a 2 liter bottle. The handles and ears are cut from the bottle. Holes are punched in plastic so you can crochet around the bottle. The bunny face is a large pom pom.
By Donna C.
Gallon milk jugs can easily be cut down to make inexpensive Easter baskets. Decorate them to make each one unique. This is a page about recycled milk jug Easter basket.
Tin tubs make wonderful Easter baskets and come in a variety of bright colors. They can be used after the holiday for storage in a bedroom or bathroom.
Gardeners love the spring time, so Easter is a perfect time to give them a gift of flower bulbs. Here are some Easter basket ideas for a gardener in your life.
