Top Ten Tuesday: Creative Easter Basket Ideas

I remember looking forward to my Easter Basket with nearly the same anticipation as birthday presents or Santa’s treasures under the tree. I think my kids do, as well. While an Easter Basket filled with chocolate bunnies and jelly beans may be traditional, over the years, I’ve tried to tap into what the kids are interested in at that time and build a theme-basket as unique as each of them. Sure, I include a few special treats that they can choose from their basket as dessert each night, but since I don’t want Easter candy lasting until Memorial Day, our baskets are filled with things that get the kids excited for spring adventures of all sorts.

Here are some of my favorite ideas for theme baskets:

With spring break generally following the Easter Sunday, Beach Baskets have been a huge hit with our kids. Brand new shovels and pails, a new bathing suit, flip flops and sun glasses fill the basket with color and fun just in time for our trip to Naples.

Book Baskets are also a hit for travelers. I know the kids love ipads and reading apps, but, there’s nothing like cracking the binding on a brand new book. Spring and Easter-themed books, new chart-toppers, and old classics always make the cut.

A Garden Grower’s Basket is perfect heading into the new season. Little garden gloves, a shovel, hoe, seed packets, and pruning shears giving digging in the dirt new purpose (and after this winter we can use all the help in the yard we can get!).

For the budding artist, you can’t beat an Art-themed basket. My little Picasso never tires of fresh paints, brushes, new markers and crayons – and if you pick up value-packs of canvas at your local craft store your home can benefit from the fruit of your littles’ labors!

For sports lovers, a sports-themed basket is a real winner! Heading into spring, stuff the basket with new golf and tennis balls, a new cap, sporty socks, gloves, and maybe even tickets to a local team’s game!

My niece loves to bake, and filling a basket with all she needs to make and decorate cupcakes is far more of a treat than something that’s already prepared. The baking aisles at HomeGoods or TJ Maxx have adorable cupcake liners, decorating candies, and even adorable kid-sized aprons and oven mitts to make the perfect Baker’s Basket!

If you have a baby-lover in your brood, you can’t go wrong with everything the little mommy needs in a Baby Basket! My girls go bananas for some “real” mommy items – so I buy a pack of preemie diapers, real burp cloths, a few pacifiers and bottles, and my girls are in mommy-heaven! You can even use a basket that can double as a bassinette or Moses bed!

If you have a science lover, then go for a Bug-A-Boo Basket stocked with everything your entomologist will need to find, catch and observe insects! A net, magnifying glass, binoculars, even a terrarium make for great tools in the yard. And never underestimate the hours of fascination (for children and adults alike!) an ant farm can elicit.

Puzzles are critically important for developing thinking, problem-solving and motor skills. Introduce them young and continually increase the challenge until the whole family can participate! A Puzzle-filled Basket may be perfect for those rainy spring days!

Taking a road trip for spring break? Fill the basket with everything the kids will need to sty happy on the road. Hand-held games, a clipboard with pre-printed games (check out our post on old-school car games for links to printables), individually packaged snacks, a new DVD, audiobooks, and more! The journey can be as much fun as the destination with a Road Trip Basket!

Have fun creating a basket that’s as unique as each of your little bunnies!

~Monica