Easter baskets

[ProudGrandma]

What do you put in your kid's Easter Baskets??

[HollyDay]

Their favorite candy, a piece of jewelry, maybe some bookmarks. This year I'm going to get them some "fancy pretty pencils" because we can never seem to find any!

[Harriet Vane]

One or two pieces of candy and a book that is relevant to their spiritual journey. Often there are one or two other odds-an-ends. Those are just whatever I feel like. For example, this year I am throwing in some nifty pencils and paper. I keep the baskets simple.

[Parrothead]

1 chocolate bunny

A handful of chocolate candy

A handful of jelly beans

1 craft

1 religious item - this year I'm aiming for her patron saint medal

1 book

[Pajama Mama]

I usually put some jelly belly jellybeans and some of the kids favorite candies. Each basket also gets a new DVD. I started this years ago and it has become a tradition. I usually also give each of them a movie in their stocking for Christmas. 3 movies each Easter and 3 for each Christmas has built up our DVD collection.

[Melinda in VT]

At our house, Easter baskets are empty until you fill them with your loot from the Easter egg hunt.

 

Do those of you who do filled baskets also hunt Easter eggs? Real eggs only or real and candy mixed?

[Samiam]

Our baskets are usually overloaded.

 

An outfit of clothing, a DVD movie, a toy (usually in $20 range), and usually one "theme" item. One year, they all received fishing poles, another year sandals, one year kites and can't remember beyond that. Also will do candy: one chocolate bunny, and then whatever else looks interesting to me.

 

We do usually do a egg hunt,but but that's just for fun. Sometimes we do a Scavenger Hunt with the eggs, that leads to the baskets.

[jenn1129]

We decorate Easter eggs the night before and have a hunt on Easter.

 

As for baskets, we try not to overdo it. This year, they are getting a little bit of candy, bubbles, and 1 small gift/toy. Hubby and I also made up 5 coupons for our olders to redeem at will. For example, one is for a banana split at Dairy Queen. One is hang out with mom, away from home, doing your fave thing with no other siblings. Another is movie night w/ the works(we don't normally watch TV or movies).

[paojava]

We usually do a bunny, favorite candies, a toy, a book or movie, and whatever else I find at the store. I make one for my son and one for my hubby. Sometimes I even get one from them...hahaha.

 

This year I am also making ones for my 2 nephews also--ages 5 mos and 2 years.

[laughing lioness]

The baskets are usually filled with a Christian CD or book and candy, small goofy stuff like bouncy balls and cool pencils.

The HUNT is the fun thing around here. My dh and I hide dozens of eggs- hardboiled (that we've spent an afternoon decorating) and plastic (with candy) high, low and in-between. All the kids participate (even the 23 yo when she's home) - it's a battle of wits. How cleverly can we hide; how quickly can they discover. We've done it inside and out (we sometimes have freezing weather and snow) and set parameters so the younger kids get a chance to fill their baskets too. We've done it every year, and have included cousins when they've visited, and g'parents. It's a blast.

[Chris in VA]

Easter candy to symbolize the Sweetness of Christ

Sometimes small gifties from their grandma--Easter pencils or something like that

 

We have an Easter Egg hunt at church--plastic eggs w/o candy in them (has to be something else--stickers, erasers, etc).

We dye our own eggs on Holy Saturday and make coffee filter butterflies with the dye, also--these I hang around the dining room chandelier to decorate for the next day.

[AlmiraGulch]

We do usually do a egg hunt,but but that's just for fun. Sometimes we do a Scavenger Hunt with the eggs, that leads to the baskets.

 

I've always wanted to do this but I can't figure out how! Would you share what you do for your scavenger hunt? My kids would love this.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Jelly Bellies (with plenty of black ones for Mom), some chocolate eggs, a spiritual book and something fun - like a book or dvd they have always wanted. This year will be tough - first of all, I am on weight watchers and really need to stay on the low-sugar bandwagon (or you may find me in the gutter eating Jelly Belly beans out of a paper bag.) Second, our ministry scheduler did not read the part about scheduling our family WITH THE CHILDREN'S CHOIR, so part of the family will have to serve 7:30 AM mass and part of our family will be helping with the choir at 9 AM mass. Why couldn't they schedule someone without children for that one?

[TravelingChris]

Thanks so much for this thread. I have so much on my plate including both weekends before Easter being debate tournaments and my dh will be out of town (and out of the country). This week we have National Building Museum fieldtrip with building a geodesic dome, Porgy and Bess Opera performance, regular co-op, sign- up for soccer, hair appointment, End of the year party for Odyssey of the Mind, and Military ball. But this will be a fun thing for me to do sometime in between. It may very well be the last time I have all three kids together for Easter and the second to the last time for the middle. I am going to try to make it very fun.

 

Now what should I do? I think chocolate eggs, chocolate bunny, jelly beans, CD (which they won't expect at all), and maybe jewelry or a figurine for the girls and I am not yet sure what for the boy.

[ProudGrandma]

thanks for the great ideas....I never want to overdo the baskets and take the focus off Christ and put it on the goodies...but a basket of goodies are always fun too.

 

Kathy

[BikeBookBread]

Jelly beans or Jelly Bellies, Peeps (it isn't Easter without them...) and a couple of Cadbury Creme eggs. Last year I crocheted amigurumi for each girl: a bunny with a carrot, and a ducky/chicky (they always look the same to me) on a little nest with eggs. They are really easy to do, and turned out SO cute. Here is a link for you crochet-minded people. The pattern pack is $5 on Etsy. Here are pictures from my blog of my completed projects.

[Cera]

For candy they get a chocolate bunny, a cadbury egg and a handful of jelly beans and gummy bunnies.

 

They also each get a couple of books, a dvd or book on cd, a small jewelry item in an egg and 2 or three little toys (this year it is a walkie talkie each and a pair of calico critters).

 

We hide the baskets and the kids do an egg treasure hunt to find them. The first egg is in plain sight by their bedroom door and contains a clue to the second egg, etc. We usually hide 10 eggs each (the 10th egg being the jewelry egg in their baskets).

[SonshineLearner]

Last year I crocheted amigurumi for each girl: a bunny with a carrot, and a ducky/chicky (they always look the same to me) on a little nest with eggs. They are really easy to do, and turned out SO cute.

 

Ok, so I've crocheted a bit... how long did they take... and how simple??

 

:)

[Corraleno]

Here are pictures from my blog of my completed projects.

Those are soooo cute!!! I don't have time to knit things between now & Easter, but I may do something similar with socks ~ I have a book somewhere about making little critters with socks & buttons and stuff.

 

When they were younger I would buy 10-12 small items for each kid, identical except for color ~ all of DS's things were green, and DD's were purple. Things like bubbles, koosh ball, scented eraser, etc. I'd take a photo of each child's set of items and print it out for them as a visual "list" and then they ran around the house finding all the items. When they'd found everything on the list, they got their basket.

 

Now that they're older, it's harder to find matching things that both would like, so we hide plastic eggs. DS12's eggs are shaped like dinosaur heads and are filled with things like a lego minifig, a fossil shark tooth, plastic frogs, etc., and DD7's are swirly pastel eggs with lip balm, plastic jewelry, doll accessories, etc. A few of their eggs will also have jelly beans inside. Their baskets usually have toys, sugarless gum, and a few bits of chocolate. Instead of the big chocolate rabbit in the middle, DS usually gets a giant plastic bug and DD gets a Beanie Baby.

 

Jackie

[Baseball mom]

Get every year in basket

Chocolate bunny (small $1 hollow one)

Reese's eggs (buy 1 bag and split between the 2 of them)

Jelly beans (just a few -- mom gets the rest :D )

Package of Peeps

Beef Jerky (they really like it but don't get it often -- also helps balance sweets :lol:)

Hot wheel type car

 

Reese's, jelly beans and any other small candy is put in the colored plastic eggs. Oh the cars are too. That way the basket looks really full but really isn't.

 

Stuff from past years

Other candies

Outdoor stuff (frisbee, water gun, bubbles, sidewalk chalk etc)

DS game (if I find them cheap)

Wireless controller for ps2 (one year)

 

Shared items -- sat between baskets

DVD

PS2 or Wii game

Sheets (yep bed sheets -- found a cool set they were wanting on clearence one year so the Easter bunny brought them ;))

[kindermommy]

We do:

 

*something to eat (candy)

*someting to make (craft, model kit)

*something they just enjoy (small toy-under $5-of a character they like)

*something to share/do with family (this year each will get a board game - last year was zoo passes)

 

DD will get:

m&m's (to eat)

potholder loom set (to make)

"kelly" doll (Barbie's little sister) (to enjoy)

monopoly board game (to play with family)

 

 

DS will get:

m&m's (to eat)

small star wars lego set (to make)

bakugan single toy (to enjoy)

Pictureka board game (to play with family)

[Jan in SC]

We just have some candy and small toys in our baskets.

 

My mom used to make these awesome sugar string eggs with us. I think the string was colored and wrapped around a balloon and then you can pop the balloon. We made all different sizes.

 

Sadly, I have a couple of guys with latex allergies, so we avoid this craft.

[BeckyFL]

Our baskets have candy (different kids like different kinds) and a game or movie or Christian book or CD. We color eggs and have a race to see who can get the most. Winner usually gets $1 (now that they are teens, they STILL race around for this amount if you can believe it). Something we've added that is really fun is a dog treat hunt. We hide treats and let the dog hunt them (confined to living room). FUN!

[BikeBookBread]

Ok, so I've crocheted a bit... how long did they take... and how simple??

 

:)

 

It is SO SO SO EASY. I am not an advanced crocheter, but if you know how to do single crochet in a circle, and you have a stitch marker (or you can use a piece of thread), then you can do it. If I recall, the instructions that I bought on Etsy were VERY good. Seems like the bunny took about 2 hours total (including stuffing and sewing together), the eggs maybe 20 minutes each, and the nest and carrot about 30 minutes each. The hardest part was figuring out which hook I wanted to use to make sure the stitches were tight! (I'm a very loose crocheter.) I found the safety eyes at Joann Fabric; Michael's did not have them at the time.

 

Go to the Lion Brand Yarn website for additional instructions (and lots of free patterns, too), as they have great instructions. Search "amigurumi" in the patterns. There are some great Ami books at the library, too. "Kyuuto!" gives great instructions. Here's a link to a bunch of them on Amazon.

[Kimm in WA]

I'd appreciate ideas for older kiddos. I have 3 teenage boys - 16, 14, 14...and the twins' birthday is ON Easter this year.

 

TIA!

Kimm

[lynn]

I'd appreciate ideas for older kiddos. I have 3 teenage boys - 16, 14, 14...and the twins' birthday is ON Easter this year.

 

TIA!

Kimm

 

For my 2 teen boys and dh I get them a solid hershey bunny or egg and hide it on them:D (they still like to hunt for it) I will also make a basket of cadbury eggs, robin eggs, dove chocoate eggs, peeps and brach jelly beans for them and dh. For my 2 little ones, I put a chocolate bunny, and various candies and find some fun things(this year I found carebare items for dd), small toys, chalk, lego sets, pez dispensers etc. We also color eggs to hide along with the plastic ones that I fill with candy for them to hunt.

[lynn]

I'd appreciate ideas for older kiddos. I have 3 teenage boys - 16, 14, 14...and the twins' birthday is ON Easter this year.

 

TIA!

Kimm

 

 

I have a friend who has older children and she found some paper mache eggs, one for each child, and fills with candies and money and hides them on her kids. She said her kids look forward to getting to her house to find their eggs.

[jujsky]

Candy, books, and usually a small toy. This year they're getting spoiled! DS is getting roller blades (in a box under his basket) and DD is getting an American Girl dress and accessory set. We wanted to make the gifts somewhat equal value.

[CalicoKat]

Polly pockets for the girls, zuh zhu pet for each of the three older kids, a My Little Pony for my baby girl, new crocs for all, a kite, chocolates & gummies from Trader Joes, matchbox cars for the boys, a new Bible, and a new toothbrush. We also do a scavenger hunt that leads to their baskets.

Edited March 14, 2010 by CalicoKat

[cougarmom4]

We do just candy & a few little things (like matchbox cars or pencils).

 

But here's a fun thing we did a few years ago:

We had a huge egg hunt with the cousins. There were a total of 8 kids. SIL and I prepared an equal number of 8 colored plastic eggs w/candy and coins inside. Then each kid got a specific colored basket and was told to collect only eggs of that color. (I think we had to have a light blue and a dark blue to get to 8 colors...red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, purple, pink).

 

It took a little of the competition out of it...which was our goal. :D Everyone was happy...and we could tailor the eggs to each person. So the toddlers got appropriate things and the olders got a few with quarters or even a dollar bill.

 

Anyway, my kids loved it and so we've continued the color theme just for our family, too. We do hide the hard-boiled eggs we've colored (we make sure to count them...so we make sure we find them all!). We typically do the easter egg hunt the Saturday before Easter--and then focus more on Sunday the religious side of the holiday for us.

 

Thanks for the thread...I haven't even thought about getting any candy yet! And it will be here, soon!

[Guest]

I'd appreciate ideas for older kiddos. I have 3 teenage boys - 16, 14, 14...and the twins' birthday is ON Easter this year.

 

TIA!

Kimm

 

We've got a birthday on Easter this year (and a different one on Easter next year!) and that's kind of made me re-think all of our normal plans....

 

Thanks for this thread with some good ideas!

[Orthodox6]

Ours differ from the general run of baskets, because we are Russian Orthodox. Pascha baskets are filled with all the foods which we have not eaten at all during Holy Week and the forty days preceding that. Thus we end up with a splendid assortment of meats, cheeses, butter, eggs, and many of the delicious foods made from the foregoing ! As DH is Greek, I bake tsoureki (the Greek sweet bread -- challah is, perhaps, the closest "relative" among breads) and koulouria (the Greek butter cookies). A bottle of good wine or spirits for the adults. Candy for kids.

 

The dc already are asking what we shall have for this year. . . . :)

[angela in ohio]

our usual basket:

 

book

bookmark

pens/pencils/markers

chocolate bunny

eggs filled with jelly beans

gift card or cash