How to Tackle Easter from a Toddler Mama [Toddler Easter Basket Ideas + Fun Activities]
From unique Easter basket gift ideas to fun Easter activities for kids, we’ve got everything you need for the best spring celebration ever!
The key to a successful Easter with young children is preparation, flexibility, and focusing on the joy of the moment. Whether it’s by making the perfect toddler Christmas basket, engaging in fun activities, or simply enjoying the beauty of spring together, there are many ways to make this Easter memorable. Let’s explore how to create a magical Easter experience for your children.
The Guide to Easter with a Toddler
1. Making the Perfect Toddler Easter Basket
When it comes to Easter baskets, the goal is to make your baby happy while also keeping things practical and minimal in sugar (something I’ve learned is important while raising 6 kids!). Here are 10 non-candy Easter basket gift ideas that are sure to be a hit:
10 Non-Candy Easter Basket Gift Ideas
- Art Supplies: Stock up on crayons, coloring books, and paint dotters.
- Pool Toys: Dive sticks, beach balls, and goggles will make a splash.
- Bubbles: Always a favorite for outdoor fun.
- Easter Books: A great way to wind down after a day of gaming.
- Game use: Velcro catch games, water bottles, and cones for the little athlete.
- Bath Toys: Color-changing bathwater tablets and bubble baths make cleaning fun.
- Play-Doh: Include both dough and accessories for creative play.
- Hair Accessories: For little ones who love to dress up.
- Kites: Perfect for a breezy spring day.
- Lego Sets or Small Toy Figures: For imaginative play.
- Outdoor Toys: Think sidewalk chalk and yo-yo.
- Spring clothes and Comfy PJs: Brands like MORI and Hanna Andersson offer adorable options.
What’s in My Toddler’s Easter Basket This Year:
The Way of the Big Toy
I love making a “big” toy the main thing in the Easter Basket, instead of filling it full of trinkets.
This simply means adding a “big” toy as the main item in the Easter basket. This approach cuts down on clutter and ensures that the gift is meaningful. Fisher Price toys are a fantastic option, known for their durability and ability to engage and entertain children.
This adorable tea set is a great example of what to include as a “great gift”. Liv wanted it to spark her imagination. He had an impromptu tea (and coffee) party with us and also his favorite stuffed animals.
2. Get attention Easter Activities for Your Toddler
Continue the celebration with activities that are both fun and educational. From Cool Whip dyed eggs and Easter tower STEM challenges to sensory bins, and egg stamping with potatoes, there’s no shortage of ways to engage your toddler’s curiosity and creativity.
Cool Whip Dyed Eggs
Simply spread cool whip (or shaving cream) on a baking sheet, put food coloring on top using different colors in different sections. Next, take a straw and blend to create a tie-dyed look.
Roll an egg into the cold whip on one side, then flip and finish on the other side. Let it dry for 10-12 minutes and then rinse.
Easter Tower STEM Challenge
If you’re looking for an educational yet simple Easter activity, this idea is perfect! You can do a lot more with plastic Easter eggs than just fill them with candy for an egg hunt. A good option is to separate the plastic top of the egg from the bottom. Then give them to your child and let them build towers with the egg pieces.
Children will build several towers and soon realize that by stacking all the tops or all the bottoms they are able to create the best towers. This is a fun and educational Easter activity that toddlers will love.
Spring Garden Sensory Activity
Sensory bins are always a favorite in our home. They offer opportunities for young children to explore touch, sight, sound, and smell. Plus, many kids like to get their hands in there and feel all the different textures too.
For this activity, you will need a rubber bin or cardboard to hold everything, brown rice to act as compost/soil (shredded brown paper or brown pasta also works), some shovels, plastic pots gardening, real carrots etc… Your child will have a blast and you will get some time to relax. It’s a win/win!
Experiment with Jelly Bean
I like to use some of the candy in our house at Easter time in ways other than food. That usually involves using pieces of candy in our artwork but another fun idea is to use them for your own simple science experiments. For this experiment, just let your child sort the jelly beans by color.
Then you put 3 jelly beans of each color in a small bowl and fill with different liquids. We chose warm water, vinegar, club soda, and salt water.
Let the beans sit for a full day and check them periodically to see if there are any changes. Kids love to guess which liquid will make the biggest impact.
Egg Stamping Using Potatoes
This might be my all-time favorite Easter craft for Toddlers. This is a simple craft and you probably already have everything you need at home to make it. The parents simply cut off the bottom of some potatoes. Then cut the ridges off the potato. Straight lines, squiggly lines use your imagination.
Once the potatoes are sliced, simply place them on a covered table with some finger paint and let your child stamp. They came out so cute!
3. Healthy and Happy Easter Snacks
Easter treats don’t have to be all sugar. Here are some healthy, fun options:
- Bunny Pancakes: Use a bunny-shaped mold or cookie cutter to make the pancakes look like bunnies. Garnish with banana slices for the ears and blueberries for the eyes.
- Carrot Patch Hummus: Fill a small pot with hummus and place the carrot sticks vertically to resemble a carrot patch. Add bell pepper slices for added color.
- Egg Shaped Fruit Salad: Cut melon, pineapple, and other hard fruits into egg shapes using cookie cutters. Mix for a festive fruit salad.
- Easter Bunny Sandwiches: Use a bunny shaped cookie cutter to make fun sandwiches. Fill with your baby’s favorite spreads or cold cuts.
- Vegetable Rabbit Plate: Arrange the sliced vegetables on a plate in the shape of a rabbit. Use sliced cucumber for the body, cherry tomatoes for the tail, and carrot sticks for the ears.
- Rabbit Shaped Rice: Mold cooked rice into small rabbit shapes using plastic wrap or a mold. Add small pieces of seaweed or olives for the eyes and nose.
- Sweet Potato Bunnies: Cut the sweet potato into thin slices and use a bunny cookie cutter to shape them. Grilled until crispy for a healthy snack.
- Cheese and Crackers Chicks: Use a chick-shaped cookie cutter to cut slices of cheese. Serve with crackers and use olive pieces for the eyes.
- Mini Carrot Cakes: Bake mini carrot cakes or muffins and top with a small dollop of cream cheese frosting, garnished with a small piece of fresh carrot on top.
- Bunny Tail Trail Mix: Mix together popcorn, yogurt-coated raisins, mini marshmallows, and cereal for a sweet and salty snack mix.
- Cucumber Flowers and Cheese: Use flower-shaped cookie cutters to cut slices of cucumber and cheese. Stack them together and secure with a small piece of pretzel stick.
4. Planning Your Day
This is roughly the schedule we follow to keep the day balanced and enjoyable:
- morning: Discover the Easter basket and enjoy a special bunny breakfast.
- Mid Morning: Get organized with an Easter book.
- Lunch: Offer healthy food with an Easter twist.
- afternoon: Choose an outdoor activity and have an Easter Egg Hunt.
- night: Relax in the bath with new toys, followed by a bedtime story.
Focus on the shared laughs, the inevitable messes, and the precious moments of connection. This guide is designed to help you navigate Easter with ease, ensuring a celebration that’s fun for your baby and manageable for you. Here’s to an Easter filled with joy, wonder, and family time.
We want to know! What are your favorite Easter activities for kids?
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Amber is the CEO and mom in charge of Rookie Moms! She is raising six amazing people and has been through a lot as a mom including high risk pregnancies (preeclampsia, HELLP syndrome), adoption, navigating special needs, working from home, and more. Now he’s on a mission to pass on the knowledge he’s learned… from one mama to another!
