Easter Basket Ideas
Easter is such a fun holiday, and every kid loves waking up to find a Easter basket filled with little treats and goodies. Filling Easter baskets does not have to be expensive, look for candy deals with coupons and sales (drug stores like CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid usually have the best deals) and you can get many little inexpensive toys and games at the dollar stores.
Set a budget for each child so that you don’t break the bank and focus on personalizing each child’s Easter basket and gearing it towards your child’s interests and likes. In our family we don’t hunt Easter eggs, but each child gets a basket (or sand bucket, flower pot, beach bag or other fun container) with candy and other goodies. For our family we try to always include something that helps remind our children of the religious meaning of the holiday by including Christian books, music, t-shirts, etc.
This post was originally created in 2012 but has been dusted off and updated with a few more great Easter basket ideas from our readers as well as a few more that have come to me as my own children have grown and their interests have changed.
Here is a list of 200+ Frugal Easter basket ideas:
For children of all ages, from babies, toddlers, small children to teens.
- Action figures
- Address book
- Admission passes to the zoo, water park, children’s museum, etc.
- Annie’s bunny crackers (so cute!)
- Apron
- Army men
- Baby Bib
- Baby blanket (use instead of Easter grass in the bottom of the basket!)
- Baby Bottle
- Baby leggings
- Backpack charm
- Barbie doll
- Barrel of Monkeys
- Baseball or Softball
- Baseball cards
- Bath beads
- Bath fizzes
- Bath puff
- Bath salts
- Bath soap
- Bath toys
- Bathing suit
- Beach towel (use in large basket instead of Easter grass)
- Beach toys
- Beads and string for making own jewelry
- Beef Jerky
- Bento box (like this sweet little piggy or froggy)
- Bible
- Blocks
- Boo-boo bunnie
- Bookmark
- Books (my favorites: Pat the Bunny, Happy Easter Mouse!, Beatrix Potter The Complete Tales, The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story and The Easter Story for Children by Max Lucado)
- Bouncy balls
- Bracelets
- Bubble bath
- Bubbles
- Bug catching kit
- Bunny ears
- Bunny trinket box
- Candy (you can’t go wrong with jelly beans, Peeps and Whopper eggs if you ask me!)
- Card games (like Go Fish or Old Maid)
- Character Band-Aids
- Charger cable identification beads
- Chocolate Easter bunny
- Chopsticks
- Coin purse
- Coins (hidden inside plastic Easter eggs)
- Cologne
- Colored pencils
- Colorful dinner plate
- Colorful erasers
- Colorful socks
- Coloring Books
- Comb
- Comic book
- Compressed towels
- Cookie cutters (for play dough)
- Crayons
- Crazy straws
- Christian T-shirt
- Crocs
- Crossword Puzzles
- Cute shoelaces
- Daily devotionals
- Diary
- Disposable camera
- Dominoes
- Dried fruit
- Duplo blocks
- DVDs
- Earbuds
- Earrings
- Easter pencils
- Easter pens
- Easter Weebles (Weebles wobble, but they don’t fall down!)
- Easy Bake oven mixes
- Electronic travel games
- Fairy wings
- Finger lights
- Finger paints
- Finger puppets
- Flash cards
- Flashlight
- Flip-flops
- Flower seeds
- Foam shapes or stickers
- Fridge magnet toys
- Frisbee
- Fruit snacks
- Fun socks
- Game cartridge or disk for gaming system
- Gardening tools
- Gift cards
- Goldfish crackers
- Granola bars
- Gum
- Hair accessories
- Handheld game
- Harmonica
- Hat
- Headphones
- Homemade cookies
- Homemade coupons (with coupons for things like “choose what’s for dinner, one free ice cream cone, etc.)
- iPod case
- Jacks
- Jewelry
- Journal
- Jump rope
- Kaleidoscope
- Kazoo
- Key-chain
- Kids gardening gloves
- Kids watch
- Kite
- Legos
- Lip balm
- Lip gloss
- Little piggy bank
- Lotion
- Mad libs
- Magazine
- Maracas
- Marbles
- Markers
- Microwave popcorn
- Mini Etch-A-Sketch
- Mini hairbrush
- Mini journal
- Mini tea set
- Mints
- Modeling clay
- Mouse pad
- Music CD’s (such as Baby Einstein: Lullaby Classics for babies)
- My Little Pony
- Nail grooming kit
- Nail polish
- Nail stickers
- Neck tie
- Necklace
- Nightlight
- Noise putty
- Notebook
- Onesie
- Pacifier clip
- Pacifiers
- Patterned duct tape
- Pencil pouch
- Perfume
- Personalized bike license plate
- Personalized stationary
- PEZ dispensers
- Pinwheel
- Play dough
- Play food
- Play money
- Playing cards
- Pocket pack tissues
- Post it notes
- Poster paint
- Prayer book
- Puzzles
- Rattles
- Reading light
- Rice Krispie treats or Popcorn balls
- Rings
- Rubber ducky
- Rubber stamps & ink
- Rubix cube
- Sandals
- Sandbox toys
- Sidewalk chalk
- Sidewalk paint
- Silly Bandz
- Silly String
- Silly putty
- Sippy cup
- Slinky
- Small collapsible umbrella
- Small game
- Small picture frame
- Small purse
- Small stuffed animal (like this Lovey Lamb)
- Soduko Puzzles
- Soft baby spoons
- Spring Pajamas
- Spring scarf
- Squirt guns
- Stickers
- Stuffed animal
- Sudoku puzzles
- Sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Suspenders
- Swim goggles
- Swiss army knife
- Teething ring
- Temporary tattoos
- Thomas the Train engines
- Tiara
- Tickets to a movie or other event
- Toothbrush
- Toy cars
- Toy watering can
- Travel sized toiletries
- Troll doll
- Vegetable seeds
- Wall decals
- Wallet
- Washi tape
- Water balloons
- Water bottle
- Watercolors
- Wii controllers
- Wind-up toys
- Word searches
- X-Box Live membership card
- Yo-yo
- Zipper charms
WHEW!
What do you put in your child’s Easter basket?
You listed goldfish crackers (83). Here’s a cute way to package them up like carrots: http://www.loraleelewis.com/blog/?p=4587
The boo-boo bunnie (26) can also be done up like a chick.
I love going to the international markets and getting unusual candy/cookies/snacks for baskets. The Easter Bunny travels internationally after all. The Asian market, in particular, has some fun shaped or flavored cookies/crackers sold in little boxes.
Those are adorable ideas Penny. I love the boo-boo chicky too. My kids, even though they are older still want a boo-boo bunnie (bunny) when they have a owie. LOL
I love the idea about going to the international markets. We only have a Hispanic market here, I may have to check it out and see what I can find.
This is a great list Heidi! You have something for everybody. 🙂
Thanks Becky, I tried to come up with some things for kids of all ages. So often we see great ideas for the younger kids but I wanted to have some idea for teens too since I know how hard they can be to get excited over an Easter basket. LOL
In an effort to keep my kids healthy (they get plenty of candy from everwwhere else,) I try to fill their baskets with “active” toys. Jump ropes, balls, I have put silly string in so I could watch them chase each other with the cans. My favorite thing to put in their baskets is home made coupons. They will say something like “Go outside to play intstead of cleaning my room. Good for 1 use.” or ‘I get to choose supper. Must be presented to mom in the morning or day before chosen meal to ensure menu. Good for 1 use.” Of course there is always 1 for free hugs and kisses!
Great ideas mlw1ofakind, thanks for sharing. I cannot believe I left off silly string! My kids love that stuff too.
Toddler:
My son is 22 months old and I have in his Easter basket
a toy wound up chic
toy car
play water pail
chalk
stamp car set
marshmallow soccer sucker
big can of bubbles
I left it in his rocking chair for him to find in the morning. Happy Easter!
I love your list. Always nice to see people going beyond candy. My 12 year old gets beef jerky in her basket every year. It’s the thing she looks forward to most. We also have a 3 year old who adores fruit snacks and is really hoping they’ll end up in her basket. These special occasion foods make the holiday special.
Hi Crystal, I am so happy you enjoy the list. Jerky is a great addition. My 15 year old daughter loves that stuff as an occasional treat, I think I may include some in her basket this year! Brilliant! And fruit snacks is a great idea too. I love real fruit snacks, those are both great ideas! Thanks!
Heidi,
Fantastic list of ideas.
This is so helpful since I sometimes stand in the store looking at all the stuff and can now prepare a list of ideas that I wound not have normally thought of.
I thought cookie-cutters for Play-Doh was a great idea; clicked on Play-Doh in your list and found your great blog on making your own homemade Play-Doh recipe https://www.hotcouponworld.com/the-best-homemade-play-dough-recipe/
I will be trying this recipe when the kids come to visit for sure.
Glad you enjoyed the list East Coast Angel and the homemade play dough is the best! Of course store bought works too.