For the Toddler Easter Basket

Easter is just around the corner and I have been busy getting Madeline’s Easter basket ready. I ordered the monogrammed Easter basket below for her when I was in labor in the hospital. It is from Etsy and we plan to use it every year. This year, now that she is a little bit older, I am going to start the tradition of putting it out empty for her the night before Easter so that the Easter Bunny can fill it when he comes.

This year I started giving Madeline’s Easter basket a little more thought because I feel like it starts to set the precedent for years going forward. It feels like she just had Christmas and she did just have a birthday so I didn’t want to go overboard and I really don’t like her to have candy or sweets. Back at Christmas, I shared mine and Corey’s decision about how we will handle Santa gifts in our home and I was recently reading an article about raising grateful children in today’s society. One of the things it recommended when gifting was to gift your child something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read and then leave it at that. I loved that recommendation and divided up my ideas for Easter basket goodies into those categories.

Hide and Squeak Eggs // Laugh and Learn Garden  //  Garden Tote //  Barnyard Bath Toys // Egg Chalk

Madeline got the Hide and Squeak Eggs from the Easter Bunny last year and the Laugh and Learn Garden and garden tote for a few other occasions throughout the last year and she loves them all. The eggs are so versatile and Madeline has used them throughout the year to practice fine motor skills, colors, shapes, and pretend play in her kitchen. She loves the little songs and dancing flowers in the garden toy and being a helper outside with her own little gardening tools. I feel like bath toys are always a fun toy and its nice to change them out every so often so they don’t get gross. I think the barnyard ones are so fun for spring and the egg chalk will be fun to color in the driveway when the weather starts to get nice.

Jelly Sandals // Native Shoes // Watermelon Swimsuit //Paw Patrol Swimsuit 

This time of year Madeline is in need of warm weather shoes and a new swimsuit since she has grown so much since last year. She had those jelly sandals in several colors last year and I’ve already purchased her two new pairs and will slip one into her Easter basket. I love them because they can get wet or muddy and go with everything. I love Natives, too, for many of the same reasons and these are available in plenty of boy and girl colors. I caught a cute toddler swimsuit sale on Zulily recently and ordered Madeline two new suits for the summer but I am loving the watermelon suit above, too. I know all of our little boy friends would love the paw patrol swim trunks and I think I am going to pick them up for a little buddy’s birthday.

Rainbow Dress // Bunny Dress // Boy’s Duck Shirt // Girl’s 5 Piece Pajamas // Boy’s 5 Piece Pajamas  

I recently found the cutest brand of toddler clothing on Amazon that reminds me so much of Baby Boden without the price tag. I love these two little casual dresses and the boy’s shirt comes in a multitude of patterns. Madeline has really hit a growth spurt lately so we have pajamas on our list, too.

Llama Llama book // Peppa Pig Book // Old Lady Book // God Gave Us Easter // Biscuit Easter Book

We are always adding books to Madeline’s little library. I got the Peppa book for her this year for her Easter basket with a Peppa coloring and sticker book. I also think the God Gave Us Easter book is just so sweet.

Some other ideas I have for little fillers are a fresh pack of triangle crayons, a pack or two of play doh, a bag of water beads, Annie’s cheddar bunny crackers, or a new tooth brush with one of Madeline’s favorite characters (either Daniel Tiger or Peppa) on it.

What are your favorite ideas for Easter baskets for the little ones?