Easter is right around the corner, and if you’re like us, you have a love-hate relationship with Easter baskets…we LOVE the opportunity to gift our kids with fun, spring-time items…but we hate the thought of another round of sugar-induced crazies (didn’t we JUST have Valentine’s Day??).
Have no fear! We’ve scoured the toy stores and searched the internet to put together baskets for your littles, middles, and teens. The best part is: none of these gifts will cause a sugar crash!
LITTLES: SENSORY AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS
We LOVE this basked, 100% curated from ABC Toy Zone in Chanhassen, MN (they also have a Rochester, MN location). The Plus Plus building bricks are an award-winning toy that will keep your preschoolers/kindergartners busy for hours…try filling your Easter eggs with individual pieces of these bricks, and when your kids are done with their hunt, they’ll have a figure to assemble! Small containers of scented dough, “SCENTOS,” can be stuffed inside jumbo eggs as well. This lavender-scented Warmies bunny can be heated up in the microwave and used as a weighted comfort animal, while the Playfoam Pals encourage fine-motor skill development as your preschooler digs through the foam for the surprise inside! Lastly, these color-your-own fabric Easter Eggs will outlast your dyed eggs, again encouraging creativity and motor skill development.
MIDDLES: CREATIVITY
Our basket for “middles,” or elementary school-aged children, is so fun! The TOP hit in this basket is the My Audio Pet bluetooth speaker, one of Oprah’s Favorite Things 2 years in a row. We first found it on Amazon, but they have it at ABC, too! These give you a BIG sound in a speaker the size of a golf ball! With a 4-hour run time when fully charged, the stage will be set for your middle kiddo to engage in creative play. With so many animals to choose from, you’ll want to collect the whole gang–they are SO cute!! We also included the Wee Enchanted Fairy Garden from Michaels. This is also an award winning toy that comes with everything you need to create your own fairy world from the pot, to the paint, to the glitter, fairy, toadstools, seeds and soil! All you need to do is decorate it and add water. Lastly, a Lego Animal book (build your own lego animals!!) and an Extreme Dot to Dot (both available at ABC Toy Zone) round out this basket.
TEENS: ACCESSORIES AND NECESSITIES
Ahhh teens. They need everything at this age: clothing and accessories often topping the list! Treat them to bath bombs from Da Bomb and throw in the matching book–it’ll teach them a thing or two about entrepreneurship! Wireless earbuds are always on a teen’s list, and wild-patterned socks from Express and Old Navy are a huge hit with teenage boys right now. Toss in a pair of flip-flops, and he’ll be good to go. Your teenage daughter will LOVE this bath towel from OpalHouse at Target, and a few face masks will keep her skin glowy for spring.
Of course, we can’t ignore the fact that SOME Easter Candy is a fun and necessary part of childhood…we recommend Reese’s Eggs. They’ve got a great peanut butter to chocolate ratio. Might as well buy an extra bag for yourself!!
Happy Easter basket shopping!
Amy and Jen
xoxo
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