Archives for March 2015

This post contains affiliate links for some our favorite basket fillers.

Our Easter celebrations have very little to do with the Easter Bunny these days, but my kids still enjoy getting a basket filled with goodies. I realized several years ago, when we only had 4 littles, that I could not keep up with the expense & sheer quantity of little junky trinkets that went along with filling traditional baskets.

I decided to switch to one family basket instead. I think our first one was in a wicker laundry basket. (And yes, I had to dump the laundry out to use it!) The beauty of this is that I can fill the basket with larger items for the entire group. I usually try to stick with things that can be played with outside. Last year, I bought a big colorful tub for our Easter basket that we then used on the patio to store the outdoor toys.

Outside Play Ideas:

• jump ropes
• bubbles
• bubble machine
• kites
• sidewalk chalk
• Crayola Sidewalk paint
• water guns
• Nerf Firevision football
• frisbees
• balls

Some years we go with nature-themed items like a backyard bug vacuum. And we still talk about the year we got a live butterfly garden. Check Dollar Tree (or probably any dollar store) for bug houses, butterfly nets, magnifiers, and more.

All these toys were from the Target toy clearance sale!

More Dollar Store Ideas for the Family:

• jacks
• play dough
• glow sticks
• silly putty
• hula hoops
• pool toys
• gardening tools
• stickers
• puzzles
• coloring books

Each child also gets a chocolate cross or bunny, then I add a few other candies like Peeps and their favorite jelly beans. In addition, I try to pick up a couple of things in the after-Christmas clearance sales. Stocking stuffers work great for Easter baskets if you take them out of the packaging.

On years when we have some extra $$, I throw in a movie or game. A dig through the $5 bin at Walmart can turn up some classics.

A Few of Our Favorite Movies:

• The Princess Bride
• Ever After
• Despicable Me
• Meet the Robinsons

Games We Love:

• Settlers of Catan
• Apples to Apples Junior
• In A Pickle
• Jenga

I can put together a large basket for under $25 and my kiddos love it. That is less than $5 per child, which wouldn’t go very far in an individual basket.

My favorite thing about changing to one basket is that it emphasizes something very important to our family –> that we share with each other and enjoy life together!

Do you have an Easter basket for each child, or one for the whole family?

What do you typically put in yours?

Click Here for More Large Family Easter Basket Filler Ideas

Follow Amy T @ Are We There Yet?’s board Easter on Pinterest.