What are you putting in your toddler's Easter basket?

[daisymommy]

For those of you who are doing a basket for your toddler/child, what will you put in it? I know Joshua won't even understand at this age what in the world an Easter basket is, I thought it would make for cute pictures :)

So far, I have:
PBK soft ducky basket knock-off (from Target)
Touch-and-feel bunny board book
Little chick toy that chirps when sat in the palm of your hand
Plastic eggs...but what do I put in them?

Any other festive toddler ideas? It's harder when you can't load it full of jelly-beans and candy! And I'm frightened to put that messy plastic grass in it!

[mharling]

We have the egg shakers that we use in music class. I found them at a local music store. Don't know what else!!

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[starrynight]

Target's ad this week has fp little people easter figures for $4.99 so I think I will get those,some bubbles, a board book and probably a stuffed bunny or something.

[redhookmom]

My DD is just about he same age as your DS.

I plan on putting wool balls, lacing cards, Stockmar crayons, a spring hat and animal sound blocks in her basket. That is if I can resist giving them to her before Easter.

I have been trying to figure out what to put in the plastic eggs as well. It seems anything that would fit would be a choking hazard. So far I have thought of bendy dolls, matchbox cars, goldfish, raisens.

[MelissaTC]

I bought DS a play-doh basket with 50 pieces (something like 8 dohs and the rest are tools) for 9.99 at BIG LOTS.

Now, our garage is filled with goodies he hasn't been given yet like the FP zoo train, airport, Little Tikes workshop (think that will be his 2nd b-day gift), magic sound blocks, a Disney cd, and more that I can not think of right now. We haven't decided what to give him but we are leaning towards the train since his obsession with trains grows more and more each day...

[ChicagoMama]

Sand toys and a battery-operated bubble sprayer. And some alphabet mega bloks shaped like a train.
Becky

Mama to DDs Shelby 09/19/02 and Sydney 10/16/03

[HGraceMom]

crayons & other arts & crafts items

remember those little wind-up chicks, bunnies, etc. that do backflips? My mom found a mother duck that pulls 3 little chicks along behind her - DD is going to LOVE it

maybe a cd of new music (she likes "MY OWN" in the car)

stickers, stickers & more stickers

Can't wait to go to the dollar store for other ideas... the $2 gifts are always the biggest hits!

[Kimberly H]

Mia LOVES her shaker eggs!!! I might have to get some more to put in her basket.

[Kimberly H]

I'm on the lookout for the fuzzy cotton-like grass. I think I saw it at the dollar store long before I was ready to think about Easter baskets! If I can't find any, tissue paper here I come...

[JulieL]

I bought beach toys from Target, and a bug catcher! Gotta love havin little ones!

[leanng]

What great ideas!!

So far I have splurged and bought Alex the PBKids easter basket w/ the embroidered liner. I'm planning on filling it with a number of Easter-themey books, a chirping bunny I bought on clearance after last Easter, and eggs. I plan on filling his eggs with an assortment of things. I'll probably be 'good' and put some cheerios in a few but I also have picked up some teeny tiny gummy bears, sour patch kids (DS LOVES these!), and possibly some peeps cut up. I know it's a lot of sugar but I come from a long line of sugar-a-holics! :) I figure spread out over a few days, it won't be soo bad.

I also like the LP Easter figures but am trying to be good and wait until they're on clearance after Easter.

LeAnn
Mom to Alex 11/12/02

[stillplayswithbarbies]

Logan is getting a bunch of my favorite candies, which I will eat for her. And a Little People Easter thing from Target. And probably a stuffed bunny of some kind.

I have never used the easter grass, it just makes a big mess. I just put the stuff right in the basket.

...Karen
Jacob Nathaniel Feb 91
Logan Elizabeth Mar 03

[Melanie]

Great ideas everyone! This year, Ds is two and I have a bunch of stuff already:

-Wooden Eggs
-Wool Ball
-Wool Felt Animals
-Wool felt finger puppets I made
-Wooden Animal set (if small enough some will go in the plastic eggs)
-Ikea colorful drinking cups
-Ikea small bouncy-balls (kind of like racquetball)
-Ikea wooden cars
-Wooden Spoon
-Wooden Grapes
-Color-changing flashlight (Target!)
-Big Bubble thing I've been looking for for over a year! yay! & gymbo bubbles
-Eric Carle book
-Another book I forgot
-His favorite snacks in some of the eggs

I looked at several Easter books and either they were all about the Easter Bunny or two graphic for me. We are Christian, but so far I have yet to find a Board book that depicts the true meaning of Easter appropriately for a 2 year old. Any suggestions? Maybe I'll get a bunny book this year.

>So far I have splurged and bought Alex the PBKids easter basket w/ the embroidered liner.

I REALLY wanted to get that...I wonder if they'll be on sale after Easter.

[barbarhow]

>Logan is getting a bunch of my favorite candies, which I will
>eat for her.

LOL! What a great idea.

Barbara-mom to Jack 3/27/03

[cchavez]

Diego almost qualifies as a toddler. He is 11 months. I am being good and not buying him much for his basket. He already has tons of toys!!! And his b-day is next month so he will get more than enough then. I got him the cute firetruck basket from target (which to me qualifies as a gift) and I am putting in an Elmo lift flap board book and colored plastic eggs....probably filled w/ cheerios or his favorite veggie crackers. I don;t really think he will do an egg hunt.

Oh, and my Mom already got him a huge stuffed duck and my MIL is sending him a board book that will go in his basket too.

[LucyG]

FYI - The puffy chick and bunny Easter baskets from PBK are already on sale, so you might check and see if the others are, too!

[daisymommy]

Melanie, I just bought a board book for Joshua to read when he's older (3-4 maybe?) called The Story of Easter, by Patricia Pingry. Then I saw one that is a slightly younger version by her, with the same title, but I think it would be good for a 2-3 year old. It has the same title. I have seen them at Target, Walmart, and Border's book store. It is the Christian story of Easter, told in an easy to understand way, but not graphic, in my opinion.

[Jen in Chicago]

Here are two books I bought at TJMaxx for Jude's Easter Basket. They are all I have so far. I think I will put a few bunnies and chicks he already has in his basket. It is a given that Grandma will go overboard, so I won't be doing much. I'll get a few balls since he LOVES balls! I was thinking of some bubbles too, b/c I love them (a kid at heart!)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0824940903/qid=1080670130/sr=2-1/ref=sr_2_1/104-5423479-5619928

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0824941292/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/104-5423479-5619928?v=glance&s=books

I had bought the Story of St Patrick for St Patrick's Day.

[daisymommy]

Jen and Melanie,
That first link is the EXACT book I was refering to for a 2-3 year old child.

[HGraceMom]

My mom found a great Christian - themed Easter book for DD - it's very colorful, and uses items in the easter basket as metaphors for the Easter story - My Easter Basket: And the True Story of Easter by Mary Manz Simon

Here's the Amazon.com link to it:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0784713561/qid=1080674604/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/103-8059669-5377405?v=glance&s=books

[alkagift]

Where do you get those things? Matt loves them too, but I've not seen them at the store!

Allison
Mom to Matthew Clayton, 5/19/03

[Kimberly H]

Allison, my older son is a drummer in the high school band so we get them at the music store when we pick up drumsticks for him. My sister's toddler loves them too and she buys them by the box!!

[Kimberly H]

Melanie, I have had ZERO luck finding non-bunny, suitable-for-toddler Christian Easter books. Maybe next year...

[mharling]

Allison -
We have the ones that RhythMix makes. Here is their dealer locator on their website:
http://www.lprhythmix.com/buy/menu.html

Mary
Lane 4/6/03

[Melanie]

TRU also has egg shakers by First Act...++

http://toys.reviewindex.com/reviews/B000096PQ0.html