What to put in an Easter basket?

I am full of what to put in an Easter basket and have to restrain myself when it comes to making them for my boys! There are so many things you can include to create a gorgeous celebration basket for your little one, regardless of their age or gender.

For my Easter baskets, I tend to stick to traditional bunnies and chicks and eggs and so on. Some people prefer a more generic spring like approach, and others prefer a religious approach! It’s totally personal to you and what Easter means to your family.

When thinking about what to put in an Easter basket, I have two rules: don’t spend what you can’t afford, and only buy what your child will love and use. Not what you love, or will look good in photos for the ‘gram. Putting together a celebration basket should be fun and magical, not a drain on your wallet or a stressful experience. Always remember that!

If you’re wondering what to put in an Easter basket, you’re in the right place! Here are some ideas for all budgets and all ages.

What to put in an Easter Basket – under £5

• Easter books. You can pick up books for 99p per book in The Card Factory, or a 3 for £5 deal in The Works. Books last a lifetime, you can read them every Easter (and for the rest of the year) and then donate them when you’re finished. The perfect Easter basket filler!
• Easter rubber duck. Both Poundland and The Works, as well as other kitsch stores like Flying Tiger, bring out Easter themed rubber ducks, which are the perfect addition to water play for your little one!
• Bubble wands. Easter themed or not, bubble wands are one of my favourite Easter basket filler ideas! All kids love bubbles, and bubble wands go down a treat (before they’re inevitably spilled all over the floor of course). You can pick these up in Wilkinson, Poundland, The Works, Tesco and many more places, all for a couple of quid.
• Sweets and chocolate! An easy Easter basket filler idea, you can pick up a variety of Easter sweets and chocolate for less than a fiver. Tesco do three small items for £1.20 (for items such as a mini Lindt bunny, a creme egg and a malteaster bunny), as well as most supermarkets selling small easter eggs for £1 each.
• Plastic egg and spoon race toy. I spotted so many of these this year, between £2.5 and £5 from Tesco, The Works and Asda! These are a brilliant Easter basket filler idea because they relate to Easter (because of the egg!) but they also last all year long for hours of play, inside and outdoors.
• Paint your own Easter figures. Hobbycraft and The Works both offer wooden and ceramic Easter figures that little ones can decorate themselves. These can also be used as Easter gifts for family and friends once your little one has decorated them!

Easter basket ideas – under £10

• Cuddly bunny or chick. I love to include a cuddly bunny in an Easter basket, and a chick would work just as well. You can get ones for under a fiver, but bigger, high quality or personalised ones come in closer to a tenner, from places such as Etsy, My 1st Years and Clinton Cards.
• Sippy cups. Each year I see so many adorable glass bottle sippy cups with Easter designs, usually found from small businesses on Instagram or on Etsy. A sweet addition to an Easter basket for an older child.
• A watering can. Why not add a watering can for the ultimate Spring feel to your Easter basket? Small, plastic watering cans can come in at under a fiver, but metal, patterned or personalised ones can come in a little higher, like this one from Dunelm.
• Plant seeds and pots. Spring is the perfect time to grow some plants, so why not add some seeds to your little ones Easter basket? Alternatively, you can buy some pre potted plants in cute Easter vases – like these ones from Matalan.
• Easter flags – either as decor for the basket or as props for an Easter egg hunt trail. I love the flags from Doodle and Bug!

What to put in an Easter basket – under £15

• Bunny wand. I like to add a seasonal wand to each of Jett’s celebration baskets, with my favourite seller being Aubrey and I on Etsy. However, there is a huge variety available on Etsy, so have a browse!
• Wellies. Nothing like April showers, is there? Wellies are the perfect accessory for Spring, and make a unique basket filler for a child of any age. I love this one from River Island!
• Easter outfit. From personalised t-shirts to rompers and sweatshirts, Instagram and Etsy are full of small businesses selling adorable Easter outfits! I love Cloud Astrid and Hey Mama UK, but have a hunt around and see what you can find for your little one.

It doesn’t just have to be about bunnies, chicks and eggs!

Obviously bunnies are everywhere at Easter time, fluffy bunnies and chicks! But there are other fun ideas to explore for a child that isn’t interested in all things cute, pastel and fluffy.

• Outdoor toys are a brilliant Easter basket filler idea. The weather is starting to improve at Easter time, so outdoor toys like beanbags, skittles, footballs and bubbles are all a great Easter gift!
• Dinosaur eggs! Places like The Works and other toy shops often sell a variation of dinosaur egg toy, filled with a plastic dinosaur. Why not include one of these in an Easter basket for a gift that’s a little bit different?
• Gardening tools for kids! I’ve mentioned buying seeds and a plant pot, but why not take it further and treat them to some kid friendly gardening tools so they can get out in the garden and get involved with the beauty of Spring!
• A wheelbarrow! This would actually make a brilliant alternative to a basket. If your little one isn’t into twee celebration baskets, why not buy them their own wheelbarrow, and fill it with chocolate eggs? Another way to make some magical memories with your little one whilst treating them at Easter.
• A baking set – rolling pin, mixing bowl, ingredients etc. Then you can spend Easter making some cakes or biscuits together.

It’s about the memories!

Whether you just give your children chocolate and sweets, a full on Easter celebration basket, other gifts or nothing at all, celebrating any holiday should be all about the memory making. Whilst I love sharing these Easter basket filler ideas with you, I do recognise these are just magical ‘nice to haves’ that work for me – but maybe not for you.

It doesn’t matter how much or how little you spend. What matters is that you’re there with your children, making intentional memories that you will all savour forever.

If you make an Easter celebration basket, what do you like to include? Share your ideas with me!