I don’t know how we arrived here so quickly, but Easter is less than a month away; and we are delighting in the pastels popping up and the little spring joys that bring much needed light to this time of year. Preparing for Easter, as you know, also presents an invitation for me to return to one of my favorite pastimes—scouring the Internet for the best basket treasures. Stocking stuffers and Easter basket goodies are my favorite thing to shop for, and I do not take the job of finding cool stuff my kids will love lightly. Yes, there’s always the usual candy and sweets. But we also use filling the Easter basket as a good opportunity to replenish our craft bins and add some new books, games and fun little gifts to our home. We have some basket tradition staples—the kids always receive a new swimsuit, flip flops or sandals, a book and a plush (all three of my kids are still delighted by stuffed animals). The rest are fun little things I pick up along the way.
With no further ado, the 2021 Easter Basket Filler List:
1. Me Museum
I follow Compendium and love everything they put into the world. Their kids’ journals are brilliantly put together with creative prompts that are as fun to complete as they are meaningful to save forever. I bought this for Dash’s Easter Basket and can’t wait to watch him fill the pages.
2. Sunglasses
These are great for multiple sibling Easter baskets because they sell as an 8-pack. Make sure you use the drop down in Amazon to select the fun rainbow colored lens ones with clear frames. We bought these as party favors for Dash’s beach party and were so impressed by how nice they were. Everyone fought over who got what color. :o) We also love these fashionable sunglasses for little girls.
3. Ocean Bingo
The prettiest Bingo game you’ll own. Instead of B-18 and G-4, you’ll be calling out names of sea creatures with stunning illustrations while the kids learn more about ocean life.
4. Hope and Henry Girls Swimsuit
Our Easter baskets always have new swimsuits for the season. This is a new favorite of Nella’s from a company that produces high quality clothing with organic cotton at affordable prices.
5. Pastel Sidewalk Chalk
This is our favorite “special” sidewalk chalk for more elaborate drawings and vivid color that will stick. Yes, it washes off, but it takes longer and sometimes you have to use the hose. But it’s so good and offers a broader range of richer colors.
6. Giant Bubble Wand Kit
Perfect for warmer spring days, this kit has everything you need to make ginormous bubbles. Bonus—makes for some cute pictures.
7. Ooly Make No Mistake Markers
We have a lot of Ooly products in our craft carts, and these erasers markers are a favorite. 12 vibrant colors—one side of the marker draws and the other erases the color so you can make really cool textured designs.
8. Djeco Fashion Transfers
I used to use transfers as a kid and loved them, and now my kids love them. Use the three included vintage and retro themed boards as your background and the three sheets of 90 image transfers and rubbing tool to create fashion scenes.
9. eeboo Pretend Play Diner
Nella and Dash LOVE when Lainey plays restaurant with them, and this little set has everything you need—menus, guest checks, play money, plates and 17 different food choices. And it doesn’t take up a lot of storage because everything’s flat!
10. Hope and Henry Boys Swim Trunks
Same brand as Nella’s—high quality and the cutest gingham print which is all the rage right now.
11. Be Mindfulness Journal
Another amazing gem from Compendium, this kid journal has the most thoughtful writing and art prompts to help them feel their feelings, express themselves and be who they were meant to be.
12. Wiggly Worms
These silly little worms always provide so much entertainment for my kids. They make videos of them creeping along and add voices. We call them “shloobies,” and they are a big hit in our home.
13. Naples Soap Company Bath Bombs
Our favorite bath bombs come from a local company that now has 10 retail locations in Florida. My kids love picking out their scents and saving their bath bomb for the perfect bath night. Do the 5-for$25 bundle deal, distribute one in your kids’ baskets and save the rest for you. I love the Boyfriend scent, but the kids love the fun ones like Lucky Charms, Bubble Gum and Unicorn.
14. The Good Egg
The Easter Bunny always makes sure our baskets have new books in them, and this one is perfect for Easter—captivating illustrations about a cute little egg who is cracking under the pressure of always trying to be perfect.
15. Ooly Creatibles Erasers
This fun DIY is great for all ages—colorful chunks of clay you can mold into critters. And they erase pencil!
16. 8mm Slide Bracelets
This multipack (20 rainbow bracelets!) is great to distribute in multiple baskets or include a bunch in one so your kids can make bracelets for their friends. These are the base (8 mm rainbow silicone bracelets that adjust in size), and #17 below includes the charms to add.
17. Slide Bracelet Alphabet Charms
These rhinestone letter charms slide on to the the above wristbands to create personalized bracelets for friends. Includes 130 charms, A-Z.
18.Cats & Dogs Guess Meow
This is a super cute take on the “Guess Who” game and a great game for all ages. We love everything Mudpuppy makes.
19. Wonder Women—A Go Fish Game
This card set is beautifully illustrated and invites kids to learn more about some amazing women who have contributed to history with their talents, words and actions. There are a number of little games you can play with them, and they come with a small booklet with facts about each women pictured. Nella has learned so many women’s names through these cards and little tidbits about who they were (singer, painter, writer, scientist, etc.).
20. Camera Bubble Machine
How cute is this bubble camera? Instead of taking pictures, it releases a bubbles. Anything bubble related is good for any gift, any age and a guaranteed moment of delight.
21. Kid Made Modern Ice Cream Craft Set
I heard the Easter Bunny is bringing this for my kids this year, and I’m excited because I know it will be one of their favorite basket gifts and give them something to do together. Design your own ice cream cones with cardboard cones that can be painted and filled with the cutest creative buffet of craft supplies.
22. Sea Star Sparkle Sunscreen
They’ll never roll their eyes again when you ask them to stop playing to come get slathered in sunscreen. This SPF 30 sunscreen is made with eco-friendly biodegradable glitter for a sparkly sheen. And it smells like marshmallows!
23. Taco Takeover Game
This is the year of games for us and probably a lot of you too. We love games that the whole family can play and ones with concepts that aren’t too complex to exclude Nella and Dash. This is a fun speed game where race against your opponents to correctly fill your taco order.
24. Wow in the World Book
If you like to include books in your baskets, this is a new fun one I shared in stories. My cousin bought it for Dash because he’s always been so fascinated by the human body and all the weird stuff it does. This book is filled with fun illustrations, cheeky humor and loads of information that answer all the question about the human body we’re afraid to ask—pee and poop and sweat and snot.
25. Waboba Wingman Disc
The modern frisbee that won’t hurt if it hits you.
26. Animal Park Puzzle Erasers
We love Japanese stationery and office products (Lainey is obsessed with kawaii anything). These Japanese erasers are so cute—they look just like Calico Critters.
27. eeBoo Crazy Faces Card Game
eeBoo is another favorite brand of ours. This fun card game is a wacky take on Crazy Eights.
28. Emily McDowell’s Pep Talk Postcards
Love these for preteen and teen girls—encourages them to send words of encouragement to their friends.
29. Kid Made Modern Woven Wall Hanging
Weaving projects are so in, and this one is fun and kid-friendly.
30. Mini Cupcake Puzzle
100-piece puzzles are the sweet spot for our family, and this one is a bright happy colorful one for Easter.
31. Rainbow Air-Dry Clay
More arts and crafts fun, these pouches of air dry clay provide hours of fun. Look at the product picture of the little yarn baskets and piggy—so cute!
32. One Color a Day Sketchbook
I can’t decide if I’m going to put this in Lainey’s Easter basket or if I’m going to keep it for myself, but I LOVE this simple creative concept of journaling daily colors that represent your feelings each day and naming the colors.
33.Folkmanis Bunny Finger Puppet
These little Folkmanis puppets have ended up on so many of my Easter Basket lists over the years, but I can’t help myself. They’re so cute and realistic and make the cutest little spring-themed treasure for baskets.
34. LED Finger Rockets
These have Dash’s name all over them, and I love that they light up for night time fun.
35. Paper Airplane Kit
20 paper airplanes that customize with cool patterned paper and stickers.
36. Scattergories Card Game
This is a new favorite for our family this year and a simplified version of the original Scattergories game. I love that everyone can play. Nella LOVES thinking of words to fit in the categories.
37. And the People Stayed Home
The perfect book to add to your collection this year, this beautifully illustrated book captures the hardship and the beauty of what we’ve all gone through this year.
38. Djeco Scratch Cards
Scratch cards are always fun, but these are especially beautiful with illustration guidelines that help kids create these colorful masterpieces with scratch art.
39. Monchichi Mothercare
I LOVED Monchichis when I was a kid. This one with the little baby attached—adorable. I know what my kids are tickled by, and they are going to LOVE this.