Earlier this week, a friend asked what non-chocolate items people put in their kids’ Easter baskets. I recalled books, socks, colouring books, plush toys, LEGO and other stuff. Some years, I opted for Dollar Store items, other years saw handmade toys and jewelry.
For the first year since Kiddo was very small, I didn’t get her an easter basket full of stuff this year. She didn’t want to do the egg hunt this year, she never eats the chocolate, and she’s been very consciously cutting down on “stuff” so I didn’t bother to put one together. She seems to be OK about it all, too. I guess she really is growing up!
Here’s a few of the baskets from easters past:
2006: Along with a handmade card we included “Etch a Sketch Wired,” a Stanley video, a mini sketch pad and mini crayon set, two bouncy balls and a little beanbag butterfly.
2007: No basket photo but it included a Playmobil set and we later baked and decorated cookie “eggs”
2008: Most of the contents (and the basket) came from dollar stores — everything except the Purdy’s chocolate, the little plush rabbit, and the printed pages inside the binder. In the eggs are more dollar store finds, plus a handmade finger puppet, the stitched felted egg I made the other day, and a hand-beaded necklace.
2009: We bought a LEGO set and split all the pieces into about 40 plastic eggs; the instructions and the 4 pieces too large for the eggs are in the basket. Also in the basket are a package of bubble gum eggs, some Hershey’s Kisses, a Cadbury’s Creme Egg and a Cadbury’s Caramilk Egg.
I don’t have any photos of her 2010 or 2011 Easter baskets but they were a similar mix. Maybe next year she’ll tell me she misses the tradition and we can revive it.