My family has a fun Easter basket “treasure hunt” tradition: after church on Easter Sunday, we do a little family Easter egg hunt in our backyard but instead of filling eggs with candy, each egg has a slip of paper with a clue inside; when our kids find all of the eggs and piece together the clues, it reveals the location of their hidden Easter baskets! I love that this twist turns the egg hunt into a cooperative activity rather than a competitive one, and I can curate a basket of goodies that I’m actually excited to give my kids.

Like many of you, I want to be thoughtful about gifting and steer clear of random trinkets and toys that will just become clutter. With some intentionality, Easter baskets are great way to refresh your kid’s playthings and activities while also filling in those practical items they’ll need for spring and summer.

I find that sticking to a few specific themes or categories when putting together Easter baskets for kids helps to simplify shopping and keep things affordable— it’s sort of the Easter version of the 4-gift (want, need, wear, read) method for Christmas.

Encourage creativity, outdoor play, and exploring nature with these fun Easter basket themes with budget-friendly gift ideas:

Arts & Crafts

Art supplies and stationery are my favorite to include in Easter baskets because they are the perfect mix of fun and practical! Here are a few ideas for Easter basket fillers that your child can get creative with:

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• Sketch book
• Coloring book for a toddler or preschooler, or a How to Draw book like this one for an older kid or tween
• A fresh set of crayons, markers, glue sticks, or scissors. It sounds basic but these are the things that always need replenishing because they tend to go missing…
• Gel pens for a tween or teen
• Mini bead set— These little bead sets shaped like a unicorn, flower, or butterfly are perfect Easter basket fillers.
• Stickers— there are so many possibilities with stickers and you can tailor them to your child’s specific interests. This colorable sticker pad adds a fun DIY element to stickers.
• This affordable set of stacking crayons from Michaels is perfect for toddlers— the shape makes it easy for little hands to grip and it doubles as a stacking toy.
• The Mondo Llama line from Target has an amazing variety of craft kits for $5! This paint-your-own-wind chimes kit, paint-your-own wood spring friends kit, or create-your-own rainbow banner kite kit are all great springtime projects for kids!
• A compact watercolor set with a water brush pen would be a great Easter basket gift for an art-loving tween or teen! The water brush pen makes it super easy to paint on-the-go (it’s like the grownup artist equivalent of the water pen from the Melissa and Doug water wow books, which would be a great Easter basket gift for babies and toddlers!).
• Play-doh for toddlers and preschoolers, Model Magic clay for older kids
• Origami kit— this Melissa and Doug origami animals would be great for beginners and this kit with guidebook would be fun for an older kid.
• Paint by Sticker books
• Washi tape— fun for kids of all ages! Washi tape come in a variety of pretty colors and designs; kids will love to use them for art and craft projects, while tweens will enjoy adding them to their journals and planners. A few fun sets: adorable animals, assorted colors, glitter, and space theme.

Sports & Outdoor Activities

With the weather warming up, some new sports gear and outdoor activities would be great for encouraging kids to play outside, stay active, and enjoy the sunshine. Here are a few ideas:

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• Sunglasses! We’re a fan of these flexible sunglasses for little kids that are polarized and UV400.
• Water bottles— Easter is about six months out from the start of school so it’s a great time to check if your kid’s water bottle needs a refresh.
• Sandals or water shoes are a practical Easter basket addition that works for kids of all ages.
• Bouncy balls or this assorted pack of sports balls for little kids.
• Jump rope— this one from Target lights up!
• Squeeze rocket— like a stomp rocket but more compact, which makes it a great addition for Easter baskets.
• Sun hat
• Bubbles
• Sidewalk chalk
• Kite
• Bell for bicycle or scooter— they are so much fun to ring!
• Throw ‘n stick
• Mini frisbees

Exploring Nature

Trees are turning green, flowers are starting to bloom, and birds are building nests! Spring and summer are great seasons for kids to get outside, observe, and explore. Here are some nature-themed Easter basket ideas to help you child enjoy the great outdoors:

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• Bug catching/observing tool— this cute set would be fun for a toddler or preschooler and this quick-release bug magnifier would be neat for an older kid or tween.
• Binoculars
• Magnifying glass
• This lovely hardcover nature walk journal with illustrated reference pages and space for notes, observations, and sketches would be perfect for a nature-loving older elementary kid or tween. 
• Kids gardening tools or watering can
• These Mini Garden Terrarium Kits that come in a dinosaur, mermaid, or unicorn theme are a fun, hands-on way for kids to learn about growing plants.
• Nature-inspired games like this beautiful Match a Pair of Birds Memory Card Game or Let’s Explore Seek & Find Bingo Play Set.
• Camping-related items like a flashlight or this cute kids hammock that packs into an easy-to-carry compact bag!