Easter Sunday is less than 2 weeks away and I have some ideas for updating the typical Easter basket. No more cellophane grass and Marshmallow Peeps... Yuck! No more Cadbury Creme Eggs with the fake raw egg oozing out of them... Double yuck! No more stereotypical Easter baskets that have to be stored away until next year.
Start with the candy. Please consider eliminating ALL artificial food dyes, ALL artificial flavorings, and ALL artificial sweeteners. Natural Candy Store has a great selection of candy for special diets. Check out their tabs for organic candy, vegan candy, gluten-free candy, allergen-free candy, corn syrup-free candy, and my favorite - Feingold Candy for stages 1 and 2. Annie's Homegrown also has great options for granola bars, fruit snacks, and snack packs. I know that my kids love the Organic Berry Patch Fruit Snacks and the Cheddar Bunnies Snack Packs. What could be better in your basket than healthy bunnies? For a tasty organic candy bar try Crispy Cat Bars.
And really... do we need to overload on the candy treats? There are so many other goodies that we can give to our kids other than sugary treats. Toys, games, tennis balls, bubble blowers, coloring books... the possibilities are endless!
Here is some inspiration for an Easter Basket Make-Over.
Beach Bucket
This is great for small boys and girls. Use a sand bucket and fill with beach toys, beach blanket, beach balls and more. Top off with a colorful reusable water bottle and some take along snacks. I love this Mirel™ bioplastic made from corn, not petroleum. Made in Maryland, not China.
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| zoe b organic |
Dump Truck
Another one for the kiddies... Use a dump truck and fill with blocks and play tools. Add some yummy candy and treats to make it fun for Easter. I found this Eco-Friendly Truck at Land of Nod. Made from recycled plastic milk jugs and perfect for environmentally-concious families.
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| Land of Nod |
Art Bin
Perfect for any young artist. Fill an art bin or caddy with age appropriate paint brushes, paints, markers, crayons, and more. Finish with candy and treats for the Easter touch.
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| Art Bin |
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| Land of Nod |
DIY Fashionista
Fill a tote or knitting basket with knitting needles, colorful yarns, and appliques. Stella Neptune has the best recycled cashmere appliques to save moth nibbled sweaters. Don't forget the candy and treats.
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| Land of Nod |
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| Stella Neptune |
Book Worm
Load up a backpack with new books, a sketch pad, pencils, fun erasers, and book light. For older kids you could add a gift card to a local café.
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| Land of Nod |
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| Barnes and Noble |
Beauty Queen
Fill an organizing caddy with a new hair brush, headbands, and other pretty colorful things for a girl's hair. Add lip gloss and other sweet treats.
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| The Container Store |
Music Lover
Fill a woven bin with a band tee, old school vinyl ( you play these on a record player... parents, this may need explaining), earbuds, and a iTunes gift card. Add a tambourine and drumstick pencils for a fun music theme.
These are great ideas! I agree; what's with the fake candy overload??? In my girls' Spring Baskets I'm putting a few good quality treats to eat and then some art supplies, a book, fancy hair clips, some stickers and a few other little things.
ReplyDeleteYour boys are lucky to have such a conscious & creative mama!