Our Easter Baskets

One, Two, Three Easter Baskets all ready to go. Easter baskets are a tradition that I grew up with and one that I have passed onto our kids from the start. I love Christmas, but I also love Easter. Easter is the chefs kiss upon the top of the church calendar – we wouldn’t celebrate the birth of the King of Kings if he didn’t conquer death! Easter is what he was born for.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

(Mark 10:45)

Typically my kiddos wake up Easter morning and slink down the stairs to find baskets waiting for them in our living room. This year however, I am adding a bit more intentionality to our Easter Mornings. Before our kids can receive and open their Easter Baskets, they need to greet Bruce and I with the traditional, gleeful, proclamation “Alleluia, He is risen!” to which we will reply “He is risen indeed! Alleluia!” I already ran this idea by my tradition enforcer (my 7-year-old) and she is ON BOARD with the addition!

Just like Christmas gifts, I try to stick to the “less is more” mantra. Too many gifts is simply too overwhelming. I try to put 4-6 things in each basket, one always being a book and one a stuffy. I don’t know how these two became “musts” for me, but I build around these two items each year.

Thorin – Age 3

1. We Sing Book – $16.
2. Moose Doll – $10.
3. Parker Kids Monster Patch – $8.
4. Jesus Heals Band-Aids – $18.
5. Paschal Lamb Easter Egg Tin – $4.
6. A Place of Wonder (Adventures in Odyssey) – $25.

Millie – Age 6

1. ESV The Biggest Story Holy Bible for Kids Hardcover – $20.
2. Deer Doll – $12.
3. Parker Kids Co Bee Patch – $12.
4. Jesus Heals Band-Aids – $20.
5. He is Risen Cross Easter Egg Tin- $4.
6. A Time of Discovery (Adventures in Odyssey) – $28.

Hilde – Age 7

1. ESV The Biggest Story Holy Bible for Kids Leather – $30.
2. Deer Doll – $12.
3. Parker Kids Cat Patch – $8.
4. Jesus Heals Band-Aids – $20.
5. Easter Lily Easter Egg Tin – $4.
6. Journey Of Choices (Adventures in Odyssey) – $28.

This year I purchased some Easter Egg Tins that I plan on using each year to add a handful of candy. We try not to go overboard on packaged/store-bought candy, but I think it is really fun to have sweet treats for the holidays! Robin Eggs are my favorite candy and you can literally only find it at Easter, so we always add a couple (or more) bags to our grocery cart this time of year! I’ll probably also add some back licorice jelly beans for Bruce and some Starburst jelly beans for the rest of us Easter Morning.

Both the big girls are getting the ESV The Biggest Story Holy Bible For Kids. We purchased them when they were on sale at Crossway last fall (because I do really think about these Easter Baskets all year long!) and we are so excited to finally give them to them! Both of them are starting to take off with reading and Hilde specifically has been asking for a Bible with verses! I love that this version still includes photos and adds questions and information targeted for kids who want to be in God’s Word!

For Thorin, we picked up We Sing by Kristen Getty which is a beautifully written and illustrated book about using our voices to worship our God and Creator! The Gettys are some of our favorite hymn writers and I cannot wait to read this to the kids on Easter Sunday!

Each kid got a season of Adventures in Odyssey we don’t already own (we are so close to owning them all!), a new patch for their Parker Co Kids swag, a stuffy from etsy, and a fun tin of Band-Aids (because fun yet practical items always are a hit!) I’m excited about my intentional haul this year and so happy to share it with you!

PS: Here is a link to my Amazon Storefront where I have gathered all the items we have really included in our Easter Baskets over the years for easy shopping!