With Easter Sunday rapidly approaching, it’s time to holiday up and start assembling those Easter baskets. My mom-powered magic-making side is in overdrive this week in preparation for the Easter holiday. So it’s a great time to share some Easter things, starting with newborn and baby Easter basket ideas. From books to practical items, memory-making items, and more. Let’s get to it.
For reference, our family is a few years out of the baby stage, with our children clocking in at 9 and 4, but we’re not so far out that we’ve forgotten the baby era. Although I would like to forget about those late-night feedings and extra pumping sessions at 3:00 am to keep my supply up. But I digress. This post is about Easter basket fillers for the youngest family members.
Why Assemble An Easter Basket For A Baby?!
Good question, I’m glad you asked. AND it’s the exact argument my husband and I had when our first baby was born, a little girl born 7 weeks before Easter. Short answer: It makes Easter a little bit more magical, it’s her first holiday, and because I want to.
Two main characteristics make a baby’s Easter basket freakishly unique. One, they have zero point zero opinions about what is in that basket. They will not be groaning about anything you put into it. Give them a new Roku television remote to replace the one the dog chewed up last month, and it’s a ten out of ten with no complaints. So make the Easter basket for you just as much as it’s for them. Adorable sun bonnet? Check!
And two, it’s their first Easter and first Easter basket. Make it special and memorable, if that’s important to you. Nothing beats a baby’s first of anything, Easter baskets included. When our eldest was born, Easter was her first holiday, and you better believe that I painstakingly curated a simple Easter basket for her with an adorable romper, Pat the Bunny book, and other items that I wanted for her. It was so fun and a process I repeated with my second daughter for her first Easter.
Photo evidence of baby’s first Easter basket. Fun fact…we named the weird, fluffy teether thing Lyles Pooping-Farts Esquire the Third.
Characteristics Of A Great Easter Basket
Before we dive into all the ideas, a few words of caution wisdom. This list isn’t all-inclusive. Go with your gut, you do you, and to each their own. Just keep the Easter basket true to yourself, don’t overspend or go overboard (unless you really want to, but simple, minimalistic Easter baskets are just as great), and keep the age group of your child in mind as you build the basket. Items appropriate for younger kids and babies are not the same as those for tweens.
Book Ideas
You can never go wrong including a book in kids’ Easter baskets. To make the book baby-appropriate, look for board books, soft fabric books, sensory books, and crinkle books. Some of our favorite books for babies on Easter are below (see more favorite Easter and spring books here).
- Soft Books (like the Dear One Soft Book from Manhattan Toy)
- High Contrast Books
- Black and White Books
- Pat the Bunny (or the whole book series at Amazon)
- Board Books (like Happy Easter Little Pookie, The Very Hungry Caterpillar’s First Spring, The Runaway Bunny, my all-time favorite Bunny Roo, I Love You, and more)
- Touch and Feel Books (like Never Touch a Grumpy Bunny)
Toys
While I love a practical Easter basket, I always make sure to include a toy. Some fun ideas for infants and babies include fine motor skills activities, stuffies (as kids get older, the stuffies multiply exponentially, so pick a special one now), wooden toys, contrast cards, baby mirrors, and other sensory toys. Some of our favorites for Easter:
- Pull Down Musical Toy (like this bunny from Manhattan Toy)
- Little Ducks
- Shaker Eggs (these Haba shaker eggs are great)
- Squeak Eggs
- Stuffed Bunny (forever love a pink Jellycat bunny or handcrafted lamb from Cuddle + Kind)
- Lovies
- Playsilks (Sarah’s Silks are the best)
- Wooden Pull Toys
- Baby Doll with Soft Body (may I recommend a Dozy Dinkum from Ollie Ella)
- Stacking Toy or Stacking Cups
- Rattles or Other Shakers
- Grasping Mirror (like this mirror from Manhattan Toy)
- Black and White Cards (like the card set from Lovevery)
- Wood Blocks
- Sensory Toys (our girls loved the Flip Fish from Melissa and Doug)
Practical Ideas
My favorite category for filling babies’ Easter baskets is the practical items. There are always so many things that babies need as they grow and develop. Why not include a few of those things, items you would buy regardless of whether it’s Easter or not, and add them to the baby’s first Easter basket? From pacifiers for younger babies to teethers for older babies, below are some ideas.
Pacifiers
My first child took a hard pass at pacifiers, which part of my first-time mom heart was a little sad about. But when my second was born, and her need for a pacifier was right up there with breathing, I became grateful for not needing pacifiers and pacifier paraphernalia with our first. I’m pretty sure we spent a small fortune on such tiny items that were perpetually destroyed by the dog. Some pacifier ideas for Easter baskets:
- Pacifiers (our favorites were Frigg and Bibs)
- Pacifier Clips
- Pacifier Holder (I loved this silicone pacifier case and attached it to everything)
Feeding
If your baby is approaching the first solid foods stage, adding feeding items like soft spoons or bibs to an Easter basket is a great option. If they’re still little, maybe a cute burp cloth that can convert to a bib or a special snack bowl for when they’re older. More ideas:
- Sippy Cup
- Sippy Lids for your Bottle System
- Spill-Proof Snack Bowl (this Bluey snack cup for Mushie is cute!)
- Silicone Suction Plate or Bowl
- Silicone Placemat
- First Spoons
- Bib/Burp Cloth Combo (I swore by these burpy bibs from Aden + Anais)
- Silicone Bib/Food Catcher
Teething
There is no shortage of adorable teethers for babies to include. From the iconic Sophie the Giraffe to a simple (yet pure magic) silicone teething wand. Here are some favorites:
- Teether/Lovey Combo (like this adorable bunny teether/lovey)
- Teething Rattle
- Icicle/Freezer Teethers (or like these ice pop teethers from Mushie)
- Teething Wand (these teething wands from Chewable Charm really are magic)
- Sophie the Giraffe
Clothing
If there’s one thing that babies do consistently and without fail, it’s grow, and they’re consistently growing out of their clothes. Both of my babes cruised through the baby sizes at lightning speed, so getting the right size for their Easter baskets was a challenge, but it can be done. It’s also a great time to pick up a few summer items to include, as Easter is a mark of the shifting seasons. A few favorite ideas:
- Sun Hat (Hanna Andersson sun hats may be the cutest)
- Swim Suit
- Rash Guard
- Cloth Swim Diapers
- Sandals (impractical but cute)
- Sunglasses
- Rompers
- Footed Pajamas
- Leggings
- Socks
- Easter Outfit
- Onesies
- Hair Bows and Headbands
- Knotted Hat (this organic bunny hat from L’ovedbaby is adorable)
Bath Care
Bath care is another area where you can find practical items to help fill an Easter basket. Often, I like to take things my children already need, but maybe find a product that’s a little more special or a bit of an upgrade. Like trading in the basic bath soap for one that feels like an upgrade. A few bath time ideas:
- Bath Toys (bonus…make them mold-free ones)
- Washcloths (like these muslin washcloths)
- Baby Soap
- Baby Shampoo
- Tub Spout Cover
- Toothbrush (these training toothbrushes from Mushie were a fave of ours)
- Baby Lotion
- Baby Oil
Art Supplies
Art supplies aren’t just for older kids. With older babies, you can start introducing art supplies carefully and one at a time. Once they are able to sit up and grasp items, art can help with their fine motor skills. Make them non-toxic and be sure to supervise. A few ideas:
- Large Crayons
- Paint Sticks
- Finger Paint
- Play Dough
- Sidewalk Chalk
Other Fun Options
Sometimes, I’ll include other items in my children’s Easter baskets, like things to make Easter a bit more magical, silly, or fun. Or sometimes things to enhance an Easter activity. Like bunny ears for a fun photo op when visiting the Easter bunny, or a special basket for their first Easter egg hunt. I chalk these things up to special items for the memory book. Here are a few ideas:
- Bunny Ears (dying over these gingham bunny ears from Rylee + Cru there’s also the baby bonnet with ears)
- Memory Book
- Heirloom Easter Basket
Favorite Sources
Here is a list of favorite sources for baby toys, gear, and items that may help you in your search. This is 100% my favorite brands and places to shop without an ounce of affiliate linking here. Enjoy!
- Bella Luna Toys
- Cuddle + Kind
- Hanna Andersson
- Jellycat
- Kate Quinn
- L’ovedbaby
- Lovevery
- Manhattan Toy
- Melissa and Doug
- Mushie
- Ollie Ella
- Rylee + Cru
Happy Easter!
Or should I say (the 100% overused pun), “Hoppy Easter!!” But in all seriousness, I wish you all the excitement of assembling baby’s first Easter basket, and I hope you found a few fun Easter basket ideas in this post. Now to finish my kids’ baskets since Easter is in t-minue two weeks.
Pssst…Now tell me, what’s your go-to Easter basket idea for a newborn or baby? Anything I missed? Do tell, and I’ll add it to the list.
