Assembling Easter baskets is one of my favorite Easter traditions. And if there is one age group that’s been my favorite so far, it’s the toddlers. Everything feels so new and exciting; they don’t have predetermined expectations, and the items that traditionally make up their baskets are simple (especially compared to those of a teenager). However, hell hath no fury like a toddler scorned. Get the wrong colored sandals, and it’s game over. Or heaven forbid their new bathing suit has straps that touch their skin funny. So let’s dive in and go over all the ideas for toddlers’ easter baskets. From my tried-and-true favorites to other creative ideas.
Photo evidence of our daughter’s actual Easter basket at age one and a half. It contains a beach towel, bathing suit, bubbles, a search and find book, Pat the Bunny book, glittery sandals, and a wooden bath toy boat.
A Word About Easter Baskets
I’m a big believer in simple and focused when it comes to things like Easter baskets, stockings, and gifts for kids in general. I prefer more minimalistic Easter baskets and ones with more focus on things my kids need (like larger bathing suits for the summer), with a treat or two mixed in. While this is what I prefer, to each their own, and make your toddler’s Easter basket however you wish.
Let’s get to it and dive into the best Easter basket ideas I could come up with.
Toddler Easter Basket Ideas
I broke this list of Easter basket fillers for toddlers into categories. From practical items like larger socks to new toys like a wooden puzzle, sweet treats, our favorite springtime books, and more. I’m sure you’ll find a few great ideas to suit your toddler.
Practical Items
Let’s get the “boring” things over with. Although I say “boring,” I don’t really mean it. There are ways to make the practical items for an Easter basket a bit more fun and exciting. For instance, instead of just plain white socks, how about some with a sunshine pattern? Or maybe they need a new waterbottle, and you spring for the one with frogs instead of the plain blue one. Get creative with the things your kids need to make it a little more exciting.
- Socks
- T-Shirts
- Sweaters or Sweatshirts
- Bathing Suit
- Pajamas (make them bunny)
- Waterbottle
- Sippy or Training Cups
- Silicone Plates or Bowls
- Spill-Proof Snack Container (this Bluey snack container from Mushie is adorable)
- Placemat
- Utensils
- Snack Bags (fill them with a treat)
Bath And Personal Care Items
This is more of a subcategory of the practical items list, and the same “make it fun” rule applies. Add some springy or bright colors as you choose some of these personal care items. Or go for fresh, springy scents.
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Fun Floss Sticks
- Bubble Bath
- Bath Bombs (these are our current favorite bath bombs found at Target)
- Mold-Free Bath Toys
- Bath Crayons
- Shampoo or Soap
- Lotion
- Nail Polish (you cannot go wrong with Piggy Paint)
- Nail Stickers
- Band-Aids (have you ever met a toddler who doesn’t “need” 18 bandages a day?!)
- Nail Scrub Brush (this whale nail brush was in our eldest’s second Easter basket)
Sources: Pink Striped Bathing Suit (Hanna Andersson), Swim Trunks (Hanna Andersson), Egg Dying Kit (Bella Luna Toys), Ocean Friends Bandages (Welly), Face-Making Toy (Manhattan Toy), Suction Bowl (Mushie), Cutlery Set (Mushie), Shark Goggles (SunnyLife), Playsilks (Sarah’s Silks), Pink Bunny (Jellycat), Bubble Bath (Burt’s Bees), Wooden Whale Nail Brush (Bella Luna Toys), Detangling Hair Brush (Target), Bunny Sleeper (Hanna Andersson), Scrunch Bucket (Bella Luna Toys), My First Paint Brush Set (Bella Luna Toys), Llama Bike Bell (Amazon), Bunny Slippers (Amazon), Jumbo Bath Crayons (Bella Luna Toys), Bath Boats (Mushie), Water Bottle (Yeti)
Accessories
Some toddlers LOVE to accessorize. One of mine was team overly accessorized at all times, and one was the polar opposite, but she did love a good hair bow. Lean into your overaccessorizer who loves to layer three purses, a hat, five hair bows, two different “wedding shoes,” sparkly tights, and a tutu under the dress she’s already wearing.
- Small Purse
- Fancy Hairbrush or Comb
- Hair Elastics
- Headbands
- Hair Bows
- Bunny Ears
- Clip-On Tie (perfect for Easter service for a toddler boy dressing up)
- Easter Sunday shoes
- Tights
- Tutus
- Fairy Wings
- Elsa Wand
- Bunny Slippers
Spring Things
With spring officially springing once Easter comes around, it’s the perfect time to add things for spring into your toddler’s basket. Rain boots were a must for our toddlers. We live on a dirt road, and during our daily walks during mud season, both our kids would extend the excursion, stomping in the puddles and playing with the mud. Ahhhh…I miss those days.
- Umbrella
- Rain Coat
- Rain Boots
- Wildflower Seeds (some come in fun poppers)
- Hair Chalk (for crazy hair day at daycare)
- Insect Home
- Magnifying Glass
- Playground Ball
- Binoculars
Water And Summer Fun
This is my favorite category to shop from for kids’ baskets of any age, little kids and big kids alike. Adding fun items for summer activities is always a good idea. And often, they are things I’m likely to pick up for my kids for summer at some point. Like a swimsuit and bubbles. Adding them to an Easter basket is a fun way to gift them to your kids instead of just handing over a shopping bag.
- Sunglasses
- Water Guns
- Reusable Water Balloons (I gave these to my kids last year, and they played with them ALL summer)
- Swim Goggles
- Bathing Suit
- Swim Trunks
- Rash Guard
- Sun Protecting Shirt
- Flip Flops, Sandals, or Summer Shoes (Crocks are always a great option)
- Sunhat
- Baseball Cap
- Pocket Kite
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Bubbles
- Various Bubble Wands
- Small Bubble Machine
- Jumbo Bubble Wand (such a fun idea for kids of all ages)
- Sunscreen
- Butterfly Net
- Nesting Beach Buckets
- Other Beach Toys (watering cans, shovels, etc.)
- Bike Basket or Bell
- Small Sprinkler (this flower sprinkler on Amazon is an old faithful at our home)
Garden Ideas
I am big into gardening, mostly backyard veggies, and I’ve always included my children in the process. We’ve started seeds together in pots we’ve painted, picked slugs off cabbage, dug for worms, weeded, and more. From the time they were babies straight through to the current day. Because of this, not only do my children know how peppers grow, but they can find themselves a fresh snack from the garden, and enjoy tending their own small plots and pots. Now at ages four and nine, they’re always asking for seeds and new spaces to grow things.
- Sunflower, Cosmo, or Zinnia Seeds
- Tomato, Pepper, or Cucumber Seeds
- Pot to Plant Seeds (maybe with some paints, and you can decorate it together)
- Small Watering Can
- Garden Gloves
- Garden Tools (the toddler-sized ones are adorable)
- Garden Toolbag (could double as a kids’ Easter basket)
- Kneeling Pad (my toddlers perpetually stole mine as I worked)
- Fairy Garden Fairies
- Fairy Garden Moss
Games And Puzzles
While younger toddlers might not quite be ready for most games and puzzles, older toddlers for sure are. If you’re looking for heirloom-quality, wooden, and Montessori-style games and puzzles for toddlers, I could not recommend browsing Bella Luna Toys. It’s my favorite source of these kinds of items. I linked a few of our family’s favorites below. And this is 100% my opinion, not sponsored or affiliated one bit.
- Wooden Puzzle (break up this set of wooden puzzles and give out over a series of holidays)
- Twisting Puzzle (like this wooden twisting snake puzzle from Tender Leaf Toys)
- Travel Magnatiles Set
- First Game Set (like Here Fishy Fishy or the First Orchard Game)
- Wood Stacking Games
Sources: Spring Board Book (Bella Luna Toys), How To Catch The Easter Bunny Book (Amazon), Rocking Baby Birds (Bella Luna Toys), Easter Pup Tee (J Crew), Wolf Hand Puppet (Bella Luna Toys), Crocodile Squirter (SunnyLife), Watercolor Paint Set (Bella Luna Toys), ThinkSport Kids Sunscreen (Amazon), Cocolab Kids’ Reusable Floss Sticks (Target), Honest Company Lavender Lotion (Target), Beach Poncho Towel (SunnyLife), Inflatable Beach Ball (SunnyLife), Sand Tools (SunnyLife), Mini Drops Bath Bombs (Target), Sleeper Pajamas (Hanna Andersson), Bunny Ears (Target), Magnifying Glass (Bella Luna Toys), Flower Bubble Wands (Target), Rainbow Wings (Sarah’s Silks), Nail Polish Set (Piggy Paint), Plush Sleeping Kitten (Bella Luna Toys), Eco Finger Paint (Bella Luna Toys), Flower Sprinkler (Amazon)
Arts and Crafts Supplies
Craft supplies are another favorite Easter basket filler for toddlers. If your kids are like my kids, we burn through craft supplies fast. They are always creating and making various things. I never want them to be out of supplies to create with. When shopping for craft supplies for toddlers, keep their little hands and emerging fine motor skills in mind.
- Toddler Crayons
- Egg Crayons
- Finger Paint
- Toddler Paint Brushes (these Honeysticks toddler brushes are great)
- Washable Paints
- Sponges or Stamps
- Painting Smock
- Watercolor Paint Set
- Washable Markers
- Dot Markers
- Small Notebooks or Sketchbooks
- Sticky Notes
- Jumbo Chalk
- Safety Scissors
- Pad of Colorful Paper
- Glue Stick
- Pom Poms
- Pipe Cleaners
- Stickers
- Washi Tape
- Playdough
- Water Paint Pads or Books
Books
When it comes to books for toddlers at Easter time, instead of relisting ALL of our favorites, I’m just going to point you to the list of favorite springtime and Easter books for kids. It’s full of board books and picture books for kids that would be a great fit in an Easter basket.
Toys
- Stuffed Animal
- Weighted Stuffy (fun fact…our youngest got a weighted stuffed cat as a toddler, named it “snot,” and to this day it is her favorite stuffy)
- Magnets
- Playsilks
- Butterfly Wings (Sarah’s Silks often has adorable ones)
- Magic or Playsilk Wand
- Small Hand Puppets
- LCD Drawing Tablet (like these, one of our most played with toys in toddlerhood)
- Shaker Eggs or Squeak Eggs
- Small Musical Instruments
- Baby Doll and Accessories (don’t forget the bottle)
- Wood Blocks
- Peg Dolls
- Small Toy Cars
- Pull Toy (I’m obsessed with this wooden alligator from Bella Luna)
- Magnetic Wooden Blocks
- Play Food
- Kaleidoscope
- Wooden Animals (maybe start an Ostheimer collection)
- Paw Patrol Car and Figure
- Bluey Figures
- Squish Toys
- Fidgets
Candy And Treats
I have a funny story to share about candy in Easter baskets. For the longest time, I was adamantly against candy in Easter baskets. For our eldest daughter’s fourth Easter, we were at her cousin’s house. Their Easter baskets were full of chocolate Easter eggs, jelly beans, Peeps, and more. She looks at her basket filled with art supplies, books, swim things, etc., and sweetly looks at me and asks, “How come the Easter bunny didn’t bring me a piece of candy?” Nothing like an early Easter morning gut punch. Now I also make sure to provide a few treats and Easter candy every year. Some ideas:
- Chocolate Bunny
- Chocolate Eggs
- Cadbury Eggs
- Jelly Beans
- Peeps (love ’em or hate ’em)
- Reese’s Eggs
- Rice Krispie Treat
- Annie’s Gummy Snacks
- Goldfish Crackers
- Cotton Candy (you can find it packaged in small, Easter-themed containers at Target)
- Frosted Sugar Cookie
- Pastel M&Ms
- Chocolate Coins
- Easter Kinder Eggs
Happy Easter
Now that I’ve bestowed upon you all the fun and creative Easter basket ideas for toddlers, I bid you good luck and happy assembling.
And don’t forget, Easter baskets are supposed to be fun. So make your wish list, shop a little, don’t forget to hit the thrift store for some of the best vessel options, and wing it a little bit. Whether you’re going with a themed basket, trying to stick to practical items, or going candy-free, there are lots of perfect Easter basket stuffers out there for you and your toddlers. Now, to work on my children’s baskets for the year.
Pssst…Okay, friends, give it to me straight. What are YOUR favorite Easter basket stuffers for a toddler’s basket? Anything I missed on this list? Let me know, and I’ll keep adding on.
