What do you put in your children's Easter baskets?

my grandparents usually gave us each a stuffed bunny, and a TON of jelly beans and egg shaped candies. then they’d send us home with mom all sugared up! also, Cadbury eggs were my FAVORITE! for the egg hunt about half of them would be real eggs that we had decorated and half would be the plastic ones with treats inside, like a 50 cent piece or more candy.

Jelly beans. A chocolate bunny. Chocolate eggs. And a small stuffed bunny (beanie baby size).

Chocolate bunny (smallish), Reeces Eggs (the little ones), Crunch Eggs, maybe a small stuffed animal and a Pez dispenser w/ candy. When they were younger, I used to put stickers in there, too. We decorate hard boiled eggs, and eat them on Easter for breakfast/snacks, but we only used plastic ones for the hunt.

We don’t do baskets for the grown-ups. Luckily, the kids share! ;)

I try to take it easy on the candy, I don’t like to load them up with sugar. I do put some candy in there, of course. Small toys like bubbles, a kite, stickers, those little plastic eggs with coins or dollar bills, whatever cute stuff I find.

Lindt truffles & chocolates (Target has a great supply)
One Barbie (usually a bath-time one)
Marshmallow eggs/bunnies
Usually one nice spring item for the garden (like a stake/birdhouse/flag/little bunny statue-etc)
Neither my son or his best friend like nor can either have a lot of sugary candy. Neither like jelly beans…though I do still buy them and use them as table confetti (well the Easter bunny does) I stick to high quality stuff and dole it out (after they’ve scarfed a bit that is).

I try to put in sticker/activity books and things that will occupy them during meal prep. (sometimes I buy foam kits if I know I need extra time)

My son’s favorite part??? Putting the Easter grass out for the birds to make nests with!

For adults, the Easter bunny tends to bring something springy along with a nice chocolate bar or truffles and a good book.

so @SpatzieLover…. you give your son a bathtime barbie every year? :P

I have a request; please do not use plastic grass. because of this

Raffia is a great natural alternative, comes in every imaginable color, can be re-used in crafts, and can be found at just about any craft store, or craft section of the box stores.

falls off her soapbox

I use paper shred or reuse plastic grass. I think the plastic grass that’s in the baskets downstairs is at least 15 years old. The paper shred was used in Christmas gift packaging.

When they were that young, I included bubbles, sidewalk chalk, Kitty in My Pocket, a windup toy, Cadbury eggs, Peeps, chocolate bunnies, chocolate eggs, plastic eggs with change in them. I gave my sister our plastic egg collection of 100+ eggs a few years ago, as my niece and nephew are young enough to hunt eggs, and the half life of a plastic egg is probably 100 years.These were at least 20 years old.

Ooh, I forgot the Peeps! We always have peeps. This year they come in a ton of pretty colors, too.

I usually put things in the basket the kids will actually use and keep the candy to a minimum. My husband would put nothing but candy in the baskets if I let him! Sidewalk chalk, bubbles, jump rope, or any kind of simple outdoor toy that lets the kids take advantage of the improving weather is always a hit. A chocolate rabbit is a must, as are the Peeps. Our boys like Pokemon cards, so we’ll sometimes add those to the basket. Stickers, little notebooks, cool markers, or card games are also good ideas.

The “Easter bunny” also hides eggs filled with either money (borrowed from our change jar) or jelly beans. Usually these eggs are stashed around the living room, but once in a while we actually have a nice day on Easter and the eggs are hidden in the back yard.

Chocolate eggs filled with mustard. >:D

These are very popular in Germany

http://www.sweets-online-blog.de/wp-content/uploads/11501.jpg

I’m sure @ragingloli knows them. The chocolate tastes great and there’s always some surprise inside. I think they sell them in the US too.

@matt: great idea. I may check Trader Joe’s because they have some unusual things sometimes.

@FluffyChicken Yes, I do. Id there an issue with that? He & his best friend like to run through the sprinklers with them

Yes @MissAusten I forgot to mention the sidewalk chalk. This year, I hear the bunny will bring window markers, too.

@mattbrowne, a friend of my daughter’s brought me back some of these from Germany last summer as a gift! They were very fun.

@jca, if you have a World Market store near you, they might carry them as they have a good selection of international candies.

I checked the World Market Store Locator and they have no stores in the north east. Closest seems to be PA or OH.