How to Plan an Easter Basket

Why should the kids get to have all the fun on Easter? Egg hunts and the Easter Bunny, they may be fun for shutterbug moms who want to capture every moment, but most of the day (in a secular Easter) is geared toward the kids, leaving the parents out of the fun. So why not make your own fun this season by planning on an amazing Easter basket for your son or daughter? Instead of stressing this year about what to do, what should go into the basket, and how you're going to hide the eggs, take a step back, start early, and let me help you plan your Easter basket.

• Easter Grass
• Easter Eggs (dyed hard-boiled eggs or chocolate eggs)
• Candy
• Stuffed Toy (for younger children)
• Outdoor Toy
• Indoor Toy
• Craft Kit
• Book
• Clothing or Accessory Item
• Decorations

Before you begin looking for the basket that you'll fill with all kinds of goodies, plan out your basket. This may appear to be somewhat backward, but if you've ever purchased a basket only to find that you can't fit everything you wanted to stuff into it, you understand the significance of this step. Start by planning out what you want to put into your basket. The formula shown at the top right is a good start for putting together a basket for your child, and it includes the essential ingredients of an excellent Easter Basket which will keep your child entertained.

The list to the right isn't intended to be specific to certain types of kids nor is it intended to be a comprehensive list of everything you could put into your child's Easter basket. You always have tons of options and you may not like something shown on this page. Make your own choices, and remember that you know your child better than a stranger writing a gift guide, so make your decisions based on the child you're shopping for.

Ingredients in this list are intended to help to keep your child entertained throughout Easter Sunday and until the next "holiday" event in their lives (which for them is likely to be the end of school and the beginning of summer vacation).

Try to resist the urge to merely plan out your items. Having them on hand before purchasing your Easter basket is a good idea because some items may be larger than what you had thought. Even if the items are smaller, this can make for an empty-looking Easter basket, so keep this in mind!

"There's nothing wrong with putting a Snickers bar into an Easter basket, or a bag of M&Ms or any other candy that your child is particularly fond of."

• Robin's Eggs (Malted Milk)
• Jelly Beans
• Peeps
• Cadbury's Cream Eggs
• Chocolate Rabbits

Easter comes with some basic staples that every basket should have. These include Easter Grass, Colored Eggs (hard boiled eggs or chocolate eggs in natural shells are preferred over plastic eggs), and Basic Candies. These are pretty standard Easter basket fare and won't vary all that much from one child to the next. Buying these basics first will help you to lay out your arrangement for your Easter baskets, and you can start with these for every child for whom you're making a basket, before doing much personalization (other than, possibly, colors).

Candies that I've termed basic candies are listed to the right to help you along the way. These candies have few variations and don't come with major differences that depend on the personality and preference of the child for whom the basket is being made. This is intended to be the easy stuff because most kids like these types of candy or are happy enough to trade them with their friends. These are considered Easter basket staples that most modern parents grew up with themselves as children.

Beyond these, you are obviously able to choose the candy that you know your child particularly likes. There's nothing wrong with putting a Snickers bar into an Easter basket, or a bag of M&Ms or any other candy that your child is particularly fond of. In fact, doing so reminds them that you care enough about them to know what they like and what they don't like. Points for you as the parent, and happy kids, too! It's a win-win.

Every kid is looking for two things in her Easter basket: Candy and toys. The toys don't have to be extravagant -- After all, this isn't Christmas, which was only a few months ago! But you can consider purchasing some small toys for your child's Easter basket so that they will have something fresh and new to enjoy on Sunday morning.

What types of things should you include in an Easter basket? That depends entirely on the child you're filling the basket for, but I've made some suggestions (which can be viewed to the right and above) so that you can look these over and decide what's best for your child. Remember that you should do your best to choose items for these baskets which suit your children individually: Treat them like they are each special and you'll reap the rewards of having done so!

These are just a few toys that you can purchase for your child for an Easter treat. Obviously there are plenty more options for you to put together for a child! These are all suitable for young children up to 10 or 12 years old. Watch this space for future suggestions for specific toys for varying age groups and interests!

"Candy and toys in equal measure make for an excellent basket that your child is going to love."

Your child's Easter basket should initially be a balance of Candy and toys. These two elements should take up between 2/3 and 3/4 of the Easter basket once it has been purchased and filled. Candy and toys in equal measure make for an excellent basket that your child is going to love. At this point, if you're following this guide, your basket should be half candy and half toys, with the candy and the toys taking up equal space. Giving your child two packs of Peeps with two toys isn't going to cut it. View the basket in the spacial sense and you'll be on the right track.

Once you have all of this collected, put it together and determine how big a basket you're going to need. The toys are the bulkiest items and the ones most likely to take space in an awkward way, so take a moment to fool with your configuration and then work on picking out a basket.

The final third of the basket is ideally taken up by "educational" items that serve the purpose of both entertaining the recipient and providing an opportunity for growth. These items would typically include books, puzzles and/or craft kits for children to play with, depending on the age of the child. If you're a religious person, a Bible may be a good addition to an Easter basket for your child, to remind him that this isn't only a secular holiday with the bunny and the candy, but that Jesus rose again.

This is also the part of the basket that is going to include any eggs that you're putting in it instead of an Easter Egg Hunt. If your child has attended a hunt, there may be no need to include the eggs in the basket, unless you're going to opt for some of those delicious chocolate eggs previously recommended!

"A basket with plenty of space is ideal."

Choosing an Easter basket should be a lot of fun, so take your time doing it and find the basket that is just right for the gifts and candy that you've accumulated. If you don't have a hoard of baskets at home, you should probably start at a craft store, which will have a wide range of baskets, some of which come in pastel colors and therefore are suited for Easter. These will be larger and sturdier than the baskets that you can get at discount stores and often online as well. The sturdy baskets can then be re-used for a number of purposes, including next Easter!

Look for something that will fit all of your goodies but gives you a bit of space left over for decorating with your Easter grass, ribbons, and other trinkets. This is an important part of making it look nice, so a basket with plenty of space is ideal.