Are you looking for Easter basket filler ideas for your young children? Look no further and keep reading for plenty of ideas your kiddos will love!

Easter is always an exciting time for your little ones as they await a visit from the Easter bunny!

It’s so much fun as a parent to see your little ones running around hunting for eggs and discover what they received in their Easter basket.

You don’t have to spend a lot or get much to bring them joy this Easter. If you’re looking for ideas of what to include in your little one’s Easter basket, this post is full of Easter basket filler ideas. Many of which I have used for my own small children.

This post is full of inspiration for Easter basket filler ideas you can include in your kiddo’s basket this year!

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In this post

• Easter Basket Basics
• Easter Basket Filler Ideas for Babies
• Easter Basket Filler Ideas for Toddlers
• What I’m Including In My Kids’ Baskets This Year

Easter Basket Basics

In order to fill an Easter basket up, you need to start with the basics. Below are the essentials you need to create a fun, functional, and stylish Easter basket for your little one.

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1. Basket

Something has to hold all the goodies you are gifting! I found this adorable, bunny-eared one at T.J. Maxx a few years ago, which can be hit or miss. I found a few similar ones (linked above) that have the same style with the natural woven material and bunny ears poking up on the side.

You could also check out your local thrift shop! I rarely buy baskets new because there are always so many at the the thrift store. Budget or not, I love looking there because I almost always find beautiful and unique baskets.

Alternatively, I’ve seen people use non-basket items to hold gifts as well. For example, rain boots, an open, upside down umbrella (if you’re not superstitious), or a beach bag. Whatever your preference, you’ll need some sort of container to hold all the gifts in.

2. Filler

Adding grass, shredded paper, or tissue paper not only gives the basket a more put together appearance, but it’s functional too! By providing a base, the items inside are more supported so they don’t sink down where they cannot be seen. Pack enough grass or whatever you choose so the items inside it are placed right below the rim of the basket.

For an added touch, be sure to put the tallest items in the back and arrange them from tallest and largest to smallest and shortest so your recipient can get the full effect of what their basket contains.

To save on time, money, and eliminate waste, you can reuse your filler each year. I like to store mine in the basket so it’s ready to be filled up the following Easter. If that’s too messy, I would suggest putting it in a bag and still keeping it in the basket since the basket takes up the same amount of space whether it’s empty or filled.

3. Optional: Ribbon

I know I listed this as optional and it’s perfectly complete without it, but I encourage you to add ribbon to polish off the look. You can either tie the ribbon around the base of the basket and finish it off in a bow or for a different look, tie it in a bow around the handle. Either way, it adds a beautiful and festive detail!

I found a similar ribbon to my favorite one I found at Sam’s Club (pictured in the basket photo above). They usually have seasonal styles of ribbon for sale a month ahead of Easter each year, but choose whatever suits you or your kiddo’s style!

4. Optional: Name Tag

Now this one I would say is definitely optional, but I wanted to share it just as an idea. This is especially helpful if you have multiple children and want to avoid questions of who gets which basket. Though, you may need to help the younger ones who don’t recognize their name yet.

You can do this by simply writing their name on a card or tag and sticking it in the basket or poking a hole in it and stringing a ribbon through it that you attach to the basket.

You could even get a custom-embroidered basket liner from Etsy that features your child’s name. I’ve also seen these embroidered bows with designs you could use as both a bow and name tag. If you do choose to add a name tag, there are tons of ideas on Etsy and Pinterest that can fit any budget.

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Easter Basket Filler Ideas

Okay, on to the reason you probably came here – Easter basket filler ideas! This is intended to inspire you to get creative with your little one’s Easter basket.

Personally, I prefer to gift my children items or experiences I know they will use as opposed to knick-knacks. Mainly because I don’t want them to go to waste or contribute to filling a landfill, but sometimes those little things are what bring them joy, so you will find I make some exceptions.

Also, there is no magic number of items or budget, so this is certainly not meant to be a conclusive list of what to include. These are simply ideas to take inspiration from based on your budget and what your child would enjoy the most.

In fact, I highly encourage you to think mindfully of what few items would bring them the most joy and focus on those as opposed to filling up their basket to the brim.

Easter Basket Filler Ideas for Babies

Though your baby may not know what is going on nor remember, it’s still fun to let them join in on Easter traditions!

Your baby probably already has most of what they need, so here are some ideas of things that they can use and enjoy in their first year of life!

1. Books

If you know me, you know one the first things I look for when it comes to gifting is books! We can never seem to get enough, though they are slowly overtaking any space we have left in our bookshelves, but we’re okay with that.

These are a few Easter and springtime favorites in our house (all pictured above):

• Hippity, Hoppity Little Bunny – My kiddos love trying to grab the bunny finger puppet as I read it to them.
• The Tale of Peter Rabbit – A shortened version of the classic.
• Will You Be My Sunshine – Fair warning, this one got me in my feels and may make you tear up too!
• Guess How Much I Love You – This is a family favorite. My mom gifts it to every expecting mom.
• Little Blue Truck’s Springtime – A cute, rhyming story that your kids will love if they’re “Little Blue Truck” fans!
• Happy Easter, Curious George – This one also comes with stickers, which was a huge bonus for my littles!

I would also suggest checking out thrift stores because you can often find new or like new condition books for as little as $.25! I seem to always find books that my kids will enjoy from current ones to some of my favorites from childhood.

2. Personalized Blanket

There are so many designs to choose from and I personally love to look on Etsy. This is one I gifted my youngest.

3. Stuffies or Loveys

My personal favorites are from Cuddle and Kind! Not sponsored, they’re just incredible quality, absolutely adorable, and the best part is they give back meals for every doll you buy. I credit one of my best friends for getting me hooked when she gifted my daughter one as a baby and now we have several.

4. Teether

Babies put everything in their mouth, so you might as well include something they’re actually supposed to do that with! We are big fans of Sophie La Girafe and this banana teether.

5. Pouches

Since babies are just trying out new foods and can’t get in on chocolate bunnies just yet, you can include a fruit and veggie purée pouch for them instead! These even fit the Easter theme with Peter Rabbit on them.

6. Silverware

This is one that is extremely functional since they will likely need baby-friendly silverware as they start learning how to feed themselves. This is a great set of silicone ones that are ergonomic for little baby hands, plus they are dishwasher safe for easy clean-up!

7. Spring Outfit

I try to find outfits they can use more than once, especially since they grow so quickly!

I bought this sweet sleeper that we used for spring photos and I plan to put my youngest in for photos on Easter. As long as he still fits it and it doesn’t get too warm out, he can continue wearing it into summertime as well.

8. Hats/Hair Bows

Those fuzzy baby heads need protection, especially with summer around the corner. I like to include a bucket hat that also features sun protective fabric in my baby’s Easter basket.

Likewise, if you have a little girl, a precious hair bow is always fun to accessorize with for however long before they pull them off.

9. Bath Toys

Not all babies love bath time, but adding in some fun toys helps a ton! We love these colorful and interactive balls as well as these stackable boats.

I know how much fun the toys that squirt water can be, but I highly recommend against them since water can get trapped in them leading to mold.

10. Bath Towel

As much as I love these beautiful, muslin hooded towels, my kids definitely prefer and have way more fun with these animal-themed ones.

This is a great, practical gift to include in your baby’s Easter basket that can grow with them. We have ones that are still holding up 4+ years later.

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Easter Basket Filler Ideas for Toddlers

1. Rain Gear

Since springtime is synonymous with rain, it only makes sense to include some gear to keep your toddler dry. I will say, it can be a challenge to get them not to wear these items when they don’t fit the weather because it’s such a treat for them to use.

• Rain Boots – These are easy for toddlers to put on themselves.
• Rain Jacket – This is lightweight and comes in several different colors!
• Umbrella – This one comes highly rated and is a great size for your toddler.

2. Water Bottles

Keep your mini hydrated with my favorite metal water bottles for kids that I also mentioned in my 6 Simple Winter Health Tips To Stay Healthy post! They’re so good, it’s worth mentioning twice.

They come in so many fun prints and the straw makes it easy for small kids to drink from.

3. Gardening Accessories

Staying with the spring theme, get your child involved with gardening. If it’s not something you know much about, it could be a great opportunity to learn and do something together.

You can include:

• Seeds – Teach your toddler where fruits, veggies, and flowers come from by.
• Watering Can – This metal, lightweight watering can is perfect for a toddler who wants to help you water the plants.
• If you want to get your little one even more involved, you can gift them this set of gardening tools and it even includes a watering can! With this, they’ll be all set to plant those seeds making for an idyllic spring basket!

4. Swim Suit

With summer and possibly upcoming beach time coming up, a swim suit would be a great addition to their basket. You could also include swim-related accessories for a swim-themed basket like goggles, pool toys, sunglasses, and a beach towel!

5. Pajamas

Gifting your toddler pajamas in their favorite color or with their favorite things or character is a great way to incentivize them to get ready for bed.

It also may encourage them to try and dress themselves, which is a great developmental goal at this age!

We personally love the bamboo pajamas from this company.

6. Bath Bombs

Bath bombs are something toddlers can look forward to when it’s time to take a bath. It definitely adds excitement to the experience!

I like to make my own using this simple tutorial from A Beautiful Mess. If you’re short on time, I’ve also been pleased with these unique, handmade bath bombs.

7. Night Light

When our oldest was potty-training, we encourage her to get up at night and this cute tap light made her feel more comfortable navigating from her bed to the bathroom.

8. Bubbles

I have yet to see any kid get tired of bubbles. It’s amazing how something so simple brings them such joy.

My kids love the giant bubble wands so they can hold them on their own, but we also like these spill-proof bubbles that they can hold without the worry of a mess!

9. Puzzles

Puzzles are a great way to encourage toddlers to think critically and it’s awesome to see how proud they are of themselves when they can complete them on their own!

10. Cars and Road Tape

When I was a kid my siblings and I loved our car rug, but if you don’t want to commit to something taking up so much space, try road tape! A roll of that plus a few cars will make for lots of fun for your little one!

If you don’t want to buy road tape, you can also just use painter’s or masking tape.

11. Tea Set

We have several tea sets, mostly gifted, and they continue to be one of the most used toys. My kids love offering me tea even if it’s while I’m making dinner in the kitchen. They get such enjoyment out of watching me sip on their pretend tea and it’s even sweeter when I catch them playing tea time with each other.

If I were to gift a tea set to a toddler, I’d go with this wooden one with rave reviews because it’s adorable and designed to last.

12. Small Purse or Backpack

Toddlers are so incredibly observant. They notice that mama carries a purse, so naturally they want one too. Or maybe they have seen mom or dad carrying a backpack.

Giving them their own bag gives them a place to carry what they perceive is important to them, plus it’s always interesting to see what they choose to put in it.

13. Blocks

Until your kids are ready for smaller building blocks, this set is great for toddlers 18 months and up! We have it and it’s something that consistently gets pulled out multiple times a week.

Regardless of the type, letting toddlers build with blocks is great for their creativity and development.

14. Art Supplies

You likely have plenty of crayons and coloring books already, so these are some different art supplies that are popular in our house that would be a great addition to an Easter basket!

• Our Favorite, Mess-Free, Drawing Pads! – Compact and great for taking on the go.
• Play-Doh and Accessories – I find that I even enjoy playing with this along with my kids. It’s a good lesson in cleaning up because they quickly learned it will dry out if we don’t put it away when we’re done.
• Dot Markers – These markers are perfect for small toddler hands. Alternatively, you could use bingo card markers.
• Jumbo Sidewalk Chalk – I’ve also found egg-shaped ones at Dollar Tree in past years, so it may be worth checking them out too!
• Reusable Sticker Books – These are great for travel and don’t leave a mess! We stick them on plane windows, glass doors, or any hard surface.

15. Colorful Bandages

I have never met a toddler that missed an opportunity to wear a bandage, even if they didn’t need it. For whatever reason, little kids are always happy to wear them.

It may be because they are like stickers they can wear. Plus they’re so fun to look at when they go beyond the boring brown ones, like our favorites we always have on hand.

What I’m Including In My Kids’ Baskets This Year

With so many options, it’s hard to narrow down to just a few, but we try to focus on what items are most relevant to what our children are most interested in and would get them the most excited. Two of those items are below.

Stepping Stone

Our daughter’s great-grandparents (my husband’s grandparents) gave her a rock painting kit for her last birthday and she loved it! We also have a rock garden outside our children’s school that they frequent often. They enjoy choosing rocks and bringing them back to trade for other ones.

It even inspired us to create our own little rock garden in our front yard. I know they’ll enjoy designing and decorating even bigger ones that will serve as stepping stones.

Karaoke Microphones

This is another meaningful gift because they saw these karaoke microphones at a birthday party where they were the youngest kids. They saw how much fun the bigger kids were having and were too shy to take a turn. Finally, at the end of the party they got their hands on them, but it was time to go and they were running out of battery.

We also listen to music every time we are in the car and my husband and I are always impressed by our daughter’s ability to recall song names and lyrics whenever we play them. I know they will have a blast with these and embrace their turn to be singing superstars!

Conclusion

Easter is not about giving presents at all, but it’s something your little ones look forward to greatly until they’re old enough to better understand the purpose of the holiday.

There are tons of things we can buy our kids and put in their Easter basket, but I always try to find things that are meaningful and useful rather than something they will only use for a short time that will quickly end up in a landfill.

I hope this post gave you lots of helpful ideas and of inspiration for what to include in your baby or toddler’s basket this year!

Gifting things to your children brings them so much joy, but it’s important to remember that the amount you spend and number of things you give don’t matter. Try to focus on what would bring a smile to their face and get the most use. It’s a bonus if it’s something you all you can use to make memories together!

I hope you have an egg-cellent Easter holiday and enjoy bringing happiness to your child with these cute Easter basket filler ideas!

Thank you making it this far!

What are your favorite Easter basket fillers you have either given or received? Do you have any special memories from when you were a child?

Please share in a comment below.