I've found that Easter has almost become a second Christmas - gift wise that is. Growing up we normally got a little something, a special treat, but I'm finding more and more is expected as time goes on.
Since I don't want to disappoint my kids or make them feel like the only ones who aren't getting a special Easter treat I've set out to be creative with their Easter gifts.
There's a few things I keep in mind because of the lifestyle I want to promote and create for my family.
I try to feed my family healthy real foods as much as possible. So I don't want to buy them chocolate upon chocolate and candy and more sugar. A few treats are okay, but I want to limit this!
I'm trying to embrace a minimalist lifestyle, and really don't want a bunch of garbage toys and trinkets laying around. It's not worth the money, let alone the environmental impacts of the plastic and soon to be garbage.
We already have a TON of craft and art supplies and I don't want to double up. I'll happily replace what we need when the time comes, but I'd much rather see things used up before adding more.
If I get them something I want it to be useful.
I want them to like and enjoy what I buy.
I want them to feel special and loved.
I also don't have a lot to spend.
Am I asking a lot?! Yup! So I thought I'd share what I came up with for this year in case you may be feeling the same way I am about this whole thing.
My kids love the Easter egg hunt! And really what's not to love about that? We were given coloured plastic eggs from past years that I saved and will reuse. I will be filling them with clues and notes about where to find the next egg. For my oldest I'll be typing out little sentences with some rhymes or riddles mixed in for him to figure out. Since my youngest isn't quite reading on his own yet I'll be drawing (or printing out) little pictures where he can find his hidden eggs. It can be simple, like a shoe, a bathtub, a chair, etc. I hide all the eggs the night before while my boys are sleeping. We do this inside since where we live you can't count on nice weather. We just hope there's not going to be any snow on the Easter weekend.
I will save the gifts until the last clue. I can use way less candy this way rather than filling all the eggs with candy. It also saves some money that I can put towards the last gift. As a bonus….I don't have to worry about the puppy sniffing out the candy or chocolate before my boys do.
I did this last year and my boys loved it. The fun and excitement is in the hunt. They were excited to get their clue and figure out where the next egg was. They didn't seem to miss the candy. They were happy with finding a special gift at the end of the hunt.
You may be wondering what small gifts I was able to find to meet my criteria from above. Here's the list and a photo.
A pair of junior gardening gloves.
Little garden markers
A pinwheel for the garden. This spring our boys will each be planting and taking care of their own raised garden bed. They are excited about it already, and I figured a few fun garden things will help inspire them to personalize it and take care of it. You may also consider adding some seeds - flowers, vegetables, etc.
A lid & reusable straw that transforms a mason jar into a cup. My boys love using straws. I don't like the waste of throw away plastic. I also like to drink out of glass or stainless steel rather than plastic. We spend a lot of time outside come spring & summer so something that will stop the bugs from getting into their drinks will be awesome.
A little carrot with a few jelly beans (can't totally avoid the candy)
M&Ms (or the chocolate)
For the youngest I was able to find a book about the real Easter story. My oldest will get a science book. (Yes I know…it's educational - is it obvious I'm a homeschool mom? - science is his favourite and I'm sure he'll read this for fun) Books always get shared in our house, and I love to encourage reading.
A few little chocolate eggs.
That's it. It's not too much, but it will be a fun little treat. We don't keep any other Easter candies around besides, so it's not too much candy. I've also managed to avoid the little plastic bunny toys, and multiplying stuffed animals.
I just browsed through our local dollar store and did the best I could keeping my goals in mind. If you had a little more cash you could always add things like a new spring outfit, rubber boots, an umbrella, a baseball glove. Things your kids may actually be needing anyways. Art supplies are also a great idea, however at this point I know my kids still have a lot.
We will be taking some time to remember the death and resurrection of Jesus over the holiday weekend along with spending time together as a family.
Wishing you a Happy Easter!
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