This post is full of Easter basket gift ideas for toddlers that won’t become clutter the day after Easter. As a long-time childcare provider for toddlers and a veteran mom of three, I have learned a thing or two about what Easter basket filler toys get played with and which ones get tossed and neglected.
If you don’t want to deal with post-Easter morning toddler temper tantrums caused by junk toys that broke way too quickly–this post is for you.
26 Easter Basket Gift Ideas For Toddlers That Are Not Junk
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The links in this post go to Amazon so that the Easter bunny simply has to place the items in the virtual shopping cart and get them delivered to their door–no need to try and toss the items in a ‘”real life” cart while the toddler isn’t looking! Or figure out how to get out of the house and shop without the toddler in tow. And if the Easter bunny happens to be an Amazon Prime member, they can enjoy two-day free shipping.
Before we get to the ideas that fit in an Easter basket I want to give you a bigger than a basket Easter gift idea.
A Mustard Seed Toys kindly sent me one of their durable easy setup and store Teepees and it is a huge hit with the toddler I currently care for. These tents will last years, providing fun inside and outside your home. They are available in different colors of stripes or polka dots. They are big enough for not just your tot but their friends too! There is even a doll-size version.
1. Peg Board
So you might look at this peg board and wonder what your little girl or boy would do with it besides toss it. Well, if you leave them to figure it out on their own, yes, they might do that. But if you take the time to show your child all that can be done with a peg board–you might be surprised at just how often they play with it after your first play session together.
Peg boards are great interactive play toys to teach colors, counting, matching, and patterns. They also work on fine motor skills. As your toddler grows, you can add a shoelace to the set and show them how to thread the pegs on it.
Anti Clutter-Tip: I recommend that any toy with many pieces like a peg board be stored in a see-through plastic container with a lid and placed on a shelf out of reach from the toddler. That way they have to ask you to get it down, and you get to decide if other toys need to be cleaned up first.
2. Magnetic Drawing Board
Toddlers love drawing but often forget that it has to be done only on paper. Save your walls from doodles by placing a magnetic drawing board in your little one’s Easter basket.
Here is a link to a pack of mini magnetic boards that are perfect for tiny toddler hands and will fit in an Easter basket much easier than a standard size drawing board. As for the extras, you could save them as gifts for your toddler’s friends.
3. Egg Shaped Crayons
These egg-shaped crayons are not only easier for toddlers to grip and use than conventional crayons, but they make the perfect themed addition to an Easter egg basket.
4. Rain Boots
April showers bring May flowers, so rain boots make a great Easter basket filler for a toddler who loves to jump in the puddles. And they make them in so many adorable prints!
5. Bandages With Their Favorite Characters Or Animals On Them
I have yet to meet a toddler who doesn’t love printed bandaids. These Welly Bandages come in all sorts of cute patterns and the box they come in is reusable.
6. Spring Time Dress-Up Items
The world of pretend play is an important part of every child’s development. It begins in the toddler years so why not add a piece or two of spring-themed dress-up items to their Easter baskets.
Here are a few ideas:
7. Homemade Play dough
Some days, more play dough goes in the mouth at the toddler stage than gets played with, but they do enjoy playing with it. This is why I suggest making your own play dough. Google or search on Pinterest for “homemade play dough recipe” and you should get plenty of ideas. I recommend a recipe that uses creme of tartar (it lasts longer) and does not include adding a scent (which is confusing to a two-year-old, you are telling them not to eat it, yet it smells like food).
To go with the play dough, you might include a few springtime-themed cookie stamps like these.
8. A Big Bottle Of Bath Bubbles
Chances are bubble bath is probably something you usually keep on hand, but then again, so is toothpaste and we put that in our kid’s stockings so why can’t we put a giant bottle of bubble bath in their Easter basket, especially one that smells like tropical smoothies and is free of sulfates and parabens.
9. Real Binoculars
Grow your toddler’s love of nature with a pair of shockproof binoculars that they can use to see all the birds returning to your area in spring.
10. Beach Balls
A dozen inflatable beach balls are fairly inexpensive. Fill the room where the Easter bunny leaves the basket for the toddler with the beach balls and enjoy a giggle-filled Easter morning. Once Easter is done, you can place the beach balls in the backyard for outdoor fun.
If you want your beach balls to last more than a few weeks, here is a tip I learned when I opened a daycare. Before you blow up the beach balls, take one and cut out the round area where you blow into them. Place another beach ball inside the one you just cut and blow it up. These double-walled beach balls should last you all summer long, if not longer. To avoid them blowing away in the wind, place them in a mesh bag after outdoor playtime is done for the day.
11. Color Changing Spill-Proof Sippy Cup
Toddlers are easily fascinated. Feed into that fascination with a BPA-free spill-proof sippy cup that changes colors when you put cold milk, juice, or water inside.
12. Match It Style Puzzles
These simple two-piece puzzles will help your toddler learn important identification skills.
13. Bubbles & Accessories
Spring is the perfect time to get outside and blow some bubbles. Reduce the mess of bubbles with a spill-proof bubble container, allowing your toddler to take a turn with little worry about them spilling bubble solution everywhere.
And here is something for that toddler that just won’t let you stop blowing bubbles. It will let you rest while giving them the bubble fun they crave.
14. Egg Matching Set
This set is more for older toddlers than for younger ones as the shapes could be frustrating for those just leaving the baby stage; however, if you have an older toddler, what better gift to put in an Easter basket than eggs that are also learning toys.
15. Fisher-Price Little People Animal Sets
So much learning goes on with a set of good quality plastic animals like those by Fisher-Price. They will be loved for years by your little one as they use them in pretend play.
16. Fridge Magnets
Do not get the style of fridge magnets in the photo above as they contain small magnets that can be choking hazards if they fall out. A much better style are jumbo ones where the entire back is a magnet like this brand.
Good quality fridge magnets will last for years and are great learning tools.
17. Duplo
I am a giant fan of Duplo! I think it is one of the best building toys out there for sparking the imagination and growing along with your toddler. At first, they will let you build the tower so they can knock it down, then slowly they will start making their own towers, and then they will start building things like cars, monsters, etc. Here is a basic starter set that can be the first set you buy or add to an existing collection.
18. Wooden Musical Eggs
This colorful set of wooden egg shakers make a great first instrument for a toddler. They are easy for their little hands to hold and shake and they are durable.
19. Hide And Squeak Eggs
These hide and squeak eggs came up on my related items feed on Amazon as I was writing this post, and they are so adorable that I just had to share. They also have the makings of a good toy; they are durable and they encourage fine motor skills, color recognition, and more.
20. Push Pop Toys
Push pop toys give your toddler the fun of bubble wrap, but with a push pop toy, they can make that popping sound happen as long as they want to. They are made of non-toxic silicone so it is okay if your toddler chews on them and should they get dirty, you can pop them in the dishwasher.
This push pop toy is rainbow-colored, making it the perfect addition to an Easter basket.
21. Stack Up Cups
This set of colorful stacking cups can be used in the bathtub, the playroom, or on the beach. The set has holes for sifting sand or sprinkling water, which adds one more element of fun.
22. Easter Themed Temporary Tattoos
Toddlers are as fascinated with temporary tattoos as they are with bandages, but the temporary tattoos tend to last longer than the bandages, giving you a bit more bang for your buck. This Easter-themed set is generous in size and reasonably priced.
23. A Paintbrush (But Not For What You Might Think)
This is a toddler activity I learned in one of my daycare training courses. It is such a super simple idea and toddlers love it. On a hot day, head outside and give them a two to a three-inch-wide paintbrush and a small pail of water and let them paint surfaces to their heart’s content. The first time I did it with a group of toddlers, it kept them busy for over half an hour.
So if the temperatures are hot by Easter where you live, throw a paintbrush into your little one’s Easter basket.
24. Sidewalk Chalk Eggs
Once again, egg-shaped items are perfect for little toddler hands. Plus, egg-shaped sidewalk chalk is next to impossible to break. You can’t say that about traditional stick-shaped chalk. And of course–almost anything egg-shaped makes a great Easter basket filler.
25. Silicone Snack Bags Filled With Their Favorite Snacks
There are less expensive silicone snack bags out there, but I just had to share this adorable animal-themed set that stand up on their own, which is something most other brands do not do. Seriously, look at the cute ears on the animals in this set!
26. Easter-Themed Board Books
A good quality board book with excellent illustrations and a rhythm to its story will be a gift for both tot and parent for months and possibly years to come.
Easter Board Books With Bunny & Egg Stories
- Llama Llama Easter Egg
- The Itsy Bitsy Bunny
- The Runaway Bunny—not an Easter story, but a wonderful story of the love a parent has for a child illustrated using bunnies that would be a welcome addition to any toddler’s book collection.
Easter Board Books With A Christian Message
I hope this list helps you fill your toddler’s Easter basket with the perfect combination of fun and learning without the clutter.
Find Easter Basket Gift Ideas For All The Ages On Your List
- 20 Easter Basket Gift Ideas For Teenage Boys & Girls
- 25 Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas For College Students
- Inexpensive Easter Basket Ideas For Mom: Because She Deserves An Easter Treat Too!
Find out how and where you can earn Amazon gift cards to help pay for gifts.
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