Easter, kids and all that junk that comes with it.....

[annaz]

Just like Christmas, I am going "UGH" at the thought of all that Easter stuff.

Other than church and they're also putting on an Easter egg hunt, any ideas for a 7 yr old girl? I'm so sick of junk and candy and little toys.

What do you do? I need some ideas. I don't mind a bit of candy and a basket, but geez...


Everything has gotton so materialistic and how do you stop it once you start it?

[Melanie]

We always try to get something "useful".... a new book, puzzles, crayons, paints, a new toothbrush and floss, a new little notebook to carry to church. We always put in some candy, too! I don't do stuffed animals, our collection is too large as it is.

This year we may do little calculators. They will sit and play with one for hours! Our baskets are very small, so not hard to fill!

This is a good question, I hope to get a few new ideas here!

[Marsha]

but with 6 kids and a 1500 Square foot house..
we just do chocolate bunnies and a nice meal.
Plus, I can't stand clutter.

[my3sons]

We got bug viewing containers at Walmart - they're actually called "Discovery Mesh Containers". They were $4 a piece. They have wire screen sides, a handle, clear plastic ends with one end that you can slide up to put the bug(s) in. Inside the containers, they have a magnifying glass, a cheap-looking little flashlight, and a plastic tweezers. At the dollar store, I also got giant pencils with attached pencil sharpeners and chocolate "praying hands" to put with each bug container for Easter. I think our boys with LOVE these for bug containers for spring. They love to watch bugs, and it's great to have containers such as this so they can sketch them in their nature journals or look them up and identify them as they watch them. Maybe girls wouldn't dig this as much though? I would have as a young girl though - I loved watching bugs (and bringing them in various jars to my poor bug-hating mom!)

If you have a younger child, "Miss Pattycake's Eggstravaganza" is a Christian video that is really fun - full of happy Easter songs and Scriptures. We got that a few years ago for the children for Easter and they still enjoy it!

[Kelly]

gree with My3sons, those bug containers are SO worth the four bucks! My kids love them. I never thought of them for Easter though, that is a great idea with the beginning of Spring and all. I love this season. My Dogwood tree began to bloom today and it makes me happy. My kids are excited about all of the animals they get to see after hiding all winter.(We have TONS of lizards, bugs ,frogs,toads,etc.) Oh yeah, this post was about Easter candy.......I'm leaving now.
Kelly

[beandip71]

Last year I got new sand toys for my kiddos at Wal-Mart and they were a hit. I may do the same thing again this year since my dogs have chewed up last years sand toys.

Gina

[netpea]

Not to sound too cheap. But we use the same stuffed animals/toys every year. I hide them away a couple weeks after Easter and then they reappear in their baskets the next year. So far, they think it's cool to see the toy again. Also we may do books or dvds, pencils, notepads, etc... and a minimum of candy.

[Dorla]

Last year I put together a Resurrection basket for my son and his friends. It was a big hit. Have you tried it?
I got the idea from here http://www.homeschoolshare.com/parable_of_the_lily.php
Dorla

[Dixie]

Dorla,

Thank you for sharing the link for the resurrection baskets.

[mom2every1]

We've actually never bought baskets of gifts. Our church was always big on it being all about Jesus, so just never got into the gifts thing. We also had very little money anyway. I guess I stayed away from the store or just didn't notice it, but last year for some reason all the baskets and candy were everywhere and my older kids were asking me what it was all about. I told them they can get chocolate or candy any time of the year, and we certainly don't need 4 more baskets in our house. They all agreed. They think the idea of bunnies with eggs is kinda twisted anyway - mammals don't lay eggs my 8 year old told me.

We have never been in a church that did an Easter-egg hunt, although one year we had dinner at a friends house that had a hunt for my kids. They thought it was fun, but again, didn't see what it had to do with Resurrection Day. All in perspective I guess.

[Treewin]

Last year I gave the kids umbrellas. I think I bought them from Rainy Day Kids. They do not last long when played with everyday outside. No, it does not rain that much here but they love them.

I guess you could always buy them a pair of sunglasses or some equally optomistic (sp?) item.

Between you and me, we still have plenty of snow here.

[eazbnsmom]

We don't do baskets either. We do have a tradition of making "Resurrection Biscuits". Buy the Jumbo canned biscuits, marshmallows & cinnamon & sugar. Roll out the biscuit, place a marshmallow inside and wrap biscuit around (Jesus in the tomb) bake for about 10 minutes and when you cut it open, there is no "body".... there may be "cloth" where his body was though.

Also one year I bought them each a little gardening set with seeds, pot, gloves, and gardening tools.....they loved that.

I love the mesh insect cage idea....or ordering caterpillars to watch them transform to butterflies!

Kay in PA

[momof2n2]

we do baskets and egg hunts. But I prefer to put Teddy Grahams in the eggs over candy. Just my preference. Then they usually get some stickers, a new book or DVD and something for the summer. If they lost/broke/out-grew their sunglasses, for example. My DD#1 will get a bathing suit this year.

[inHistiming]

We usually do something, but we do make sure that they realize the bunnies, baskets, etc. are a commerialized thing. They know Easter is about celebrating Jesus' resurrection.

I often will find a book having to do with the resurrection, a piece or two of candy, and we have done stuffed animals but have so many already...the sunglasses are a great idea. Mine all need some!

We used to have a big dinner around Easter and invite all of our friends. Everyone would bring a dish, we'd cook out, and swim or use the slip-n-slide for the kids. Then we would have an Easter egg hunt. It was just something fun I did growing up, and we wanted our kids to experience that. But, that was in Florida...I don't see us hunting eggs in the snow, although that could probably be fun! I'm looking forward to reading others' suggestions.

[mom2boys030507]

We hide eggs for the kids to find but only fill a few with one piece of candy if any - their Nana gives them each a little candy and there is some around for the whole family to share. We also focus on that Jesus is Alive.

I usually get something small for the boys. One year it was an outfit to wear on Easter inside a sand bucket and shovel. Not sure what I will do this year but love the idea of bug containers.