A tisket, a tasket: Five things for your tween’s Easter basket

Easter is almost here and THANK GOODNESS! I’m ready to bite the ears off chocolate bunnies and see fuzzy newborn chicks and set the table in pretty pastels for a special dinner celebrating our favourite Spring holiday. But I think I have the most fun (next to decorating eggs) building Easter baskets for my kids. Usually a few little treats tucked around a special chocolate bunny — smaller treats when the kids were smaller, and now a little more substantial. Mainly because I find so many cute things they’d like and I CANNOT RESIST. But also because I want them to really value what they get and enjoy it for a while. Today I’ve got some ideas for an Easter basket I made with my tween in mind but older and younger kids might like them just as much too. 

This seagrass basket from Simons is just the right size and can be used long after Easter for all sorts of things. The top half folds down inside, so you can fill it folded down or popped up, depending on how much room you need.

I folded mine down because it’s just easier to show you what’s inside. Our kiddos do an Easter egg hunt and get their larger chocolate in a basket.

But you could put it to the side as well.

On to the ideas!

SWEET TREATS  Purdys’ milk choco is our favourite, so I know Lily will love their Marigold bunny. Other ideas: Purdys peanut butter eggs; Squish Easter gummies; BlueQ “Look, I’m wearing the smile you gave me!” gum.

ACCESSORIES // So cute you just wanna squeeze it: lemon purse, Amazon.

Foxy Originals’ cactus earrings (handmade in Toronto and under $25).

A trio of pastel scrunchies, American Eagle (found in store). Other ideas: Pixie Mood cardholders (vegan and made in Canada); Old Navy headbands (or head wraps, as they’re calling those ones); Forever 21 reusable tote.

TOILETRIES // Hey Girl Hey coconut milk mango soap, Indigo (above). Other ideas: face masks, MaskerAide; shower gel and Dani the Baby Deer headband (the bunny one’s sold out online), The Body Shop; marshmallow world bath bomb, Lush.

PICTURE FRAMES & HOLDERS // Instax mini glitter picture frame, Urban Outfitters. Also: peace sign photo holder, Indigo; succulent photo holder, Forever 21. Magnetic frames for a tween’s locker would also be super fun, but I can’t find any. (If you see some, let me know!)

BOOKS! // (Only the most fun to shop for!!)  I could have listed a hundred, but here are some particularly special (and tween-approved) finds (all from Indigo).

Boss the Bestseller List Like J. K. Rowling, one of two books (the other is Run the Show Like CEO Oprah Winfrey) in the new Work It, Girl series of biographies of modern women in the world of work.

“When Joanne Rowling was a young woman, she found herself down and out of luck. But, she had a best-selling idea and a tenacious spirit. If only she could find someone who wanted to publish her book… Discover how J. K. Rowling became a best-selling author and publishing sensation in this true story of her life. Then, learn 10 key lesson from her work you can apply to your own life.”

I’ve only read this one so far and I like it because it doesn’t shy away from talking about the very real obstacles Rowling has overcome (both personal and in her career) and yet it’s not too heavy either. And the 10 key lessons are solid. I really like #1 (Good writing starts with good reading) and #5 (You are not a tree! If you want to change directions, you can).

Lily totally lit up when she saw this one in the store — she’s read every David Walliams book but this new one, FING, which just came out last month. It’s illustrated by Tony Ross, who also did the Roald Dahl books.

“Myrtle Meek has everything she could possibly want. But everything isn’t enough. She wants more, more, MORE! When Myrtle declares she wants a FING, there’s only one problem. What is a FING?

Mr. and Mrs. Meek will do anything to keep their darling daughter happy, even visit the spooky library vaults to delve into the dusty pages of the mysterious Monsterpedia. Their desperate quest leads to the depths of the jungliest jungle where the rarest creatures can be found.

But will they ever find a FING?

A deliciously daft, totally surreal Tall Story of two perfectly nice parents and their perfectly monstrous daughter — and the explosive arrival of a FING!” 

And of course, Anne of Green Gables — a classic story from a beloved Canadian author that really needs no introduction. This is my favourite edition for the incredibly gorgeous cover by Anna Bond of Rifle Paper Co.

And this one I hadn’t heard of until we saw it in the store. The cover caught my eye and the description sounds like something Lily and I would both enjoy reading. (I’ll have to get back to you to let you know how we found it.) Here’s more on Eventown:

“The world tilted for Elodee this year, and now it’s impossible for her to be the same as she was before. Not when her feelings have such a strong grip on her heart. Not when she and her twin sister, Naomi, seem to be drifting apart. So when Elodee’s mom gets a new job in Eventown, moving seems like it might just fix everything.

Indeed, life in Eventown is comforting and exciting all at once. Their kitchen comes with a box of recipes for Elodee to try. Everyone takes the scenic way to school or work—past rows of rosebushes and unexpected waterfalls. On blueberry-picking field trips, every berry is perfectly ripe.

Sure, there are a few odd rules, and the houses all look exactly alike, but it’s easy enough to explain—until Elodee realizes that there are only three ice cream flavors in Eventown. Ever. And they play only one song in music class.

Everything may be “even” in Eventown, but is there a price to pay for perfection—and pretending?”

OTHER IDEAS // notebooks, fountain pens, fun pencils, desk donut pushpins and holder (above); reading socks and pajamas.

Does somebunny have more ideas now? Which of these do you love for an Easter basket. What else would your kiddos love? Tell me everything! I love Easter!