Best Easter Basket Ideas for 12 to 18 Month Olds
The tradition of giving Easter baskets traces its roots back to medieval Catholics. After they finished observing the solemn period of Lent, they celebrated the arrival of Easter Sunday. Families would bring baskets filled with various foods to their local church for the priest to bless. These baskets were a joyful sign and a way for them to enter into the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The practice of giving Easter baskets has evolved and changed over the centuries. To this day, this tradition is continued by people of various cultures and beliefs around the world. In this blog post, I’ll share some of the best selections for an easter basket for 12 to 18-month-olds. Easter baskets can be filled with engaging, fun, and educational items that help stimulate development rather than spike a sugar high!
Developmental Milestones Between 12 and 18 Months
So much is happening from 12 to 18 months. A baby will begin walking, making marks on paper, understanding the word “no”, and can roll a ball, just to mention a few. It is important to understand some of the developmental milestones and needs of an older baby and toddler so we can find the perfect activities to put in our toddler’s Easter basket! Here are some movements that a toddler is capable of and interested in doing during this time.
- Stacks blocks and places rings on a dowel.
- Pushes and pulls toys along.
- Navigate a book by turning the pages.
- Marks on paper with crayons.
- Plays with balls.
- While walking or crawling, they will carry an object.
- Can complete simple puzzles.
- Picks up small objects using their pincer grasp.
We can give gifts that will support their cognitive, motor, and sensory development during this stage of their life. With all of these recommendations, take into consideration your child and their development. Many babies between 12 and 18 months are still mouthing objects, so we need to ensure safety when choosing gifts for young toddlers.elopment during this stage of their life. With all of these recommendations, take into consideration your child and their development. Many babies between 12 and 18 months are still mouthing objects, so we need to ensure safety when choosing gifts for young toddlers.
Creative Easter Basket Ideas
A child’s Easter basket is so much fun to put together. Including thoughtful gifts and sweet treats that they will love. Here is a list of the best easter gifts you could put in your young toddler’s Easter basket this year!
Egg Sidewalk Chalk
With spring in the air, a fun holiday gift is egg sidewalk chalk. The egg shape is perfect for little hands to hold in the palm of their hand, and it is themed as an egg shape. Sidewalk chalk is a fun gift for kids of all ages but will be an exciting new activity for a younger toddler.
Carrot Toy
This carrot harvest toy is an engaging and developmentally appropriate toy to put in your toddler’s easter basket. It focuses on the skill of size discrimination and helps to build fine motor skills and dexterity by removing and placing the carrots in the base.
Bath Crayons
A great way to make bathtime more fun is with some bath crayons. These Honeystick bath crayons are nontoxic and made out of beeswax. They will be a great addition to your 12-18 month old’s Easter basket and bathtime routine and likely more fun than any normal bath toys.
Stuffed Animal
Stuffed animals are always a cozy and exciting gift to get as a little one. An extra plush little bunny or duck will be a fun Easter basket filler idea.
Musical Egg Shakers
A great opportunity to bring music into your home is through musical instruments. Egg shakers are the perfect size instrument for little hands. Musical shaker eggs are a fun addition to any toddler’s Easter basket.
Pastel Beeswax Crayons
These chunky beeswax crayons are the right size for a baby’s first crayon. They are non-toxic, safe for babies and toddlers, and made with natural beeswax and food-grade colors. These soft pastel crayons are a practical item to add to an Easter basket this year.
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Board Book
A board book is a classic addition to an Easter basket. Here are a few great ideas for book titles to add to your spring book collection!
Water Bottle
The spring time is a perfect time to get your young toddler a water bottle. We went with stainless steel straw water bottles, which have been a huge hit!
Rain Boots
The warmer weather that spring brings usually means mud and rain puddles. So, if your young toddler is walking at this point, a pair of rain boots is a great Easter Basket idea! We purchased these rain boots
for our twin boys. I chose them because they are flexible and have a very flat bottom. This will allow their foot to bend when they are moving and playing.
Easter Pop-It Toys
A fun sensory toy is a pop-it toy. They come in many different shapes, even Easter shapes! They are a great toy to bring along for car rides.
Gardening Tools or Sand Toys
With spring in the air, we can start to think about working out in the garden. Putting some small gardening tools in your child’s Easter basket is a fun way to get them involved and excited for the work ahead this spring. Practical items like a shovel or rake will be perfect for the upcoming spring! Gardening tools will offer lots of fine motor and potentially gross motor opportunities. If you don’t plan to garden, consider some sand toys for your summer trips to the beach.
Ring Stacker
When looking at toys to invest in, we want to make sure they have the added benefit of being something that engages a child on a deeper level. This ring stacker is great for building concentration and fine motor skills. It reinforces repetition and crossing the midline. The soft pastel colors of the disks make it a fun Easter activity.
Little Gifts
You will likely be able to find small toys at great deals in the dollar section at Target. This may be a good time to pick up any more plastic Easter eggs you need for your Easter egg hunt. Instead of filling them with jelly beans, pick up some fresh blueberries or little animal figurines to put inside your plastic eggs this year.
Are you looking for more non-toy gift ideas for your 1-year-old or toddler? Check out all these ideas!
DIY Easter Basket Ideas
If you are looking to fill an easter basket with homemade DIY gifts, here are a few simple and meaningful gift ideas.
Homemade Playdough
For older toddlers, who are no longer mouthing things, you could make a batch of my homemade playdough. Make it a little more special by putting them into little containers or dying the playdough an Easter pastel color.
A Special Treat
We don’t need our young toddlers having sugar and dyes this Easter. Instead, we could make them a special treat. Here are some easy Easter recipes for children. Wrap them up special and they would make great Easter gift ideas without breaking the budget.
A Great Candy Option
If you do desire to give your little one a piece of candy in their Easter basket, consider the ingredients. Most candies seem to be filled with high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes. The brand Yum Earth makes organic candy made with cane sugar. This is a brand I can feel confident giving to my children without compromising flavor or variety.
A family photo book
Get a photo book and print off photos of family members. This can be a special keep-sake item for your little one for years to come.
Tips for Building the Perfect Easter Basket
Assembling Your Easter Basket
When you are putting together your Easter basket, first, you’ll want to find a basket that fits all of your gifts. Arrange the toys and treats in an appealing way. Place larger objects in the back and nestle smaller objects in the front. Use a clear or clear-colored cellophane wrapping to add a nice touch and elegance to your Easter basket. Add a festive bow at the top, and you’re finished.
Once you have all the fun items you selected for your child’s Easter basket, then add in some last-minute healthy snacks. Natural fruit bars, homemade muffins, or crackers may all be special additions.
Finding a Basket
When it comes to finding an Easter basket, there are a lot of options on the market. One way you can get a more eco-friendly and sustainable Easter basket is by thrifting one! Wicker baskets make the perfect and timeless Easter baskets. You can also repurpose them for the rest of the year as home decor.
A Special Occasion
What a special occasion to create a thoughtful Easter basket for 12 to 18-month-olds. Filled with developmentally appropriate gifts that will engage them and foster creativity. Easter morning can be a great time to spend some quality time with your little ones while they open up and enjoy their new activities. If you put together an Easter basket with any of these ideas, share it with me in the comments! Or send me a direct message on Instagram. If you have any other fun easter basket ideas, share them with others in the comments below!
