I’ll admit it: I usually don’t plan well for Easter baskets, much like Christmas stockings. Suddenly, Easter is just a few short days away and it occurs to me: hm, I should put together a little Easter basket for my toddlers, shouldn’t I?
Thank heavens for Amazon and fast shipping! If you align with Montessori, I’ve found some great Montessori-inspired Easter basket ideas that you can order right on Amazon.
1. Eggspressions
The very first thing that came to mind when I thought of a Montessori Easter basket item was this Eggpressions toy from Hape. It was actually just featured in a Lovevery Amazon Alternatives article for age 3.
These little eggs have emotions on them, and you can use them in play to help develop emotional literacy in your child. Not only are these little emotional eggs wooden and Montessori-aligned, but they’re perfect for Easter!
2. Children’s Books
I always tuck a book or two in my kid’s Easter baskets. There are lots of fun spring and Easter-themed board books on Amazon, but I do have some recommendations:
- God Gave Us Easter
- It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny (super popular one!)
- Bright Baby Touch and Feel Spring
- How to Catch the Easter Bunny
- Little Blue Truck’s Springtime (one of my kid’s favorites!)
- Don’t Push the Button! An Easter Surprise
- Too Many Carrots
- The Easter Egg Is Missing!
- The Good Egg Presents: The Great Eggscape!
- Babies Love Easter (Lift-a-Flap Book)
- The Story of Easter (Little Golden Book)
- Easter Hidden Pictures Puffy Sticker Playscenes (includes 50 puffy stickers)
If you don’t want to purchase any books or are on a tighter budget, this is definitely an area where you can save.
Consider requesting some of these spring and Easter books from your local library. You can still put them in the Easter basket – your toddlers will not know the difference.
3. Easy-Grip Egg Crayons
Both of my toddlers love arts and crafts, especially when I just give them a blank sheet of paper and some crayons. The stuff they come up with is so fun!
These Crayola easy-grip egg crayons, made especially for little hands, are perfect for Easter gifting.
I also love that they’re the primary colors, as you can have conversations about color mixing and how to make secondary colors.
4. Birdhouse Wooden Color Sorting Toy
Nothing says spring and Eastertime like little birdies! This wooden color sorting toy features adorable birds and tweezers to practice fine motor skills.
It’s also nice and small, so it will fit into your Easter basket nicely!
5. Bunnies in a Burrow
This bunnies in a burrow toy might be marketed for dogs, but it’s a great alternative to the Lovevery “Bunnies in a Felt Burrow” toy found in the popular Babbler play kit for 2-year-olds.
We have the Lovevery version in our house, and my son and daughter had fun playing peek-a-boo with the bunnies and then “hopping them” all over the place.
I love this toy for Eastertime!
6. Wooden Egg Shakers
Babies and toddlers love these little egg shakers, and how fun that you can buy them unfinished? Turn these little maracas into an afternoon of arts and crafts over the Easter break.
Be sure to pair these with washable paint for a complete Easter basket activity.
7. Easter Cookie Cutters
I love involving my toddlers in the kitchen when I can, and cookie cut-outs are definitely a fan favorite!
Put some Easter-themed cookie cutters in your Easter basket along with a promise to make some sugar cookies with your little ones.
An alternative option is to pair Easter cookie cutters with play dough (we love eco-dough and Dough Parlor) for open-ended fun!
8. Carrot Harvest Game
Another fun springtime wooden toy is this carrot harvest game. Toddlers can practice fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination with this little carrot-themed toy.
It’s also a compact toy, so it won’t overtake your entire Easter basket.
9. Easter Sensory Bin Items
Sensory bins are a ton of fun for toddlers! Consider getting a few Easter-themed items and creating an Easter sensory bin for Sunday morning.
Dye some rice with pastel-colored food coloring and dump it in a plastic tub.
Add some plastic eggs for scooping and pouring and some Easter-themed items to uncover, and your kids will be entertained for at least half an hour.
- Pastel food coloring
- Plastic tub
- Easter eggs
- Little bunnies (for hiding in the sensory bin and discovering!)
10. Gardening Kit
Both of my toddlers go wild when I give them a tiny shovel and let them have at it in the dirt. This Montessori gardening set is made for toddlers, and I think it’d be a perfect addition to any Easter basket!
You could also opt for just a little shovel set if you don’t need the whole kit or want to stay on the more affordable side.
11. Easter Stickers
My kids are obsessed with stickers, and these “Make a Face” Easter stickers caught my eye! Your little one can make a bunny, egg, chick, egg, shell, or sheep.
I love that you can hand your child one sticker page, and they have everything they need to do the activity.
12. Easter Sidewalk Chalk
This egg chalk comes in pastel colors and is a fun spin on classic sidewalk chalk. My kids love outdoor time, and every time we have chalk around, it’s the activity of choice!
You can also keep the carton and turn it into a DIY craft idea or activity. Check out some ideas from the blog Toddler Approved.
Montessori Easter Basket and Filler Ideas
As a quick little bonus, I wanted to include some ideas for the Easter basket and the filler. Yes, you can purchase an Easter basket and the plastic grass, but why not put your money towards something useful?
For the basket, here are a few ideas:
- Montessori wooden tray (use to organize activities on a play shelf)
- Plastic tub (can use as a sensory bin)
- Umbrella (this is such a cute idea – open the umbrella, set it upside down, and fill it with your Easter basket items!)
And for the filler, here are some ideas:
- Silk scarves (so many ways to use these in play – check out my write-up in this Lovevery Amazon Alternatives article)
- Pom poms (we use these for transferring activities and in arts and crafts all the time)
- Shredded paper (grab any paper that needs to be recycled and have a tearing/shredding party with your toddlers!)
Let me know in the comments what other ideas you have for unconventional Easter baskets and Easter grass/filler!
Conclusion
While Easter is, of course, all about the resurrection of Jesus, our family still loves to participate in fun traditions like Easter baskets, decorating eggs, and Easter egg hunts.
I personally love putting some Easter candy in my kid’s baskets (looking at you Cadbury eggs and Lindt chocolate bunny), but I hope this article gives you plenty of non-candy, Montessori-aligned ideas for your Easter basket this year.
Happy Easter!
Want even more Easter basket ideas? Head on over to The Organized Chaos blog for some great Easter basket inspiration!
