Growing up, Easter was always a small gift and a basket with candy and eggs along with the egg hunt. My husband and I have always give the kids a gift on Easter, one year it was new bikes - another year it was chairs for going to sporting events. So the price has ranged, but always something. This year I WANTED to get them scooters, but we are in pay down debt mode and have no extra money without taking from savings that is planned for other things (like day care over the summer and Disney in September). So what do you give? Maybe we can just step up the activities for Easter? Or we are going away April 20-23 so maybe we can play that off as a gift from the Easter bunny? (Also, we go to church every Sunday and totally get the real meaning behind the holiday, but we like to have fun with the kids as well :).)
Thanks, ladies. We definitely have the holiday as a spiritual holiday, but we do give the kids a little something extra. It just worked if they all needed new bikes at the same time or something like that. I REALLY like the idea's of new flip flops, sun glasses, bubbles, chalk, outside toys. That sounds like a fun and very affordable gift to do for them this year!
We don't give something extra (like a toy/present)...we just do easter baskets with candy and small things/plastic easter stuff. Maybe a small stuffed animal in the basket too.
We just do baskets with candy and maybe some art supplies or small toys. As they age we'll probably do some money eggs like my mother used to do for me. You're actually the first I've heard about giving an actual gift like Santa.
Basket with candy, maybe a DVD or a Wii game, kite, punch-ball, etc.
Believe me, your kids won't "notice" the lack of a larger gift. Way to go for being financially responsible. Then you will have more flexibility for other Easters, right? That's the point.
We always kept the focus on our spiritual beliefs. We still did Easter egg hunts when they were little with a few quarters in some of the eggs and a chocolate bunny in the basket. Now that they are older, I still give them and my husband a candy treat of some kind.
Other kids in our neighborhood would get more than we give our kids at Christmas.
Mine gets a basket w/ a small amount of candy. I usually stick a small gift in it too. This year it will be the new Barbie Fairy movie she really wants.
We do candy, and little things, stickers, play doh, silly putty, sidewalk chalk, cute socks, a book, I always though it had to fit in the basket! my teen girl would get diff color flip flops which looked cute in the basket. Sons got tennis balls, or baseballs whatever he was into...
I fill their baskets with candy and small gifts, like bubbles, Play Doh, activity book, art supplies, and sunglasses.
Definitely use the little get-away as an Easter gift! Say it is an Easter getaway so you guys can be together, which is an awesome thing to do.
Well I don't give them anything.....but the Easter bunny has brought
side walk chalk
bubbles
new marker - art supplies
kites
umbrellas
cool sprinklers to share - these sit on the coffee table between the 2 kids baskets so they know it's for both of them.
spring jacket
rain boots
packet of flower seeds to plant
playdoh
i have always done the egg hunt. They each have gotten to pick out there basket for the hunt... So, if your kids dont have a hunting basket you can tell them that the easter bunny has to do things a bit differently this year. Tell them you will be taking them to the store to get their hunting baskets... Prepare them for the fact that the bunny cant bring big gifts this year.. if they are old enough to understand that. Let them know that he is still coming, just only with smaller stuff. Hopefully letting them know ahead of time not to expect the big stuff that will help disfuse the bomb that could possibly go off.
My MIL is doing this giant easter event this year for us. I dont know why this year out of no where...i am just glad to get the break on my check book. Our budget is not allowing to do the big sha bang this year, so her efforts couldnt have come at a better time!!
Hope this helps. You maybe be surprises how happy the kids are even just with the small stuff. they have the true meaning of the holiday in hand so hopefully they dont give you too much grief on the easter bunnies efforts. As far as they know you have nothing to do with the easter bunny? so why blame mom when he cant bring the big stuff!!
When mine was little I usually got him small candy and stuffed animal. As he got older, about 6ish, I began buying him a small gift from the Christian book store, that, to me, was more in keeping with the celebration of the holiday.
In our family, Easter was never a big gift giving holiday.
God Bless
We always get things that the kids need... Not that stuff from the Easter aisle that they will never use and will later be thrown away... Socks, hair stuff, deoderant, clothes, etc...
My kids are still young (6 & 7) so a small gift can be just as worthwhile as an expensive gift. Last year we gave our daughter a zhu zhu pet and our son an animal toob (he loves plastic animals), with some candy in their basket and an Easter egg hunt (with real eggs). This year, we'll probably give them some outdoor toys for their baskets -- sidewalk chalk, squirt guns, pool toys and the like. Maybe slip in there some new bathing suits for them too or a pair of cheap sunglasses.
Your gifts are a bit more elaborate then our family.
Kids get a new outfit from head to toe
Easter basket w/chocolate bunny, jelly beans, peeps, marshmellow eggs, colored eggs.
After church, a family dinner or picnic where we hide eggs for the kids and after that, they hide eggs for adults.
That's it for us. Wishing everyone a very Happy and meaningful Easter Sunday.
Blessings...
My son ONLY like Hershey Kisses so he'll be finding LOTS of plastic eggs will those in them. It's also his fourth birthday so I'm thinking of a scooter but he really doesn't/won't the difference.
I've also been stockpiling "Cars" cars for his baskets. Last year was the first year he "got" the idea of an egg hunt so THIS year will be even MORE fun!
we dye easter eggs, then easter morning he gets a basket, and the eggs we dyed and maybe a few treats (like a thing of peeps, a chocolate bunny) are hidden for him to find. the basket is filled with mostly small stuff from dollar tree; this year i have a jump rope, some bouncy balls, some Cars socks, a cool spiderman cup, some other little things....i might end up getting a stuffed animal but he's never been too into those...i will get some chocolate too, we usually do a candy bowl. nothing fancy.
The biggest things EB brought beyond candy to our house was a DS game in an egg, blank birdhouses to paint and put outside, books.
We do a mini egg hunt in backyard (weather permitting) and a themed-basket, nothing too crazy. the big stuff is left for bdays, xmas etc. we always go on a mini trip right after easter too, and kids enjoy that a lot. this year i am yet to decide what theme I will be doing their baskets. in the past i have done art baskets, imaginary play baskets, wall-e baskets etc.
Along with a basket of candy I always get my kids a new spring outfit. It's not usually quite warm enough for spring clothes in NJ/DE yet, but it's nice to have something brand new waiting in the closet for when it does get warm enough!
