What to Put in an Easter Basket for a Travel-Savvy Kid

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Easter is around the corner and I have already started stockpiling items for my kid’s baskets. In an effort to avoid small, junky toys that will end up in the trash as well as too much sugar, I have been slowly gathering items as I see them. Since we have a few trips booked after Easter, I thought I would give the kids some items they will be able to use on our trips. We’re heading to Asia in June and then have some US travel in late summer and fall so a great opportunity to get some items that will be good for long flights and long drives.

First off, the right basket

I finally caved after my third child was born and bought the Pottery Barn Kids baskets with personalized liners. Yes, they are expensive but I bought them after Easter when I was pregnant and then got the liners the following year to make it a bit more fiscally friendly. They are very durable and they can be used for other times throughout the year by simply changing the liner out. It is an investment but, in my opinion, a good one and is even an item that would have some resale value once your kids have outgrown them.

Focusing on the big ticket items

The Easter Bunny is on a budget so I am trying to keep items in the $30-40 range at an absolute maximum. For my daughters, I decided to get each of them a Camelbak M.U.L.E Kids Backpack. One of our 2020 goals was to get outside more and having their own backpack will be a huge incentive for them. And, even better for me, I don’t have to carry everyone’s water bottles! WIN FOR MOM!

For my son, I did get him a bigger toy as his big ticket item. He’s 1 and loves cars so I got the Fisher-Price Neighborhood Garage. He will love it even though it is something that we will only use at home.

Something to Read

My next focus area is a book (or two) with a focus on travel. Once I book a trip, I usually look on Amazon and at Barnes & Noble for kid’s travel guides or language books or interactive activity books (I got this one for our Australia trip last year). These books and guides help the kids get excited for our destinations and even can get them involved in the planning process for what we do.

I have also done general reading books that they can read during our journey. My oldest is into early reader chapter books and these are easy to find. We have, however, been doing regular library trips for this genre as we find she reads it once and it sits on the bookshelf which is already at capacity!

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Lastly, I love to spur ideas for new destinations through books. This year, each of my kids is getting a book from the Beato Goes To… series. The author, Sucheta Rawal, is someone I met during my pre-kids blog and she has created a children’s series focused on her cat exploring the world and learning about different cultures. I highly recommend these books as a fun way to introduce travel and cultures to your family.

Keep Them Busy!

My third category is items that function to keep the kids busy on long travel days, whether they are by car, plane or train. I tend to look for items $15 or less that can either keep the kids busy or encourage them to play nicely together. So far, I have grabbed some Mad Libs books, the license plate bingo cards, some magnetic games, a wooden tangram puzzle book and some travel journals.

The Target dollar section or the Dollar store are also great choices for some cheap options that will keep kids busy. I love the little craft kits or games that can function as a distraction when I sometimes desperately need them!

And Some Treats!!!

I do like to add in some candy items as my kids love little treats. I will get some nicer chocolate or gummies (we love the ones from Albanese gummies). Add a few fun, sweet items in and let them have a little treat the day of and then put aside and ration it as an occasional indulgence.

For the baby, I plan on getting a few of his favorite snacks and pouches to fill out his basket. Makes grocery shopping a little easier that week after Easter!

What are you planning to put in your kid's Easter baskets this year?