Toddler Friendly Easter

Easter is by far, my favorite holiday of the year. Celebrating our Risen Savior, family time, brunch, warmer weather, egg hunts, and fun-filled baskets- what's not to love! It's a time of new life that always leaves me refreshed.

Easter baskets and Egg-hunts carry such a special nostalgia for me and I so looked-forward to creating them for my son! However, having a toddler, it has changed my view of how I want to celebrate these holidays. Easter weekend is famous for it's candy, which isn't always toddler friendly. While continuing the tradition of egg-hunting and stuffed baskets, I want to focus more on activities he loves and the reason we celebrate.

^^ Eco Eggs are essentially plastic Easter eggs made from plants, 100% renewable content, and are fully compostable after use. They are made from non-toxic, durable, plant-based plastic and they come in a large size only. Easter-eggs are another plastic source that generate tons of emissions and landfill waste each year. Trust me, I know as a mother it is difficult to avoid plastic because many of my sons toys are, but when there are wooden or recycle-based toy options, I grab them. I found my Eco Eggs at Whole Foods, but you can also order them online, link here.

Two other plant-based plastic products that I love are Green Toys-link here, and Re-play dish-ware for kids- link here.

^^ The Eco Eggs bag is resealable which is perfect to store them until next Easter!

^^ Toddlers are sticker obsessed. I purchased larger sheets of stickers and cut them into smaller squares to fit into the eggs. Walter has recently learned how to peel the individual stickers off the sheet and carefully press them onto paper, his arms, or clothes... really anywhere they'll stick! They keep him busy! Temporary tattoos are also a great option to stuff into these eggs. 

^^ As for something sweet, fruit leather is a great alternative to candy. The individual strips roll up perfectly inside these eggs! Veggie-Go's are great because they contain few wholesome ingredients with no added sugar. Whole Foods 365 brand also has great options. Most fruit leather is gluten and dairy free which is a safe option to bring when attending an egg hunt with multiple kids! 

^^ Annies Cheddar Bunnies are one of W's favorite snacks. They're the perfect size for toddler hands, and the bunny shape is perfect for Easter!

We're attending an egg hunt at our neighbors home this weekend and each family is bringing a dozen eggs to contribute! I can't wait to watch the egg-hunt frenzy! 

When is comes to Easter baskets, I found it pretty easy to avoid stuffing it with food or sweets. W has a serious sweet tooth (like him Mama), so I guarantee you this child will consume some sweets this weekend. This is his first Easter basket from us (last year he was so little), so I wanted to create a focus around things he loves to do verses food/candy. 

^^ New spring/summer shoes are the perfect thing to stuff in an Easter basket. I've been purchasing moccasins from the Wild Explorers shop for a year now! Each time W outgrows a pair, I grab him another. The 100% leather quality is beyond amazing, and Hannah packages them in the cutest bag accompanied by a sweet and appreciative note. Being an artist myself, it is important for me to support handcrafted small businesses. The amount of love and hard work this woman puts into her shop while being a full-time mom is truly inspiring. They stay on W's busy little feet and we love them!

Link to her shop- here.

^^ These bow ties are made by a local shop, Adibug Designs. They are adorable and clip easily to little button-up shirts! This shop sells boy bow ties and girl hair bows in multiple sizes ranging from newborn to kids. Her etsy shop link here.

^^ The weather is getting warmer by the day, so outdoor fun was a great addition to his basket. Melissa & Doug carries this large triangular shaped chalk which helps toddlers grasp them with their small hands. I liked this outdoor chalk, because it comes in a case to store each piece in individual slots to avoid breaking. The pinwheel & ice-cream cone bubbles were found in the dollar bins- All of these items were found at Target!

^^ Curious George is a favorite in our house. W is really loving coloring on his easel, so I got him his first coloring book. I've also found he has a hard time holding on to round crayons, so I got these triangular large crayons. These also come in a storage case! 

^^ This may come as a surprise, but my son loves putting on my lip balm, or really any chapstick. He second he sees in in the diaper bag, he must unscrew the ball, smell it, and apply! So... I got him his own!

^^ I saved his favorite for last... bunny & books. Last Easter, W's Abuela (my mom) purchased him a bunny. Bunny has become his side kick. He goes everywhere we go, and sleeps tightly tucked in-between W's little arms at night. Needless to say, Bunny is well loved and a bit shaggy after a year of loving. I stuffed a duplicate in his basket for us to have on hand, just incase anything should happen to our beloved Bunny, because he is a necessity in our home!

I hope these ideas helped you make the final touches on your special weekend with your family!

Happy Easter! xo- Monica