Easter Delights: 15 Non-Candy Gifts for Babies & Toddlers

It’s about time we start thinking about Easter! I'm so excited to share a treasure trove of Easter gift ideas perfect for the little ones in your life. As we all know, Easter is a time of joy and renewal, and what better way to celebrate than with thoughtful gifts for our babies and toddlers? This article aims to provide parents and grandparents with unique, practical, and educational gift options beyond traditional sweets and candies. We're specifically looking at the developmental needs of children aged one to three.

If you're looking for some easter activities to enjoy with your kids, here are three activities to try with you little ones.

It's That Time of the Year

Easter gifts are a wonderful tradition that celebrates the onset of spring and the joy of new beginnings. For babies and toddlers, these gifts can play a crucial role in their development and learning. Finding the right gift that aligns with the little one's interests and needs can be challenging, whether you're a parent, grandparent, or a loving relative. But fear not; we're here to help with a curated list of 15 Easter basket ideas perfect for your tiny tots.

Who knows, the little basket you put together for your beloved toddling tot may be part of their home for many years.

15 Easter Basket Ideas for Babies and Toddlers

Just what do you put in toddler Easter baskets? If there's one thing you can rely on from a Cali's Books gift guide, it's that we'll always focus on the perfect blend of practicality, education, and fun. That's kind of our whole thing! From sound books to play food sets, each gift has been chosen to support developmental milestones while ensuring a delightful Easter celebration.

As always, all of our easter basket ideas work for toddler boys and girls alike!

#1: Easter Sound Books

Sound books are an excellent gift idea, combining colorful and whimsical illustrations with interactive sound buttons to engage young readers. These books include Easter songs, nursery rhymes, and themed stories, perfect for stimulating babies' and toddlers' auditory and visual senses. We've put together a little Easter bundle to make gifting a breeze.

Bundle up in your nest and enjoy some quiet moments of reading and exploration.

#2: Craft Kit

Do you have a little Picasso or Georgia O'Keefe in your midst who loves going wild with a tube of paint and the kitchen walls? Craft kits are great for little artists between the ages of 1 and 3, including paint, brushes, and canvas tailored for young children. These kits not only provide fun but also encourage creativity and fine motor skill development.

Bonus points if you include an old shirt of yours for the toddler to wear as a smock. It'll be covered in finger paint in no time and make a beloved keepsake.

#3: Easter-Themed Shirt

An Easter-themed shirt adorned with eggs, bunnies, and pastel colors captures the Easter holiday spirit while ensuring your toddler looks adorable and comfortable. If you're handy with a sewing machine, pick some fabric together and create an Easter-themed dress or shirt out of thin air. That's some Easter magic!

#4: Stacking Dolls

Originally, these dolls came from Russia and are known as Matryoshka dollas. They provide a fantastic opportunity to introduce children to different cultures and the stories behind these traditional toys. This can spark curiosity and a love for learning about the world's diversity.

Manipulating the dolls to fit them together or take them apart encourages the development of fine motor skills. This activity strengthens hand-eye coordination and dexterity, which is essential for other daily activities like writing and dressing.

#5: Play-Doh

The versatility of Play-Doh makes it a must-have in any toddler's Easter basket. Its non-toxic composition allows for safe play, encouraging creativity and sensory development through shaping and molding the doh of many colors.

Want to get creative and come up with your own pastel Easter colors? Making your own Play-Doh is easy peasy. You can even include a voucher to help you make the dough as an easter basket idea for 3-year-olds and up.

#6: Coloring Book

My favorite thing about adding coloring books to toddler Easter baskets is how versatile a gift it is! Is your little boy obsessed with dinosaurs? There's a coloring book for that. Have a little girl who loves geology? You bet there's a coloring book for that, too.

As well as catering to various interests and educational themes, coloring books promote creativity, hand-eye coordination, and concentration in young children.

Did I mention that Cali's Books has a good amout of free coloring pages? Download them here in seconds!

#7: Bath Toys

Bath time is about so much more than getting squeaky clean. Bath toys, such as rubber duckies, floating foam letters, and squirty toys, make taking a bath fun and educational, aiding in sensory development and making the daily routine something to look forward to.

Plus, rubber duckies are right on theme for Easter time!

#8: Hooded Towel

Want something that's both cute and customizable? Consider getting an adorable hooded towel to add as an Easter basket idea for a 2-year-old. Pair it with toddler-friendly bath bubbles and some fluffy slippers. Spa day for the tots is coming right up!

#9: Stuffed Bunny

There are two areas of my kids' bedroom I'm always happy to add to. That is their reading corner and their stuffed animals. You need creativity and comfort as a little kid with lots of growing to do.

Soft, cuddly stuffed bunnies are perfect for Easter, providing comfort and promoting sensory development through their various textures and colors. The best part is that so many stuffed bunny options are available from the book world. Here are just some bunny-tastic ideas: the Velveteen Rabbit, Henry the Bunny, Blossom Bunny Rabbit, and Peter Rabbit himself!

#10: Car Seat Toys

Traveling with tots can be a handful sometimes. Thankfully, gifts like musical toys, light-up designs, and textured toys for the car seat keep little ones entertained during rides, stimulating their senses and imagination. The brighter, the better!

#11: Finger Puppets

You'll be pleased to know finger puppets are still around. Finger puppets spark creativity and imaginative play, offering endless entertainment with various animals, characters, and shapes. Whether siblings invent stories on their own or family members get involved, you can't go wrong with these for hours of entertainment.

#12: Melissa and Doug Toys

Melissa and Doug toys, known for their quality and educational value, include wooden puzzles, dollhouses, and tool benches, providing hours of stimulating play. If you need some extra inspiration, Melissa and Doug's top five best-sellers are:

• Deluxe Grill & Pizza Oven Play Set
• Scoop & Serve Ice Cream Counter
• Wooden Shape Sorting Grocery Cart
• Super Smile Dentist Play Set
• Cool Scoops Ice Creamery

They make perfect gifts that will be handed down from generation to generation due to their fantastic quality and beautiful, bright colors.

#13: Play Food

Play food sets encourage imaginative play and introduce nutrition and food recognition concepts, with sets designed for various age ranges, but especially great between the ages of 2 and 3. Some of the available play foods are:

•   cheese and tapas boards
•   vegetable selections (including ones to mime the act of cutting with the aid of velcro)
•   pasta shapes
•   condiments
•   and even custom variations on sites like Etsy

Be careful about gifting anything very small for younger toddlers. Our little ones like to explore by putting things in their mouths!

#14: Easter Pajamas

Decking the whole family out in Christmas pajamas is a beloved tradition for many, but gifting PJs for Easter makes for a comfortable gift that helps little ones mark the spirit of the holiday.

These sweet prints can also be found as dresses and rompers. Remember to check for sizes, 0-3 is the sweet spot for the most adorable designs. We won't be stopping you if you want the whole family to wear matching sets, either.

#15: Baby Friendly Blocks

I know we're talking about Easter gift ideas for toddlers, but if you're also looking for Easter basket ideas for one-year-olds (and under), we highly recommend blocks. Baby-friendly blocks with features like peekaboo windows and colorful shapes support open-ended play, encouraging problem-solving and motor skill development.

How to Prep Your Easter Gift Basket

Did you find something to delight the toddler in your life on our list? Then, it's time for us to move on to putting the basket together. Creating the perfect Easter gift basket involves a thoughtful selection of items that delight and meet the developmental needs of your baby or toddler.

Present your easter basket in a way that excites and intrigues the child. A colorful basket hidden within an Easter egg hunt can make the gift even more special. The goal is to create memorable moments that enhance the joy of the gift itself.

Consider including items that make for memorable photos and can be cherished and reused for years to come. For example, a stuffed play carrot will make for a super cute photo, and so will any stuffed bunny toys.

As a mom, I can tell you receiving a selection of fun things, but also useful for the coming months is always appreciated. If you need help figuring out where to start, reach out to the parents for a helping hand.

How to Give Your Easter Gift

When giving an Easter gift to a baby or toddler, selecting age-appropriate items is crucial for ensuring not only the safety of the child but also their engagement and developmental benefit.

Sound books are an excellent choice for this age group. They are entertaining and educational, introducing young children to the concept of cause and effect as they press buttons to produce sounds. Sound books designed with Easter themes can offer long play times, captivating children with a combination of auditory stimulation and colorful illustrations. These books can significantly enhance a child's listening skills, vocabulary, and recognition of sounds, making them a perfect blend of fun and learning.

Summary

This Easter, let's focus on giving our babies and toddlers gifts that are practical, educational, and full of joy. With these 15 non-candy gift ideas, you will make this Easter unique and memorable for the little ones in your life.

Remember, each gift mentioned not only celebrates the spirit of Easter but also supports the growth and development of your child, making this holiday both fun and beneficial. Happy Easter shopping, and may your Easter be filled with delight, learning, and lots of love!