Easter

I never like to fill their Easter basket with candy. I've always saved that for the eggs - in which case if you don't want to put candy in there try fruit snacks, cheerios, gold fish crackers - whatever her favorite snacks are. As for the basket, for a child that age, I'd get a coloring book and crayons, some playdough (if you think she's capable), a book or two, a movie, some bubbles or a bubble machine, sidewalk chalk (again, if she's capable), sand / pool / sprinkler toys, bubble bath, toothbrush / toothpaste, some character dishes / silverware, new sippy cups, some Little People toys or other character like that she likes, bath toys, a stuffed animal (if she likes Disney characters, Disney store has a plush pal of just about Disney character imaginable), a bathing suit / beach towel / flip flops / sunglasses / sunscreen. The possiblities are endless. I'd just go up and down the toy aisle she likes and get anything that is small enough to fit. If you did want to put some "candy" in it, they have those little cartons of gold fish crackers, or the small boxes of cereal (pull out her favorite), or a tube of the Gerber fruit snacks (my boys loved those - I forget the name of them but the ones that are star shaped).

Gerber Yogurt Melts! They are delicious, they are real yogurt, kids love them. They aren't messy. They come in pastel colors, they go well in Easter eggs. I think a serving size is 1/3 cup, but it would be fine to let her go well over that serving size once for Easter! It won't hurt her. They are not sugar loaded like candy, but they are so good even I could eat them. My daughter loves them so much that I think she could figure out how to open the eggs just so she could get to the Yogurt melts. They come in Strawberry, Peach and Wild Berry!

We limit the amount of candy in eggs also. I usually put nuts, rasins, stickers...the little one's just like to play with the eggs it seems. For older kids...miniture toys like slinky, yoyo's, small handheld games, bouncy balls, little animal creatures, jewlry for girls, erasers or pencil sharpeners. This year we have an 19month old, 5, 7, and 9 yr old and I decide to put their initial on their eggs and make it kind of like a scavenger hunt. That way the baby and 5 yr old will have their chance at eggs as well.

When my 8 year old was younger, we bought her sugar-free candy for easter. She didn't know the difference. This year, with my 17 month old, I'm giving her a pack of peeps, some sandbox toys, a stuffed duck (her fav. animal), and a Barney movie.

Here's something you could do when she's a little older - maybe next Easter. (sorry, I'm assuming you are Christian if you are celebrating Easter...)

You can make Resurrection Rolls. You roll a marshmallow in butter, cinnamon, and sugar. The marshmallow being Jesus, the butter and spices represent the oils and spices used for burial. Then wrap the sugared up marshmallow in a cresent roll dough (the tomb) and seal it so the marshmallow does not ooze but also to symbolize the sealing of the tomb. ... Bake according to the instructions on your cresent roll dough can. When they are ready to eat, break in half and see that the "tomb" is empty.

A stuffed bunny or maybe a movie with her fav. Character

What about a new character toothbrush, character bubbles for the tub, blocks, those books that have buttons to push when you read them. A pretty bunny is a must.. Instead of candy do fruit snacks, and maybe a juice box.. Just an idea..

Bubbles! Fruit snacks, shovel and pail for the playground, board books, a wagon to push her babies in, a new baby doll.