As Easter fast approaches at the end of this month, I have been slowly working on gathering up all our Easter goodies. My goal this year was for a "no junk" and low candy Easter. It is so easy to want to fill up my kids' Easter baskets with cute yet cheap toys and treats. So this year I went to the internet and gathered up some ideas for my no junk Easter.
There were some great ideas out there but it also made me realize that the concept of junk is relative. For example, I purchased some adorable spring themed bubble wands from Target only to get home and realize that my spunky toddler would probably just dump them out. He would then cry. I would be frustrated. And the empty wand would end up in the donation pile.
So while I think something like bubbles is an excellent consumable toy for kids, for us it would end up as junk. So I returned them. I realize that is a lot of effort for just a few dollars back. But I saw it more as a learning opportunity of what I allow to come into our home.
So in my never ending search for consuming less, I have found that I like items that are consumable like food or craft supplies. They get used but don't necessarily add to the clutter.
Or I prefer to purchase more of something that adds to a collection we already have. Our kids love cars, legos, magnatiles, and little people. While we need to have some limit to how much we have, over the years these are examples of toys we continue to ask for every birthday and holiday. That way my kids still get excited for awesome toys but we aren't overwhelmed at where to store them all.
This is what I put in our Easter eggs this year. Some things I already had in my back stock of craft supplies which then cost me nothing extra! I find that my kids do well with a couple rolls of washi tape (or whatever craft item) and then when we run out I replenish from our stash. I think it can be overwhelming when they have too many choices.
No Junk Easter Egg Fillers
+ Washi tape (We already had)
+ Bandaids
+ Lindt chocolates (So cute but also quality enough for mama to enjoy!)
+ Mini safari animals that perfectly fit into plastic eggs (We have a collection of these toob toys type of animals/characters. We use them for all sorts of things - sensory bins, kinetic sand, putting them in jello to dig out, and making DIY snow globes. These butterfly ones are on my daughter's wish list.)
+ Balloons (One for each kid! We already had these)
+ Coins (Just one quarter or dime per egg as my kids are money obsessed! But an easy way to fill up the last of my eggs)
Other ideas I liked but didn't need this year:
+ Playdoh (We have back stock of this so I thought of cutting up smaller portions to put in eggs. Or you can buy the prefilled playdoh eggs which can easily go in back stock for later)
+ Pom poms for crafts or sensory activities
+ Craft jewels (regular or sticker ones)
+ Stickers
