Dreaming of a Green Easter Basket

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. This time of year the weather is getting warmer, trees and flowers are budding, and children are outside laughing and playing. It’s also fun to make my kids’ Easter baskets and decorate eggs. I love it! One thing I don’t love though is plastic grass. Yuck! Over the years, as I have become wiser about wasting less when I put together Easter baskets. Here’s how:

Baskets

At our house, we reuse the same Easter basket every year. My daughter’s Easter basket is a basket I received flowers in the day she was born, so it holds an extra-special place in my heart. My children use their baskets throughout the year, but know they have to leave them out the night before Easter to be filled!

Easter Grass

I’ve never been a fan of plastic grass—it seems to get everywhere! My first transition away from plastic grass was to buy paper grass. But this still seemed wasteful to me. My children always get a swimsuit in their Easter basket, so I started using the swimsuit in the bottom of the basket in place of grass! You could use a variety of items as fillers in your child’s basket, from clothes to shredded magazines or newspapers.

Gifts

Give your child gifts that will take them outdoors! Bubbles, sidewalk chalk and gardening tools all make great basket fillers that you can enjoy together. Another way to “green” up your Easter is by adding some homemade items. Depending on your craftiness, the ideas are limitless. Customize a t-shirt with an iron-on patch, frame a favorite photo, or you can even make homemade treats like cake pops. One thing I give for every holiday is a book—you’ll see at least one book in the Easter baskets at my house! It’s a great way to slowly build up your child’s library, too.

Eggs

Skip the plastic eggs and dye, paint or decorate your own eggs! My fondest childhood memories of Easter were of decorating eggs with my siblings and finding the eggs I had decorated the next morning! Stay tuned for a post on blowing out eggs and decorating them with your children. Add some greenery by planting seeds in your egg shells!

Building traditions around the holidays is always fun, but make sure when you’re choosing activities to try with your child, you’re doing things that interest you both and are age appropriate. As always, it’s great to try to make traditions that are environmentally friendly.