Easter Bunny Finds: No-Sugar Basket Ideas

Want some stuff for the Easter basket that doesn't involve sugar?  I don't know about your children, but sugar has the effect of rocket fuel on my son.  Therefore, I try to minimize sugar consumption as much as I can--I do the raw organic sugary stuff, but it's still sugar.  And because of all the hoopala, it's always harder to manage on holidays.  So here's what I do.  One or two sugary things--a chocolate bunny is fine.  The Easter Bunny also always brings my son a big bunch of fresh organic carrots with the tops (my son gets a huge kick out of this).  To fill the rest of the basket, how about books and toys?



I love these Garden Cards from Barefoot Books.  It's a box of 40 over sized colorful cards with gardening ideas, info, and games.  Perfect for the budding gardener and a great activity for parents to do with kids outside.  For me, Easter is about renewal and life--what better way to celebrate that then get outside and dig in the dirt.  Plant some seeds and nurture life.

This RoboBox Stencil Set fits nicely in a basket and is great for robot obsessed boys (or girls).  They also have a dino box, a zoo box, and a finger painting box.  This is very portable and keeps my son occupied for quite a while while fueling his creativity.

Every year the Easter Bunny brings my son a rabbit-centric book and he gets a big kick out of that.  Big Rabbit's Bad Mood is a funny and unexpected book for the Easter Bunny to bring.  Big Rabbit is in a terrible mood that won't go away, even after watching tv and eating a yummy salad.   I relate to Big Rabbit--sometimes it can be difficult to shake a bad mood!  His appears in the form of a stalky monster.  It's nice for kids to have imperfect characters to look at and in the end, Big Rabbit does conquer his bad mood. 

This Hungry Animals Stencil Set is lightweight and thin and perfect for the basket and later, to travel with. Each animal is fit to scale and they all nest inside one another making a cool looking and compact activity.

Bananagrams are so cute for the basket in their little fruit zipper pouches.  Good for older kids and adults too, the Pear is best for the little ones.  My son loves to make words out of the tiles, they feel great in your hand and build those word skills.

Chalk The Block is a spiral bound book that comes with sidewalk chalk.  This would be fun on Easter Sunday, weather providing, to hang out and decorate the vicinity.  It's very much like the Klutz face painting book that gives you ideas, tells you how to create a look, and includes the medium.  In this case, it's four pieces of chalk.  I love combining art with being outside.  As you can tell from the subtitle, the ideas are pretty humorous, particularly for children.

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Vunce Upon A Time...

Story time is extra fun around the holidays, I think.  VUNCE UPON A TIME, by Seibold and Vivian, is an amusing tale about Dagmar, a little vegetarian vampire who ventures out on Halloween.  What's not to Love about a Vegetarian Vampire?!  He even keeps a vegetable garden--this is a character after my heart.   It's hard to grow vegetables by the light of the moon, however, so Dagmar keeps a candy stash.  When the candy runs out, he learns about Halloween and decides to participate for the first time.  This leads to an adventure and a sweet conclusion.

Vivian's illustrations are vibrant and often on a black backdrop, making them pop out at you.  There is one two page spread depicting Halloween night and trick or treating that is especially delightful and has tons of little details that kids love to look at for long periods of time.


OVER IN THE HOLLOW is a numbers and rhyming book with a Halloween theme.  The reader will count skeletons, pumpkins, mummies and owls while looking at not too scary illustrations and enjoying the rhythm.

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Charlie and Lola Boxed Set: Absolutely Completely Wonderful

I absolutely completely adore Charlie and Lola.  All forms, but particularly the videos.  It's hard for me to watch some kids' shows as I find them either boring, visually unappealing, or just plain obnoxious.  Charlie and Lola are the antidote to all of that being intelligent, funny, and very nice to look at with a vibrant color palate and multi media mode.  Charlie and Lola, Volumes 1-8 is a necessity for anyone with children.

The set includes eight DVDs, with some favorites like, I Will Not Ever Never Eat A Tomato, Snow Is My Favorite and My Best, and Look After Your Planet.  The stories set a great tone for compassionate living and Charlie and Lola are wonderful role models for kids.  They work out their problems amicably, they are respectful (without being corny), they are fun, smart and eco conscious.  

They're also English so there are subtle British charms throughout, like having biscuits instead of cookies.  Charlie is the big brother everyone wishes they had and Lola is a delightful, self possessed, confident little girl.  Imagination reigns in the world of Charlie and Lola and it's a feast that you just don't find in other children's shows.

My son started watching Charlie and Lola when he was about one, and at five he still appreciates them.  I love cuddling up on the couch and watching this show together, I can't tell you how many times I've seen each episode and somehow they are still fresh for me.  I dread the day when he outgrows them because I know I never will.  Great for summer days when kids need chill time, for airplane rides and waiting rooms.  Highly recommended.  Find it HERE.

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Mama, is it Summer Yet? by Nikki McClure

Nikki McClure's work has for a long time charmed and warmed my heart, but her latest effort could have been written just for us.  Mama, Is It Summer Yet echos the same conversations I've been having with my son and I know I am not alone.  McClure's intricate paper cut images are both innocent and sophisticated and capture perfectly the essence of mother nature and motherhood.

McClure celebrates the mundane and sacred.  That precious moment when you get to taste your first strawberry of the season, planting seeds in the garden and watching them sprout... those fleeting moments that make life so beautiful.  As always, it's about living in the present, savoring the moment.

We have been reading this book over and over, and my son has it memorized and reads it to himself.  This book reminds me to stop and really absorb the gifts summer has to offer, now bittersweet as each season marks the lightening fast passage of time and my son growing up.  Summer is a time to get closer to your children, see the world the way they do--as the magical place it is.  Mama, Is It Summer Yet depicts this touchingly and is one of those books your child will remember as one of their favorites when they are adults. It's printed on recycled paper.  Find it HERE. 

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Charlie and Lola Recycle

Charlie and Lola are my favorite animated characters of my son's generation.  They are funny and intelligent and interesting to look at with their multi textured multi media graphics and unique appearance.  They are also excellent role models.  We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers is a great example.

Charlie teaches his little sister Lola why and how to recycle after she sees a friend's room who's a bit of a hoarder and vows never to have such a messy room.  The whole thing evolves into a school project and recycling competition to earn a tree for the school.

This books makes recycling fun and explains why it's necessary.  Kids love to feel they're doing something worthwhile and this message empowers them to be proactive and make a difference. Find it HERE.

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