Easter season to me means a focus on new life and celebration. Spring is a season of new growth. Where the seeds planted literally spring forth!
It’s a great celebration for a Christian. Walking day by day, Jesus’ last week and last hours on Earth puts the magnitude of sacrifice into perspective.
So where do Easter baskets play a roll in this? I’m not googling the Wikipedia article that shows that we shouldn’t celebrate bunnies or flowers. A heavy focus is on Jesus during Easter. And what did His life teach us? To love others well, unashamedly, consistently. To follow Him, trust His Word, and show up daily in this Love even when it seems like death has won.
Easter baskets are a way we show our kids love this season. The Guess Tribe isn’t big on giving gifts or buying toys apart from celebrations. We are keeping the focus heavily on Jesus but also celebrating new life.
Easter Basket Ideas:
• Items they already need
• Gift cards for older kids
• New Bible or Devotional
• Art Supplies
• Outdoor spring toys
• Handwritten card
• Candy
Is there something your kid needs that you could tuck back and give in their basket? Maybe spring tops, fun socks and even underwear! School supplies might need to be slightly replenished. Girls always love new bows! A bathing suit was in my Easter basket one year, and I loved that! Go for the glitter pencils that only last a month anyways. Target Dollar spot had lots of highlighters, pens, and notebooks.
Thinking of older kids, gift cards would be a great idea! These could be to their favorite restaurant (Holla, Chick-fil-A!) or an experience they’ve been wanting to do. Maybe there is an arcade, indoor rock climbing place, or movie that could fall into this category.
Probably the most Jesus thing you could pass onto your kid is a new Bible or Devotional. A good family devotional for kids of all ages (and especially good for non readers) is Louie Giglio’s Indescribable. A boy devotional Dallas has liked was The One Year Book of Devotions.
Target Dollar Spot will have all the needs for toys and art supplies! We got the cutest sand terrarium there, some 3-D wooden puzzles, coloring books, silly putty, and spring garden items for kiddos. For Dallas we got him some kinetic sand (didn’t think of getting this for an 11 year old, but it was a hit for him at cousin Henry’s birthday party). Sticker books are a huge
Your spring and summer outdoor toys are probably either lost, broken, or old news. Refresh those for their Easter basket! Nerf balls, water toys, sidewalk chalk, special markers or crayons, paints and art books. This idea has endless opportunity to pass on some intentional, kid specific items.
An Easter basket shouldn’t be stressful and size is irrelevant. The thought is what counts! That’s why I love sticking in a handwritten card to your child. Words of affirmation and love, sharing what you see in them that’s new and exciting! Especially if they have recently had a heart transformation to let Jesus into their sin filled lives, celebrate that!
Candy… oh how I loathe and love it. I’ve already went through a pack of Reese’s Easter eggs, personally. I preach that food dyes and high fructose corn syrup are horrible (daily staples) for a kid’s diet. However, is that the message I want to get across to my kids. Just the same as I don’t want them to hear loudly the “Don’t do’s” of Christianity, I don’t want them to be focused on the “can’t haves” so much that they miss out on a fun celebration. The kids got a couple of Easter treats in their baskets, and I’m so thankful for the organic and dye free options! These can be inexpensive! Don’t read organic and think “break the bank”! Once again, thoughtfulness and being intentional matters most. Lillie-Mae will freak out and feel so special that I got those yellow Peep Bunnies for her. Easter eggs are filled with Black Forest gummy bears.
How do you handle when to give Easter baskets? Growing up, my Dad hid them somewhere in the house on Sunday morning. My sister and I would run through with sponge foam rollers in our hair, looking for them. Then stuff candy into our mouths until our parents made us quit and start brushing out our curls for church. I tried that approach once…. It was already stressful to get everyone ready for church with feeling the pressure to look a little extra, adding an Easter basket reveal was not joyful AT ALL! So now we hand them over the day before. This doesn’t make us more holy, it’s just what works for the best, fun outcome.
I planned to have Easter baskets done to show you fancy pics. However, 1. I don’t want the pressure of comparison passed on from my platform 2. There is no plan for extra cuteness this season for the Guess kids. (They won’t even notice.)
Friend, hear me on this. Easter is the most important holiday for a Christian. Without Jesus’ death and following resurrection, we wouldn’t be able to live in the spiritual freedom in relationship with Him that we do today. If you’re struggling with having peace in your life, have a foundation of anxiety that you can’t get to the root of, I want to urge you to call out His name and just have a conversation. This might be weird to talk out a conversation with someone you can’t see. But just starting with “Jesus, I believe in you. I know there is something missing from my life and that something is you. I know that God created me with a purpose to worship You, and I commit to that by admitting that I am a very lost, sin filled human that needs You in my life. I love you! Thank you for loving me!”
If that’s a conversation you have for the first time, please let me know! Whether you’ve been in church or never have in your life, this might be a prayer conversation you need to have today.
Wondering where you can go to church this weekend to join in the celebration? My church, Calvary Chapel Chattanooga, has services Saturday at 4 and 6 pm, and Sunday morning at 9 and 11. We will be there Sunday morning, come sit with us!
Where do you stand with Jesus and Easter baskets?