We LOVE Easter! It’s a beautiful time of year, and everything seems to come alive again.
At our house, the Easter Bunny fills up baskets with lots of small toys, books, and a small amount of candy. Kids get PLENTY of candy from school/church/city Easter egg hunts, right??
My rule is that Easter gifts must fit in the basket with maybe a little bit of spillover. Let’s be real, though, I’ve definitely broken that rule. Still, I try!
Here’s some recommendations for Easter basket ideas for three-year-olds which are small and will fit in a basket.
1. Spot It! This game is fun, super portable, and can grow with your child! It’s basically a version of a classic match game, but more fun. The regular version is for kids ages 6+ but we play a modified version with my 3 year old. Player A flips two cards, finds the match, then Player B gets a turn, etc. There is also a version called Spot It Junior which is intended for younger kids.
2. Miniature animals are great versatile educational toys! We love to play with them in our water table, in the sand, and on their own. They’re great additions to pretty much anything else you play and are portable! Plus it’s fun to gradually add sets of animals.
There are lots of options with a wide variety of quality and price levels, but here’s some of our favorites:
3. Bath drops make bath time even more fun! These will add color to your kid’s routine. They can also be used in a water table, which is one of our favorite ways to spend time outdoors.
4. A kids’ gardening set like this one is PERFECT for this time of year! Whether or not you do a lot of gardening, this is a fun and educational opportunity. You can enjoy gardening together and/or your child can use the tools to dig in the dirt and the watering can to water plants. These are also great to use with a water table (is it obvious enough that we love water tables?!).
5. A kite is a great idea if you don’t have one already! Spring is the perfect time to fly a kite. Take advantage of a beautiful windy day!
This is also one of those activities that’s a must-do for every kid. Pair it with a viewing of Mary Poppins and you’ve got a wonderful themed day!
6. Character clothes, pajamas, and/or shoes are a win for both kids and parents because they’re fun AND practical. I don’t know about your child(ren), but mine are not thrilled about regular clothes. Clothes with their favorite characters, however, are awesome! At our house, the favorite is Paw Patrol, but whether your kid loves Frozen, Toy Story, or something else, there are tons of options out there in this category.
7. Wooden pattern blocks are a great learning toy! They’re great for shape and color recognition, motor skills, following directions, and creativity. We love these.
8. Take apart toys come in all sorts of shapes and styles! They are fun to build and play with. The most common ones are cars and trucks but there’s also animals and more!
9. Sunglasses! These are perfect because they come in lots of cute colors and are polarized. Another option that kids love – sunglasses that feature their favorite TV show or movie characters.
10. Dot markers are kid approved and great for three-year-olds. There are lots of options, but this set is a great starting point if you don’t have any dot markers already.
11. Three is a great age to introduce a watch! With so many grown-ups having smartwatches, kids enjoy having one, too. There are lots of fun options, including character watches like this Paw Patrol watch.
12. Encourage your little one to explore the world with a child-sized pair of binoculars! Easter falls at a great time of year to get outside and look at birds, the night sky, sports games, and more. They’re perfect to take on a camping trip, too! This pair of binoculars comes in lots of cute color options and is shockproof and waterproof.
13. Legos are legitimately fun for the whole family. We’ve been playing with Duplos for a long time, but we recently introduced our 3-year-old to “big kid legos” – regular size legos. Full disclosure, they’re really intended for older kids, but your 3-year-old may really love playing with them with YOU. At our house, they are only played with on the kitchen table with an adult. We are very cautious because we have a baby in the house, too!
With all that said, Legos are fun, encourage creativity, and support fine motor skills. Plus a building kit will require kids to follow directions! A small building kit is a great place to start and will fit nicely in an Easter basket.
14. New bath time toys are always a good idea! Bath toys just don’t last forever and are fun to refresh. This set of bath pipes is a great option!
15. A camera – in this day and age, it surprises me that my kid even knows what a camera is! He was given this camera as a gift, and he LOVES it. It can keep him entertained for quite awhile!
I hope these help on your hunt for great Easter Basket ideas! If you have any other recommendations, please leave a comment below. I’d love some inspiration, too!
- Spot It!
- Safari Ltd Wild TOOB
- Crayola Color Bath Dropz
- Green Toys Watering Can Toy, Green or Coral
- HENGDA Kite for Kids
- Disney Frozen II Girls Graphic Tee Shirt
- LiKee Wooden Pattern Blocks
- Think Gizmos Take Apart Toy Racing Car
- Coasion Kids Polarized Sunglasses
- Do-a-Dot Art! Markers 6-Pack
- VTech Paw Patrol Learning Watch – Chase, Skye, or Marshall
- Binoculars for Kids by Obuby
- LEGO | Disney Toy Story 4 Woody & RC 10766 Building Kit
- Boon Building Bath Pipes Toy
