Easter alternatives

[ChitaShines]

Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter basket
filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD. I
think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar and
chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a basket w/ little toys and
knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like pre-Christmas to her. Thanks
all!

[Jeff]

"ChitaShines" > wrote in message
. com...
> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter
> basket filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO
> DD. I think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on
> sugar and chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a basket w/
> little toys and knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like pre-Christmas
> to her. Thanks all!

You can get her some Legos, books or other small gifts.

Take her to a play or other cultural thing.

If you are religious, a lot of churches have special services on the
Thursday before Easter, which is called the Feast of the Last Supper. And
the Last Supper, His death on Good Friday and Easter is what Christ was all
about. I mean, what seperates Christ from the rest of us is that He died and
was raised again. Christmas is no big deal: I mean everyone was born.

Easter is also a spring thing, with planting of crops and regrowth playing a
role (you know, like lots of bunnies). Why not get her a tree or some
plants and plant them together? Don;t get her a bunny, though. Not a good
idea.

On the other hand, personally, I don't see what is wrong with just getting
her a few peices of candy in her Easter basket, and leaving it at that. I
don't see why you need to make a big deal out of it.

Jeff

[lenny fackler]

ChitaShines wrote:
> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter
basket
> filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD.
I
> think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar
and
> chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a basket w/ little
toys and
> knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like pre-Christmas to her.
Thanks
> all!

Our kids find a basket with a chocolate bunny, a few other small pieces
of candy and maybe one small toy. Also we let them do an easter egg
hunt with plastic eggs and put candy or coins inside of them. They
like the egg hunt more than the candy.

[Melania]

Jeff wrote:
> "ChitaShines" > wrote in message
> . com...
> > Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an
Easter
> > basket filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my
11 MO
> > DD. I think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up
on
> > sugar and chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a basket
w/
> > little toys and knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like
pre-Christmas
> > to her. Thanks all!
>
> You can get her some Legos, books or other small gifts.
>
> Take her to a play or other cultural thing.
>
> If you are religious, a lot of churches have special services on the
> Thursday before Easter, which is called the Feast of the Last Supper.
And
> the Last Supper, His death on Good Friday and Easter is what Christ
was all
> about. I mean, what seperates Christ from the rest of us is that He
died and
> was raised again. Christmas is no big deal: I mean everyone was born.

I never thought of it in those terms, but of course you're right . . .
I guess everyone just really loves a baby story!

FWIW, we didn't do anything for ds's first two Easters, at 3 and 15
months. He wasn't exposed to anything that would cue him to the idea
that something *should* be done. A relative bought him a set of plastic
rabbits that stacked up, which he promptly put in a saucepan and
stirred with a wooden spoon. Mmm, rabbit stew!

Do you live anywhere near a petting zoo or hobby farm? They might have
baby bunnies and chicks for kids to see and play with, which would be
lots of fun (and wouldn't involve you having to look after a rabbit or
chicken later). Actually, I think I've given myself an idea . . .

Melania
Mom to Joffre (Jan 11, 2003)
and #2 (edd May 21, 2005)

[dragonlady]

In article >,
"ChitaShines" > wrote:

> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter basket
> filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD. I
> think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar and
> chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a basket w/ little toys and
> knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like pre-Christmas to her. Thanks
> all!
>
>

I used to buy a toy that's fillable (dump truck, pail and shovel) --
something inexpensive -- put grass in it, and put a few pieces of candy
and some Easter eggs, and maybe an "Easterly" small gift: a stuffed
rabbit or chicken, for example. My kids are too old for "Easter
baskets", but they want them anyway. Last year I got each of them a
bowl. I think this year it will be coffee mugs...
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

[Sue]

When DD1 was your daughter's age, I bought her first pair of shoes and put
in the basket, with a stuffed bunny and a small chocolate bunny. Give her
anything you would like, they don't know the difference at this age.
--
Sue (mom to three girls)

"ChitaShines" > wrote in message
. com...
> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter
basket
> filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD. I
> think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar and
> chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a basket w/ little toys
and
> knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like pre-Christmas to her. Thanks
> all!
>
>

[karlisa]

I'm running into the same problem as you, except DS absolutely will not eat
candy. He refuses to try anything he's never had before. The first year he
got a wind-up duck for the bathtub and some rhythm eggs to play with. Last
year I got him a book, a stuffed chick that "peeps" when you shake it and
some plastic eggs for his basket. I put candy in the plastic eggs, but his
father ate it all. This year he's getting some more books and I'll probably
fill the plastic eggs with stickers and a variety of toys. It's hard to
come up with Easter-themed basket items when you leave out the candy! We're
also taking him on an Easter egg hunt this year. :-)

--
lisa
micksmom
mick: 7-12-02
noah: 1-24-05

[shinypenny]

ChitaShines wrote:
> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter
basket
> filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD.
I
> think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar
and
> chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a basket w/ little
toys and
> knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like pre-Christmas to her.
Thanks
> all!

Start a tradition in which she gets an empty basket on Easter morning.
She uses the basket to go run around the house/yard collecting plastic
easter eggs you've hidden the night before. It's fun to make
bunny-shaped footprints out of baby powder all over the floor, from her
easter basket down the stairs and out the front door.

When my kids were that age, I simply filled the eggs with cheerios and
the kids were happy. At this age, she probably won't care if the eggs
are empty - the hunt itself will be the fun part. Make sure you make
the eggs really simple to find.

When she's a little older, you can fill the plastic eggs with coins and
a small amount of jelly beans. Little stuff. Or, in past years when
we've done a combined hunt for 5 kids with our neighbors, we filled the
eggs with slips of paper with numbers on it. At the end of the hunt,
you add up all the numbers. The kid with the highest number gets the
first pick of 5 prizes. The prizes are just something simple - like a
book. The person who has the lowest number gets as a consolation prize
the first pick of the decorated easter eggs for her breakfast.


Oh - one important tip: don't ever hide an egg inside the exhaust pipe
of the car! The kids did this one year - when they got the role of
re-hiding the eggs for the next round of hunting. It got stuck, and the
only way we could get it out was to start the car. The egg flew out of
the pipe 50 feet at high velocity - thank goodness nobody got hurt!

Another good tradition is to give her a new Easter bonnet every year.
Does anyone remember decorating your own bonnet in art class every
year? This could be a fun project you do together. You could fill her
basket with all the art supplies (new crayons, markers, glitter,
ribbons, etc) to create her bonnet for the year, then spend the morning
working on it together. She can then wear it to church!

jen

[enigma]

"ChitaShines" > wrote in
. com:

> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to
> an Easter basket filled with candy? I don't want to do
> that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD. I think a *few* pieces is
> fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar and chocolate
> every Easter. I thought about filling a basket w/ little
> toys and knick knacks, but don't want it to seem like
> pre-Christmas to her. Thanks all!

no one ever said the basket has to be loaded with anything :)
one or two pieces of candy, a small stuffed bunny or chick &
maybe an Easter collectable type thing that you can add to
each year & she can have for her own home someday.
my 4.5 year old loves the idea of candy, but he really
doesn't eat much of it (i still have a chocolate chicken left
from last easter). i buy a couple *good quality* chocolates &
some jelly beans from a local candy store (Granite State
Candy). oh, and Peeps :) but i never buy cheap chocolate
candy at the grocery. it's just yucky & if i have to eat it, i
want good stuff.
lee

[Chookie]

In article >,
"ChitaShines" > wrote:

> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter basket
> filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD. I
> think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar and
> chocolate every Easter.

(a) Who says you have to give her a lot? Why don't you just give her a few
pieces?

(b) Originally, the eggs weren't chocoloate; they were decorated hard-boiled
eggs. You could decorate them as a family activity (assuming you can get hold
of white eggs easily -- ours seem to all be brown).

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"In Melbourne there is plenty of vigour and eagerness, but there is
nothing worth being eager or vigorous about."
Francis Adams, The Australians, 1893.

[nimue]

ChitaShines wrote:
> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter
> basket filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11
> MO DD. I think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up
> on sugar and chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a
> basket w/ little toys and knick knacks, but don't want it to seem
> like pre-Christmas to her. Thanks all!

Well, you could always convert to Judaism.... Seriously, you have gotten
such good advice in this thread, I just thought it wouldn't hurt to have a
small joke.

--
nimue

"If I had created reality television I would have had a much greater
influence, but then I would have had to KILL MYSELF." Joss Whedon

"There are two types of women -- those who like chocolate and complete
bitches." Dawn French

[Melania]

nimue wrote:
> ChitaShines wrote:
> > Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an
Easter
> > basket filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my
11
> > MO DD. I think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her
up
> > on sugar and chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a
> > basket w/ little toys and knick knacks, but don't want it to seem
> > like pre-Christmas to her. Thanks all!
>
> Well, you could always convert to Judaism.... Seriously, you have
gotten
> such good advice in this thread, I just thought it wouldn't hurt to
have a
> small joke.

LMAO! When I was 12 and my brothers were little, we were staying with
Jewish friends during Passover. Mom said, "we can't do Easter baskets
and stuff this year, b/c the X's are Jewish." Patent nonsense, of
course, they wouldn't have minded at all, but it got her out of having
to bother with chocolate, stuffed toys, etc. Plus we *did* learn a lot
about Passover, which was cool.

Melania
Mom to Joffre (Jan 11, 2003)
and #2 (edd May 21, 2005)

[dragonlady]

In article >,
Chookie > wrote:

> In article >,
> "ChitaShines" > wrote:
>
> > Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an Easter basket
> > filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/ my 11 MO DD. I
> > think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load her up on sugar and
> > chocolate every Easter.
>
> (a) Who says you have to give her a lot? Why don't you just give her a few
> pieces?
>
> (b) Originally, the eggs weren't chocoloate; they were decorated hard-boiled
> eggs. You could decorate them as a family activity (assuming you can get
> hold
> of white eggs easily -- ours seem to all be brown).


Actually, I LOVE the colors brown eggs turn when you dye them! The
colors are darker, richer somehow. I look hard for brown eggs to dye
for Easter.
--
Children won't care how much you know until they know how much you care

[Irene]

Melania wrote:
> nimue wrote:
> > ChitaShines wrote:
> > > Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an
> Easter
> > > basket filled with candy? I don't want to do that tradition w/
my
> 11
> > > MO DD. I think a *few* pieces is fine, but don't want to load
her
> up
> > > on sugar and chocolate every Easter. I thought about filling a
> > > basket w/ little toys and knick knacks, but don't want it to seem
> > > like pre-Christmas to her. Thanks all!
> >
> > Well, you could always convert to Judaism.... Seriously, you have
> gotten
> > such good advice in this thread, I just thought it wouldn't hurt to
> have a
> > small joke.
>
> LMAO! When I was 12 and my brothers were little, we were staying with
> Jewish friends during Passover. Mom said, "we can't do Easter baskets
> and stuff this year, b/c the X's are Jewish." Patent nonsense, of
> course, they wouldn't have minded at all, but it got her out of
having
> to bother with chocolate, stuffed toys, etc. Plus we *did* learn a
lot
> about Passover, which was cool.
>
> Melania
> Mom to Joffre (Jan 11, 2003)
> and #2 (edd May 21, 2005)

Hee hee! I'm Jewish, and grew up not doing anything for Easter (as you
might expect). Now that I'm grown-up, my sister and I have a friend
who hosts an annual egg-decorating party. So, we've started decorating
an egg for the seder plate at that party. ;-) (Technically, not quite
correct, since it should be roasted, but we have fun with it.)

Irene

[nimue]

Irene wrote:
> Melania wrote:
>> nimue wrote:
>>> ChitaShines wrote:
>>>> Can someone offer up some suggestions on an alternative to an
>>>> Easter basket filled with candy? I don't want to do that
>>>> tradition w/ my 11 MO DD. I think a *few* pieces is fine, but
>>>> don't want to load her up on sugar and chocolate every Easter. I
>>>> thought about filling a basket w/ little toys and knick knacks,
>>>> but don't want it to seem like pre-Christmas to her. Thanks all!
>>>
>>> Well, you could always convert to Judaism.... Seriously, you have
>>> gotten such good advice in this thread, I just thought it wouldn't
>>> hurt to have a small joke.
>>
>> LMAO! When I was 12 and my brothers were little, we were staying with
>> Jewish friends during Passover. Mom said, "we can't do Easter baskets
>> and stuff this year, b/c the X's are Jewish." Patent nonsense, of
>> course, they wouldn't have minded at all, but it got her out of
>> having to bother with chocolate, stuffed toys, etc. Plus we *did*
>> learn a lot about Passover, which was cool.
>>
>> Melania
>> Mom to Joffre (Jan 11, 2003)
>> and #2 (edd May 21, 2005)
>
> Hee hee! I'm Jewish, and grew up not doing anything for Easter (as
> you might expect). Now that I'm grown-up, my sister and I have a
> friend who hosts an annual egg-decorating party. So, we've started
> decorating an egg for the seder plate at that party. ;-)
> (Technically, not quite correct, since it should be roasted, but we
> have fun with it.)

That is a GREAT IDEA for interfaith families that aren't too religious.
Fabulous!
>
> Irene

--
nimue

"If I had created reality television I would have had a much greater
influence, but then I would have had to KILL MYSELF." Joss Whedon

"There are two types of women -- those who like chocolate and complete
bitches." Dawn French

[Hillary Israeli]

In . com>,
Irene > wrote:

*Hee hee! I'm Jewish, and grew up not doing anything for Easter (as you
*might expect). Now that I'm grown-up, my sister and I have a friend
*who hosts an annual egg-decorating party. So, we've started decorating

It's not Holly, is it?

-h.

--
Hillary Israeli, VMD
Lafayette Hill/PA/USA/Earth
"Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it is
too dark to read." --Groucho Marx

[enigma]

"Irene" > wrote in
oups.com:

> So, we've started decorating an egg
> for the seder plate at that party. ;-) (Technically, not
> quite correct, since it should be roasted, but we have fun
> with it.)

how do you roast an egg? is it edible (well, since i don't like
eggs, that's probably moot, but...)?
never thought about roasting an egg.
lee