Easter Basket Ideas for Outdoor Kids
The ultimate Easter basket fillers for kids who love the outdoors and camping.
Searching for ideas for Easter basket fillers for your kids? Choosing non candy items that get children active and outdoors is a top goal in our family. Spring is the perfect time to load those baskets with outdoor items to encourage families to play, explore, and spend time together outside in nature. These items are all kid tested and mother approved, plus they work for boys and girls of all ages. We use them in the backyard, hiking and while camping. Attached are helpful links for your shopping convenience.
This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for purchases made through the links, at no additional cost to you. Some items were gifted, but all opinions expressed are my own.
Headlamps
Headlamps are essential for extending play into the night. We love these specific lights because they are waterproof and also include a red light feature which is ideal for dark sky parks so you don’t hinder your night vision.
Hand Wire Saw
These hand saws will be your kids new favorite item. Build their independence and survival skills as they learn to cut branches and sticks with the use of this simply designed steel wire. Easily stores in your pocket or day pack. It’s so inexpensive I’d get the double or triple pack to store one in your hiking backpack.
Reusable Water Balloons
Most parents despise the unending time filling water balloon after water balloon only to have your kids bust them in a matter of seconds. These reusable water balloons are the answer!
Easy to fill, even toddlers can refill them effortlessly. Just drop them in a bucket of water and watch them close, scooping up the water as they seal. The initial cost is a little more pricey, but they last all summer long. We’re going on two years of using them. My children spend countless hours playing with them independently. I highly recommend choosing the 18 pack with the draw string sack to keep them organized.
Magnify Glass
Last year we stocked each child’s Easter baskets with these magnifying glasses (2pack). They are heavy duty and allow kids to examine and explore all the bugs and nature objects they find. We love that it inspires our children to look closer at the amazing world around them.
ZipString
ZipString
One of America’s newest and fastest growing outdoor toys is the ZipString. It’s the perfect pocket-size gift, which is just as much fun indoors as outdoors. ZipString has my kids using their imaginations by creating new tricks and games with this gravity defying toy. If you’ve never heard of it, check out this video about how it all started, and where it was eventually featured on Shark Tank by the inventors. It’s bound to be one of the most exciting additions to your child’s Easer basket this year.
Hammock
The countless number of hours my children have spent relaxing and playing in their hammocks while camping or in the backyard makes this my number one recommendation. The ENO Singlenest Hammock is one of the top brands and has held up for the last 6 years with frequent usage. The loops are long, which allows you to adjust it to fit a wide range of spacing between trees.
For half the price, we decided to to try out the Wise Owl Outfitters Camping Hammock as a present for my daughter’s birthday and it has held up under frequent use this summer. A sturdy designed hammock, easy setup, and an attached storage pouch make these an obvious choice for your outdoor kids!
Balance Stepping Stones
Children will love leaping from one stone to the next as they test their balance and coordination on these Balance Stepping Stones. They work both indoors and outdoors so the fun never has to stop. Non-skid grips help make these stepping stones safe for all ages and a fun way for kid to get their energy out as they play. Parents especially appreciate the soothing colors and that they easily store away when not being utilized.
Bug Box
This simple wooden bug box will take you back to your childhood. Simple construction and made out of natural wood to hold up to the elements. Give your children a place to collect all the bugs and critters, just like you did as a child.
Sling Shot
One of our favorite weekly adventures as a family is hiking to the bridge near our house. Shooting our Daisy B52 Sling Shots at the bridge keeps everyone occupied on many trips. Making a game out of hitting targets, trees, and the water is fun for adults and children. Plus, there is an endless supply of rocks nearby for ammunition. Even my youngest son uses these sling shots with a little help from a parent. These have held up under years of use. Remember to safely monitor young children while playing with slingshots and store in an appropriate location.
Nature Journal
Having a nature journal is great for increasing children’s engagement in nature and observation skills. Just a simple notebook can be used to sketch pictures of flowers, the weather, animals, leaves or animal tracks while recording observations. We use these simple and inexpensive journals the majority of time. They lay flat and have thick blank pages. If you want a nature journal that has interactive pages with colored pictures and writing/drawing prompts the Small Adventures Journal: A Little Field Guide for Big Discoveries in Nature is a wonderful choice. My child was gifted this journal and loves the colorful illustrations and checklists. It also contains guides for common animal prints and trees, which will spark a curiosity in your children.
Walkie-Talkies
Walkie - Talkies are a fun way for children to play both inside and outside, as well as, for parents to stay in touch when children are off exploring. We especially love using them while we’re camping. It allows our older children to gain a bit more freedom to ride their bikes to the playground, but still stay in contact.
Fishing Net
Who would guess that a simple net could bring so many hours of entertainment to my children. When playing in creeks and camping near lakes a fishing net is an ideal toy. Although designed for fish, my children have been known to use their nets for catching crawfish, frogs, lizards, butterflies, and fish. This net is sturdy and easily folds for storing.
This is our go-to gift for friends and family. I have purchased these Aerobie Frisbees numerous times. They are ideal for attaching to your hiking backpack or beach bag when you head to the beach. They are super lightweight and fly an impressive distance. We’ve used them to create our own backyard frisbee golf course at parks or campground. My youngest child can even manage to catch and throw them because of the open center. Seriously buy them now, you’ll thank me later. Now if I could only figure out how to keep my kids from throwing them on our roof, I’d be set!
My children ride bikes nonstop in the warmer months. Take it up a notch this summer by purchasing these bike wheel lights to extend play on summer nights. They brighten up any evening especially if you live in a neighborhood or stay in campgrounds. With a variety of choices and vibrant colors, they are a great addition for evening bike rides. Another item we use frequently is this bike light, which attaches to the front of the bike to aid in visibility.
Fishing Pole
Every kid needs a fishing pole. For younger children a toy fishing pole with tackle box is a good choice. The fake dummy fish avoids unnecessary hooks from a hook and also includes fishing accessories. As a toddler, my son would spend hours practicing casting. I loved that I never had to worry if he would hook someone because of the the plastic fish. For older children a youth fishing pole is a great option. Older kids will enjoy having their own fishing pole and tackle box, if they are responsible enough to handle the hooks.
Backpack and Nature Kit
If you want to make your life easy, grab this nature kit which has a wide variety of nature items for kids. Perfect for hikes and camping with a cinch sack for stowing small toys, this nature kit will be a hit. It comes with a bug net, magnifying glass, bug case, and binoculars for the outdoors that kids will enjoy. It’s sure to encourage your budding explorer.
Every kid loves having a good pair of swim googles. As a mom, I hate adjusting goggles for different sized heads. These Aegend Swim Goggles were recommended to me by a friend after she watched me struggle repeatedly to adjust my son’s goggles to fit properly. If you feel my pain, then you will enjoy this simple design, which easily unsnap and snaps for making adjustments so much quicker. A goggle case also comes with them and is a solid design, which we love for storage.
Summer time and bone fires go hand-in-hand. Sitting around the fire, making smores and, staring mesmerized at the flames is what camping is all about. Take it up a notch by the addition of colored flames with magic flame colored starters. They come in various colors like blue and purple, which can add a new dimension to the fire. I’d recommend purchasing the bulk 12 pack to make your fires colorful all summer long.
Summer nights are the best when you have a pack of glow sticks. This set of 100 is ideal to last throughout the year. Included is the connectors so you can make necklaces and bracelets. Another favorite activity for my children is to make them into round glowing frisbees to play catch.
Water Bottles
Another functional, but fun item to add to an Easter Basket is a new water bottle. Our favorite lightweight water bottles are Contingo. If you desire to keep them cold, stainless steel water bottle is the most durable option.
Games
We’ve rounded up our favorite compact games, conveniently the size of a deck of cards. These games are fun for the whole family, including parents. They are quick play games that can travel and store easily. An added bonus is that the majority of these games work on math and cognitive skills, not to mention, they are so much fun to play. Check out the full review on each game here, plus additional family games we recommend.
Sleeping Queens, Spot It, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza, Tenzi, and Blink , Charades for Kids and Farkle.
Outdoor Adventure Books/ Book Light
Cuddling up with a good book is a favorite activity in our home. Here are our favorite Children’s Books About the Outdoors. These stories have beautiful illustrations and are great read alouds for families. A small book light is a great item to pair with a book, we prefer these rechargeable book lights, which easily clip to your book so you don’t lose it.
Alternative Easter Baskets Ideas
Get creative with your Easter Basket this year. Instead of the traditional basket, opt for sand buckets for the beach, a quality rope basket that can be used in their room, or even a children’s backpack for day hikes.
Collapsible Sand Buckets
Instead of cheap plastic buckets that break each year, try these collapsible sand buckets made of silicone. Included are also fun sand molds and a mesh tote to easily transport and store them on your next beach vacation.
Storage Basket
Choose a rope cube storage basket, which is both practical and stylish and can be used again in your child’s bedroom. Include a cozy blanket for spring days outside or make your job simple by purchasing these adorable gift sets from Parker Baby Co., that are already pre-made.
Kids Hiking Backpack
Skip the typical easter basket this year and purchase a backpack to load with your favorite Easter items. The Osprey Lite Kids Backpack is a quality brand that will grow with your child, especially if they enjoy carrying their own supplies.
Closing Thoughts
No matter what you choose to put in your child’s Easter basket, we hope these ideas help inspire you and your family to spend time together celebrating Easter and enjoying the beautiful creation God has given us to explore. Don’t lose this post, save and pin for later and follow Discovering Anew for more outdoor nature crafts, camping reviews and family travel adventures.
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