Christ Centered Easter Baskets

My goodness! We just made it through St. Patrick’s Day and now this Sunday is Easter.  Are you feeling the stress that I am?  I feel like it is just the way this year has been.  Will things EVER slow down?  I don’t even know why I ask.  No, they probably won’t.  So, we just take things one day at a time and do what we can do, right? That’s what I do, and I try to find joy in the middle of all the chaos.  My kids are growing up!  My oldest just went to prom and before I know it he is going to be on a mission.

Sometimes I feel like I am just going through the motions of life, that time is slipping away and I am not making the memories I want to be making.  I often have to take a step back and remember what is most important to me and refocus.  For me, family is top priority.  I want my kids to be happy and to have happy memories of their childhood.  I also want them to grow up, strong in the gospel and gain their own testimony of it.  I feel that this Easter Basket idea, from Melissa Esplin, as part of the #Hallelujah initiative in collaboration with Sugardoodle and Mormon.org, is the perfect thing to make this happen.

I try to make sure that my children know why we celebrate holidays like Easter.  That we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That because of Him, we too can live again.  So we do FHE’s like one of these 2 Easter FHE ideas I posted last week. But there is so much fun that comes with Easter too and I want them to experience that as well.

I believe most people do Easter baskets for their children.  I sure enjoy doing it.  I am very practical when it comes to items for my children’s  baskets.  I don’t want to spend money on things that, in a day or two, will just be thrown to the wayside and forgotten Or tons of candy, they just don’t need that (ok, maybe my teenage daughter does but only the chocolate:)

I like giving them things they need or will use throughout the summer. Maybe some people like to do a themed basket.  A friend of mine told me she does swimming stuff in her children’s baskets-Water socks, swimsuit, goggles, towel, sand toys etc.  These are things you likely will buy anyway and they make for a super cute basket filler- so why not?  That’s how I roll.  You could do a camping themed one for boys,  Spa theme for girls. There are so many fun themed ideas.  What are they into right now? Go with that!

This Easter basket tag free printable from Melissa Esplin is a way to tie the two together. Having fun but feeling the spirit as well.

Print tag HERE

The tag says, “Take some time to go through your Easter basket. Share with your family how each item can relate to our Savior Jesus Christ.”

In years past my children search for their hidden basket and once they find it, like a starving child to food, they quickly devour and move on.  Well, not this year! I want to take time to reflect on the Savior. I am going to print off this tag for each of my 5 children’s baskets and we will take 15 min or so to see what they come up with.  Working with the 12-13 year olds in Sunday school I am often surprised at their knowledge of the gospel and their ability to teach and apply gospel principles to their own lives.  I know my 4 year old may need some help but I am excited to see what my other children, ages 7-17, come up with.

Here are some fun basket filler ideas for your baskets and then possible relations to the Savior.

I decided to do most of my shopping on line this year to hopefully save some time.  Thank goodness for Amazon Prime 2 day shipping! 

Candy- Peter Rabbit Solid Milk Chocolate (easter bunnies give to others, so did Jesus), Starburst Easter Mix , Jellybeans (the jelly bean is like the rock that was places in front of Jesus’ tomb), Cadbury Creme Egg (the egg is a symbol of new life, Jesus lives and we can live again through Him) ,Peeps  (chicks are also a symbol of new life

Books-Happy Easter, Mouse!  , The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story:  ,

Girls-  Socks  (we should walk in the footsteps of Jesus),   Earrings (listen to the stories of Jesus to learn how to live like he wants us to) , nail polish (we can use our hands to serve others as Jesus did),Nail Art Stamping Kit- ,    Handbag  ,  PLAYFOAM  (Jesus helped create the earth, you can create with this playfoam)

Boys-  Camp Set ( many things in the camp set can stand for something like flashlight-Jesus is a light to the world, compass-Jesus shows us the way to get back to Heavenly Father, canteen- Jesus is the living water…), Flying Screaming Sock Monkeys  (Jesus probably felt like screaming when people were mean to him but he didn’t),  Socks (socks keep our feet warm, we feel warm when we think of Jesus) Hot Wheels  ,  Clay and Dough Tools  (Jesus has given us the tools to live with Heavenly father again) , Play-Doh 4-Pack (Assorted Colors) (if we let Him, Jesus can mold us to be great).

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Do you want more of Melissa Esplins Easter Printables? Click to the next page.