Funtastic Easter Basket Fillers

Easter is this weekend you guys! I always seem to wait until the last minute to tackle the baskets because my husband and I want to eat all of the candy otherwise. HA! This year we decided to focus less on the sweets and more on the treats to make Easter a fun yet simple affair that would be kind to our waistlines.

I have a list of ideas to share with you  that will make fun-tastic fillers for your Easter baskets this year. Samples and considerations of some products were received to inspire my list. We love these options because they provide hands on fun and invitations to explore and create.

1) Galaxy Slimy Gloop
This stuff is so much fun to make and play with! I am always a fan of gifts that encourage both learning and fun. This kit is available at Walmart and Michaels for under $7. It makes a fun option for older kids and teens.

2) Galactic Bath Bombs by Youniverse
Bath bombs are fun to make and create, so this kit is perfect for tweens and teens this Easter. It contains everything you will need to make several great bath bombs. The kit retails for under $13 so it is affordable and packs a lot of fizzy fun into the basket.

 3) STMT Signature Scent
This kit is perfect for girls that want to experiment with fragrance. It contains everything you need to make 4 rollerball bottles of perfume. Retailing at under $18 this is a great gift option for Easter. I made a batch of perfume from this kit with my daughter and it smells really nice, and we LOVED making it together!

4) Rock Art Kits
These are my favorite filler for an Easter basket this year because my kids love finding rocks, decorating them and hiding them! This can be so much more than just a art project kind of filler, it can be a totally fun family experience! Retailing at $5 each, these kits are perfect for kids 6 and older.

5) Aqualiens
Maybe it is wishful thinking on my part, but these had to go in the Easter baskets as they will bring my kids so much joy when the pool is ready to go this summer. This dive toy is not just a toss and go kind of toy. It is a transforming diving toy that is really quite impressive! Retailing at under $10, these pods that morph into a creature are awesome for Easter!

6) Squidivers
These are perfect diving toys for my little one who is just mastering swimming. These wiggle and jiggle to the bottom and are easy to see and grab for little hands. Retailing at under $8, Squidivers are a fun filler for any Easter basket that will bring a lot of happiness to the kids as the weather gets warmer.


7) Barbie Water Bottle
The Barbie bottle by Horizon group is a great way to encourage health and creativity this Easter. The bottle comes in a fun barbie style with the pens to color the bottle how you like it! Retailing at under $13 you can find this bottle on Amazon.

8) Welch's Fruit Snacks
I love to add these to Easter baskets not only for the fun design but also because they are a tasty snack that is mostly guilt free. Look for the fun 28 packs with Easter designs at your local grocery store.

9) Board Games
Payday by Hasbro is one of our favorite options right now because my 7 year old needs money management lessons terribly! This is a fun way to learn about money and budgeting in a way that kids can understand.

Jenga Pass also makes a fun way to add family fun into an Easter basket! I love that the classic game of Jenga takes a twist and turn in this new fun version! Retailing at under $20 I love this pick for tweens and teens.

10) Play Doh
As a kid, I got pretty excited for play doh. I love to see that same magic in the eyes of my kids when they open a can of play doh! The Play Doh Kitchen Creations Magic Oven Set is a super fun outlet for creation and hands on fun.
I love that this oven has lights to make the experience super realistic for my 4 year old.

The fun continues with the Play Doh Letters and Language Set and the Play Doh Textures and Tools Sets. These are so much fun for little hands! Each set contains the tools you need for fun like mats, stamps and play doh! At under $20 these are perfect for an Easter basket.

11) Nerf Guns
My son loves to invite his friends over to play. Lately they have been clamouring for Nerf Guns. The Nerf Microshot Series is perfect for Easter baskets. Priced at under $7, these guns pack a whole lot of punch in a small package.

12) Star Wars Force Link Starter Sets
With this new wearable tech you can FEEL the force during playtime! Compatable with more than 30 Star Wars toys, the force link starter set unlocks sound effects, phrases and lights. We love that our starter set came with Kylo Ren for a new twist on play! Retailing at under $35 this option will bring the fun of Easter out in full force!

13) Luke and Leia Muggs Figures
These are so cute that they practically beg to be in an Easter Basket! Retailing at under $10, they are a fun way to bring the force to Easter! We love that the faces change easily to give a new twist on playtime!

14) Disney Princess Little Kingdom Magical Movers
My little Disney princess can't get enough of her favorite girls, so these tiny little play sets are perfect for dramatic play sessions that she can really get into! Adding a favorite like Ariel, Snow White or Rapunzel to her Easter basket makes for a sweet holiday for sure. We loved that these are affordable and adorable for the win!

15) Adora 
With spring comes the need to coo about babies. This year why not bring a new little bundle of joy home for your little girl with a realistic looking doll from Adora. These are so cute and cuddly! Retailing at $15 and up, these are the perfect cure for baby fever this spring! You can find clothes, accessories and more to make the Adora doll the perfect filler for an Easter basket.

16) Strawbees
My kids love to build and create, so we knew Strawbees would be a really fun way to encourage hands on creativity. This set contains the parts and straws you need to create some really cool contraptions, creatures and fun things to play with.  Retailing at under $30, this 400 piece set is perfect for filling an Easter basket with fun!

17) Stomp Rockets
This is a fun toy to encourage active play. Kids won't be able to resist stomping their rockets into space! This is fun for kids of a variety of ages and encourages kids to learn about how the rockets launch while actively playing for the hippity hoppity win this Easter.




What are some of your favorite ways to fill a basket that are not candy? Leave me a comment to inspire me at the last minute please!

H is for Hot Air Balloon

This free printable is perfect for your letter of the week studies! It incorporates tracing, coloring and letter recognition, and best of all, it is FREE to print!

Harper and I have been working on one letter each week to help her build on what she is learning at preschool. I am a firm believer that education continues at home, and I LOVE to tackle fun projects with my mini. We make coloring time at least 3 times a week, so I knew that creating letter themed coloring pages would be a lot of fun for the two of us!

H is naturally her favorite letter. It is H like for Harper! I have a love of hot air balloons so I added that in, in hopes that she will find them interesting too. I want to do a hot air balloon ride with the kids when she gets a little older.

I would love it if you pin this coloring page for later, share it with a friend or print as many as you could need! If you work on these printable pages with your early learners I would love it if you share a pic on my facebook page.

Print the H is for Hot Air Balloon Coloring Page

You can find our other letter printables here:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

G is for Girl Coloring Page

Grab this free G is for girl coloring page for your preschoolers and kindergartners!

We have been working hard on our ABC's! This week we have a completely free g is for girl page to share with you! You can print as many of these as you would like, pin it for later or share it with a friend as a free resource for early learning!

These are great for little ones as they combine tracing, coloring and letter recognition in one fun and free package!

Print the G is for Girl Coloring Page

Shamrock Puppet

St. Patrick's Day is near and I have a really cute and easy shamrock puppet craft for you! 

This is such an easy craft for the little ones! It requires super simple supplies to create a cute way to spread the luck of the Irish!

You will need: 

One sheet of green paper

Glue

Scissors

A green kwik stick

Cut 4 green hearts out of the paper . 

Paint the stick green, it will dry in under 90 seconds if you use Kwik Sticks.

Glue all 4 hearts on to the stick, point in.

We also have a great 3D Shamrock Craft you might enjoy!

F is for Fan

This free letter f printable coloring page is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners. It combines coloring and tracing to create a fun way to work on letters!

We have been having so much fun with these printable coloring sheets! We are doing one letter a week to supplement what Harp is learning at school.

These are completely free! I hope you will print as many as you need, pin it for later and or share it with a friend for a free early learning resource! 

Print the F is for Fan Coloring Page

Letter E Printable

This FREE Letter E printable coloring sheet is perfect for preschoolers and kindergarteners.


Harper and I have been putting a lot of effort into our abc activities! She loves these printable coloring and tracing sheets that I have been making. I love that these give her a chance to color, trace and work on letter recognition all in one sheet!

I would love it if you would pin this, print it, or share it with a friend! You can print as many as you would ever need! If you use them with your little ones, I would love to have you snap a pic and share it with me on facebook!

                                                       Print the  E is for Easel Coloring Page

You can grab the other letters here :
Letter A
Letter B
Letter C
Letter D
Letter E

C is for Cat Coloring Page

This week Harper and I are studying the letter C. Harper attends preschool, but I am a firm believer that education continues when you get home, and any extra help she can get will benefit her as she enters the fast paced world of kindergarten.

I have been designing a coloring page, creating a craft and selecting a fun book to focus on each week. I hope you will pin these totally free coloring page printables so you can use them and share them with other little learners in your life.

This post contains affiliate links.

Harp loves this simple design, it gives her a chance to trace her letter of the week. She can color a picture associated with the letter and of course, the story to wrap it all up is always a hit. This week we are recommending Chicka Chicka Boom Boom. This is one of Harps all time favorites!

C is for Cat Coloring Page Printable

We are revisiting a favorite  craft this week too! Both of my kids have loved making paper cookies for years now. Harp knew we were going to make them as soon as she saw me add sprinkles to the shopping cart this week!

You can check out our easy paper cookie craft here.

Who will you print this coloring page for?

B is for Butterfly Coloring Page

This week Harper and I are working on the letter B. It is cold enough that I debated making the theme for this letter BRRRR... but, we are hopeful for spring and the return of our winged friends, the butterflies!

I made this cute coloring page to help Harp flutter through this letter. As soon as she saw it she said, "You made that for me to color!?!" It was too cute!

This post contains sponsored content or affiliate links.

We are going to revisit a favorite butterfly craft to accompany our coloring page. We made these easy butterflies last year, they were adorable and fun so we won't mind making them again at all!

If that isn't enough butterfly crafty fun, I would love to have you check out my butterfly pasta art project on Crafting Reality.

We love to incorporate a story into our studies. This is an affiliate link and I may earn a commission. Harper and I had a ton of fun with Brown Bear Brown Bear What Do You See by Eric Carle.

                                                  Print this free coloring page here 

If you have a fun idea for the letter B I would love to hear about it!

A is for Alligator Coloring Page

I shared an easy and cute letter a craft for preschoolers with you a few days ago and wanted to continue our letter a adventure with a fun coloring page you can print for your little ones.

In case you missed our craft you can click through to check it out. Letter A; A is for Alligator Preschool Craft.

This free printable gives kids a chance to practice writing their a's while coloring a fun companion to the craft, which was so much fun and so simple! I will go through the entire alphabet with Harp, so keep checking back for the rest of the letters of the alphabet!

This post includes affiliate links.

You can also grab a really cute book for under $1 on amazon to add to your letter A lessons. Harper and Irecommend A is for Alligator naturally!

                                                        Print the A is for alligator coloring page here

If you have a fun idea for the letter A please leave a comment to inspire Harper and I!

A is for Alligator Craft

Now that Harper is in preschool, our projects have become intentional. I want to make sure she is getting the support she needs to put all that she is learning to good use! We have been taking our time exploring the alphabet and having a lot of fun doing it too!

Today, I want to share a fun letter A craft with you that comes together in a matter of moments and takes a bite out of craft time and makes letter recognition a lot of fun for preschoolers!

This post includes partner links.

To make the A is for Alligator Craft you will need:

2 x 4" strips of green paper
1 x 2" strip of green paper
2 x 2" strips of white paper
1 googly eye
glue stick
scissors

Directions:

1. With the 2x 4" strips  and 1 x 2" strip of green paper form your letter A and glue it in place.
2. Cut teeth shapes in the 2 x 2" strips of white paper. 
3. Glue the teeth on the legs of the A.
4. Glue the googly eye on to the top of the letter A.

If you have a fun craft idea for the letter A I would love to hear about it in a comment!

Death Star Valentine Box

This up-cycled Death Star Valentine's Box was made with simple materials to create a fun way to collect cards and then play after the holiday has ended for Jedi's in training. This is a perfect nerdy date idea!

This post contains affiliate links or was sponsored.

When we got the letter about making a Valentine Box with Rolf, my husband giggled maniacally. He had been crossing his fingers that this would be the year Rolf could take a Valentine's  box to the party! He had an idea he had been kicking around for quite sometime, and that was to create a Death Star for our little Star Wars Expert that he could continue to use long after Valentine's Day had passed.

To recreate the Death Star, you will need:

an old soccer ball

something round to create the Super Laser Focus Lens  black paint

white paint

blue paint

gray paint

a utility knife

mod podge

Directions:

Cut around one hexagon on the soccer ball, making 5 slices to accommodate your hand reaching into the ball.

Paint the ball black, using at least 2 coats.

Add the gray details, based upon your interpretation of the Death Star.

Add the white and blue details also based on your interpretation of the Death Star. 

Cover the Death Star with 2 coats of mod podge. 

Paint your circular part black, adding whatever details you see fit. Our Super laser Focus Lens is compromised of 3 large washer type parts. Attach this with a screw with a cap on the back if possible.

We used a Noxzema jar lid painted to look like space as a base for this.

Rolf had an out of this world cool Valentine Box, and as a bonus, he can now fit many of his Star Wars action figures in his Death Star for easy storage and enhanced play in a galaxy far far away.

If you liked this easy craft idea, you will dig this cute little yoda puppet too!

You can find all of my crafts here:

Recovery After Childbirth

Photo Credit

Pregnancy and childbirth put a massive strain on your body. It spends months changing

and developing as it grows and houses your baby, giving up some of its own needs to look

after the life it's now responsible for. Pregnancy is a marathon, and it changes all of the time.

You get used to the morning sickness, then it's gone, and you're hit with swelling and exhaustion.

Even the best pregnancies are hard work.

Then, there's the birth itself. Your body has been working hard for 40 weeks (on top of all of the

hard work it does the rest of the time) and now it's got this mammoth challenge to contend with

as you become a parent.

Then, it's over. You've given birth; your baby is here. But, far from getting time to relax and

recover, you've got a baby to take care of. Night feeds, colic, nappy changes and cuddles

are all suddenly your job, and you've got no time to recover from the massive physical effort

you’ve just been through. Here's some advice to help you.

Photo Credit

Sleep

Sleep is probably what you need the most, and what you are going to get the least of. Even if

your baby is a good sleeper, there will be night feeds for the first few months. Ask your partner

to help as much as they can. Even if you are exclusively breastfeeding, they could get up and

do nappy changes and then bring the baby to you to feed. Then, try to nap in the daytime when

you can. Even a 10-minute power nap will give your body some recovery time.

Assess the Damage

Pregnancy and childbirth affect us all in different ways. Which means we all recover at a

different rate. One of the first things you should do is take stock of the damage. If you are

lucky, you'll have some stomach cramps and a bit of soreness which passes on its own in a

few days.

If you're not so lucky, you may have stitches which need looking after, heavy bleeding,

fissures, infections and caesarean stitches. If you have any of these problems, it's important

to keep an eye on your recovery, so that you know when you need more help. If you don't think

that you are recovering properly, get help after your birth injury, and ask your doctor or midwife

to have a look.

Drink Water

Your body is trying to get back to normal, your uterus is shrinking back, you are bleeding,

you're tried, and you've got no time to take care of yourself. It's only normal to feel exhausted

and dehydrated. Make sure you settle down for every feed with a glass of water and a

healthy snack to give your body a boost and improve your mood.

Lie Down

You could be very sore for a few days or even weeks after the delivery. This is normal, but

you may find that sitting down makes it worse. Avoid hard seats, using a cushion when you

can, and lie down when you can to take the pressure off and give your body a chance to heal.

Exercise

You certainly won't want to rush out and run a 10k the week after giving birth. In fact, you

should avoid any strenuous activity for at least six weeks and then build up slowly when

you do start keeping fit again. But, some exercise is good.

Your stomach muscles have been through a tremendous ordeal to accommodate your

growing child, and now they need to go back to normal. Spend a little time each day gently

tensing them and holding the tense for a few seconds. As you get stronger, hold for longer.

But, if you have any pain, stop and rest before carrying on.

You should also do Kegel exercises to help everything else get back to normal. This will stop

any incontinence and help any stitches you may have had heal by increasing blood flow to the

area. Again, start gently, then add more reps and longer tenses as you start to feel better.

Take Stock of Your Feelings

The baby blues are completely normal, and most women experience anxiety, fear and sadness

to some extent. Your whole life has changed, your body hurts, your hormones are all over the

place, and you feel like you'll never get a good night's sleep again. A little mood fluctuation is to

be expected.

If at any point you feel it's more than this, or like it's not getting any better, speak to a

professional who can offer you further advice.

D is for Donut Coloring Page

Harper has been having so much fun with the alphabet themed coloring sheets that I have been making for her! These have been a great way to tie in letter recognition, coloring and creative expression in one cute and FREE printable page.

This week we are working on the letter D. 

We made a funtastic donut craft last spring which we will revisit.

This post contains affiliate links.

We are recommending the book If You Give a Dog a Donut.

You can print the free coloring page by clicking the link below. Feel free to print one, or as many as you need.  You can find our paper plate donut craft here. 

                                                D is for Donut Coloring Page Printable

Carrot Soup

Carrot soup is a decadent way to eat more veggies and warm yourself up on a cold winter day! Made with simple ingredients this recipe comes together in moments for a filling dinner the whole family will love. Pair with crusty bread or a salad for a meatless meal that hits the spot!

This soup couldn't be easier to make. It is perfect for cooking a yummy soup for lunch or dinner on a budget and is a great way to get the family to eat more veggies. I love that this recipe freezes well for enjoying the leftovers on a later day.
This post contains affiliate links.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 6 cups of chopped carrots
• 2 cups of water
• 4 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup of half and half
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• Fresh parsley or thyme

optional: 1 chopped stalk of celery

Directions:

• Combine butter and oil in a large pot.
• Over medium heat, melt the butter then add the onions and celery if you are using any. Add your parsley or thyme and cook until veggies are soft.
• Add carrots, water and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes, stirring frequently.
• When the carrots are tender, transfer the soup to a blender, this might take 3 blender batches to complete. Blend until the soup is smooth.
• When the soup has all been blended stir in salt and pepper and half and half.
• Garnish with fresh thyme or parsley.
• Serve and enjoy.

This soup keeps for about 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.
This recipe will serve 8-10.
I like to eat this with croutons for a delicious change!

Have you ever made carrot soup? I would love to hear about your favorite soup recipe!

You might also like this Calcutta Aubergine Recipe.

Save Your Way To Family Fun

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Family time is precious and irreplaceable – you can’t put a price on it. Or can you? Priceless as the
memories may be, the cost of a family day out rises and rises each year. With travel, entry tickets,
overpriced food and drink and the unavoidable stop at the gift shop on the way out, take a few days
out in a year and you can find the cost slowly mounting. And for those families who are struggling to
meet savings goals or working through debt consolidation programs, every penny counts.
But there are ways to both cut the cost of your outing and find something fun for the family to
do together.

It’s All About Timing

Many theme parks and family attractions like zoos and the theatre practice ‘dynamic pricing’.
This means that the cost of entry will vary across a year and even a week, rising when there’s peak
demand and dropping right down when they need to fill seats. So do a little detective work
and use this to your advantage. Monitor the prices over a set period of time to see how they alter,
and make sure you’re signed up to the newsletter of the attraction, as many will email out discount
codes and special deals. It may mean waiting a little longer to get there, but you can make major
savings.

Round Up The Gang

A lot of attractions will also offer a discount for group bookings, so make sure you call up and speak
to them about what can be done. Who could you invite to go with you? Children will love for their
friends or neighbors to come along, and if you pool money, hiring a small minibus may be a more
cost-effective way to travel there as well. So time your trip with another family or two and see how
much you can save.

Claim Your Cashback

Using cashback sites and loyalty cards are a great idea if you know you’re planning to go somewhere.
Lots of them offer access to family attraction or ticketing sites. If you’ve saved up loyalty card points
all year, see what you can swap them in for, and use supermarket cards to purchase discounted
snacks and food for the road trip.

Keep The Snacks DIY

Overpriced food and drink at family attractions are one of the main budget-busters on a day out,
especially if you have several little ones. So save big by packing a cool bag with treats and drinks
before you go. Make the food prep a part of the excitement of the day out. Kids love a picnic, and
if you think outside the box and make some exciting picnic food rather than the standard sandwiches,
they’ll be super excited.

Days out are all about making memories – and you don’t have to spend a fortune to do that.
There are also lots of fun things to do at home from going on a bug safari to building a pillow fort,
having kids produce their own movie or play or even doing a campout in the backyard underneath
the stars. The only limit is your imagination.

6 Snowman Themed Painting Projects for Kids

We didn't get enough snow to make snowmen last year. We waited with crossed fingers until April rolled around, then we gave up, defeated and longing for a day spent rolling big balls of snow around.

This year, if we don't have ample snow in our own backyard for winter fun, we are at least prepared to craft up some snowman fun! I found 6 Snowman Themed Painting Projects for Kids to keep in my reserve of winter fun and I think you are going to like these ideas too!

Handprint Snowman Preschool Craft
Bubble Wrap Snowman Painting
Snowman Winter Art Project
Snowman Sensory Art with Puffy Paint
Footprint Snowman Craft
Easy Puffy Paint Snowman Project

These ideas are simple enough for small children and creative enough to offer your older kids a chance to create and explore new materials.  Which is a win/win! My favorite art supply to introduce to children is Kwik Stix, tempura paint sticks. You can get these through my affiliate link.

Hopefully, we will get the best of both worlds this winter; a chance to whoop it up in the snow and make a ton of snowmen, then come in and warm up with a painting project or two!

If you have a favorite snowman painting project for kids, please leave a comment to share it with us!

You might also like this Paper Cookie Preschool Craft.