Easter is here, and as the mother of two teens, I’m here to tell you that there is not much that I miss about celebrating Easter with two little ones. The super early Easter morning egg hiding, keeping my lies straight about the Easter Bunny, bribing and cajoling my kids into wearing the new, scratchy Easter clothes I bought for them to wear to church, then dealing with grumpy, tired, and hungry kids later who refused to eat the ham and deviled egg lunch spread and only consumed jelly beans the whole day. Easter sure looks cute in magazines, but it seldom went as perfectly when my kids were little. Now that I am a mother to teens, holidays are very different and I don’t hate it one bit.
The Easter Bunny stopped visiting our house years ago and, thanks to COVID, we’ve fallen off the church wagon entirely. So, the only lasting vestige of our Easters of yore is that I still put together Easter baskets for my kids. As they get older, the contents of these baskets look a little different but they’re just as fun to put together as they were when the kids were toddlers.
So, if you have teens yourself, or if you’re tasked with putting together an Easter basket for a teen and you don’t have any idea where to start, here’s a list of 10 fun and teen-approved Easter basket items that might put a smile on even the most sullen teen face on Easter morning*.
(*And by “Easter morning,” I actually mean 2 p.m. on Easter Sunday, as that’s when your teens will emerge from their beds to see what there is to eat.)
Phone Chargers and Cords
For almost every holiday, I slip an extra-long phone charging cord in my kids’ baskets/stockings/birthday gifts, etc. I guarantee that you’d be hard-pressed to find a teen whose eyes don’t light up at the promise of their very own, extra-long charging cord—as silly as it sounds. These cords are inexpensive and don’t always last for years, but phone chargers are always in short supply in our home and my kids love having their own cords.
Beach Towels/Sunglasses/SPF
When my kids were smaller, I’d always use their Easter basket as a vessel for new swimming gear for the upcoming summer months. There were always new goggles and pool toys in their Easter baskets and often new swimsuits, too. Now that they don’t need as many pool accessories as they used to and I certainly wouldn’t know what kind of swimsuit to buy them without having their input, a nice beach towel, sunglasses, or a big bottle of good sunscreen is a great addition to the Easter basket.
Shower Gels and Lotions
Boys and girls alike love getting new shower gels and lotions and what better excuse than a gift in their Easter basket to replenish their stock of bathroom items that help keep the stinkies at bay?
AirPod Case
My family members each have a silicone AirPod case that slips over our AirPod chargers. Each one of us has a different color case, so it’s easy to spot whose AirPods are whose. Many of these silicone cases also have a carabiner that you can use to hook to a backpack or purse. Super inexpensive and very much teen-approved.
Gift Cards
My kids love receiving gift cards for their favorite stores and fast-food restaurants. You might feel as though gift cards are impersonal, but trust me—teens will foam at the mouth to have just a little financial independence to treat themselves and their friends.
Lottery Scratch-Offs
Now, I realize that it is probably sacrilegious to give a gambling implement as a gift on Easter, but scratch-off tickets are harmless fun—especially for teens who aren’t old enough to buy them for themselves yet. Even if they don’t win big, it’s still fun to go through the motions and imagine what you might do if you were to win.
Nice Socks
Socks are always in short supply around my house, even though I buy them all the time. Of course, everyone has their personal favorite brands and styles, so use the Easter basket to beef up your teen’s sock collection with some nice socks that might replace the already-holey ones from Christmas.
Water Bottle/Insulated Tumbler
Teens love their water bottles and insulated tumblers. Bonus points if you get it monogrammed with their initials or have their name or favorite sports team put on it. Plus, anything that encourages proper hydration is a favorite for my family.
New Pens and Pencils
My teens are very picky about the pens and pencils they use, and unfortunately, those writing implements tend to walk away often so they’re always in short supply in this house. An Easter basket is the perfect place to tuck a few of their favorites among the candy and get them through these last couple of months until school is out.
Car Accessories
I don’t have a teen driver in the house just yet, but I can foresee getting my teen car accessories in her future Christmas stockings and Easter baskets. Air fresheners, sun shields, a package of interior cleaning cloths, etc. All of these items will delight a new driver and maybe help encourage them to keep their car cleaner than they keep their room.