This Easter I wanted to create the ultimate small shop baskets for my kiddos.
Shopping local and small is important for so many reasons but what I love most is that I am able to hand pick customized items that are tailored to each of my children's interests. When you have 3 kids of 3 different ages it can be hard to come up with ideas of gifts for them.
But when shopping small I find I am able to get unique items for each child that I know they will love, and I love that I am able to support a local business at the same time.
These are the 3 baskets I created for the kiddos. Even the little canvas bags are from a local small shop Annalilly Kids! Read below to see what businesses were inside the kids baskets and more about the goodies we got from each shop.
I love our dinosaur felt sets from Urban Felt Sets. I am so excited to get our Joey Play couch from Chew Chew Baby Roo to be able to fully put these to use. Whether or not you have a play couch, your children will love using their imagination to makeup stories and scenarios with these high quality and beautiful felt pieces!
Our kiddos love to bake! So, instead of filling their basket with a bunch of chocolate and candy I love that we were able to give them each their own jar of ingredients to make their own cookies for the whole family to enjoy. This provides a fun family activity we can do together while making some fun memories and mess in the kitchen!
Our favourite item from Two Gems Hair Bows is definitely her snap clips! These are what I primarily put in Violet's hair to keep it off her face. There is no fuss from her and they stay in her hair no matter how rambunctious she gets throughout the day. Lily loves the fun patterns and that she can match her sister. Again a practical and customizable gift that your kiddos will get lots of use out of. Help keep their hair off their face and looking stylish in the spring/summer months! These are also super easy to attach to any fabric Easter baskets just clip them around the outside to add a cute touch!
Shop Messy Play
Messy Play Studio is your one stop shop for supporting local. They offer a curated selection of small shop goodies that can be purchased online for children of all ages. For Mason I chose the Balance Boat Shapes and Colours he loves to build so this is a great way to encourage him to build and balance the various pieces while talking about colours and shapes. For Violet we got the Nubble Rumbler Dino it is the perfect size for her age and she has so much fun driving this adorable dino around the house. She also loves moving the ball around in the middle which adds a great tactile and sensory experience. For Lily we chose the Wooden Stacking Stones but what I love is these are great for all 3 of our kiddos. Its a fun learning activity for Lily and gives her a challenge trying to balance the wooden stones on top of each other. If you're looking for something for the younger babes I recommend the Dinosaur Utensil Set. This is the perfect set for little hands who are learning to self-feed. It provides them with some independence without the risk of hurting themselves.
I love that you can shop small right down to the basket! These canvas tote bags are the perfect size for little arms and can be customized with your child's name on it and to their favourite colour. The strap on these bags make them great for egg hunts around the house and for kids to play with. Lily loves carrying her's around and uses it as a purse. These bags are not overly big which I like because it helps keep my spending restricted to trying to fit items into the bag only (as you can see here, ours poured out of the bags but how could I resist with all these small shop goodies!)
Headbands are a great option for inside your kids easter baskets. Lily and Violet love their hair accessories. For my sporty girl I got the Toronto Raptors headband for my girlie girlie I got a beautiful floral print. What I love is I was able to customize to each of my child's interests while still getting some practical that they need and will get lots of use out of.
My kiddos love stuffies! But what I love most about these bunnies and duck is that they are customized. It is something special that your child can pull out each Easter, or enjoy all year around and become one of their favourite comfort items because it is customized to them. Also, if you have multiple kids there is no fighting over who's is who's because they have their names on it LOL! The bunny and duck are so soft and the perfect size for kiddos to snuggle or play with.
Montessori and wooden toys are my favourite right now! Our kids have so many toys, but what I love about Montessori inspired toys is seeing my kids imagination come to life through playing with them. These are also a great learning tool whether you are working on colours, sorting, shapes, sizes or fine motor skills the opportunities are endless. And come on, this set goes perfectly with the Easter theme!
Give your kiddos the gift of memories in the kitchen with a Salton Candy Maker. Instead of filling their baskets with premade candy and treats why not give them all the supplies to make their own! Its a great way to get the entire family having fun together. Also a great learning tool and to get your children involved in the kitchen in a safe way.
My kiddos love playing dress up! Shantiques Mini Creations has the cutest rings for your kiddos to wear to incorporate in their make believe play or to just dress up any of their favourite outfits. Whether they love super heros, mini mouse or cartoon characters Shantiques Mini Creations has a great variety to choose from! My favourite though is these tattoos! I love that I can now support local when choosing tattoos for our kiddos! These designs are so fun and perfect for my Dino and Unicorn loving kiddos. Lily's favourite was probably the matching clip on earrings for her and Violet. I can already see them playing dress up in their room together when Violet is a bit bigger and wearing their clip on earrings around the house.
Bloomin Fruit Easter isn't Easter without chocolate! So why not support local when purchasing some yummy treats for your kiddos. Bloomin Fruit creates the most beautiful custom oreos with fun Easter theme designs on them. These mini Oreo's are the perfect size for little hands to enjoy -- but make sure you steal a few for yourself too because trust me they are YUMMY!
You can never go wrong with books as a gift, especially when they are as cool as Score Board Books! Lily and Mason are baseball obsessed so this ABC book is perfect for keeping them on the ball with the alphabet. When choosing books I always find it is easiest to get my kids to engage when it is a book relating to their interests, so if you have a sport loving or even better a baseball loving kiddo this book is for you!
Dax and Live Clothing These bunnie sweaters are the perfect addition to any Easter basket! If you're kids are anything like mine they love holiday themed clothing. These sweaters are high quality, soft and great for wearing even when its not Easter anymore. Or if you aren't looking for something holiday specific, you won't be disappointed by any of her clothing choices. We have a few pieces from her shop for our kids and they LOVE them! Mason is obsessed with his digger pants and I love the look, feel and style of them.
