OK, so your 12-year-old no longer believes in the Easter bunny. And, honestly, they’ve been a bit obnoxious about it, haven’t they? Bet they still want that goodie-filled Easter basket, though. If they have younger siblings who still believe in Peter Cottontail, it’s especially important to keep them happy and in on the Easter basket tradition. But what do you get a metal-mouthed tween who can’t have candy? Or, worse, a Doja Cat-obsessed teen who scoffs at Fruit of the Loom? The baskets of your youth were full of underwear, socks, and junk food — but it’s a whole new world out there now. You need fresh Easter basket ideas for tweens and teens to avoid an endless litany of eye-rolls.
If you want them to laugh at your Easter jokes or join in on your little’s Easter games, you’ll need to appease those “big kids.” Tweens and teens want more than candy and Hanes. In search of even more basket-building inspo? Here are some other ideas to appeal to the (adolescent) masses.
Toiletries
If your kid has suddenly begun to leave an odiferous trail everywhere they go, now is your chance to give them a nudge toward the shower. Load their basket up with a deodorant stick (or break down and buy body spray or perfume) and maybe invest in a loofah (or six). If your tween or teen has already mastered the basics, get them whatever trendy products “all the other kids” are using.
Self-Care
Time for a spa night at your house? Tweens and teens love a chance to practice self-care. The only difference in what you get your 11-year-old versus your 16-year-old? Price! While your tween will be happy with some wild-colored, $1 nail polish, your teen might want a better brand or more specific, trendy colors. Makeup palettes are the same way. Let your tween experiment with all the cheap stuff while helping your teen invest in some nicer makeup (albeit smaller quantities).
- Nail polish
- Makeup palettes
- Makeup brushes
- Bath bombs
- Face masks/sheet masks
- Eye masks
- Temporary hair color
- Mani/pedi kit
- Journal
Snacks
You have to find room for some snacks in that basket, right? If your teen just got their braces off, load them up with gummy candy (sorry for the lingering sugar high come Monday morning, teachers). If your tween loves looking for ways to feel grown-up, treat them to some Nutella or the more expensive chocolate your keep stashed out of reach. You can go the route of typical Easter jelly beans, but it’s also an occasion to do something just a little more special.
- Takis
- Sour Gummies
- Granola bars
- Nutella & Go!
- Goldfish
- Favorite chocolates
- Starbucks treats
- Peeps (a true classic)
- Jelly Belly jellybeans
- Starburst
- Pringles
- Beef jerky
- Doritos
- Trail mix
Fun Stuff
Looking for even more random crap to toss in their baskets? Take note: Anything you could stick in a stocking (or just under it) is fair game for an Easter basket for tweens and teens. Airpods are atrociously expensive. The cases: Not so much. And you can pick up fun phone cases at your closest Five Below. While an Easter basket can be 75% the same for all your kids, it’s fun to do a little spin to personalize each one. That might mean loading up your athlete with new stickers for their Hydro Flask or getting that cool, matte black studded Starbucks tumbler for your “baby bat.”
- Airpod case
- Phone case
- Charger cords
- Fidgets
- Scrunchies
- Croc charms
- Starbucks cups
- Hydro Flask stickers
- Basketball
- Board games
- Beach towel
- PJs
- Pens/markers
- Books
Splurges
To be clear, no one’s saying you have to spend $200 on a hammock and a freestanding frame. But you can pick up a portable nylon hammock for about $20-40, depending on where you shop. A replacement for that dinged-up Hydro Flask is also a solid option. If your teen just got their license, a little help with gas will surely be appreciated. And the majority of the tween and teen kids polled for this article’s input responded the same way: bring on the gift cards. So, when in doubt, load their basket up with a gift card smorgasbord, and you’ll be good to go.
- Hydro Flask
- Gas cards
- Gift cards (Starbucks, Target, Apple, any of their favorite stores)
- Headphones
- Hammock
- DVD/BluRay
- Video games
- Sunglasses
