| Instead of giving your children a big basket of candy | | | | 3. Modeling clay and some interesting mold and |
| for Easter, to save money in the long term consider | | | | sculpture tools |
| giving them only a few treats and more books, | | | | 4. For older children, balloons and a small pump to |
| crafts and educational toys. Candy is a big contributor | | | | make balloon animals and sculptures. |
| to tooth decay, which can result in expensive dental | | | | 5. A bottle of bubbles and some special wands for |
| bills. Sweets are also consumed right away, so with | | | | blowing bubbles. |
| Easter baskets filled with only candy in a few days | | | | 6. A package of seeds, and child sized gardening |
| everything is gone and there is nothing to show for | | | | gloves and garden tools. |
| your money. | | | | 7. Punch balls. |
| Even if you spend a little more in the short term on | | | | 8. If you live in an area where it is getting warm |
| the gift items listed below, your children will be | | | | enough to go to the park or beach by Easter, then |
| getting hours of fun from these types of small craft | | | | assorted sand toys and beach balls are always a fun |
| items and toys, which means that over time you will | | | | gift. |
| be getting more value for your money. Plus, items | | | | 9. Check party stores for party favors and novelty |
| like books and sand toys are especially frugal | | | | items you can buy on sale or in bulk. One of the |
| purchases because when your children have | | | | stores in our area has big grab bags of marked down |
| outgrown them, they may still be in good enough | | | | and discontinued toys and favors for a few dollars |
| condition to pass along to your friends or relatives, or | | | | each. When our kids were small I would buy several |
| sell at a garage sale | | | | of these bags and use the toys for rewards extra |
| Some frugal Easter basket ideas include: | | | | good behavior, as special gifts on plane trips, for |
| 1. Books - stack up on used children books from | | | | Easter baskets and for Christmas stockings. |
| garage sales, thrift shops and library book sales | | | | 10. Disposable cameras. Then spend the afternoon at |
| during the year. Keep a big stack of books stored | | | | the zoo or some other interesting place where your |
| away in a closet and then you will have some | | | | kids can take pictures. |
| inexpensive books add to Easter baskets and | | | | For a few healthy treats besides colored eggs, try to |
| Christmas stockings. | | | | add in items with some nutritional value, such as |
| 2. Crayons and a coloring book. | | | | chocolate covered almonds or yogurt covered raisins. |