Healthy Easter Egg Fillers for Kids and Toddlers

We have been trying to eat healthy and cut back on the junk. We are not planning to buy any of the typical candy at Easter this year.  It is so tempting to buy chocolate marshmallow bunnies and all the other yummy goodness out there at easter, so I am putting together a slightly more healthy list for egg stuffers and Easter baskets that I can refer back to every year (and change if needed).  Since we have cut back on most refined sugars and “boxed foods,” any of the foods on this list will be considered a treat to the kids. 

Egg Fillers:

colored goldfish

fruit snacks

chocolate covered raisins/peanuts

strawberries (part of the fun is just the suprise of finding out what is inside)

dried apple rings

cinnamon sugar gram crackers

pretzels

semi sweet chocolate chips/ mini chips

dollar store rubber bugs or animals

quarters

stickers

hair bows

bouncy balls

deflated balloon to blow up (esp for andrew, he loves balloons)

flower seeds for spring planting

silly putty

erasers

rub on tatoos

Easter Baskets:

crayons

gardening tools

cookie cutters

framed picture of you and your child

flash cards or game

popcorn

I am sure this list will be updated and added too. (updated, May 2013-  i took off some of the more unhealthy things from this list.)

Some other easter activities:

Resurrection garden: Make the path from the Last Supper through to the tomb in a long rectangle garden planter, adding some fun plants to make it look real, and a small circle pot on its side for the tomb and a stone to cover the opening. Make some people out of clothes pins and walk them through the story. 

Interrupting

It is one of the most frustrating problems I came across with a very young child. I would be on the phone or having a conversation and my little one comes to running up "mommy ...mommy ...mommy......." It is a frustrating situation for the child and parent alike. Years ago I came across a simple solution, when I saw my good friend Julie do an amazing interaction with her small child. While she was talking to me, her child came to her and quietly put her hand on Julie's arm without a word.  Julie put her hand over the child's (to acknowledge she knows the child is there) as we continued our conversation completely uninterrupted. When Julie had finished her thought, she said to me, "excuse me one sec..." She then turned to the child waiting patiently, addressed the child's issue, and was then back to our conversation. I was shocked and wondered if that was really even possible?!  I gave it a try with Kalena and was amazed and pleased at how fast she picked it up and how often she started to remember. With consistency and loving instruction kids can really learn to be polite!  It has been years now that we have been using this simple instruction for our kids.  It has saved both us, and our kids, a lot of frustrating moments. It has also been fun to see the kids learn and be reminded from each other.  Our third child learned almost entirely from watching the older kids.

How much I would miss if I didn't have amazing godly families to learn from and the Lord being faithful to give us wisdom when we ask for it. I know I have so much more to learn and am excited to soak it all up! Lately I feel I have become complacent with asking the Lord to continue giving wisdom.     I am encouraged by James 1:5 and commit this week to ask the Lord to give me more and more wisdom as I train these treasures He has entrusted to me.

James 1:5

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, 

let him ask of God, 

who gives to all generously and without reproach, 

and it will be given to him."