Aside from causing tooth decay, sugar is a sneaky culprit with a long list of crimes against the health of humanity. Some of the health issues related to an abundance of sugar consumption that can negatively impact a child’s health include hyperactivity, cold-like symptoms or allergies, unusual illnesses like croup and acid reflux, weakened immunity, a poor diet and the increased risk of diabetes and obesity. The reason for much of the internal turmoil that sugar creates in the body is a complex, somewhat delicate community of trillions of healthy bacteria that consume food, produce vitamins and fight germs and disease. However, too much sugar leads to an imbalance between good and bad bacteria and wreaks havoc on the body’s immune system.
Some of the Easter classics may need to be abandoned or changed in favor of good health. Dyed hard-boiled eggs of the past obtained their pastel hues from artificial colors. Those artificial dyes have been linked to allergic reactions, and some have been linked to carcinogens, which puts them in the same dangerous league as excessive sugar consumption. Food coloring has already lost its luster since people are now favoring more natural foods and products. If you want to maintain the tradition of dyeing the eggs with the kids, consider using natural items that you may already have in your cupboard or fridge. Green tea, paprika, grape juice, blueberries and more can produce the lovely hues without taking on any unnecessary health risks.
To get kids off sugar and onto a healthy lifestyle, our gift ideas avoid candy and sweets altogether. Looking back at old photograph, often, the Easter baskets were ladened with candy. We can probably all agree that we regret some of that indulgence when it comes to the effect all those sweets had on our teeth. Thinking about it may even make your tongue survey the inside of your mouth. The pain and discomfort of dental work is nothing to shake a stick at.
Our Easter gift ideas allow children to rediscover the fun and entertainment of pure imagination with books, activities and simple toys and games your grandkids will love. Plus, you can enjoy it together.
A Non-Traditional Easter Basket
First and foremost, presentation can go a long way in peaking a child’s interest. Instead of a traditional Easter basket, consider placing gifts for the grandkids in a toy truck or wagon. Really, depending on the amount and size of the gifts you plan to give, there are endless unique and interesting ways to compose those Easter gifts. Helmets, rainboots, tackle boxes, sewing/craft boxes, home-made cloth containers, backpacks, mason jars and even open, upside-down umbrellas can replace the boring baskets that kids often abandon once the holiday is over.
Read-a-Long Easter Gifts
Reading is fundamental and fun. Best of all, books are gifts you can feel good about, and if you are seeing the grandkids for Easter, read it with them. It is a memory you can both cherish. There are Easter-themed books for all ages, and some classics you already love are still enjoyed today.
The list is long, but we have narrowed it down to a few books that your grandkids will love this Easter. Peter Rabbit, the beloved character we all know so well, has an interactive novelty book, “Peter Rabbit Easter Egg Hunt,” which is a perfect gift for Easter. “Pat the Bunny” is a classic first book for the grandkids who are yet at reading level. Dora the Explorer, a well-liked character, has an Easter-themed quest of learning called, “Dora the Explorer Egg Hunt.” Lastly, for the little ones, there is the highly rated, imaginative and perhaps most importantly, durable, “The Easter Bunny’s Workshop.”
There are tons of unconventional gifts you can give to kids for Easter that harken back to a simpler time. A time before kids were walking around with their eyes glued to electronic devices.
Crafty Easter Gifts
To inspire young, scientific minds, consider gifts like a microscope and/or a magnifying glass. Compliment the gift with a book on insects native to where your grandkids live. For older kids, there are relatively inexpensive perfume-making kits or stick with the gift your never go wrong with- gift cards. For kids who like hands-on activities or artistic endeavors, consider a simple tool kit with a hammer and nails, a sketch book and pencils or a polaroid camera.
For those children who are into going green and recycling, look up how to recycle crayons in the oven. Prepare for green fun for the whole family. All you need are old, broken crayons, an oven, foil cups and a muffin tin. Get some coloring books and enjoy some relaxing time with your grandkids. Everyone can enjoy the relaxing and soothing act of coloring in the lines or out of the lines, if that’s your thing.
If you are straying away from the loved but sugar-filled Kool Aid, don’t throw it away. Kool-Aid playdough is colorful and fun and an ideal Easter gift that won’t rot your grandkid’s teeth. Make it with the kids and keep it fresh and pliable by storing it in plastic eggs. That’s right. There is still a healthy way for the grandkids to enjoy Kool-Aid and a way to use those plastic eggs that doesn’t involve candy or sweets.
Interactive Easter Gifts
Of course, not everyone is crafty or has the luxury of being present for the Easter holiday. In case you need a simple Easter-related item you can purchase, Lego has an Easter Chick and an Easter Bunny that can be assembled and used with other interchangeable Lego sets.
There are a couple of Easter games that let your grandchildren play and learn at the same time. The IELLO Bunny Kingdom Strategy Board allows kids to do the same activities that normally keep them sitting transfixed and blurry-eyed in front of a computer or gaming system. Yep, this game allows them to build kingdoms for bunny clans, and no batteries or wires are needed. There is also the Educational Insights Bunny Hop Game, which teaches and encourages color identification and memory-building skills.
Perhaps the sweetest and cutest gift we have seen is the “Tiny Garden Sweet Sounds Bunny.” The bunny has a slightly crooked smile and is made of soft fabrics. His little belly lights up while he plays soothing music. The bunny is interactive and a nice bedtime friend for your little grandkids. Sweet Sounds Bunny promotes relaxation and meditation with soothing music and soft light. In fact, Sweet Sounds Bunny could probably benefit us all.
No matter what you choose to give your grandkids this Easter holiday, take a moment to appreciate being a part of their lives and having them be a part of yours. We sometimes take family for granted, especially if we don’t always agree, but family can never be replaced.
Whether you are celebrating with your family or wishing them well from afar, these gift ideas should get you going in the right direction for gifts the grandkids will love.
For the grown kids who are probably difficult to buy for, consider letting our florists at A Rose's Petal in Paterson, NJ, help you by providing the perfect flower bouquet or gift. The holidays are a time to rejoice and celebrate, so don’t lose sight of the meaning of Easter this year, and celebrate with something unique that won’t rot your grandkid’s teeth.