Got a wicked sweet tooth? Mine was raging during this last pregnancy, and it really got me thinking about how I don’t want to pass my love/hate relationship with sugar on to my kids. Cutting back on candy is tough, though…especially when every single holiday seems to revolve around it. But all that means is that, as parents, we have to get a little more creative, right?

So aside from a few Annie’s gummy bunnies, we’ve decided that this year’s basket will be devoted to the thing we love most about spring: the garden! Since our family’s celebration is focused less on religious beliefs and more on the fertility and rebirth associate with spring (like Ostara), a basket full of garden-themed items seems perfect to me!

Build a Garden Easter Basket

 Ditch the candy and green your holiday with these basket-stuffers:

Seeds: Look for varieties that grow quickly and don’t require tons of care. Bonus points for those that result in especially bright or interesting fruits, veggies or flowers. The more fun the fruit, the more interest the seed will spark. For veggies, try baby carrots, radishes or tiny red cherry tomatoes. Planting flowers? Sunflowers, fuzzy lambs’ ears and hens and chicks are fun and easy to grow. Throw in a few tiny peat pots, too, for starting seeds indoors.

Gardening Tools: Stick with tools made for kids. They’ll be more geared for safety (rounded edges, no little pieces, etc.) And it’s a good idea to stay away from plastic, even though it might be cheaper and more accessible. These tools will spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun, and heat makes any toxic chemicals in plastic just that much worse. Target has a great selection this year, all reasonably priced.

 Don’t forget the gloves! I just got these for $3 at Big Lots:

Craft Supplies: Like it or not, there will be some rainy days and you might find yourself with a very disappointed little gardener. Take the opportunity to teach the importance of rain for the garden, then tackle a garden craft! Tuck some outdoor paints into your garden Easter basket and you’ll be prepared to make some garden picks or painted rocks to label your herbs and baby plants.

Books: Gardening books come in all shapes and sizes, and there are lots that are written for kids. Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots and Planting a Rainbow are two examples, and a quick Google search will yield tons more.

Sunscreen: So important! Especially for boys, who grow up into men, who tend to be the ones to neglect skin safety the most. Episencial’s Sunny Sunscreen is a great choice if you like pure organic products. A sunhat is also a great option! (A pretty white eyelet one will be in our little lady’s basket this year!)

Water bottle: Toss in a kids’ water bottle. A long, hard day of working in the dirt calls for some good hydration! Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel options are our favorites because they are super durable and easy to clean, and they offer sippy caps made just for kids.

Of course I can’t guarantee it, but I’d bet my last seed that if you get your kids more excited about growing vegetables they’ll get more excited about eating them, too!