Easter is such a joyous holiday, but when you have a baby between 9 and 12 months old, you have to think outside the (chocolate-filled) basket! Since traditional Easter treats like candy and jellybeans arenโt safe for little ones, so this is the perfect opportunity to fill their basket with fun, engaging, and useful items.
Here are some creative, non-traditional Easter basket ideas for your baby, plus some Amazon finds to make shopping super easy! Spoiler alert: I’m promoting items that are Gem* approved! This post contains Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. Thank you in advance for supporting my blog!
1. Sensory & Developmental Toys
If your baby is anything like my baby at this age, chances are he or she loves exploring textures, sounds, and colors. Sensory toys are perfect for keeping little hands busy while supporting their cognitive development! Some of our favorites:
๐ก Egg Shaker Toys โ These musical egg shakers are a fun way to introduce rhythm and sound play! Our son loves to use these during library storytime so I put in a good word with the Easter bunny.
๐ Find them on Amazon
๐ก Pre-Filled Easter Eggs with Baby-Safe Toys โ Instead of candy, try pre-filled eggs with soft toys, squishy animals, or finger puppets. Obviously, watch out for choking hazards and always monitor your baby’s play! You know your little one best.
๐ Check out these baby-friendly filled eggs
๐ก Stacking Cups or Rings โ These classic toys help with fine motor skills and problem-solving. Bonus: They double as bath toys! We received this set as a baby shower gift and they are still a favorite at bathtime many months later.
๐ Shop stacking cups
2. Bath Time Play
Gem has started to stand in the tub. It makes my heart skip a beat every time. We load the tub with toys to keep him engaged… and seated! Make bath time extra special with fun, Easter-themed bath toys and accessories for your little one. Easter basket ideas we love include:
๐ Floating Rubber Ducks โ Get an Easter-themed ducky or a whole set for splashing fun! I picked up a Winnie the Pooh-looking duck at DollarTree in anticipation of our Disney trip. He’ll make a cute addition to our sealife floaters back home!
๐ Find adorable rubber duckies
๐ Bath Crayons or Bath Paint โ Let baby explore colors safely in the tub (and they wash right off!). To be honest, we’ve held off on these as they make climbing out of the tub more enticing for Gem BUT I want to love them.
๐ Check out baby-safe bath crayons
๐ Hooded Bath Towel โ A cozy, soft towel with bunny ears or spring animals makes a great basket addition! Note: not all hooded towels are created equal. Look for larger-sized options, like this elephant one. We really like the KeaBabies variety; they have so many super soft options!
๐ Browse cute hooded towels
3. Board Books for Easter & Spring
Books are a great addition to any Easter basket, regardless of age. For babies, however, you’ll want to look for sturdy board books with bright pictures, textures, or (our current favorite) lift-the-flap surprises!
๐ “Where Are Babyโs Easter Eggs?” by Karen Katz โ A fun lift-the-flap book that keeps babies engaged. If your little one is really rough with books, we are OBSESSED with these felt flap books!
๐ Find it on Amazon
๐ “Happy Easter, Little Pookie” by Sandra Boynton โ A sweet and silly Easter story perfect for little ones. We love Sandra Boynton and all of her Little Pookie books!
๐ Get it here
๐ Touch-and-Feel Spring Books โ Books with soft fur, rough eggshells, and bumpy textures are a hit at this age. Gem loves the Never Touch A… books; he is starting to “read” and flip through the pages by himself during independent playtime!
๐ Shop sensory books for babies
4. Springtime Accessories
Easter is the perfect excuse to grab some adorable spring-themed essentials. Think of Easter basket ideas like:
๐ฐ Easter-Themed Bibs โ A cute and practical addition for messy meal times.
๐ Find baby Easter bibs
๐ฐ Soft Bunny Ears Headband โ Okay, so while not essential, they are perfect for Easter photos!
๐ Shop baby bunny ears
๐ฐ Non-Slip Socks with Easter Prints โ Keep those tiny toes warm and festive without compromising safety! Grippy socks and footies are essential now as Gem begins to take his first steps.
๐ Check out Easter baby socks
5. Healthy Snacks & Feeding Fun
Even though candy is off the table, you can still include fun and safe snack items for your little ones to enjoy. In our home, we avoid processed foods for Gem and mainly offer him fresh fruit and veggies. Still, we rely on quick-grab items when we’re on the go. These items are in heavy rotation these days:
๐ฅ Fruit & Veggie Pouches โ Look for pouches with fun flavors like carrot-mango or banana-strawberry. I run everything through the Yuka app because, well, I’m that mom. Our favorites come from Aldi. They are cheap and fairly clean. Another favorite is the snack-size Motts packets with no sugar added; they are the perfect portion for no leftovers!
๐ Browse baby food pouches
๐ฅ Silicone Snack Cups โ Perfect for holding puffs, yogurt melts, or Cheerios on the go. Our Disney-themed Whiskware has three stackable compartments for variety, which I love. Gem loves grabbing his own treats out of his snack catcher cups, which I equally love for their mess-free toddler design.
๐ Shop snack cups
๐ฅ Easter-Themed Silicone Plate or Utensils โ Cute and functional for mealtime! Look for sets that suction to baby’s highchair to minimize messes from a flipped bowl or food flinging. (Seriously, when does THAT phase end?!)
๐ Find baby feeding sets
6. Outdoor & Active Play
With warmer weather coming, include some items that encourage outdoor fun! We cannot wait for bright, sun shining days of play. Here’s what made our immediate shortlist:
๐ Bubbles โ A must-have for springtime fun, even for indoor rainy days! Look for a no-spill bubble tumbler for mess-free play. We’ve ditched our bubble wands and gone full-blown bubble gun. Gem is mesmerized when they pop all around him!
๐ Get baby-safe bubbles
๐ Soft Plush Ball โ Great for rolling, throwing, and chasing as baby gets more mobile.
๐ Find a baby-friendly ball
๐ Baby Sun Hat โ Protect that precious baby skin while playing outside! I have these hats in the 6-24 month size. The adjustable strap allows them to grow with your little one. Gem’s been wearing the same ones since 4 months old and they still fit!
๐ Shop baby sun hats
Final Thoughts
Building an Easter basket for a 9-12 month old is all about fun, development, and practicality. Whether you focus on sensory toys, bath time fun, books, or outdoor play, your little one will love their special basket goodies! ACTIONABLE STEPS: Get shopping! Which of these non-traditional Easter basket ideas would your baby love? Anything I forgot? Let me know in the comments below!
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