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From Bunnies to Beats: Cool Easter Basket Stuffers for Tweens (2023 Edition)

ByAlissa Zorn
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Many of us have looked forward to putting together Easter baskets for our kids each year and even if the Easter Bunny isn’t part of the picture, we want to continue this fun tradition. As kids get older it gets a little more challenging to come up with Easter gifts. You find yourself asking: what should I put in an Easter basket for a 10 year old??

No worries! We’ve got some great tween-approved gift ideas for you! Easter baskets are great for older kids. Tweens (preteens approximately 9-12 years old) are at an age where their own interests and preferences are really starting to shine. One of the exciting things about Easter baskets for tweens is you can support their interests, ideas and creativity with gifts they can use.

A preteen girl walks across a lawn holding an easter basket. There is a pond in the background. Centered is a white box with text that reads: Easter Basket Ideas for Tweens

How to Put Together the Perfect Easter Basket for Tweens

Here are few quick tips for putting together an  Easter Basket your middle schooler will love.

1. Consider the tweens interests

Think about your tweens hobbies and interests. Middle school sports are popular with a lot of 11 and 12 year olds – is there some accessory like shoe laces or a ball pump that would support that? What are their favorite hobbies? finding little items to add on to current interests often make great Easter Basket fillers.

2. Try one of these alternative basket ideas

With tweens, you can try something out of the ordinary for Easter Baskets and wind up giving gifts in a “basket” that will be able to be used for years.

  • Decorative bins – A cute bin like this can be used later to store things in their room.
  • Hats – Whether they need a new sun hat or they have a favorite team, you can use a new hat as an Easter basket.
  • Supply caddies – super useful for tweens who like to sew, do crafts or gardening. These will probably spark your imagination about what to fill them with as well.
  • Tackle box – We have one of these tackle boxes for my almost 11 year old who likes to paint; he likes the fact that you can see through to easily spot your supplies. A tackle box or tool box could be a great Easter basket for a kids who like fishing, wood working or working on cars.

3. Personalize

Choosing basket fillers in your big kids’ favorite color or style can be a fun way to personalize (one of my kids loves anime, for instance, so that’s a possible fun theme). Decorating their basket with their name, or adding a cute family photo can also show your love.

The Most Popular Easter Basket Gift Ideas

The popular Easter basket gifts from younger years are usually still hits. Most tweens do still love:

  • cute stuffed animals,
  • chocolate bunnies,
  • marshmallow chicks,
  • jelly beans,
  • little toys and games.

The trick is finding toys and games that are age appropriate to hold their interest. And what do you put in an Easter basket for a kid who doesn’t like chocolate? That’s where our big list of ideas come in. Whether your older kid is into art, science, or adventures, we’ve got ideas for their basket treats. Read on for non-candy ideas.

Non Candy Easter Basket Filler Ideas for Tweens

Baking Supplies

For older kids who like to bake you can get real tools they can use, ingredients for a favorite recipe, or a cookbook to learn something new.

  • Baking utensil set – bright colors make these baking tools fun for an Easter gift.
  • Silicone baking molds – Tweens can use non-stick silicone molds like these to bake pretty shapes. They’re also probably making their own lunches, and these baking molds can work well in a lunch container for dividing food.
  • Cookie cutters – This colorful set of cookies cutters will have your kid set for baking cookies. We love gifts like this for kids entering their teen years, because they’re practical, they get you kids working on life skills like cooking and your teen can take with them when they leave home.

Arts and Crafts Items

These Easter goodies are great for encouraging artistic tweens. You might give them a new supply they haven’t tried before to add to their art collection.

Sewing Basket

Adolescents is a great time for learning new skills and sewing is a super satisfying life skill to have. There are some great books on the market now too for kids just beginning to learn. Sewing School 2 focuses on machine sewing for kids.

  • A bundle of beautiful fabrics – your local sewing shop will likely carry bundles of matching fabrics that your tween can add to their stash.
  • Decorative scissors
  • Singer sewing kit

Games and Puzzles

We have a selection of family games here that we love for the whole family. One of the fun thing about older kids in your life is they can play much more complex games. Here are some game choices specifically for older kids from my friend’s 12 year old and 14 year old. We asked them what they’d put on their wish list.

Gardening Basket

If your child love to get out in the dirt, you might fill a supply caddy with gardening tools, seeds or even plants.

  • Strawberry Plants
  • Flowers
  • Gardening Gloves – It’s always nice to have a pair of work gloves. Your Teen may really get a kick out of this pair that has ABS plastic claws so you can dig right in without even using hand tools.

Tween Beauty Basket

Preteens are often just starting to experiment with makeup. This can be a fun time to try out various bath and toiletry items

  • Nail polish (There are some great non-toxic options available now. You can even find Piggy Paint at Target)
  • Bath bombs
  • Make up
  • Face towels
  • Lip gloss
  • Nice smelling soaps or lotions

Gaming and Tech Gear

Got a gamer in your family? Here are some tech and gaming items that make fun Easter gifts:

  • Ear buds
  • Gift cards to Steam or Roblox
  • A spare charging cube
  • A battery pack for charging on the go
  • Video games for their Nintendo Switch or DS

Outdoors Fun Basket

If your preteen loves hiking, biking or camping, Easter basket fillers can revolve around those interests. It’s a great time of year for picking up a few new camping accessories to try as the season starts getting warmer.

  • Flashlight or headlamp
  • Bike Light
  • Hand warmers
  • Socks
  • Marshmallow toasting sticks
  • Bike tube
  • Mini First Aid Kit

Books Make Great Easter Basket Stuffers

We love to put a book in an Easter Basket. The following allow your tween or teen learn more about their world. You could also choose from their favorite Manga, or Graphic novels or put in a blank journal or drawing book.

Happy Easter! We hope you have a blast putting together an Easter basket that your Tween will love!

You can find more Easter Basket Filler Ideas on our list here:

About the Author

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Alissa is a resilience coach, cartoonist, and advocate for ‘connection, not perfection’. She’s dedicated to helping others find a sense of safety and belonging inside themselves so they can heal, connect, and build authentic, joyful lives.