Tween Boy Easter “Basket” Idea

This post is sponsored by Mirum but all opinions are my own.

Life has been a bit crazy for our family during this virus scare, as I’m sure it has been for your family as well. One thing I wanted to make sure I was prepared for though is Easter. Easter is coming up fast and my kids are super excited about it! Unlike other years, they probably won’t have the opportunity to participate in community egg hunts and other spring festivals. We may not even be able to have Easter dinner with our extended family like we always do. All of this has made me more determined than ever to make sure Easter is still a fun, exciting day for them!

As my children have gotten older, their Easter baskets have evolved to better suit them and our family. Baskets with sweet Easter bunnies were great when they were tiny, but over the years we’ve accumulated a lot of plush bunnies, baskets, and to be honest, they don’t really NEED any more of those. They are quickly tossed aside, and I’d rather spend our money on things I know they will appreciate and get a lot of use from.

One year we made a huge family Easter basket. It held items we could all use together as a family plus the basket was then reused as a laundry basket. It was a huge hit. This was the first year I rethought the traditional Easter “basket,” but it made me realize I was onto something. It’s totally okay to not give the traditional basket to your kid(s). Instead, get something for them that they will really use and appreciate! 

After the success of our family Easter basket, last year we decided that instead of baskets, we would use rubber boots. That was also a big hit. The kids have worn those boots SO much this year and they loved the fun prints on their boots. It was a much better use of our money than to spend it on more baskets. Most of them still fit into their boots (my kids have slow-growing petite feet), so I decided to do something else for Easter this year. Each child is receiving an Easter “basket” tailored to them and their current interests this year. 

Because I know that pleasing tweens can be a bit more difficult, today I wanted to share with you my tween boy Easter “basket” idea. Jacob (my oldest boy) is approaching the tween phase. He no longer gets very excited about Easter plush animals or the typical Easter trinkets. So, it was time to get creative! 

Over the past year, Jacob has really gotten into video games (like most boys his age) and so I thought a gaming theme would be perfect for him. Instead of a basket, I purchased him a bean bag chair he could sit on when he’s playing his games. Then I followed that up with some headphones he can use while gaming, some new games, plus yummy snacks he can enjoy while he plays. 

Our kids love to eat, so naturally, I wanted to be sure to include some of Jacob’s favorite edible treats.  All of my kids unanimously love (regardless of their level of pickiness) Slim Jim so, of course, I’m including those as the main feature. They really seem to like the slight spice and the smoky flavor! For those who don’t care for spice, mild Slim Jim meat snacks are available as well. (My kids both love regular and mild.) Slim Jim isn’t messy, so it’s the perfect snack food for gamers. Slim Jim is the number one brand of meat sticks. Their meat sticks are made with pork, beef, and chicken, and contain seven grams of protein per serving. The other great part about protein is that it can make the most ravenous of appetites (like I’m seeing in my tweens) feel satisfied. 

Candy, of course, is a staple for Easter gifts and I like to put little candy treats in their Easter eggs for them. Then I added a few other snacks he loves to round out his tween boy Easter basket.

Walmart is our typical shopping location since it’s one-stop shopping. I often use the Walmart pickup service (with 5 kids, it’s too convenient to pass up!) and especially with the pandemic, that’s the way to go right now (although you can also shop Walmart.com too for anything you can’t get from Walmart pickup). 

Here is my completed Tween Boy Easter Basket! There’s a nice assortment of snacks and treats to satisfy both their sweet tooth and their meat tooth and Jacob has everything he needs for gaming!

I am SO excited to give him his Easter “basket” this year. I know he’s going to love this! 

This Easter, do your part and practice social distancing by utilizing Walmart pickup and Walmart.com to get everything you need for Easter. Whether you fill a traditional basket or create a unique “basket” like me, make sure you stuff it with some Slim Jim!