Easter baskets are a cherised tradition for many families, and there are environmentally friendly ways to make and fill them. Try one of the following ideas for designing an Easter basket with your children this spring.
Green Easter Grass From Recycled Shreds
In the weeks leading up to Easter, save junk mail to use for making Easter grass. Glossy sheets of advertisements like pizza coupons and restaurant advertisements are oversize and colorful. One fun way to involve kids with this craft is by establishing a location for a paper bag to collect the ads as they arrive in the mail. Then, put the paper shredder to work and create some environmentally friendly Easter grass.
Have the kids guess how many pieces of junk mail it will take to fill an Easter basket. After you've shredded the paper, see how close the guess was.
Here are several items in addition to junk mail that can be shredded into Easter grass:
- Paper bags
- Old art projects from school
- Construction paper scraps
- Old tax documents
Choose Cardboard Packaging Instead of Plastic Wrap
Rather than purchase large plastic bags of individually wrapped candies, use items that come packaged in cardboard, such as small boxes of yogurt covered raisins. Reuse carboard cereal boxes to wrap Easter presents instead of manufactured boxes and gift bags.
Reuse Egg Cartons for Easter Basket DecorationCut out individual egg shapes out of an old egg carton. Have kids help color them with tempera paint or felt-tip pens and stickers. Poke holes in the egg shapes and hang them from the basket handle. Use the colored egg holders to store candy and other goodies. Put two halves of egg carton together with some glue to make a whole egg.
Easy, Eco-Friendly Easter Basket
Use an old gift bag as an Easter basket, rather than purchasing a new one each year. Have your child help decorate it with their name and photos of them from last Easter. Older children may enjoy helping younger children make their own Easter basket.
Making and filling an Easter basket is more meaningful and environmentally conscious than purchasing store-bought items. Children learn to save money and resources by developing their own creative basket out of junk mail, paper bags, construction paper scraps, and egg cartons.
When Easter has passed, teach children that all the materials used to make and fill the Easter basket are recycleable. Make sure to take a photograph of the Easter basket to share at school, and a reminder for next year.
Jule Rizzardo - Jule Rizzardo is a freelance writer, specializing in small business advertising and management skill development.
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