What do you get kids for Easter?

So as the title says, what do you get youngsters for Easter? Not young kids, niece and nephew are 11 & 13.

The reason for the question is that MIL has asked that we only buy Easter stuff for the kids, and to make it a gift instead of chocolate. I'm a bit annoyed because:
A) They get a gift for birthdays and Christmas and they're seriously hard to buy for;
B) This is the only time we'd get them chocolate and we always get them something small that is part of a gift type thing anyway;
C) It's come from MIL, not SIL - fair enough if she doesn't want to get us something or us to get her something, but I don't feel she can tell us what to get niece and nephew; and
D) Last year she gave 10 month old DD chocolate for Easter and told us we weren't allowed to eat it!

So if we do 'have' to buy a gift rather than chocolate, what would you recommend?

I only give eggs because, to me, they symbolise the new life that Easter promises.

I have never, and would never, give "presents" for Easter, no matter who told me to do it. It's not a present fest IMO.

Stand your ground, or don't give them anything IMO.

I give my kids Easter eggs because I'm cheap and refuse to give them presents.

I would never and will never get presents for Easter. That's such an odd concept to me. This is DD1's second Easter, but the first she will be given chocolate. I can't wait. We'll also paint eggs :)

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I would never and will never get presents for Easter. That's such an odd concept to me. This is DD1's second Easter, but the first she will be given chocolate. I can't wait. We'll also paint eggs :)

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That's a good idea! You can get painted egg sets.

Lol, I'm a bit of all of you! Eggs are cheaper, and to us they're kind of the point of Easter. Well not the point, but they have meaning - more than a Bratz dollars anyway! If it was SIL that had said "you know what, the kids are getting loads of chocolate this year and we'd prefer they didn't overload, I'd respect her wishes, they're her kids. But this has just come across as wrong to me.

It's good to read similar responses :)

The other thing I have heard a lot of people buy is a pair of winter pjs.

We do books about Easter. Only because everyone else in my family goes crazy with the chocolate so I like to be different.

An Easter book?
We get our girls a DVD (as we go away, 4hr dr), Easter stickers, ceramic Easter sets.
All Easter based 'gifts' but stuff to keep them occupied while we camp.

I bought DD some wooden egg toys when she was pre-chocolate. Why do you have to buy someone else's kid something for Easter? Isn't that their parents job?

Yeah, I would only do eggs.

Or the winter PJ thing because I'm often getting new winter ones around this time anyway and I can make that for easter and get them less chocolate instead, LOL.

Eggs or if specifically requested by the parent of thE child not to buy eggs then a small gift such as a book.

Oh yeah, a book is a good idea too. Forgot about that, I have given my girls Easter story or activity books too.

Unfortunately they're not into books or that would be my go-to :( Usually we get something kind of crafty with the chocolate which they usually like and keeps them occupied. I reckon we might just do the same again. That, or the pj idea.

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Eggs or if specifically requested by the parent of thE child not to buy eggs then a small gift such as a book.

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As above. We exchange eggs with our nieces and nephews but there have been a couple of years where it has all seemed too much and we vow the following year to do something a bit different - eg homemade cookies etc but never get round to it!!:lol:

My SIL's MIL gives the grandchildren winter pj's every easter instead of chocolate.

If they are not "into" books that's all the more reason IMO to select a really kick-arse kid-pleaser, then invest some of your auntie time on Easter Day reading it to them.

At that age you could give them some moulds and chocolate to make and decorate their own eggs. It's a gift and you're not giving eggs :)

I would talk to SIL and see what her preference is and go with that, and if its to give chocolate, if MIL says anything just say oh I was chatting to SIL the other day and she was fine with the kids getting eggs

There are cute little ceramic egg cups around. You could get them an egg-cup each and just put a small chocolate egg in the cup. Of course I would check with SIL first and make sure it is 'her' wishes for no chocolate, if so then you could put a tiny soft rabbit or chick in the cup instead of the chocolate egg.

What about bulbs? My godmother has been giving us bulbs since we were kids, the are also cheap and symbolise new life. She never had time to help us plant them, but for my nieces and nephews, I would give them the bulbs and arrange to be able to plant them right away, and then you get quality time together, and later in the year they get a gorgeous blossoming of daffs, or hyacinths, or whatever.

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The other thing I have heard a lot of people buy is a pair of winter pjs.

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This is what MIL does for DD and our nieces and nephews. Great when they are too little to eat chocolate. When older she also adds a small chocolate egg etc.

Oh I like the bulb idea! So far we've done the egg cup with an egg and soft toy, make and decorate your own egg, chocolate in the shape of something they like, with a toy version, and one year a mixture of painted eggs and chocolate ones.

So really, it's not like we give them heaps anyway. I guess I'm more annoyed that at every holiday MIL seems to try and direct what we'll do/get everyone. I might chat to SIL and see what her thoughts are.

I think what we might do though is a mug, some small eggs in there and bulbs underneath the eggs.

I also feel that Easter eggs should be what kids get for Easter. It's not a present time in my opinion. Last year we were asked by SIL to get presents for their kids (7 and 9), every other year we've given an egg. We ended up going to one of those cheap bookshops and getting them books each that were about the same price as an Easter egg (around $5 each). This year I'll offer to do the same, or an egg. I'm not buying expensive gifts for Easter. I'm happy for DD1 to get chocolate. I don't mind if DD2 doesn't get anything, she'll only be 2 months old.

I think it's silly how Easter seems to hade been turned into another Christmas as far as I'm concerned one egg from a family member is enough or a little rabbit or chick teddy for younger or ones with allergy
We celebrate it as Christians and that is the real reason not to create another reason for businesses to take advantage of us

You know now that I think of it, we only ever did an Easter egg hunt with mum and dad. We'd see all of the family, but we didn't get them anything and they didn't get us anything. Maybe we should go back to that!

Easter = chocolate! (Or those sugar eggs if preferred).

The only people I won't give chocolate to are babies (usually they get one of those stuffed animals with the single egg, which I assume the parents will eat anyway).

I also get my kids a new pair of pjs to go with their eggs.

My mum always gives my kids pj's which I really like as they get overloaded with chocolate from MIL.

Maybe your MIL is saying it so that you look silly not buying chocolate and she looks awesome in the grandkids eyes!
Just a thought...
I'd get them one of those packs with a gift and chocolate egg in it!
But I'm spiteful sometimes...

we actually rather no one else (not even family) get anything for the girls for easter, like a few have mentioned, it is easter not christmas or a birthday. Plus we don't want them loaded up with toooooo much chocolate (although i will prob eat most of them hehehehe)

This year I have got them both a easter book, and a bunny egg and they will also have an easter egg hunt, all of this is from the "Easter Bunny" not mummy and daddy as i feel if mummy and daddy buy them stuff than it takes away the easter bunny a bit and you can tend to go overboard then if that makes sense?!

We are also doing alot of easter craft leading up to it.

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The other thing I have heard a lot of people buy is a pair of winter pjs.

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I get winter pj and egg

And I give summer pj and book at xmas

We give and receive chickens ... From the TEAR Catalogue :D

So it's a donation for someone in a developing nation to be gifted three chickens for eggs and breeding, as a sustainable business. It's about $15 and it's the best thing ever.

You can pay by creditcard and print out the "voucher" or if you order in advance, you can get a beautiful colour card detailing the gift. It's just ACE.

:)

My mil does winter pjs for our ds. I really like it.

I remember as a kid someone bought me and my brother ceramic egg cups. His was noddy and mine was big ears. We loved them, so I like that idea too.

What about dyed boiled eggs. My Oma used to give us them. They are still giving eggs but its actually more traditional.

I wouldn't be doing Easter gifts for extended family - to me that's going overboard birthdays and Christmas is enough I think. But if I were going to, it would be eggs only - and something small.

I agree ausgirl, Easter goes a bit far. I spoke to DH again and he said MIL just wants everyone to do gifts. I don't like it. Fine if she wants to, we don't have to do the same.

We do the pj's/slippers/dressing gown thing for our own children only. I usually buy my mum and DH a specific egg I know they love, every year too, and that's it. Plus the kids have an egg hunt on easter day with the mini eggs, and one small bunny egg each. That's it. We have lunch together, but noone gets anyone else anything other than our own immediate families/children.

Yeah the Winter PJ's from Target are a good idea.

We dont do eggs or chocolate at all :P They don't make a chocolate that all our kids can eat so we just don't go there. No point in boiled eggs, or egg cups, I have one sitting on my shelf - beautifully painted yet unusable in this house, so again we just don't. We only do kids.

We have in the past done a little hunt for plastic eggs that each have a little something in them... this year I am going to be making clues to find the 'gift' at the end of the hunt, which will include ceramic egg painting set, PJ's and Easter books. The big kids will hopefully help the little ones. I love peanutter's bulb idea and might incorporate that too.
Last year they had little chicks waiting in their nest with the plastic eggs, and face washer bunnies.

We also make crafts together.

we are getting these toy animals with a single egg, which are in the woolies catalogue :)

This year I've asked everyone to buy the girls winter pj's. just the equivalent of what they would normally spend on chocolate. We throw away at least $400 worth of chocolate every year. It's insane

Well it turns out this was a big misunderstanding! MIL meant only get stuff for the kids, not them or BIL & SIL. So yay, we get to keep the stuff we got them :)