Keeping Christ in Your Easter Celebration {+ Easter Basket Ideas from Dayspring}

**Products received for consideration. Post contains affiliate links. All thoughts are 100% my own.
I love holidays. Everyone know that when it comes to Christmas I go a little crazy, but if I had to choose a runner up. Easter is a close second. When thinking about Easter and how we celebrate, something has always struck me... at Christmas we so often talk about keeping Christ in Christmas, but at Easter? Not as much. Why is this? Perhaps it's that 'Christ in Christmas' rolls off the tongue much more smoothly. Maybe it's the the Easter celebrations in general tend to be more toned down than the madness of Christmas. Or maybe we just don't think about it as much. I don't know the reason, but I do know this--- as Christians, Easter is by far the most important day on the calendar. If not for Easter, why would we celebrate Christmas? Without Easter, where would we find our hope?

It is for that reason that even more than Christmas, I want to try to really remind my children even through the fun stuff like the candy and egg hunts that there is a reason we celebrate this day. Today, I am sharing a few simple ideas to inspire you to have a Christ-filled Easter.

1. Celebrate Lent. This is a celebration that is most often seen as a Catholic tradition, much like Advent at Christmas. Still, like Advent this can be a great way to truly put the focus on Christ and his sacrifice on the cross on the days leading up to Easter. You don't have to do the 'no meat Fridays' or anything like that, but use those 40 days to consider the sacrifice, make your own sacrifices and really focus your mind on the cross. 
2. Read the Bible. As a child, I always knew the story of why we celebrated Easter. I did not always fully understand the gravity of the sacrifice that was made. Still, as I grew into my faith having that foundation helped me. Likewise, I want to be certain that my kids know it's not about bunnies or eggs but about Jesus. What better way to remind them than straight from the source? 
3. Do Easter Kids Crafts. My kids love doing crafts throughout the year, but especially for holidays! Find Christian Easter crafts to help them learn as they have fun! Not so crafty? Color-Your-Own Cross, Placemats, and Stickers can be a great option too. All of the fun of Easter crafts, but simple enough for even the non-crafty!
   
   
   
4. Use Resurrection Eggs. Perhaps one of my favorite things about Easter as a kid was opening up those eggs to see what fun surprises they held inside. The candy, the little toys... what would it be!? And that's all fine too, but why not also use this excitement to teach kids the story of Easter!? With Resurrection Eggs, you read through the story and open eggs to reveal tokens that tell the story of Easter. How fun is that!? (And if you have a little one that loves surprise eggs like mine does, they'll be even more excited!)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Easter Baskets with Intention. Whether or not you choose to do the Easter Bunny with your kids (we do not), Easter baskets can still be a huge part of the day! I have always loved having an excuse to spoil my children just a little bit. But each year, I also make sure to try to include a gift with meaning. Maybe a new Bible, or some Christian story books. (Like 'When God Made You' or something more Easter focused like 'Really Wooly Easter Celebration'). Add in some activity sets or fun plushes to go along with those books, it'll give them the fun of a new toy and encourage them to love those new books! Have a little girl? A cross necklace or other inspirational jewelry will be a great addition to her Easter basket and Easter dress too! For older kids and teenagers, a great devotional or journaling Bible can be a fun way to encourage their faith.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   Need the perfect gift for your child's Easter basket? When it comes to keeping Christ in Easter, no one does it better than Dayspring. Head on over to see what's new for Easter this year!

Don't forget to use the code 25FORYOU at checkout to receive 25% off, plus free shipping on your purchase. No minimum required. Hurry, this deal expires March 31!

Do you try to keep Christ in your Easter celebrations? What other ideas can you share? Which Easter gifts from Dayspring would your little one most enjoy finding in their basket?