25 Of Our Favorite Easter Basket Ideas For Teens

Forbes

21-03-2025

Even if they've outgrown the Easter bunny, you can still treat your teens to an Easter basket stocked with personalized gifts. Although it might seem surprising, the treats they're craving aren't only of the beauty and tech variety. Incorporating some playful items, games and activity sets might be better received by your teen than you're expecting, says Brenna Hicks, a play therapist with 20 years of experience. 'We're all hardwired to need play in our lives,' she says—and playtime can offer a whole host of benefits from reduced stress and anxiety levels to stronger family bonds. After speaking to Hicks, as well as other experts in gifting, tweens and teens and attending multiple toy and gift trade shoes in the last few months, I selected these top Easter basket ideas for teens in 2025.
Create a tempting display of treats with these can't miss Easter basket ideas for teens.
Hicks says she still organizes an egg hunt every year for her 15-year-old son. 'I think you capitalize on just having fun with your teen, number one,' she says. Although teens—and tweens—shift away from little kid imaginary play and 'more toward activity-based' play and items, you can still find plenty of toy-like fun to fill their baskets. Hicks plans to add a Rubik's Cube, favorite candies and something related to her teen's passion for baseball into his basket. 'Give something that you know your teenager likes, that they care about, and try to make it playful or interactive in some way.' It's through play that 'kids make sense of their world,' and when kids and teens have the space for play, they feel better, she says. Plus, it's often during play that teens and caregivers find ways to reconnect and laugh together.
Amazon
Games remain hot with tweens and teens, including boys, says Casey Sartain, owner of Tutoring Toy in Salt Lake City, including Uno Show 'Em No Mercy. My own tweens love this version of Uno that moves a lot faster and ups the challenge for older kids with essentially more types of wild cards—and more painful ones like a draw 10.
Hicks also points out that teens are more likely to open up to you, talk and connect when playing a game with you or just keeping their hands busy. 'They can squeeze a squish ball, they can doodle, they can do a puzzle, they can play Uno,' she says. 'It doesn't really matter what it is, but if their hands are actively doing something, they're more likely to feel comfortable dialoguing.'
Amazon
Slime is irresistible to kids, even teens. Customizable slimes or those with mix-ins are popular at Tutoring Toy among older kids. Similarly, the tweens and teens that attend therapy or family therapy at Love Play Grow in New Jersey most often pick up slime, a creative activity or another tactile sensory item, say its therapist founders Kerri Adams and Christina Eromenok.
'They love slime, but expensive slime,' says Eromenok, who recommended this Dope Slime brand, along with Kawaii Slime. 'I think a lot of families have a hard time remembering just how much stress teens are under. Socially there are so many challenges, and they put so much pressure on themselves to perform. So teens are under an immense amount of pressure, and those sensory experiences are all about stress relief and relaxation for them, because they have very few opportunities for that.'
The Paper Store
If there's one brand that everyone referenced when it came to teens, it was Jellycat. While many teen shoppers gravitate toward the brand's quirky food and drink Amuseables (including the eggs this year), the animal plush also frequently sell out explains Shannon Collins, marketing and social media director at Tutoring Toy. Capybaras are also having a bit of a moment, and this furry little face of Clyde is pretty hard to turn away from without a giggle or a smile. Hook him onto their keychain or bag—and he'll be there at all times to provide a little comfort and comedic relief.
That's part of the appeal of Jellycat, say the Love Play Grow therapists who note that the brand's unique characters provide unexpected humor and nurturing for teens. 'We know teens need comfort more than they let on, and Jellycat characters are a great way to provide that in a non-threatening way.'
Rhode
For teens who enjoy experimenting with beauty and skincare items, they'll likely swoon to receive this essential cheek and lip duo from model and influencer Hailey Bieber's beloved skincare company Rhode—and they're sure to work it into their 'Get Ready With Me' (#GRWM) routine. It's available in six duos but waitlist requests are a bit frequent at Rhode I've noticed, so snag their preferred tint while you can.
Amazon
Customization remains huge with tweens and teens, says Collins, and they're adding charms to everything, from their phones to their shoelaces. This phone charm comes in more than two dozen styles, so they can find the one that suits them best.
Amazon
'Teens love LED lights,' says Adams. 'A simple way to make that playful is you actually have a color code for what each color led light means and how that represents the team. So brown is poop, blue is sad today, red is crazy, and pink is like, 'Welcome. Come on in.''
I bought this LED strip for my tween after she begged for a set, and she does enjoy alternating the colors to suit her mood. They were relatively painless to install with the sticky adhesive backing.
Nike
Restock their sock collection with one of teens' favorite brands—just make sure they're crew and not ankle height. This six-pack of cushioned Nike socks are available in a rainbow of colors just right for spring, but your teen likely just wants black or white.
Amazon
Gift them their very own Sonny Angel, one of the most popular collectibles among the tween and teen girl population. The Hippers version hangs on their phone or wherever they place them, flashing the figure's naked baby booty—all the better for showing it off. If you want to really wow them, grab one of the latest releases in the series directly from Sonny Angel site. There's a new cherry blossom series release coming this spring, as well as new Smiski series, another popular Japan-grown collectible. Keep in mind that it's typically one figure per box, and it is a blind box, so you can't control which new collectible they'll receive—of course, that's all part of the fun for a generation who grew up on surprise packs and toy unboxing videos.
PacSun
Help them get ready for swim season with a new set of trunks. This Quiksilver pair offers a full mesh lining, side pockets and a back one, actual adjustable drawstrings and a comfortable 7-inch inseam.
Walmart.com
Like Hicks, I also find that my tweens still enjoy an egg hunt, and I plan to keep it going as long as we can. I do stuff those plastic eggs full of candy, but I also like to add a couple of eye-catching, larger treats to their baskets. Select a treat that they like best, of course, like this cute funnel of milk chocolates (it also comes in a Reese's Pieces peanut butter, carrot-shaped option). A solid milk chocolate bunny is another way to go, or if you've got a non-chocolate loving kid, a giant egg of Skittles or a pretty Peeps marshmallow stick are fitting choices for the holiday, too.
Amazon
My tweens love the solo puzzle game Kanoodle, and I love to see them working hard at it with their hands: building and rebuilding in order to solve each challenge. The Kanoodle Extreme offers three types of puzzle challenges and more than 300 individual puzzles in one box. The Love Play Grow therapists also recommend Kanoodle as a great way for teens to 'practice mistake making, not knowing and perseverance.'
Fanatics
Scoop up a fresh jersey, kit, hat or tee of their favorite home team, so they can represent them all spring and summer season long. Fanatics carries it all—like this Los Angeles Dodgers World Series commemoration hat in the famed Dodgers' blue.
Amazon
Made popular by the aforementioned Bieber, the phone lip gloss holder is suddenly an essential accessory for those teens who really take pride in and identify with their personal brand and look. This Case-Mate accessory snaps right on to Mag-Safe phone cases, or they can peel and stick it to a case.
Walmart
Many teens gravitate toward squishy things or tactile items to fidget with, and the NeeDoh line has a particularly satisfying squish. This Nice cube is a little bit more firm and requires you to press it harder, which the Love Play Grow therapy team especially likes for teens. 'Trust us, we've tried all of the fidgets around and NeeDoh ones are the best,' they told me. 'A fan favorite is the Nice Cube. Teens have a lot of stress to squish out!'
Amazon
This kit in cute giftable packaging comes with everything your budding crafter needs to learn to crochet. The Woobles patterns are particularly playful and kid-friendly, available in a variety of cute and quirky animals and objects. They come with a pre-started piece and plenty of online tutorials. It's a great activity to do together or for them to learn solo during downtime. I've gifted a number of these over the years and my artsy tween has enjoyed making them.
Amazon
I love to give flip-flops, sandals or slides in my kids' Easter baskets, and I know a lot of other parents have told me they do too, along with other spring and summer essentials. These Crocs Mellow Recovery slides provide that cloud-like plush cushion under their foot that so many comfort-craving teens prefer year-round, not just on recovery days. The price is a bit more teen-centric than some other adult recovery slides, and it's a beloved brand among kids of all ages.
Owala
In case you didn't know, Owala water bottles have taken over with the backpack crowd. Personally, I also love the two-ways-to-drink model of the Owala FreeSip and have found my tween's bottle to be leak-free, though it takes an extra firm hand to close the lid. This pretty yellow would look great in a basket and keep them hydrated through spring sports season. There are dozens of colorways to choose from and new shades dropping all the time, so select the one that speaks most to your teen's aesthetic.
Amazon
Whatever their sport, now is the season to spoil them with a new bat, ball, a fresh set of cleats—or just a whole new hobby. Just as you tucked sidewalk chalk and bubbles into their baskets when they were little, add something that's big kid ready to get them outdoors this spring. This pickleball set is among our favorites, and it arrives with everything a family or a group of their pals needs to get started, including four paddles and balls.
Urban Outfitters
Rollers are back, but today's teens are not interested in messing with the painful, pinch-y rollers of the past or suffering through heat damage. Instead, they're smartly gravitating to heatless, often satin 'pillow rollers' that can be left in overnight with a lot less fuss and pain. This pretty Glov Coolcurl set includes four satin curlers that promise voluminous curls.
Amazon
Teens love miniatures and gravitate toward nostalgia—even for eras well before their birth. These mini retro arcade games are actually playable and come in full color. It also fits right in their hand. Sure they can play any game on their phone, but the mini version is so much cuter and can be played even when phones aren't allowed. My tween son has a keychain version that's quite popular among his friends, too.
REI
This lightweight pair of polarized sunglasses offer excellent protection from the sun with UV400, blocking both UVA and UVB rays. They fit well and comfortably with glare-reducing, polarized lenses, so they can wear them to all their many sports activities and hang this spring and summer.
Baggu
Miffy is back—and trending with teens and young adults. You can find Miffy plush again, clothing and even pimple patches. This Miffy print Baggu case for earbuds can be a sweet pick-me-up as they reach for their music, and of course is on-theme for Easter.
Amazon
If you have a crafty teen on your hands, this terrarium kit from STMT has everything they need to create a mini hanging plant feature for their room. With multiple colored rock and sand options, they can design it so it feels right to them. My kids have enjoyed multiple STMT sets in the past, including its jewelry-making kits. I think the company does a really nice job of bringing some more elevated activity sets to kids of a variety of ages—especially tween and teen girls.
Adams at Love Play Grow loves terrarium and other slower-paced activity kits for teens. 'While teens pretend that they hate to play, they actually love to play,' she says. 'Their materials just look different. So it could be stacking stones, it could be those tiny terrariums.'
Amazon
If you've noticed that your teen gravitates toward all things soft and cozy, you're not alone. They seem to crave comfort and security—and today's teens love positive affirmations, which is maybe why smiley slippers like these were trending all holiday season on TikTok. Keep your teen smiling and their toes warm with their very own pair.
Amazon
Another fun stress reliever that comes in Easter-ready hues, Speks Crags Ferrite Putty feels calming in your hand. They're magnetic and stone-like, so teens can shift them back and forth in their palms, roll them between their fingers and otherwise play with this big-kid (ages 14 and up) fidget toy. They feel cool to the touch, have a bit of weight and some people even like the sound they make. Love Play Grow says these are 'another great anxiety reliever that your teens will appreciate.'
The Forbes Vetted editorial team has researched and published dozens of gift guides, including those for kids and teens. We aim to recommend the highest-quality picks and also those that our editors love and have tested themselves as often as possible.