Signs of spring are everywhere this week. The grass is beginning to green up and tiny buds are bursting open on the trees in our neigbourhood. Kids are reappearing on the street in the light hours of the evening, on bicycles and skateboards and in front of driveway basketball nets. Matt and the boys and I are enjoying experiencing the season for the first time in this home, as there are always new surprises popping up before us: the spiky green shoots of spring bulbs in unexpected places, bunnies and chipmunks darting about the backyard, birds of all kinds flying in and out of the conservation area just behind us and stopping in our yard to visit for awhile.
Knowing that we have a busy month ahead of us (after several equally hectic ones behind us!), I've been doing some advance preparations for Easter weekend -- meal planning, treat making, and figuring out what the Easter Bunny might bring this year for the thirteen and fifteen year old boys in our house. (Our Bunny believes that even big kids still enjoy a few sweet and small surprises tucked into a basket on Easter morning!) I've noticed that many Pinterest users recently have been pinning my last year's post about Easter basket ideas for tween and teen boys, so I thought I'd share a second collection of teen-approved suggestions for this year. These small-sized, useful, and fun items are all things that my boys do or would enjoy, but of course, any of them would be great Easter basket ideas for teen girls, too!
First column
Converse key chain: Give them their favourite sneaker in miniature size, just right for holding a house or bike lock key or for attaching to a backpack. These key chains come in an assortment of colours.
Artist pens: Teens who love to draw their own comics might appreciate this set of four black artist pens of different thicknesses (extra-superfine, superfine, fine, and broad).
Fidget cube: The unique sides of this small cube offer six different ways to fidget -- flipping, clicking, spinning, and more. It's a great little gadget for teens who like something for their hands to do while their mind is focused on school work or creative projects.
Second column
The Science of Why book: Teens will find fascinating, witty answers to thirty-nine questions in this science book for all ages, including why Tyrannosaurus Rex's arms were so short and whether or not we dream in colour.
S'well insulated water bottle: Encourage your teens to stay healthily hydrated throughout the day with a practical and stylish bottle that keeps water cold for 24 hours.
Third column
Dark chocolate bunny: An Easter basket favourite, this tasty version is made from organic, fair-trade dark chocolate, and is nut-free.
Gear ties: These three inch rubber twist ties are great for helping keep teens' many gadget cords organized and tangle-free.
Dark chocolate coconut butter cups: Dark chocolate cups filled with coconut butter are a delicious treat for anyone. They come in four flavours: classic, banana cream, mint cream, and caramel + sea salt.
Fourth column
Whoosh! screen shine: A portable bottle of non-toxic screen cleaner and a cloth come in handy for keeping phone, tablet, and laptop screens smudge-free.
Nike ball pump: This pocket-sized pump is a great choice for on-the-go teens who love a good pick-up basketball game.
Fifth column
SpokeLit wheel light: Keep your bike-riding teens safe in the dark with these LED lights that attach easily to wheel spokes and increase the rider's visibility.
Herschel wallet: These nicely designed, sturdy wallets have ample space for a teen boy's essentials, and they come in a variety of appealing styles and colours.
Clip-on camera lens kit: If you have teens who are budding photographers, this set of 3-in-1 clip-on camera lenses would be a fun gift. The set comes with a fish-eye lens, a wide angle lens, and a macro lens, each of which clips easily onto a phone to capture different types of images. These lenses are compatible with a wide variety of phone types (Apple and Android).
We'll be spending most of our Easter weekend at a robotics competition (the high school team Noah and Will are part of made it to the Ontario District Championships - hooray!), but we'll be back just in time for the boys to find their Easter morning surprises. The first Easter in a new home makes for a whole new batch of extra-tricky hiding spots for the Bunny to choose from. Good luck, boys! :)
When he was small, my youngest son had a habit of filling his pockets with treasures he encountered in his daily adventures. I didn't always understand the value he saw in his chosen objects -- really, how many rocks and sticks could one boy keep? In his eyes, though, each one was beautiful and important. Life is just like that on a larger scale, isn't it? We gather up the precious bits of our experiences and save them all to learn from and enjoy later. Perhaps you'll find a little something here that you'd like to keep in your own pockets. Thanks for visiting.