Easter is coming which means it’s basket prep time! Here are four tips for a Green Easter with less plastic for your family and the planet:
Paper filling instead of plastic grass. Love how easter baskets look when they are full of grass, candy and eggs? That’s fine. But maybe opt for grass made from recycled paper instead of plastic. Or, if you already have plastic grass, make sure you save it so you can reuse it next year. After all, plastic lasts forever!
Dye and hide real eggs. Not only is this a fun activity for adults and kids, it provides an alternative to plastic eggs. Worried about where to put the candy? Just leave it in the basket with the paper grass! If you already have plastic eggs that’s fine. Don’t throw them out, just choose treats that either won’t melt or are wrapped so the eggs can be used again and again. Chocolate bunnies in foil are a great option.
Make smart choices, buy with reuse in mind. Pick out a basket the kids can use every year. Skip the pre-filled eggs full of candy they don’t like. Instead of plastic toys that will quickly find their way to the garbage can consider options like sidewalk chalk, flower seeds, markers/crayons, garden tools, finger paints and puzzles that will bring long term enjoyment.
Go for the gold, grow your own grass. Wheat grass grows quickly, looks great in baskets and can be juiced later for a healthy snack! The internet claims it’s easier than you think and it only takes a week. So we’re going to try it out. We’ll post updates along the way. Let us know if you’re inspired to try it too.
Here’s the instructions for a truly growing grass for a green easter:
- Pick up some wheat berries. You should be able to find them in the organic or bulk section of your grocery store, from a health food store, or you can buy a bag of Bob’s Red Mill wheat berries on Amazon. We also picked up some pearled barley to try.
- Soak the wheat berries overnight. Place the wheat berries in a bowl and cover them with water to soak overnight. We used about 2 cups of wheat berries for the three baskets we’re making. Make sure the water covers them completely as they will soak it all up.
- Place a pot or bowl in the basket, if you already have a plastic liner for your baskets you can use that. Add a couple inches of soil and then top with the soaked wheat berries and lightly cover them with soil. Make sure the soil stays nice and moist, you may want to cover them to keep the soil from drying out.
- Within a day you should already notice them growing! Make sure to keep them moist as they grow. Just keep spraying them with water, at least once a day. Within a week you should have a grass filled basket ready to go.
There’s still 10 days till Easter, so no excuses! Try something new this year. Your kids will love it and you probably will too.
Having a Green Easter is a great way to celebrate the earth while celebrating the holiday. No one needs plastic to have fun.
