Chicago kids' Easter gift guide - baking tools for kids' Easter basket gifts

Head Chef kids cooking tools (© Head Chef)

Practical Chicago-area parents on a budget can get more value for their money by purchasing children's Easter gifts that can be used for learning and play for months beyond Easter. Instead of filling kids' Easter baskets only with plastic Easter trinkets that will break or Easter candy that will be eaten, why not invest in some reasonably priced but high-quality baking tools and cooking supplies for children?

Grocery store baking supplies and ingredients

Filling a child's Easter basket with supplies for baking or cooking can be as simple as taking a walk down the baking aisle of the local Dominick's or Jewel-Osco. Parents can pick up the things necessary to make, say, cupcakes, including a fun cupcake mix (or the ingredients to mix up cupcake batter from scratch), a tub of icing, spring-themed paper cupcake liners, some colored jimmies or nonpareils, and perhaps a cupcake pan.

Wilton Spring Confetti Sprinkles (© amazon.com)

Craft store baking ingredients and cake decorating supplies

Another great local resource for baking supplies and ingredients is craft stores such as Michaels', Jo-ann, or Hobby Lobby. Parents can fill a kid's Easter basket with gifts such as themed cookie cutters, Wilton icings or colored sprinkles, or Wilton bakeware. For fancier cake and cookie decorating supplies, check out a specialty store such as Cakewalk Chicago.

Baking tools for child chefs

Parents can check the aisles of local stores to find children the bakeware and baking utensils (often sized for small hands) that they will need to try real baking projects like baking cookies, pies, tarts, cakes, muffins, brownies, or cupcakes. Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond sell comparatively inexpensive baking pans and tools, while Crate & Barrel offers simple, good-quality baking tools and gourmet decorating supplies that are slightly more expensive. Local higher-end gourmet kitchenware stores such as Williams-Sonoma and Sur La Table stock much more expensive bakeware suitable for use by kids. The high price can be offset at times by the cuteness of the items, however.

Mini Sil-Pin™ Silicone Rolling Pin (©Sur La Table)

Five Cute Inexpensive Kids' Easter Basket Gifts

• Chocolate Egg Cookie Cutter from Crate & Barrel
• Spring Cupcake Stencils from Crate & Barrel
• Mini Sil-Pin™ Silicone Rolling Pin from Sur La Table
• Princess Silicone Spatula from Williams-Sonoma
• Head Chef kids' cooking tools at Bed, Bath, and Beyond

Easter gift guides: Read about small classic outdoor toys and creative art toys that also make good Easter gifts.

For more info: Check out some specific ideas for kids' baking tools to purchase for a child chef and particular ideas for Easter-themed baking sets and supplies. Look on the Williams-Sonoma Web site for Kids Cooking Resources and Parents' Cooking Resources for basic information about cooking and kitchen safety.

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