Over the years our Easter baskets have undergone a metemorphosis. Just a few years ago, you would have found Easter baskets that were primarily packed with Reese’s peanut butter eggs, jelly beans, and other junk. Yup, junk. That’s just what you put in Easter baskets, right? But the baskets our kids will find this year don’t resemble those of the past.
An Easter without candy—that’s crazy! What in the world do you put in a basket, if not candy? Well, you could start to look at dollar store trinkets. Umm…no. Who wants to fill a basket with junky trinkets that will end up in the garbage in a couple of days…or scattered around the house where mom steps on them while carrying a basket of laundry to put away?
Below are some ideas to help you ditch the candy and the junk toys this year to give your kids an Easter basket they’ll love. One that is fun and maybe even useful!
Outside Games & Toys
After a long, long, long…looooong winter (you get the idea), my kids are ready to get outside and play. What about yours? You could pack their Easter baskets full of fun outside toys to help get the fun started.
• Bubbles or a Bubble Machine or a No-Spill Bubble Tumbler (just what my 2 year old twins need!)
• Kite
• Sidewalk Chalk or Sidewalk Paint
Water Fun!
It’s not warm enough here for us to open the pool yet, but my kids are itching to get it open soon! In other parts of the world, it’s already warm enough to be in the water. Either way, you could fill a basket with accessories to make their time at the pool or beach more fun.
• Beach towel (my kids love the ones with their favorite cartoon characters)
• Beach toys: a traditional shovel and bucket set, sand brick maker, cute sand cupcake set, or a sand ice cream set!
• Flip Flops
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Pool Toys: Pool Bandits, Undersea Treasure Hunt, Water Bombs, Toss n’ Splash
• Squirt Guns: Small Classic Squirt Guns or a Max Liquidator Eliminator
Art Supplies
Our 5-year-old is our little artist. Do you have a budding artist too? Here are some ideas to keep your kiddos hands busy and help develop those fine motor skills!
• Play Dough (or make your own!) and Dough Tools
• Paints
• Coloring Books (we can always use more of these to help replenish our stock!)
• Activity Books: I especially like the Kumon tracing, cutting, and mazes books.
• Color Wonder Markers and Books (for a nice mess-free art project!)
Gardening Supplies
Starting a garden soon? Do you have a little helper? Make them an Easter basket filled with gardening supplies! (Side note: if you’re new at gardening, be sure to check out our Gardening for Better Health: For Beginners post and Herb Gardening for Beginners post to get you started.)
• Hat
• Gloves
• Seeds (you can snag these up lots of places, but would suggest checking into the heirloom seeds available through Bulk Herb Store)
• Roots, Shoots, Buckets, and Boots: Gardening Together with Children
Sports Enthusiast
If your son or daughter loves sports, then you can’t go wrong with these ideas!
• Sports Cards
• Ball Cap
• Water bottle preferably a stainless steel bottle
• Sports team t-shirt
• Frisbee
For the Budding Chef
• Cookbook (there are all sorts of awesome kids cookbooks. There are even some great kids gluten-free cookbooks I referenced on this post)
• Apron – Love the kids aprons from flirty aprons, but if you have a boy a super hero apron might be a better option 🙂
For Your Girly-Girl
I’m the only girl in this house-full of boys. But if we had girls, I think these ideas would make lovely basket stuffers!
• Hair Clips
• Headbands
• Non-Toxic Nail Polish
• Jewelry
For the Boys
Boys? Why yes, we have four of them. You know what this means? It means that all varieties of these toys will be welcome in my home for quite some time. You really can’t go wrong with these if you have boys!
• Matchbox Cars
• Super Hero Capes
• Action Figures
• Army Men
• Legos
Homemade Treats
Just because this Easter basket is sugar-free doesn’t mean it has to be empty of all treats! Below are some homemade goodies you can put in your kiddos baskets. They’ll be sure to put a grin on their face…because they’ll think they are eating something they shouldn’t be!
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy
Treats You can Buy
OK, so maybe you just don’t have the time to whip up a bunch of tasty treats for your kids Easter baskets. I get that. Sometimes a mom just needs for things to be easy. Here are some easy treats you can pick up from the store to help round out their basket. (Check out 101 Grain-Free Snack Ideas for Kids for more snack ideas you could make and buy for their baskets!)
• Tea (is it just my kids or do other peoples kids like tea too?)
• Nicks Sticks (our boys love these!)
• Nuts or Seeds
Our son loves golf, so one year we hid foam practice golf balls and that filled his basket. There was a dozen, they are bright yellow and he used them faithfully for years. No eggs, not that expensive and well loved.
Thats a GREAT idea! Thanks for sharing. I’ll bet that would be perfect for some other mom’s kiddos too 🙂
Great List! I like to give bubbles and outside toys!
Outside toys and bubbles are big hits with my little guys too 🙂
Wow, that’s a lot of great ideas! Love that they are sugar free… easter is way too high in sugar!
Yes it is! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Thanks for sharing my Browned Butter Chocolates! 🙂
Love these ideas! So sick of all the candy my kids get for every holiday!
Me too! My kids will get enough candy (of which much will be snuck into the trash) from family, I certainly don’t need to add to it. I’d rather give them fun things they can play with outside or healthy treats 🙂
Great idea’s for the Easter Basket. Hope you are having a great weekend and thanks so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Most of my kids have outgrown bubbles, matchbox cars and the like. My teens/pre-teens may get hair accessories, small scented candles, card games, fishing tackle, tennis balls (for the tennis enthusiast), chapstick (the expensive kind I only buy on special occasions), nuts, and dried fruit.