Non-candy Easter basket ideas for kids of all ages

Coming out of the chocolate and conversation heart (eww) fog of Valentine’s Day, it’s become clear that holidays may center a bit too much around candy and sweets. Riding on the back of the sugar jolt of Valentine’s Day come those chocolate Easter bunnies and eggs laden with yet more goodies.

Did I mention that I still have candy hanging around from the Halloween haul and those Christmas stockings?

While I won’t say that I keep my child sugar-free, she’s way too persistent for that, it doesn’t mean I’m keen to overload her with more sweets than I want her to eat. If you find yourself in the same boat this Easter, here are some great non-candy Easter basket ideas that are not only sugar-free, but won’t end up immediately in the trash.

What can I put in Easter eggs besides candy?

Bath Bombs

These have been a favorite sugar-free prize for the potty reward chart around our house as of late. My daughter picked out the Crayola color bath bombs as her prize, and we’ve been using them as rewards ever since. Many bath bombs are individually wrapped within the package and perfect to stick in an Easter basket. In addition to the Crayola Color Twist bath bombs that color the water, there are others on the market that fizz, create bubbles, and even have small toys inside.

Play-Doh Eggs

We go through a fair amount of Play-Doh at our house, so the Play-Doh filled plastic Easter eggs are a no-brainer. Enough often come in a package to add several to multiple kids’ baskets.

Egg-shaped Sidewalk Chalk

An Amazon search a couple of years ago turned up egg shaped sidewalk chalk. The shape is perfect for little hands to grasp, and less easy to break than the stick variety. A less practical, but equally holiday appropriate shape are the iconic Peeps shaped varieties.

Egg-shaped Crayons

The same easy to grasp logic for the egg shaped sidewalk chalk also applies to egg shaped crayons. Plus there is nothing like a brand-new set of crayons! Crayola offers My First Crayons in palm sized egg shapes that fit the bill, but there are plenty of other competing brands with similar products in the oval shape.

Small stuffed animals/Beanie Babies

Admittedly, we have all the stuffed animals in the house that we could ever need. If you’re like me, the idea of adding any more to the collection is cringey. Still, they’re a solid option to fill up some basket space. If you have a bunch of those pristine Beanie Babies packed away from your failed retirement plan, these are great to pull out one or two at a time to stick in Easter baskets or Christmas stockings.

Easter or Spring-themed books

There are endless Easter books to fill those baskets, from virtually every children’s book series. This year I picked up the Easter version of “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” entitled “Happy Easter Mouse.” From previous years, we own the Easter iterations of The Berenstain Bear series, the Little Critter series, and a baby-friendly finger puppet book called “Little Cheep Cheep.”

Bubbles

If your kids love bubbles as much as mine do, and really what little kid doesn’t, bubbles are an easy go-to. I recommend using the Fubbles brand bubbles so that you aren’t constantly cleaning up spilled bubble solution.

For older kids

Bath bombs and books really have no age limit, but for some other good basket filler for your older kids try. Mini LEGO kits, lip balms (the egg shaped EOS ones are perfect,) finger nail polish, hair accessories, friendship bracelets a la T- Swift, fun pens and Pokemon cards. My favorite find were some cardboard egg cutouts with non-tangible coupons like “stay up past bedtime,” “extra screen time” or “movie night.”

For Babies

Scratching your head about how to fill a baby’s basket? Try pacifiers (for those who take them,) Spring themed crinkle pads, grasping cubes, baby books, stuffies, bath toys, teethers, and suction cup spinner toys.

Easter Eggs

If you have Easter eggs to fill, whether for a basket or for an Easter egg hunt, there are still sugar-free alternatives. Fill eggs with stickers, temporary tattoos, fun erasers, or even loose change for the piggy bank.

Lost Cost Options

If you’re looking to find a bargain, and who isn’t, a quick trip to the Dollar Store, or even better in my book, the Target “dollar” section towards the front of the store. A perusal of the Target deal section turned up a plethora of great options, bath crayons, erasers, sidewalk chalk, and scented pens.

What are your non-candy Easter basket ideas?

Hopefully, I’ve given you a little inspiration on how to fill up those Easter baskets without loading your kids down with yet more candy that you will eventually have to throw away or stash somewhere they can’t reach.