A list of 51 things you can include in your kids’ Easter baskets instead of candy.
There seems to be a constant stream of candy coming into our house all year long.
First, there’s Halloween, Christmas, and Valentines day where our girls acquire mounds of candy that last for weeks on end.
Then there are holidays like the Fourth of July where candy gets thrown from parade floats and kids make a mad dash to grab as many Jolly Ranchers and Sweetarts as they can.
Plus there are the numerous birthday party goody bags received throughout the year – filled with Starbursts, Tootsie rolls, and little chocolate candies.
Add to that trips to the dry cleaner, hardware store, hair salon, and bank where kids are encouraged to pick up a lollipop or two.
The barrage of candy is endless.
So this Easter I’m looking for ways to cut back on the candy I add to my daughter’s baskets. Little trinkets and games, craft kits, and even seeds to plant in our garden are all fun gifts for kids to receive on Easter morning.
51 Alternatives to Easter Candy
There are many alternatives to candy you can use to fill up your kids’ Easter baskets. Here are just a few of my favorites:
Easter and Spring-Themed Gifts:
- Seeds to plant outside
- Play-doh eggs
- Lil Sprouts Hatching Easter Eggs
- Easter Egg rubber stamps
- Bunny ear hair clips
- Easter Extravaganza Mad Libs
- Baby chick crayons
Toys and trinkets:
- Stickers (check out these cute Easter ones)
- Mini glow sticks
- Bubbles
- Small puzzles
- A small Legos box
- Rainbow loom loops
- A mini Etch-a-sketch
- A mini Rubix cube
- Mini playing cards
- Toy parachute dolls
- Glitter sidewalk chalk
- Ready-to-grow dino egg (“hatches” in 48 hours in water)
Craft Kits:
- Create your own pom pom bunny kit
- Design your own insect craft kit
- Create your own bunny mask
- Make your own sparkle bunny ears
Personal care items:
- Chapstick/lip balm
- Mini nail polish
- Travel-size lotions, soaps
- Nail stickers
Books:
- The Berenstein Bears and the Easter Story
- Pete the Cat Big Easter Adventure
- Llama Llama Easter Egg
- It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny
- Peppa’s Easter Egg Hunt
- Bright Baby Touch and Feel Easter
- Happy Easter Mouse!
- Easter Crack-Ups: Knock-Knock Jokes Funny-Side Up
Clothing and accessories:
Healthy food:
- Small boxes of dried fruit, such as raisins
- Small bag of pretzels
- Sugar-free gum
Art supplies:
- Crayons
- Mini colored pencils
- Small pads of paper
- Modeling clay
- Cray-pas
Other ideas:
- Gift card (to iTunes or Amazon for example)
- Coupons of fun things to do together
- Temporary tattoos
- Crayola color bath drops (changes bath water to colors)
