During my childhood, we awoke on Easter mornings to find pastel-colored baskets, filled with foil-wrapped eggs, M&Ms, jelly beans and maybe a few packets of wildflower seeds for the garden. When we got older, my parents expanded their Easter basket repertoire to include lip gloss and a few hair bows. Every year, we were thrilled.
Now that I’m a parent, Easter baskets seem to have been elevated, along with Christmas stockings, to another level of present-giving that can be both hard to resist and downright expensive. Meanwhile, all holidays seem to involve children receiving a lot more candy from everyone around them than I ever did as a child. I love the look on my kids’ faces when we give them a present or treat, but Easter basket fillers can add up to a big bill and a lot of sugar shock.
While I have been tempted in the past to pick up a few bags of chocolate eggs or a sleeve of Peeps to throw into my kids’ Easter baskets, there’s no need to add to their sugar overload. Instead, I try to find non-candy items to treat them.
This roundup of affordable non-candy Easter basket stuffers will be sure to thrill your kids on Easter morning — without breaking the bank or their teeth.
1. An Easter bunny tale
"It's Not Easy Being a Bunny" is a classic for a reason. It's a cute and funny story for little ones and also a great learning tool for beginner readers.
2. Flower pot craft kit
I love adding little gifts that kids can make and create — and then use! This flower pot craft kit would be a lovely addition to an Easter basket and might even keep your little one occupied while you get the rest of the family dressed for Easter dinner.
3. Easter bunny construction kit
This cute Easter Bunny Plus-Plus kit will keep the kids busy and help them work on their fine motor skills. As with your Lego stash, you can add to your Plus-Plus collection and continue building different things all year long.
4. Seed packets
Easter is the perfect time to plant sunflower seeds, and growing flowers is a fun STEM project for the kids. It's also the kind of activity that keeps on giving, as you can appreciate the flowers in the summer, and then harvest and roast your own sunflower seeds in the fall.
5. Sunglasses
Unbreakable polarized sunglasses are going to come in handy this spring and summer. Add a cute pair to your kid's Easter hunt and you'll be one step ahead of things.
6. Sidewalk chalk
We all know sidewalk chalk is awesome but why not take it up a notch with glitter, neon or even tie-dye chalk to make playtime outside more egg-citing?
7. DIY birdhouse
This sweet wooden birdhouse craft kit would make a great addition to your kid's Easter basket. The kit will keep them busy for hours, and you'll get a cute hand-painted birdhouse for your yard.
8. Scratch art doodle pad
Art supplies are always an inexpensive crowd-pleaser for holiday baskets. This scratch doodle pad would be perfect for a kid who has a car ride on Easter Sunday. It’s not too messy but they’ll be entertained scratching off little scenes to reveal the colors.
9. Quirky pens
Adding a few items with a little height to an Easter basket makes them look full and even more enticing to kids. The kindergarten set will be thrilled to see these quirky gel pens poking up from their baskets.
10. Teether
Easter baskets for babies are a bit ridiculous but a lot of fun to put together. This carrot teether would be so cute in a photo of your baby in their first Easter outfit.
11. Bath bombs
Parents and kids will love these adorable bath bombs with calming scents that will help kids sleep. This set comes with bath bombs in three different shapes — a cloud, a rainbow and a yellow duck. They are made with organic ingredients and are suitable for every skin type.
12. Easter lip balm
These sweet-scented lip balms will be sure to bring a smile to their faces — and will also come in handy over the spring. Flavors include grape, cotton candy, vanilla and strawberry.
13. Egg maracas
Musical instruments that fit the Easter theme are a perfect addition to a baby or toddler's basket. If you have a bunch of kids or cousins, this set of 12 egg maracas is an egg-cellent deal.
14. Bunny ears
For small kids, there’s nothing cuter than a pair of bunny ears tucked into their basket. This Easter Bunny headband is fuzzy and adorable.
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Editor’s note: This article was originally published a few years ago and has been updated for Easter 2023. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase products through links on our site, ParentMap may earn an affiliate commission.
