The year is full of sugary holidays for kids, from Halloween to Valentine’s Day to Easter. Luckily, there are plenty of non-candy Easter basket ideas you can try this year.

After all, the tradition of the Easter Bunny and baskets didn’t originate with sugary treats. 

In the 1700s, German immigrants brought the tradition of an Easter Bunny to the Americas. In their celebration of Easter, the children would make nests and a bunny would bring colored eggs. Over time, the nests became baskets, and chocolate and gifts accompanied the eggs.

Easter basket ideas

If you’re looking for ideas for what you can provide in an Easter basket, here are some non-candy items kids will love. With these ideas, you can create a fun basket with gifts children can use again and again.

1. Fidget toys: Spinners, Pop Its, and stress balls are enjoyable for kids to play with. They’re colorful, functional, and completely sugar-free Easter basket ideas.

2. Stuffed animals: Look for spring-themed stuffies or squishies, like chickens and bunnies, as relevant Easter gifts for younger children. They’re cuddly, adorable, and easy to find around Easter.

3. Decorated eggs: Just like in traditional Easter celebrations, add some beautiful wooden or plastic eggs into your kid’s basket. They can even double as works of art or decorations.

4. Arts and crafts: Gift kids with items that will keep them busy and thinking creatively, like crayons, playdoh, coloring books, and egg decorating kits. Nail polish is a popular choice too as they usually fit inside of an egg.

5. Outdoor toys: For everyone in the Northern hemisphere, Easter coincides with springtime. Fill a basket with bubbles, frisbees, or small outdoor games to enjoy outside.

Easter egg surprises

A fun Easter tradition is hiding plastic eggs filled with small items, typically candies. However, there are small, non-candy gifts you can hide in eggs for your kids to find and enjoy. Or, you can fill their Easter basket with eggs, each with a small gift inside.

6. Stickers: If you buy rolls of stickers, you can cut them apart for kids to discover in their Easter eggs. They’ll enjoy finding these little surprises.

7. Socks: This candy-free Easter basket idea is also useful. Roll up pairs of colorful socks to stick inside eggs. Kids will be humorously stumped if they try shaking their eggs to see what’s inside.

8. Money: Money can be practical, especially if your kids are getting older. Coins, bills, gift cards, or lottery tickets are all fun monetary gifts to put inside Easter eggs.

9. Coupons: Create DIY coupons that kids can find in their eggs, such as “Enjoy a dinner out with Mom” or “Go to the movies with Dad” that they can redeem whenever they wish.

10. Jewelry: Bracelets, necklaces, and earrings all fit well inside Easter eggs. They can also have a special meaning for Easter if they feature religious symbols. For boys, consider a watch or leather bracelet.

Don’t forget the basket itself

An Easter basket can be made with any type of reusable container. My personal favorite for my daughter’s basket is a bucket that doubles as a toy for playing in the sand and snow. For older kids, you could opt for a basket they could also use to help organize their favorite toys or crafts. Adults would appreciate this too if you are making up a basket for a friend or neighbor.

We hope you found this list of non-candy Easter basket ideas helpful as the holiday approaches.

Happy Easter!