There I stood, front and center of the holiday candy aisle in my friendly neighborhood Walmart. Not only was I confused about what to put in each child’s Easter basket, but I also became sick to my stomach thinking of the amount of sugar my kids would be ingesting. But then it hit me, I have the ultimate control over what they would or would not receive in their Easter baskets. So I said a quick adios to the candy aisle and began brainstorming some out-of-the-box, not candy Easter baskets to fit my children’s personalities.
Goodbye, Candy… Hello World
My first step in putting together my not candy Easter baskets was taking a quick look through the Easter Basket section of Walmart. You know the one: baskets, stuffed animals, and trinkets as far as the eye can see. Yes, that one. Instead of spending extra money on baskets with licensed cartoon characters on them, I saved some dough by going with the 98¢ baskets because, let’s face it, some of us have no clue what becomes of the baskets a week after Easter has passed- so why invest a lot of money into a one-time-use item?
I also took a hard pass on those cutesy stuffed animals as my girls are getting a little older and have far too many stuffed animals already. What was the one thing that did catch my eye in this area? Bubbles. Bubbles are inexpensive and provide an afternoon of fun. Or, at least until someone dumps out their container and cries.
Next, I rolled on through the toy and game section. I pretty much passed by all the toys and looked at the puzzles and card games. This is always a great way to introduce a new activity that breaks our family out of the technology-driven world and brings us back to a simpler time.
Personalizing Your Not Candy Easter Baskets
After grabbing a few things at the first store, I knew exactly where I needed to go to fill one of my little ladies’ baskets. My 8-year-old is an absolute bookworm and she loves cats. I’m sure the first thought that might come to mind is, “Oh, the Easter Bunny can bring her a kitten.” That would be a huge NO WAY. This mom is highly allergic to cats, so that is one item that will not be gracing the basket. Also, pets aren’t gifts. This goes for bunnies, puppies, kittens, chicks, and whatever else. So, off I went to the closest bookstore. Inside I managed to find items for not just one, but all three of my little people.
Side note: I have four kids and I am not forgetting one. Number 4, who is 17, made his request known years ago: a bulk size bag of Reese’s Pieces is all he wants for Easter. And I believe in the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
I wandered the aisles of this store and found books and bookmarks for my little reader. Then I found lip balm and a journal set for my little diva who likes to draw and write. And for our little man, I found puzzles galore and also our newest friend from Sesame Street, Julia, who has made it a little easier to be public about being on the Spectrum.
Don’t Be Afraid to Go Nontraditional with Your Easter Baskets
I’ve been doing this whole Easter basket thing for the better part of 2 decades and it has taken me 17 years to realize that I don’t have to fill every Easter basket with massive amounts of sugar. There are a million ideas that would also keep you out of the candy aisle and on the Tooth Fairy’s Good List. Here are just a few ideas for basket themes (with activity essentials) for those who want to try not candy Easter baskets:
- Summer Fun Basket – tools for making sand castles, sunglasses, bubbles, sidewalk chalk
- Rainy Day Fun Basket – Umbrella, rain boots, DVD & popcorn for being indoors
- Baking with Mom Basket – Cookie cutters, child-size baking utensils, kid-friendly recipes
- Pool Fun Basket – Bathing Suit/Swimming trunks, goggles, diving toys, floats
- Gardening Basket – kids gardening tools, seed packets, individual planter buckets
- Mani/Pedi/Spa Basket – Little Piggy Polish, lotion, child’s bath bombs, chapstick
- Fishing Basket – fishing pole, fishing line, bobbers, net, worms
When the holiday is all said and done, hopefully, you will have a basket that your child will enjoy and you don’t have to worry about their blood sugar levels skyrocketing or their teeth.
Take it a step further and locally source your non-candy Easter Basket! Read 30+ Ideas for Creating a Locally-Sourced Easter Basket.
Have you ever made not candy Easter baskets? If so, what items did you put in it? Leave your top picks in the comments section below.
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Guest Writer – Heather Batts
Heather is the name, wanderlust is the game. She’s a mother of four and wife to a retired Law Enforcement Officer. Heather is a hard-core Momma Bear to her 2 tiny humans on the Autism Spectrum. When she’s not advocating for her little people or working with her preschoolers, you can find her cooking up a storm in her southern kitchen, reading a good book, planning the next trip to a new destination, or engrossed in a Hallmark Christmas movie.
