12 Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas for Kids

Easter inspires thoughts of spring flowers, baby animals, colorful eggs, and sweet treats. But there is no hard-and-fast rule that says your kids have to indulge in candy on Easter morning. Instead, consider filling their Easter baskets with non-candy gifts that still bring joy and wonder to your children.

An Easter basket with toys that encourage your child's creativity will go a long way toward their educational development. From crepe-paper carrots filled with small toys to crayon gift boxes that inspire your little artist, these surprise presents will bring more smiles than candy ever could. Tap into their sense of play and wonder as you try to come up with gifts that celebrate the spirit of Easter morning and the spring season as a whole.

You can still include edible treats in your Easter baskets; just think in terms of healthy snacks like carrot sticks and sliced apples. Kids can make adorable animal faces with vegetables, raisins, and peanut butter (as a the "glue") for an opportunity to "play" with their food. What's more, healthy snacks are good for their growing minds and bodies, so adding them to their special Easter basket will help reinforce the perception that vegetables are a fun treat.

You can also make this holiday morning a party with confetti! Surprise your kids with Easter-themed poppers that release colorful confetti after little hands open the tops. Stickers and coloring pages also provide creative fun for your Easter baskets. Combine some of these ideas into an Easter basket that is sure to delight your kids, and it won't risk giving them a sugar rush either. 

Suiting fabrics are an unconventional but charming choice for making toy bunnies. Bright cotton shirting adds a surprising pop of color inside the ears.

A floral crown has the fantastical power to make its wearer feel like a wood nymph, so it's no wonder that bohemian bridesmaids, festival hoppers, and little girls everywhere adore them.

Colorful beaded bracelets signal sunny days ahead. For your preteens and high schoolers, these chic strings are made to be mixed and matched with all of their friends.

This petite argyle pig (and goat and chicken) is so cuddly, the kids will want to produce a whole menagerie of them.

Eggs become gnomes with little pointed felt hats. Decorate the basket into a little scene of gnome Easter eggs and crepe paper carrots filled with trinkets and toys. Include mini-sized games or craft supplies that will keep your kids occupied for hours.

Using natural beeswax and carnauba wax, nontoxic dyes, and silicone ice molds (like these Lego-style blocks and gemstones), you can create a playful collection that's super-comfy in little hands. Pack them up in a wooden slider box so cleanup time is simple and swift.

Have her dressed in her Sunday best with a beret that's bedecked in rose patches.

What's an Easter basket without cute little critters? Fill their baskets with adorable bunnies, chicks, mice and other animals made from pom-poms. They won't be able to resist playing with these homemade toys.

After shearing, washing, carding, and spinning lambs wool, you can stitch it into a wearable gift that's perfect for transitional weather. As pictured here, the "Sheepish" tags cut from paper hint at what's inside.

It's fun to play (and make) with the whole family! Build a tower of wooden blocks, each one painted for a pop of color.

For the budding artist, you can fill a basket with these watercolor paints, a small canvas, crayons, and watercolor paper. Clear a spot at the table or in the playroom for a few hours of painting. Your home will be filled with fresh artwork soon enough.

Colorful confetti fills the inside of these eggs for a delightful surprise! Place the poppers at each table setting for your kids. After they enjoy their Easter breakfast, let the confetti fun begin. (You're going to want to have a broom and dustpan nearby to clean up the party, but the joy on your kids' faces is totally worth it!)