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 gorge on candy on Easter morning. Fill their Easter baskets with non-candy gifts that still bring joy and wonder to your children. Keep cavities at bay by thinking beyond chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.

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. Healthy snacks are good for their growing minds and bodies. Even more, you'll also reinforce the perception that vegetables are a fun treat. Make it 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. 

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

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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!)

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!

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

Eggs become gnomes with little pointed felt hats. Decorate the basket into a little scene of gnome 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.

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.

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.

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

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.