Easter Basket Ideas for Kids

When I was growing up, my Easter baskets were filled with candy and the occasional dollar coin (thanks, Uncle Stu). It was rare that I got a toy or anything that wasn't candy. 

But these days, many parents want to limit their kids' intake of sugar. So that means that when holidays roll around, parents are looking for non-candy ideas. With Easter right around the corner, I thought I'd share what I'm putting in my daughter's Easter basket.

1. Games

I picked up the FoxMind game Last One Lost from work. It's a small size, perfect for an Easter basket and taking on the go. This strategy game, for ages 5 and up, challenges players to NOT be the one who has to pop the last bubble. It would also be a fun fidget toy - kind of like popping bubble wrap.

Card games also make great Easter basket stuffers, and you can find a variety of games that are suitable for all different age levels. I also love the game Yeti Forgetti, for ages 4 and up, because it's also small enough to fit in a basket, and it's a great way to practice memory skills.

2. Bath Bomb

My kid is obsessed with bath bombs, and we love the Da Bomb Bath Fizzers at Target because once they dissolve, there's a fun little surprise inside. Fizzy Magic has the same sort of thing with bath bombs in different themes and shapes, perfect for girls and boys.

3. Collectible Toys

Kids love unboxing toys! Any blind bag, blind box, or blind container will be a hit with your kid, as long as it contains something your child likes. For instance, my kid is really into Cry Babies Magic Tears dolls, so I picked her up one of the winged house bottles (on sale at Target!). 

Barbie Color Reveal dolls and pets would also be a great addition to the Easter basket of a fashion doll lover. And ZURU's 5 Surprise has themes for girls and boys.

4. Arts & Crafts and Activity Toys

I'm sure your kid is still spending a lot of time at home, you know, avoiding COVID-19, and arts and crafts are the perfect way to keep them engaged and having fun. My daughter just discovered My Little Pony Friendship is Magic, so I picked up a Crayola Color Wonder My Little Pony activity pad from Target. It's under $5 and the perfect size for fitting into a basket. Don't worry - there are other themes, such as PAW Patrol.

I'm also adding the L.O.L.! Surprise Easter Egg Hunt activity book from Insight Editions. Using special decoder glasses, kids have to find the hidden pictures on each page. My kid is just getting into L.O.L. dolls, so I think this will be the perfect gift.

5. Educational Toys

And speaking of Insight Editions, you may have seen my post from a few weeks ago about its new iSeek Kids activity books that incorporate educational concepts in fun ways. We've really enjoyed using these as part of our at-home "school". 

Carson Dellosa also publishes educational activity books featuring some of kids' favorite Disney characters, including Star Wars! How cool would it be to practice multiplication with Chewbacca?

6. Outdoor Toys

Springtime is here! That means we can finally play outside again in the sunshine. This is also the time of year when toy manufacturers release all of their bubble toys and water toys. My daughter loves bubbles, so this year, we went with a Love, Diana bubble wand to check off her love of bubbles and her love of the YouTube channel Kids Diana Show.

In the past, we've had fun playing with the Gazillion Bubbles Bubble Rush, which has a modular design to make it easy to clean. And KidzLane makes a variety of animal-themed bubble machines and light-up bubble blowers that are a lot of fun. Just make sure to have extra bottles of bubble solution handy!

Another fun one to throw in is a pack of ZURU's Crazy Bunch O Balloons. This year the self-sealing, fast-fill water balloons are made of certified recycled plastic.

7. Makeup and Nail Polish

If you've got a little girl who wants to be just like Mommy, then you might find kid-appropriate makeup and nail polish to be a great addition to your Easter basket. I'm adding the Piggy Paint Funny Bunny nail polish collection to my daughter's basket. This gift set includes four water-based nail polishes in PINKie Promise, Dragon Tears, Tutu Cool, and Sea-quin. The little baggy also includes flower nail art stickers. I love Piggy Paint polish because it's non-toxic, odorless, and free of all harsh chemicals. 

8. Stuffed Animals

I'm not giving my daughter an Easter stuffed animal this year because she has too many stuffed animals in general. However, if you're home is not overrun by stuffed animals, then the gift of a super cute bunny, chick, or other springtime animal is an ideal Easter basket gift. Companies such as GUND and Aurora always have new Easter and spring plush, and I just love the spring-themed Squishmallows from Kellytoy.

9. Books

Foster your child's love of reading by adding to your home library via Easter basket. The book you choose can be an Easter-themed book, but it doesn't have to be. This year, why not check out something like The Book of Cultures from Worldwide Buddies? This book introduces kids to other cultures through 30 stories of children around the world. There's even a map so kids can locate the places they're reading about.

10. Candy

Okay, okay. Even with all this talk of non-candy treats and cutting back on sugar, I'm still going to include some chocolate in my daughter's Easter basket. She loves M&M's, so an Easter bag of those will be going into the basket. She also requested a hot cocoa bomb, so like any good mother, I'm searching out a place to order one of those to make my kid happy!