50 Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas Kids Will Love

Inside: Avoid excess sugar with this list of 50 non-candy Easter basket ideas for kids in the age range of preschool to tweens.

Keeping holidays intentional can be tough in this world of consumerism and material things. However, I believe as a parent you can be a bit minimalist yet still indulge in the fun.

You want to create special memories for your children and, let’s be honest, shopping for them can be fun! But the candy push by retailers is too much.

If you want to curate a fun Easter basket surprise for your kiddos but avoid the excess sugar, check out the list of 50ish items of non-candy Easter basket idea below for ages of preschool up to tweens. Yes, even tweens can be excited about family fun!

Below are non-candy Easter basket ideas for kids so they are happy on Easter morning without the hyper-ness (well, maybe :). The EB may not be quite as popular as Santa, but he’ll make for an exciting Sunday morning with these fun gifts.

Non-Candy Easter Ideas for Boys

• A new book or one from their favorite series (book series ideas: I Survived, The Treehouse Books, Big Nate, My Weird School, and Show Me History to name a few)
• Mad Libs (Junior Versions are available for younger kids)
• Mosaic Coloring and Sticker Books (Mindware Mosaic Books are awesome! Artsy kids will love them and the pictures always turn out cool)
• A small game such as Spot-It or UNO
• Silly Putty (Great for sensory-challenged kids)
• Mini Lego Kit
• Tech Deck Finger Skateboards (if your son has outgrown Hot Wheels, this is a cool step up)
• Journal (kid-friendly versions in their favorite characters are especially fun)

Non-Candy Easter Ideas for Girls

• Book (There are so many good book choices out there. Strong girl-lead book recommendations our family enjoys are The Babysitter’s Club, Sisters, Smile and for young emerging readers, Fairylight Friends and Uni the Unicorn are favorites)
• Sticker Book (Usborne books are a favorite. They are of good quality).
• Soft stuffed animal
• Kinetic sand pack in pastel colors
• A tank or sleeveless spring dress (something soft, simple, and cute from Target or H&M will do)
• Itty Bitty (This line of tiny plush characters from Hallmark are so cute. They offer almost every popular superhero, princess, or character you can imagine)
• Scratch-Off Mini Notepad (A bit messy, but fun as a simple art activity. They are also great for restaurants and travel)
• Sidewalk chalk

Non-Candy Easter Ideas for Tweens

As kids turn into tweens, what types of gifts will bring a smile to their face? Below are ideas for tween non-candy Easter basket fillers.

• Target gift card
• Starbucks gift card
• Movie theater gift card
• Small piece of jewelry (even for boys, a cool necklace)
• Guitar picks
• Themed sticker packs for notebooks, skateboards, etc.
• Cool socks
• Nail polish or nail stickers
• Quality set of markers or pens
• Mindful coloring book
• Ultimate dot-to-dot book
• Journal or notebook
• A sport item of their choice (football, golf balls, tennis balls)
• New baseball hat
• Yummy-flavored lip balm
• Water bottle from popular brand like HydroFlask or Yeti
• Rubik’s Cube
• Sports team or rock band t-shirt
• Bath bombs
• Ear buds or headphones
• Portable music speaker
• Card game like Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza or Exploding Kittens (yes, these are the names — weird I know — but my boys love them)
• Waterproof deck of cards
• Camping lantern or head lamp
• Colorful or printed shoelaces
• Water balloon filler
• Pop-It fidget toy
• A craft kit such as tie-dye t-shirt, jewelry making or comic book writing
• Sunglasses
• Swim googles
• Hair accessories (pony-tail holders, barrettes, stylish headband)
• Electric toothbrush
• Tween-friendly face wipes or face wash

I’ll be including some sweet treats too because a little candy never hurts anyone; however, too much and we all know how that extra sugar backfires fast. To avoid the sugar crash I hope these non-candy basket gift ideas for little kids up to tween age, bring fun for your family this Easter.

Family Easter Basket Ideas

Perhaps instead of giving each child their own basket you prefer to give your family one overall or want to gift an Easter basket to a family outside your home.

Family-Themed Easter Basket Ideas

• Movie Night: microwave popcorn, iTunes gift card for movie rental, one or two small throw blankets, cozy socks for everyone.
• Taco Tuesday: taco spice packet, package of tortillas, chips, your favorite hot sauce, avocados, limes.
• Game Night: a new board game (we love Monopoly and Ticket to Ride), microwave popcorn, a couple of seasonings to level up the popcorn, sweet snacks, simple prizes for the winners.