It's hard to believe that Easter is just 2 weeks away. Easter is one of my favorite holidays of the year! Easter is a time for renewal and hope. Easter is a sign that Spring is right around the corner. There are so many activities around our communities surrounding the Easter holiday. When most of us think about Easter, we often think of Peeps, Reece's peanut butter cup eggs, and all things candy. Some of our families dread Easter, as they don't like to give their children candy. Let's face it, candy can turn a good day into a terrible day quickly if your child reacts to sugar, dyes, or additives and preservatives that are found in candy products. As you prepare to fill your child's Easter baskets, you may want to consider non-candy options. Here is a list of non-food items that you can use to fill your child's Easter baskets:
- Books
- Balls (especially the bouncy balls!)
- Bubbles
- Bug catcher
- Whistles
- Stickers
- Play-doh
- Crayons, markers, colored pencils
- Paints - sidewalk or finger paints
- Sidewalk chalk
- Coloring books
- Journal
- Stuffed animals
- Card games
- Travel games
- Wind-up toys
- Frisbee
- Yo-yo's
- Slinky
- Sand and water toys
- Garden tools (kid sized of course)
- Jump rope
- Hoola-hoop
- Jacks
- Pinwheel
- DVD's or CD's
- Giftcards
A lot of these items can be purchased from the dollar store, or you can find them at Target or Walmart. I love walking through the Easter aisles at the stores to see what kind of toys and trinkets they have available. Look at it this way, if you give your child a basket filled with candy, once it's gone it's gone. By putting items in your child's basket they can play with, it not only fills their basket, but it will also keep them busy! Have fun while you're out there looking for items to fill their baskets. Think about what your child likes and let this guide you to find the right items to fill their baskets.
