I don’t know about you, but I am tired of dealing with the highs and lows of sugar rushes at every holiday. Since when did candy become the only gift for our children? I know the candy companies love the holidays, but I am not caving into their cute little gimmicks anymore! It’s high time we parents of sugar-saturated kids demand that the Easter Bunny gets more creative and brings items of a practical and useful nature. I feel that the following are great replacements for candy and our children will love them just as much, if not more:
- Books
- Stuffed animals
- Clothes
- Bubbles
- Playdough
- Chalk
- Gardening supplies (seeds, shovel, kid gloves)
- Hair accessories
- Umbrella
- Rain boots
- Crayons and coloring books
- Bath toys
- Lip balm
- Putty
- Building bricks
- Sunglasses
- Keychain
- Hat
- Stress balls
- Gel pens
- Decorative tape
- Gift cards
- Movie tickets
- Fuzzy blanket
- Glow sticks
- Party favors
- Pencils and other stationery
- Funky socks
- Temporary tattoos
- Nail stickers
- Nail polish
- Earrings
- Mini diecast cars
- Brain teaser games
- Toy figures
- Paints
- Craft kit
- Science kit
- Sports balls
- Stickers
- Stampers
- Bubble bath and lotion
Special Plastic Egg Fillers
- Coins (go to the bank and get some 50 cent pieces - kids love this!)
- Mini bubbles (the dollar store near us had packs of two in carrot or chick shapes or 6 regular ones for a dollar)
- Rainbow loom bands
- Perler® beads
- Erasers in fun shapes
- Flavored lip balm
- LEGO® pieces (buy a small set and separate them into individual eggs or go to the LEGO Store at Park Meadows Shopping Center to purchase individual pieces)
- Tattoos
- Stickers
- Custom coupons (like these from 24/7 Moms)
Non Candy Treats
- Sugar-free gum
- Annie's Bunny Fruit Snacks
- Annie's Cheddar Bunny Cracker Snacks
- Market Pantry Cheddar Chickadees (similar to Goldfish crackers but in the shape of chicks, available at Target)
- Single-serving bags of nuts (we love Planters NUT•rition and Wonderful® Pistachios)
- Keebler™ sandwich crackers
Summer Items
- Sidewalk Chalk
- Sunglasses
- Flip flops or Crocs
- Swimsuit
- Tank tops
- Shorts
- Squirt guns
- Jump rope
- Bug catcher kits
- Kite
Boy-Themed
- Trading cards: Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, football, baseball, basketball, etc.
- Action figures: TMNT, superheroes, GI Joe, Star Wars, etc.
- BEYBLADE toys and accessories
- Matchbox or Hot Wheels cars
Girl-Themed
- Nail polish, art pens, stickers, jewels, or other nail accessories
- Hair bows, ribbons, barrettes, headbands, and other accessories
- Makeup (play or real, depending on the age)
- Jewelry (play or real, depending on the age)
- Squinkies
Crafty Kid
- Duck® Brand Duct Tape
- Mini play dough tubs
- Pompoms
- Googly eyes
- Glitter glue
- Chenille stems
- Foam stickers
- Stamper Set
- Paint-by-numbers set (Michaels had Color Pencil-by-Numbers for $1)
A little something for everyone
- iTunes gift card
- Stuffed animals
- Plant growing starter kits (we saw different egg-shaped kits at Walgreens, Michaels, and Target)
- Mini puzzles (we found ours at the Dollar Tree store)
- Silly string
- Flash cards
- Card games like Uno, Phase 10, Skip Bo, Old Maid, Spoons (Walgreens had a wide variety)
- Fun socks
- Yo-yo
- Noise putty (makes sounds like bodily functions ... my kids love them!)
- Silly, twisty straws
- Grow capsules or creatures
- Hidden pics and word find books
- Glow Bracelets
- Mini flashlights
- Bath accessories like body sponges, bombs, bubbles, body paint
- Books (Michaels had classic books in paperback for just $1)
- Movies or video games (a total splurge item but if you're planning to buy them anyway, the Easter Basket is the perfect way to make it a special treat)
- Ok, and maybe some candy. Preferably chocolate. Dark chocolate. Just a little bit--you know, for those late night Easter basket raidings...
Need more ideas? Head to the Party Favor section or dollar bins at Target, or simply stroll the aisles at your favorite craft store, drugstore, or dollar store.
Make sure you check out our facebook page in the next couple of days to see how you can win a GIANT easter fun basket - including a $25 restaurant gift card and much more!
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