Beyond Sweets: Easter Basket Treats All Kids Will Love

It’s that time of the year for the Easter Bunny to visit once again. This commercial icon of Easter touts lots of Easter fun. From egg decorating and egg hunting to scrambling to create the perfect Easter basket, there are lots of colorful and fun activities surrounding Easter. Most children expect to find a basket of goodies on Easter morning. In making Easter baskets, the first thing that comes to mind is often candy. From marshmallow Peeps to lollipops and chocolate bunnies, the selection for Easter candy is endless. Traditionally, kids will receive a load of candy during Easter, but here are some alternative ideas to add a bit of variety to the overload of sweets in their Easter baskets.

A healthy treat is colorful hard-boiled eggs. Get the whole family involved in decorating the eggs in all colors and designs. It’s a great family tradition to start and offers inexpensive fun. Be sure to use food-grade dyes to ensure safety in case any of the color ends up on your hands and is ingested. You can use vinegar and food coloring and crayons to decorate eggs or buy prepackaged design kits at local stores.

Another fun and healthy alternative is to dip assorted fruits, such as strawberries, kiwi slices, or bananas, in chocolate. Pretzels and cookies work well, too, and, again, the whole family can get involved in making these treats and memories. Store the chocolate-covered fruit in the refrigerator until ready to present the baskets and make sure the tasty treats are consumed right away or returned to the frig to prevent spoiling.

For more lasting items, toy cars, squeeze balls, marbles, coin purses, lip gloss tins, or even beaded jewelry make great basket treats that kids will thrill over. These surprises can often be bought in bulk and are easy on the wallet. For older children, how about trading cards, seed packets, whimsical socks, or colorful whistles? They’d love candy but would also appreciate these fun and useful items. School items, such as crayons, erasers, key chains, small notebooks, or bookmarks, are good choices, too, but remember to make them colorful so they will look festive and fit in with the Easter celebration. If you really want to target your child’s sweet tooth, add chocolate pretzels, chocolate cookies, or tarts and other pastries wrapped in bright, colorful packaging.

While candy will always be a staple at Easter, your baskets don’t have to be filled to the rim with candies and sugary items. This Easter, try some of these ideas and see how appreciative of the little gifts your kids are. Unlike every other household, your gift baskets won’t be filled with tooth-decaying sugar but with unique and fun items that show how much you care. You can stick to any one theme listed above, or you can combine any of them into one basket. Whichever you choose, what is truly important is that you give your offerings with a smile and celebrate the spirit of Easter within you.


Criss White is a professional article writer for bridal, wedding, and various other topics. To view some candy wedding favors or to get more planning tips and wedding supplies, visit Bridal and Wedding Favors.Note: This article may be reprinted in your ezine, blog, or Web site as long as the credits remain intact and hyperlinks remain active.