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Fill their Easter basket with treats they’ll love even more than candy. Photo: iStock
As a kid, Easter mornings were pure magic. My siblings and I would wake up to pastel-colored baskets brimming with foil-wrapped chocolate eggs, M&Ms, jelly beans and sometimes even a few packets of wildflower seeds to plant in the garden. As we grew older, our baskets evolved — lip gloss and hair bows made their way in — but the excitement never faded.
Now that I’m the one playing the Easter Bunny, I’ve noticed how Easter baskets (like Christmas stockings) have been taken to a whole new level. The pressure to fill them with bigger and better goodies can be hard to resist, not to mention expensive. And let’s be real, kids these days seem to get a sugar rush from just about every holiday gathering. While I love seeing their faces light up at a fun surprise, I also know that Easter morning doesn’t have to mean a mountain of candy and a hefty price tag.
So, instead of defaulting to another bag of chocolate eggs or a pack of Peeps, I look for fun, affordable and creative non-candy treats. If you’re looking to do the same, this list of budget-friendly Easter basket fillers will delight your little ones, without breaking the bank (or their teeth).
Wooden bunny toy
Encourage imaginative play and motor skills with this sweet wooden toy. Not a flashing light or beeping button in sight.
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Bookmark and reading light
Have a night owl? Give them this cute bookmark and reading light to help encourage screen-free entertainment (comes in many different animal options).
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Felt hand puppet making kit
Kids will have fun making puppets and putting on a show for the whole family. This kit comes with enough supplies for making 32 puppets, so you can easily break it up between multiple Easter baskets, or save some for next year!
Hummingbird feeding ring
Spring is here, and it’s time to get up close and personal with nature! If you are looking for an activity that will encourage patience and persistence, toss this into your child’s Easter basket. It might take a little while for a hummingbird to land, but with time and practice, your child might make a new feathered friend.
Easter bubbles
Kids will have a blast running around blowing bubbles with these cute bunny bubble blowers.
Easter maze books
When you have a quiet moment on Easter (or in the days or weeks to come) these little maze books are great to have on hand. Kids will love solving puzzles and mazes, all with an Easter theme.
Easter temporary tattoos
Grab some plastic Easter eggs and stuff them with these temporary tattoos for some extra Easter-morning fun.
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Hair chalk
Color your hair with these fun, bright colors! Kids will love deciding which colors to use, and the fun can continue long after the holiday is over.
An Easter bunny tale
“It’s Not Easy Being a Bunny” is a classic for a reason. It’s a cute and funny story for little ones and also a great learning tool for beginner readers.
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Flowerpot craft kit
I love adding little gifts that kids can make and create — and then use! This flowerpot craft kit would be a lovely addition to an Easter basket and might even keep your little one occupied while you get the rest of the family dressed for Easter dinner.
Easter bunny construction kit
This cute Easter Bunny Plus-Plus kit will keep the kids busy and help them work on their fine motor skills. As with your Lego stash, you can add to your Plus-Plus collection and continue building different things all year long.
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Seed packets
Easter is the perfect time to plant sunflower seeds, and growing flowers is a fun STEM project for the kids. It’s also the kind of activity that keeps on giving, as you can appreciate the flowers in the summer, and then harvest and roast your own sunflower seeds in the fall.
Sunglasses
Unbreakable polarized sunglasses are going to come in handy this spring and summer. Add a cute pair to your kid’s Easter basket and you’ll be one step ahead of things.
Sidewalk chalk
We all know sidewalk chalk is awesome, but this cute egg-shaped version takes it up a notch and will come in handy when the spring sunshine makes an appearance.
DIY birdhouse
This sweet wooden birdhouse craft kit would make a great addition to your kid’s Easter basket. The kit will keep them busy for hours, and you’ll get a cute hand-painted birdhouse for your yard.
Scratch art doodle pad
Art supplies are always an inexpensive crowd-pleaser for holiday baskets. This scratch art doodle pad would be perfect for a kid who has a car ride on Easter Sunday. It’s not too messy but they’ll be entertained scratching off little scenes to reveal the colors.
Quirky pens
Adding a few items with a little height to an Easter basket makes them look full and even more enticing to kids. The kindergarten set will be thrilled to see these quirky gel pens poking up from their baskets.
Teether
Easter baskets for babies are a bit ridiculous but a lot of fun to put together. This carrot teether would be so cute in a photo of your baby in their first Easter outfit.
Bath bombs
These 12 egg-shaped bath bombs will not only bring some fizzy fun to bath time, they also each contain a surprise! Parents will love that they are infused with premium organic coconut oil, shea butter and jojoba oil, and the stain-free dye will not leave residue behind on the tub.
Easter lip balm
These sweet-scented lip balms will be sure to bring a smile to their faces — and will also come in handy over the spring. Flavors include grape, cotton candy, vanilla and strawberry.
Egg maracas
Musical instruments that fit the Easter theme are a perfect addition to a baby or toddler’s basket. If you have a bunch of kids or cousins, this set of six egg maracas is an egg-cellent deal.
Bunny ears
For small kids, there’s nothing cuter than a pair of bunny ears tucked into their basket. This Easter Bunny headband is fuzzy and adorable. (And the pack of four will help you make sure everyone gets a pair!)
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Editor’s note: This article was originally published a few years ago and has been updated most recently on March 12, 2026 by ParentMap’s content editor, Kari Hanson. All images are from Amazon. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase products through links on our site, ParentMap may earn an affiliate commission.
