Every holiday has become alarmingly junk food-centric.
Bags filled with candy for Halloween, baskets and plastic eggs brimming with junk for Easter, stockings filled with sugar for Christmas.
Even Irish potatoes have taken over Saint Patrick’s Day. I’m talking the sugary cream cheese kind, not the ones the Irish actually eat.
I came up with 200+ awesome ideas for Easter basket ideas that are not only candy-free but also free of sugar and junk.
If you are looking for Easter egg filler ideas or creative Easter egg hunts, check out 20 creative things to fill Easter eggs with.
Also, the Easter basket ideas are organized by theme – because who doesn’t love a candy-free themed basket?!
A Summery Easter Basket
In this candy-free Easter basket, you can include all the things one would need for a summery beach trip. Then, line this summery basket with a beach towel, or instead of an Easter basket, use a beach pail.
- Beach toys
- Flip flops
- Frisbee
- Visor
- Sunglasses
- Pool toys
- Beach towel – hooded towels for little ones
- Kite
- Beach books – board books for the little ones, beach reading for the older ones (Some great kids books – Beach Sticker Book, Pete the Cat, and Llama, Llama)
- Sunscreen
- Sun hats
For Kids Who Love Crafts
Crafty is the theme of this candy-free Easter basket. There are so many craft ideas out there that you can be as creative as you want. As a nice addition, line this crafty candy-free Easter basket with a plastic tablecloth, for easy cleanup after art activities, and an alternative to Easter basket grass.
- Markers
- Colored pencils
- Paints
- Paintbrushes
- Coloring books
- Craft kits from AC Moore – foam kits, suncatcher kits
- Stickers
- Sticker books
- Sidewalk chalk
- Play dough
- Mini canvases
- Crayons
- Dry Erase board
- Cute erasers
- Pencil Box
- Festive pencils
- Plastic Tablecloth – for easy cleanup
For Kids Who Love the Outdoors
Outdoor activities, games, and accessories make for a great candy-free Easter basket. Use a blanket, for picnics or relaxing outside, to line this Easter basket idea.
- Bubbles, bubble maker, bubble toys
- Sidewalk chalk
- Sand toys
- Jump rope
- Bat and ball set
- Mini football
- Soccer ball
- Baseballs or softballs
- Hopscotch Game
- Ball cap or spring hat
- Frisbee
- Sunglasses
- Kite
- Golf balls
- Golf tees
- Tennis Balls
- Badminton Set
- Garden tools
- Garden gloves
- Blanket for picnics or relaxing outside
Rainy Day Basket for Kids
With kids accumulating so many toys these days, why not make a rainy day basket as a candy-free Easter idea? Kids could pick a few toys to play with and the rest get saved for a rainy afternoon. Line these Easter baskets with a picnic blanket or cuddly reading rug.
- Match box cars
- Stuffed animals
- Card games – decks of cards, learning cards, matching games
- Coloring books and crayons
- Craft Kits
- DVDs
- Army men
- Blocks
- Plastic jewelry
- Books – board boards, chapter books, high interest books, etc
- Tea party toys
- Small or travel board games
- Mad Libs (Unicorns & Mermaid one!)
- Bingo cards
- Picnic blanket
Bath and Body Care Easter Basket
These candy-free Easter baskets is one that’s always loved and appreciated. Who doesn’t love a basket filled with these to decompress with – like cozy slippers, a favorite bath soap, and a good book? This basket is also great for teenagers. As an Easter basket grass alternative, use a cozy blanket or bathrobe to line this basket.
- Lotion
- Bath toys
- Books – for toddlers bath books, for adults a good read
- Bath scrub
- Chapstick
- Lip gloss
- Slippers
- Cozy blanket
- Bath soaps
- Socks
- Nail polish
- Nail file
- Hair accessories
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Make-up brushes
- Loofah
- Favorite fragrance
- Cute hand sanitizer
An Entirely Homemade Easter Basket that’s Candy-Free
Whether you are trying to save money or your crafty side is running strong, make an entire Easter basket filled with homemade items. There are so many cool things you can make that guarantee hours of fun. Line these homemade Easter baskets with your knitting, hopscotch mat, or t-shirts, as a fun basket liner.
- Homemade finger puppets (check out my tutorial on how to make felt finger puppets)
- Handcrafted matching game
- Photo puzzle
- Hopscotch mat (check out my DIY hopscotch mat made from felt)
- Dry erase board from a picture frame
- Scavenger hunt clues
- Felt busy boards
- Sticker Scenes – drawing/printing a landscape for kids to put stickers on
- Homemade knit scarf, hat, or blanket
- Iron-on or puffy painted t-shirts
- Homemade games – Bingo, Mad Libs, etc
- Popsicle stick bookmarks
- Painted Mugs
Easter Baskets For College Students
For a candy-free Easter basket for college kids, the possibilities are endless. You can put together office supplies, tech items, healthy snacks, or favorite things from home. A cute spring scarf or a college t-shirt would make a great basket liner, rather than using Easter basket grass.
- Post-Its
- Highlighters
- Handy wipes
- Travel tissues
- Teas
- Notebooks
- Pens/pencils
- USB cord
- USB drives
- Hard drive
- Screen protector
- Cell phone case
- Headphones
- Totes
- Spring scarf
- iTunes gift card (Did you know you can get gift cards from Amazon?)
Healthy Living Easter Basket (With No Candy, Junk, or Sugar)
For those that have an organic lifestyle or love healthy, healing foods, this Easter idea is perfect! It’s a healthy living basket that is filled with healthy foods – like fruit, nuts, and rice snacks, you could fill it with natural bath and body products, or a mix of the two. A reusable bag would make a great liner for your green friend or family member. I would love to get one of these Easter baskets – it would save me a trip to the grocery store 🙂 It’s amazing to know that in the candy-loving, sugar-centric world we live in that you can fill a huge basket with all healthy foods!
- Mini cutting board
- Seeds – pumpkin, sunflower, etc
- Dried berries
- Apple
- Oranges
- Nuts
- Avocado
- Herbal Tea
- Honey
- Almond butter
- Rice cakes or rice crackers
- Lara bars
- Coconut water
- Reusable glass water bottle
- Organic lotion
- Natural soap
- Organic shampoo (love this one!)
- Organic conditioner
- Gift card to a local juice bar
- Books on juicing or healthy recipes
- Reusable bags
- Plants – aloe plants, spider plants
- Seeds for the garden (non-gmo seeds)
- Garden gloves
Easter Baskets For Adults that Are Crafty
This is another Easter basket I would love to receive (…hint hint Ash). It’s filled with so many fun crafty things – you can be as creative as you would like, and your craft-loving family member or friend will not even miss the candy. Instead of using Easter grass, use felt for a creative liner.
- Ribbon
- Squiggly scissors (I love these so much)
- Card stock
- Markers
- Colored pencils
- Acrylic paints
- Nice set of paintbrushes
- Coloring books for adults
- Stickers or embellishments
- Washi tape
- Journal or notebook
- Stamps
- Inkpads
- Fabric markers
- Sharpies
- Window markers
- Patches
- Embroidery floss
- Hoops
- Yarn
- Needles
- Felt or cute fabric
Easter Ideas For Your Significant Other
- Stuffed animals
- Framed photo
- Books – think about hobbies –trains, crosswords, crafting, eating health, etc. Some people love biographies
- Fresh flowers
- Photo presents – photo puzzle or photo book of recent trip
- Coloring book for adults with colored pencils
- Tickets to the movies or a restaurant
- Spring scarf or cap
- Socks
- Mugs
- Magnets
- Cozy blanket
Easter Ideas for Dads
Having your kids make a basket for their father – or you making an Easter basket for your father is such a thoughtful gesture. You can fill these candy-free Easter baskets with all kinds of dad things – like socks and batteries – and I’m sure they would mind a few fun things too like an iTunes gift card. Use a dad t-shirt to line the basket, as a green alternative to Easter grass.
- Hearty mug
- Batteries
- Honey
- Duct tape
- WD-40
- Lint roller
- Tie
- Watch
- Totes
- Socks
- iTunes gift card
- Wine key
- Flashlight
- Crafts from the kids
- Small tools
- T-shirts – homemade are great!
Easter Baskets for Mamas
When putting together Easter baskets, don’t forget about your mom. There are lots of fun things you can fill the candy-free basket with that she will love. I’m sure she’ll love that you thought of her. A cozy blanket makes for a perfect basket liner.
- Candles
- Teas
- Cute mug
- Crafts made by the kids
- Photos of the kids
- Lara bars
- Almonds
- Sunglasses
- Cute post-it notes
- Fresh flowers
- Sharpies
- Jewelry
- Totes
- To-go wipes
- Favorite magazine or book
- Gift card for a night out
- Cozy blanket
Practical Easter Basket Ideas
If you are stuck on ideas for a candy-free basket for a friend or family member (who probably has everything), why not make them a basket with one of these practical Easter basket ideas. Fill it with practical things that you always need – like scissors, batteries, and sharpies. My sister filled our stockings one year with practical items, and they were a big hit! Line the basket with bubble wrap or packing paper, something practical that will be reused.
- Sharpies
- AA batteries
- Rubber band ball
- Pencil sharpener
- Thumb tacks
- USB wall plug-in
- Scotch tape
- Magic eraser
- Scissors
- Lint roller
- Handy wipes
- Ziplock bags
- Travel sewing kit
- Extension cord
Easter Gifts For Dogs or Cats
With all these Easter baskets, don’t forget about your beloved pets. Pets are easy to shop for, and they don’t eat candy – so anything goes! Use a basket that you can reuse as your dog or cat’s toy bin.
- Chew toys
- Biscuits or treats
- New collar
- Bandana
- Brush or comb
- Frisbee
- Tennis balls
- Pick-up bags
- Dog or cat bed
- New dish
- Collapsable dog dish (pictured above)
- Treats or pieces of pet food in Easter eggs
- Homemade biscuits
- Homemade toys for cats – bell on a ribbon
Easter Basket Ideas for Eating and Kids
- New plates or cups with a favorite character
- Utensil set with favorite character
- Silly straws
- Healthy snacks – puffs for toddlers, honey sticks, fruit pouches (read the ingredients)
- Travel Tupperware
- Game Plate – these are so cool. They help toddlers finish food on their plate by making it a game. My son loves this one 🙂
- To-go cups
- Waterproof splat mat
- Fun place mats
Easter Ideas for Filling Eggs
Just as I was stressing out about filling candy-free Easter baskets, I was also wondering what I was going to fill Easter eggs with. I came up with two lists – a small toy list and a toy-free list. I LOVE the toy-free list – it has so many creative, fun ideas.
- Match box cars (fits in the big eggs)
- Stickers
- Finger puppets
- Small figures
- Rings or bracelets
- Keychains
- Legos
- Bouncy balls
Creative Easter Egg Ideas for Hunts
- Legos – Fill all the eggs with legos. After the eggs are found, have kids each build something with the legos from their eggs.
- Alphabet magnetic letters – After collecting all of the eggs, see if you can spell any words from your collected letters. Use cookie trays for a magnetic surface for word building.
- Jokes – Everyone loves a good laugh 🙂
- Silly actions – Fill each egg with a little piece of paper that has silly actions or tasks – i.e. hop around the yard like a bunny, give your little sister a kiss, do 5 jumping jacks,etc
- Scavenger hunt clues – Start by giving every participant an egg. Participants will open the given egg for the clue to the next egg.
From crafty baskets to summery baskets to outdoorsy baskets, kids will love these creative items and not even notice that they don’t include candy or junk. And, adults will love the time and thought you put into creating these candy-free Easter baskets.
Additionally, the creative Easter egg hunt ideas are perfect for friendly competition or a good laugh.
With hundreds of ideas for Easter baskets and egg hunts, you can totally pull off a candy-free, junk-food free Easter without any stress.