50+ Ideas for Filling Easter Baskets

Easter is right around the corner. It’s time to think about filling those Easter baskets. That doesn’t mean only using candy though. In fact, when I was a kid, I got more non-candy items than candy and I loved it!

Looking for some more ideas on what to put in those Easter baskets? Check your local dollar stores for some really budget-friendly options. I filled (and I mean FILLED) and Easter basket (basket included) at Dollarama for under $20. And I’ve got more than 50 suggestions to share with you below!

Here are 50+ ideas for filling Easter baskets for children, teens, and college students/adults:

Craft/DIY/Activity Items:

Colouring books or fun pads (the ones with mazes, dot to dots, and so on). For teens/college students/adults, look for Sudoku and crossword puzzle books.

Markers, crayons, pencils, erasers, paints, finger paints, stamps and stamp pads or pens and mechanical pencils for the older student

Play dough – purchased or homemade – maybe even include some cookie cutters to use with the play dough

Jigsaw puzzle

Silly putty (It even comes in an egg!)

Little craft kits (they have lots at the dollar store)

Craft supplies like construction paper, child safe scissors, glue (how about some glitter glue?), glitter, craft foam shapes, stencils, pompoms, chenille stems, beads, craft kits and more

For the sewist in the family – spools of thread, needles, pins, fabric remnants or fat quarters, a new pincushion or magnetic pin and needle holder, a new pattern

For a knitter or crocheter – balls of yarn, knitting needles or crochet hooks, a new pattern

For the cross-stitcher – needles, embroidery floss, a new pattern, some Aida cloth, a magnetic needle holder, a floss sorter

Outdoor toys and other items:

Water squirters

Pails and shovels

Beach balls

Water balloons

Sand moulds

Child sized gardening tools

a Frisbee

Paddle ball

Jump rope

Bike accessories (my grand niece just adores her new bike bell!)

Kite

Bug house

Sidewalk chalk – again, you can make your own if you want

Bubbles

Seeds for sowing in their own little garden plot

Sunglasses, a new sun hat, new bathing suit

Golf balls and tees for the young golfers in the crowd

Toys:

Small stuffed toy

Cars – Hot Wheels, Matchbox etc.

A Barbie, baby doll, or Polly Pocket type toy

Mr. Potato Head (they have ones specifically themed for Easter with bunny ears and such as part of the set)

Blocks or Legos

Slinky, Rubik’s Cube, Yoyo other fun classics

Mini Etch a Sketch, travel games (you’ll be all set for summer vacation travel)

Looking for fun food treats that aren’t so sugary?

What about a special trail mix or some of those “costlier” nuts that you may not buy on a regular basis (like cashews or macadamia nuts)?

One of my daughter’s favourites is beef jerky and she often found it in her Christmas stocking and Easter basket.

100% real fruit snacks.

Fruit or applesauce cups.

Packs of peanut butter or cheese and crackers.

Raisins.

For the littler ones, how about filling some plastic eggs with items safe for them to eat like Cheerios?

When my daughter was in university now and lived in an apartment I added grocery items to her basket – things she loves but aren’t in a college student’s budget: for her that would be things like packages of Mexican yellow rice and boxes of her favourite cereal.

Real dyed eggs – we always use food-grade dyes so that we can eat the eggs after! Be sure to keep them refrigerated and add them to the baskets at the last minute.

Personal care items:

A new toothbrush (you need to replace your toothbrushes every few months so my daughter always got a new one in her Christmas stocking and in her Easter basket – look for fun character themed brushes!)

Bubble bath

Nail polish

Makeup

Lip balm/gloss

Cologne

Mud masque (you can find them in those “single serve” packets)

Clothing and Accessories:

New pajamas:  We often give wintery ones at Christmas; how about a lighter summery pair at Easter?

Fun themed socks – my daughter always needed new socks and loved having ones themed for every holiday and occasion

Bunny ears

Hair accessories – Dollarama has Easter eggs filled with ponytail holders but you could also fill your own – barrettes and headbands would be great too!

Jewelry, key chains

A new little purse (they have really adorable Easter and spring ones out at this time of year!) or a wallet

Other items:

Crazy straws (I found some at Dollarama that were bunny shaped)

Collectors’ cards: baseball, hockey, Pokemon, etc.

Stickers or temporary tattoos

Storybooks, comic books

Small musical instruments (little drum, tambourine, recorder, etc)

A new water bottle or for the little ones, a new sippy cup

A diary

Movie tickets or passes to local attractions

Subscription to a magazine

USB drive – just a simple one or one of the themed types (R2D2? Sports car? Angry Birds?)

For the driver, a gas card, map book of the city, or for a bigger splurge, an inexpensive GPS

Coin bank (for the college student, fill one with quarters for the laundromat)

Video game controller, new game

Gift card to a favourite store; my daughter especially loves getting ones for various restaurants and movie theatres so she can use them on date night with her boyfriend

Personalized homemade coupon book

For the college student, use a dish drainer as the basket itself and fill with kitchen items like tea towels, dish cloths, measuring cups and spoons, kitchen utensils OR use a small laundry basket or hamper and fill with new bath towels or sheets or fill a mixing bowl with baking supplies OR a sewing basket filled with sewing supplies

A disposable camera or small inexpensive digital one

A calculator

Blank CDs

Bath toys – I saw a super cute rubber duckie with bunny ears at a store the other day

A photo frame or mini album

A new DVD or CD

What ideas do you have for filling Easter baskets beyond the typical candy?