Ultimate Guide to Easter Baskets Plus over 120 Non-Lolly Easter Basket Fillers

Here is an ultimate list of the best Easter Baskets ideas for kids and over 120 non-lolly Easter Egg fillers that kids love.

Whether you are looking for Easter Basket craft ideas, steps to creating the perfect Easter basket, or non-candy Easter egg filler inspiration, you will find all that here plus more!

Best Easter Basket Ideas for Kids plus over 120 non-lolly Easter Egg Fillers

Along with Birthdays and Christmas, Easter is a time that holds so many fun times for children.

Part of Easter celebrations is creating, gifting, and receiving Easter Baskets.

It is exciting for our children to put together the perfect basket for the special people in their lives.

It is equally exciting to receive one, peel back the tissue paper and peek at the surprises inside.

What are some non-lolly ideas that you can fill your toddler and preschooler’s Easter Basket?

While for years many have reached for candy eggs and chocolate bunnies to fill their Easter Baskets, more and more parents are seeking other alternatives to sugar-filled sweets.

So if not chocolate bunnies and candy eggs, what else is there to put into an Easter Basket?

Plenty.

There are so many alternatives that won’t result in the post-sugar rush crash, that your kids will love.

Play to your child’s interests and you can be assured that they will love their Easter Basket as much as you have enjoyed collating and setting it up for them.

It’s such a rewarding feeling isn’t it?

Watching curious eyes and fingers reaching into their basket, exploring what’s within.

At that moment, there is no other care in the world.

The wonder of the Easter Basket and the feeling they experience as they dive in are memories that your children will carry with them forever.

If you are trying to minimise the number of sweets your little ones have over the Easter period, there are plenty of sugar-free alternatives for all ages.

Read on to discover our list of over 120 non-lolly Easter basket alternatives.

120 plus Non – Lolly Easter Basket Fillers

20 Easter Basket Ideas for 1-Year-Olds

1. Musical Instruments
2. Wooden Play Eggs
3. Gumboots
4. Bath Toys
5. Toy Figurines
6. Books
7. Finger Paints
8. Pajamas
9. Cookie Cutters
10. Bubbles
11. Sensory Bottle
12. Clothes
13. Apple Sauce Pouch
14. Bibs
15. Fruit Leather
16. Water Bottle
17. Stuffed Animals
18. Socks
19. Teething Toy
20. Money Box

39 Easter Basket Ideas for Toddlers

1. Play Dough
2. Snacks
3. Art Supplies
4. Squishy Sensory Toys
5. Bathers
6. Toy Cars
7. Toothbrush
8. Toothpaste
9. Hair Bow
10. Beauty Blending Sponges (use with paint!)
11. Stamps
12. Finger Puppets
13. Kids Kitchen Tools
14. Cooking Apron
15. Foam Letters
16. Colouring Books
17. Easter Dinnerware
18. Sidewalk Chalk
19. Craft Kits
20. Sun Hat
21. Wikki Sticks
22. Doll
23. Animal Magnets
24. Hair Clips
25. Purse
26. Beach Toys
27. Dot Markers
28. Crayons
29. Plant Seeds
30. Bento Accessories
31. Popsicle Mold
32. Paint Sticks
33. Hoodie Swim Towel
34. Paint Brushes
35. Toy Dinosaur
36. Zoo Pass
37. Cup
38. Bubble Bath
39. Water Wow

44 Easter Basket Ideas for Preschoolers

1. Dot Markers
2. Sand-Free Beach Towel
3. Stickers
4. Erasers
5. Jump Rope
6. Silly String
7. Goggles
8. Paddle Ball
9. Pencils
10. Fun Bandaids
11. Drawing Pad
12. Slinky
13. Hair Accessories
14. Kinetic Sand
15. Scratch Art
16. Mandala Pieces
17. Kite
18. Markers
19. Coins
20. Snake Cube Twist
21. Torch
22. Puzzle
23. Water Balloons
24. Silly Putty
25. Temporary Tattoos
26. Pop Fidget Toys
27. Lego
28. Beanie
29. Beads
30. Fingerling
31. Sticky Hands
32. Umbrella
33. Grass head
34. Magnetic Tiles
35. Wind Up Toys
36. Tiara / Crown
37. Magnifying Glass
38. Yoyo
39. Water Beads
40. Pool Toys
41. Binoculars
42. Walkie Talkies
43. Tangram Puzzle
44. Sports Collectable Cards

31 Easter Basket Ideas for Tweens and Teens

1. Nail Polish
2. Sunglasses
3. Stationary Clips
4. Crossword Puzzle Books
5. Bath Bombs
6. Lawn Games
7. Headphones
8. Travel Mug
9. Scented Pens
10. Cuticle Oil
11. Freeze Dried Fruit
12. Ear Rings
13. Bubble Bath
14. Flip Flops
15. Bath Salts
16. Lip Gloss / ChapStick
17. Soaps
18. Coaster
19. Potion Kit
20. Bed Socks
21. Scarf
22. Gloves
23. Jerky
24. Beach Towel
25. DIY Jewellery Kit
26. Washi Tape
27. Slippers
28. Glow Sticks
29. Easter Jokes
30. Diffuser
31. Nail Stickers

What is an Easter Basket?

An Easter basket is said to represent new life and fertility. It is thought that the word ‘Easter’ is derived from the pagan goddess of spring and fertility, ‘Eostre’.

The woven basket itself represents a nest, a vessel of new life.

Eggs have been considered a symbol of new life in many cultures worldwide.

Drawings of the goddess Eostre show her holding woven baskets laden with eggs.

The 17th-century stories of the Easter Hare were being told by parents to German children. It was said that the Osterhase, Easter Hare, would leave coloured eggs in the baskets of well-behaved children. The children would leave woven baskets or small nests outside overnight for the Osterhase to leave eggs in.

Some theorists say that the Easter Basket originated as part of the celebration of the end of lent. In times of the early medieval Catholic church, worshippers would bring baskets of food to the church to be blessed by the priest at the end of lent.

Many of the Easter traditions that we know today such as Easter egg hunts, candy eggs, and Easter parade, began in the Victorian era.

While many families embrace the giving of Easter baskets, the contents of the baskets are varied reflecting the traditions of individual families.

5 Steps for Making the Perfect Easter Basket

1. Choose an Easter Basket theme

Just as children are diverse and unique, so should be their Easter Baskets.

Play to your child’s interests when planning their Easter Basket and you can be assured that they will love what you collect for them.

If your little one is obsessed with dinosaurs, get all Jurassic happening.

If your child is loving crafting, paint sticks are a must-have addition.

Celebrate their interests with spring-themed paper and it will be a hit.

When choosing a theme for your Easter Baskets you can sort by a few variables.

• Colour
• Interests
• Season
• Moment

Colour Themed Easter Baskets

Decorate and fill your Easter baskets with a favourite colour. Choose the basket and fillers all with a similar tone or shade to create a wow factor impact.

Interest Themed Easter Baskets

Theme the easter basket targeting your child’s interest. Personally, my children’s baskets would be themed with cars, hermit crabs, and unicorns if I followed this strategy between the three.

Season Themed Easter Baskets

Another strategy for choosing a theme for your Easter Baskets is to play with things your children actually need rather than random gifts.

For those in the Southern hemisphere, we are entering the cooler, wet and windy seasons of Autumn and Winter. These go hand in hand with warm, wooly scarves and beanies, gumboots, and umbrellas.

For those in the North, warm days of Spring and Summer are coming so a new sun hat, goggles, sandals, and beach towel could be just the perfect thing.

Moment Themed Easter Baskets

Lastly, focus on events or phases your child is experiencing right now to design their Easter Basket.

Yes, we are sort of playing close to interests here but hear me out.

Is your child heading off to a school camp?

Perhaps a camp pack Easter Basket would expand their excitement?

Are they getting a new pet? An Easter basket with accessories and trinkets to help them care for their new pet could be very useful.

Is your toddler starting to potty train?

How about some wipe-clean books and stickers to pass the time while waiting for a toilet moment – wink, wink, splash!

2. Plan the Easter Basket Fillers

Once you have the theme set in stone, it’s time to start planning the fillers.

When choosing fillers consider the sensory elements they are going to bring for your child, as well as the fun factor!

What does it sound like?

Is there a scent?

Are there different textures?

Is there something to taste?

Is there visual stimulation to spark curiosity?

Still not feeling inspired?

Fall back onto the four gift rule:

1. Want
2. Need
3. Wear
4. Read

3. Buy the Easter Basket

Traditionally woven baskets were used to represent a nest carrying new life.

Modern times have seen Easter Baskets evolve into all sorts of vessels being used to hold the special tributes for their recipients.

• Gift boxes
• Baskets
• Bunny head baskets
• Gift bags
• Helmets
• Hats
• Gumboots
• Bowls
• Baking Trays

Youre imagination holds the limits to what you can use.

4. Line the Easter Basket

It is the little extras that can level up a humble basket into a masterpiece.

Line your basket to add that extra detail or to had some height to display the Easter basket fillers.

1. Cellophane
2. Gift Wrap
3. Fabric
4. Socks
5. Clothes
6. Hand Towel
7. Tissue Paper
8. Felt
9. Hay

5. Add the Easter Basket Fillers

Once your basket has been lined, add the fillers.

Be mindful of the height of the contents to create a balanced display.

I find it easier to position the larger items before filling in the spaces for the smaller ones.

20+ Easter Baskets Craft Ideas

Easter basket-themed crafts are a great way to celebrate this special day.

Here is a list of amazing Easter Basket Crafts created by some incredibly creative bloggers.

Most can be made at home with resources you likely have at home already. Some even offer free printable templates- yesss!

1. Mini Easter Egg Carton Baskets – Jinxy Kids
2. Craft Stick Easter Baskets – The Joy Sharing
3. Easter Basket Craft – Simple Every Day Mom
4. Easter Egg Basket Card Craft – Bear Haven Mama
5. Easy Tulip Easter Basket Craft – Kiddy Charts
6. Easter Basket Weaving Craft Activity – Simple Living Creative Learning
7. Paper Plate Easter Basket – Katherine Osman
8. Easter Basket with Potato Printed Eggs – Emma Owl
9. Cute Carrot Easter Baskets – Kids Craft Room
10. Easter Bunny Easter Basket Craft- Simple Every Day Mom
11. Milk Carton Easter Basket Craft – A Little Pinch of Perfect
12. Handprint Easter Basket Craft – Long Wait For Isabella
13. Easter Flower Baskets – In Our Spare Time
14. DIY Tutu Easter Basket – Wunder Mom
15. Easter Basket from Palms – Day By Day In Our World
16. Two Ways Paper Plate Easter Basket – Red Ted Art
17. Edible Candy Baskets – Conservamom
18. Craft Stick Weaving Easter Basket – The Pinterested Parent
19. Milk Jug Easter Basket – Clark Condensed
20. Easter Basket Bonnets – Deep in Mummy Matters
21. No- Sew Felt Easter Basket – Sustain My Craft Habit
22. Hatching Chick Paper Plate Easter Basket – Finding Myself Young
23. DIY Paper Plate Easter Basket – Honey and Lime