easter bunny ideas :: packing up the easter baskets without the candy overload

Easter gets a little more exciting each year that my girls are just a little older and really understand the anticipation of it all!

So what’s a real foodie Easter bunny supposed to do when bombarded with competition from HFCS laden chocolate eggs and yellow 5 pumped marshmallow chicks?!

Well this real foodie Easter bunny loads them up with fun stuff that lasts way longer than a fleeting chocolate fix 😉

We do up a scavenger hunt for Easter eggs with clues in each egg instead of candy. Each clue leads to another until they reach their Easter baskets filled with fun activities and summer needs…and a couple of sweet treats.

Here is what the girls will be getting in their Easter baskets this year!
Colored pencils
Glue
Stickers
Construction paper
Bubbles
Sidewalk chalk
Travel crayon white boards for coming to prenatal appointments with Mama 😉
New toothbrushes
Summer sandals
Summer bathing suits

A lot of these things were going to be purchased for the summer anyway! I will also include an Easter candy bag in their baskets with a handful of naturally colored and flavored jelly beans (like the ones SIMPLE mom Carinn reviewed HERE) and some homemade chocolate bunnies! I use THIS recipe and the girls LOVE them! Here’s how they turned out!Here is another list of ideas I spent some time brainstorming:
Beach toys (shovels, buckets, etc)
Sunglasses
Summer PJ’s
Play bugs/snakes
Matchbox cars
Squirt guns
Stamps and ink pads
Markers
Crayons
Play-doh
Non toxic bubble bath or lotions
Non toxic chapstick
Hair bows/barrettes
Fun socks and/or tights
Garden seeds
Garden supplies (gloves, tools, hat, etc)
Balls
Coloring books
Story books
Puzzles
DVD’s
Music CD’s
Card games
Balloons
Marbles
Other craft supplies (pipe cleaners, cotton balls, glitter, string, etc.)
Nail polish

YOUR TURN!

I am still in toddler mode – if you have older kids give us some of your non candy Easter basket ideas! And give us more toddler ideas if you’ve got ‘em! PS I am also in an all girl toddler home! I tried thinking of some boy items, but if you have little boys and have other little boy ideas please list those!

This post was shared at Real Food Forager’s Fat Tuesday, and The Polikva Family’s Family Table Tuesday!