Our family loves an Easter egg hunt. Seeing the kids run through the yard, rushing to find the most eggs, is such fun. As a mom of a child with food allergies, I have the challenge of finding non-candy items to fill all those plastic eggs. Having a variety of egg sizes helps you be able to stuff all your new ideas into the eggs without frustration. Whether your child has a food allergy like mine does or you just want to cut down on sugar overload, here are some non-candy ideas to fill all your eggs for the annual hunt.
Small toys
There are numerous ideas for small toys that could fill eggs: bouncy balls, small craft items, Play-Doh, tiny cars like Micro Machines, Shopkins, whistles, mini kazoos, hand stamps, Polly Pockets, Barbie accessories, mini rubber ducks or other bath toys, finger skateboards, marbles, jacks and a ball, fake bugs and worms, pirate patches, play money, stickers, tops, Legos, sticky hands, or—just for fun—confetti! When choosing small toys to fill your eggs, please consider the age of the children participating in the egg hunt. Small toys may pose a choking hazard for young children.
Something practical
Practical items can be fun too. Try filling eggs with erasers, pencil sharpeners, key chains, magic towels, cute Band-Aids, travel size lotion or hand sanitizer. My kids’ favorite practical Easter egg filler is money!
Something to wear
Your kids can have fun and accessorize with these ideas: barrettes, hair ties, socks, nail polish, ChapStick, lip gloss, silly shoelaces, bracelets, earrings, rings, temporary tattoos, zipper pulls or bead necklaces.
Snacks
If you are avoiding candy because of the sugar rush, try these little snacks that are the perfect size for Easter eggs: Goldfish crackers, pretzels, grapes, soup crackers, cuties (oranges), veggie straws, berries, animal crackers, bite-size graham crackers, nuts, raisins or other dried fruit.
Sarah Lyons is a part-time freelance writer and full-time mom. She lives in Olathe with her family.