Thursday, March 28, 2013

45 Non-Candy Easter Treats for Lil' Kids


When it comes to candy filled holidays I try to minimize the sugar levels and make up for it with other things that excite my children as well. My kids are only 1 and 3 and I hate to fill their unconditioned minds with candy. Of course I can't skip the candy completely (my husband would die, plus I'm okay with it on holidays), but at least this way the sugar rush can be minimized. Here are some ideas that I've come up with to avoid the intense sugar saturation. Not all the foods are healthy, but at least they are less sugary or vitamin fortified. And most of these are things my kids don't normally get, so anything new is exciting.

1. cartoon Band-Aids (my daughter needlessly goes through about one a day, so she'll love having her very own box!)
2. beef jerky (mini pouch or fill a plastic egg)
3. single serve popcorn bag
4. Horizon Organic chocolate milk or strawberry milk (single serving box) OR Carnation Instant Breakfast
5. Bunny Grahams (Annie's brand--perfect for Easter! fill plastic eggs)
6. Annie's Bunny Macaroni and Cheese (I never get mac & cheese for my kids, so this is a treat)
7. kid nail polish
8. chapstick or lip gloss (both my boy and girl love these)
9. dried fruit (dried cranberries are our favorite--put them in a plastic egg)
10. fresh fruit (blueberries are perfect in a plastic egg and my kids love them)
11. snack size chips
12. yogurt dipped granola bar
13. single serve Nutella and dipping sticks (I just saw these at the grocery store, so cute)
14. single serve crackers and cheese
15. mini hand sanitizer (they love to put it on, and it's good for everyone!)
16. bunny socks (the last 2 years Target has had them in the dollar bins)
17. bow-tie or necktie (also Target dollar bin this year)
18. hair clips or accessories
19. a new hair brush
20. juice box
21. Yakult (this is a probiotic drink in the yogurt section of your store, my kids beg for it every week)
22. cherry tomatoes (in a plastic egg, of course)
23. fruit cups (you know, the lunch pack type)
24. mini cereal box and single serve milk (a special sugar cereal treat in just their size)
25. fruit leather or fruit rope (like Cliff Kids, no added sugar I believe)
26. Go Go Squeeze apple sauce pouch (sweetened with juice)
27. markers, crayons, colored pencils
28. small notebook or drawing pad
29. coloring books or printed coloring pages (there are plenty circulating around the web)
30. watercolor paints and brush
31. silly twisty straws
32. any little toy from the $.25 machines at the grocery store
33. toy car
34. a new children's book
35. stickers
36. Annie's cheddar bunnies or Goldfish crackers
37. new cartoon covered toothbrush/toothpaste
38. red spatula or spoons (you might think I'm crazy, but every toddler I know loves to unload the serving-ware drawer in the kitchen)
39. travel size mini lotion (another thing my kids are always pulling out of my purse)
40. a pinwheel (you can make your own)
41. bubbles
42. a bath toy
43. freeze dried apples, bananas, strawberries (a box of individual pouches available at Costco)
44. sidewalk chalk
45. sunglasses

And here's a little candy trivia for you. Marshmallows (think chocolate covered mallow bunny) were originally made from the mallow plant which grew in marshes. Hence the name. I love those kinds of factoids.
Happy Easter! And don't let yourself forget the real reason for this beautiful season.

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13 comments:

Lori said...

Great ideas!!! and i love the trivia!

Talk of the Town said...

I love this idea and the photo.

Jovannah said...

Love that you mentioned the spoons haha my toddler loves to play with our kitchen items

Unknown said...

Where did you find the clear Easter eggs? I need some of those.

Christy said...

Clear eggs I found either at Target or Smiths Marketplace. It's been too long now so I can't remember for sure.

Keri {One Mama's Daily Drama} said...

This is a great list! We love Annie's bunny snacks. My kids really like the fruit snacks, but they are pretty expensive (and sugary, even if it is from fruit) so they make a great Easter treat.

Anonymous said...

This is a great idea. My daughter will love ♡ this cause she isnt much of a candy eater. So its a win win!!!

Anonymous said...

Fantastic ideas. Another idea for older kids is a character watch. My grandson who is 8, started asking for one so I bought an Angry Bird watch for his basket. He'll love it!

Anonymous said...

We got bunch of use books at good will, actually found 3 Easter stories. Also Legos are a big hit for us, and key chains for on his backpack. Those snap bracelets are fun too if you can find them

Jessica K Smith said...

Kites are also awesome! We used to get one in our basket every year.

Drew Watts said...

Non-Candy Easter Treats for kids! This sounds amazing. Thanks for this amazing list of these gifts. I will be hosting as Easter themed party on my daughter’s birthday and these return gift ideas will be very helpful. Looking for some affordable Chicago venues too for the party.

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