Planning holidays makes me nuts. It seems like no matter what the occasion, the prime rule is THERE MUST BE CANDY and A TON OF IT. I have four boys now. Some of them have problems with cavities. Some of them are pretty young for that much sugar. Some of them are just a little bit crazy. I’d rather not hand my boys each a bushel of candy several times a year.
However, I love the fun, the excitement, and the laughter that these occasions bring. I love delighting my children with little gifts and surprises. When it came to filling our Easter eggs, though, I was stumped. I’ve made it a point to come up with a long list of things I could put in the eggs instead of jelly beans and M&Ms.
Babies and Toddlers
- Teddy Grahams
- Animal Crackers
- Dry Cereal
- New Pacifier
- Pacifier Tether
- Small Wrist Rattle
- Socks
- Goldfish
- Stickers
- Balloons
- Coins – heck, maybe even a dollar!
- Small shaped/recycled crayons
- Finger Puppets
- Small plastic animals
- Home-made playdough
- Self-inking stamp
- Small cookies (like Mini Oreos or Mini Chips Ahoy)
- Coloring page or maze, folded up
- Bouncy Balls
- Magic Grow Capsules
- Gumball machine prizes
- Mini koosh balls
- Fun Magnets
- Chalk
- Bubbles
- Temporary tattoos
- Mini box of raisins
- Silly Putty!
- Character Band-aids
- Small top
- Mini yo-yo
- Fun shaped erasers
- Whistles
- Unusual rocks
- Small seashells
- Marbles
- Hot Wheels (this depends on the size of the car and the size of the egg)
- Legos (pieces or minifigures)
- Nerf Darts
- Plastic rings
- Slap bracelets
- Barrettes
- Hair bows
- Bracelets or necklaces
- Lip gloss
- Stick-on earrings
- Seeds
- Small flower bulbs
- Nice earrings
- A check (if you’re rich, hah!)
- Cuff links
- Tie Tack
- A locket with a photo in it
- Gift cards (you’ll probably need extra-large eggs for this)
- Tea candle
- Small jars of spices
- Embroidery floss
- Small decorative soaps
- Thread cutting pendant
- Stitch markers
- Row counter
- Keychain
- Memory card or stick
- Digital photo keychain
- Small container of cosmetics like eyeshadow
- Tickets to a movie or event
- Earbuds
- Bucky Balls
- Small watch
- A note
Kids
Grown-ups
I hope I’ve given you some good ideas! It was useful for me, too. My kids will be getting Hot Wheels, Teddy Grahams, Stickers, and Bouncy Balls in their eggs this year, and I bet they’re going to love it.