Easter is just a few weeks away! It’s one of my favorite holidays: we celebrate the Resurrection of our Savior and enjoy the beauty of spring with loved ones. A friend at church calls Easter “the Super Bowl of the Christian faith.” Christmas is amazing, but Easter is the icing on the cake, right?

We have many traditions this time of year: dyeing eggs, making Resurrection Rolls, Easter baskets, egg hunts and eating lots of candy.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I cringe at all the candy my children receive at Easter. When I was a kid, we hunted the real eggs that we had boiled and dyed. But these days, kids hunt for plastic eggs filled with candy. They come away with such a surplus that we all end up eating more than we should.

Because I’d like to minimize the amount of candy my children receive this year, I’ve created a list of non-candy Easter basket ideas for kids:

• For Little Ones: Bibs, onesie, baby food, sippy cup, stuffed animal, blanket, new socks or shoes.
• A new age-appropriate Bible or devotional
• A new book or DVD: I highly recommend Wonder for elementary-aged kids, a book of Mad Libs, a journal or a new book from a series they enjoy.
• Toys: Dolls, cars, blocks, Legos, a stuffed animal, deck of cards, a board game, jacks or marbles.
• Outdoor toys: Jump ropes, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, kites, baseball bat and ball, soccer ball, football, Frisbee, etc.
• Craft Supplies: Play-Doh, Silly Putty, slime or the ingredients for slime, coloring books, crayons, paint set, doodle pad, etc.
• Gift Cards: To the movies, iTunes, a museum, amusement park or their favorite place to eat.
• Everyday Necessities: New toothbrush, socks, water bottle, hat, sunglasses, swimsuit, flip-flops, new pair of earrings or another practical item that they need.
• Snack – It is fun to have a food treat in the Easter basket, here are some alternatives to sweets: Goldfish crackers, pretzels, graham crackers, yogurt cup, prepared smoothie drink, fresh fruit or veggie cup, applesauce pouch, apples, oranges, bananas, dried fruit, nuts, fruit snacks or granola bars.

I’d love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment below. I hope you have a very Happy Easter with your family. He is Risen!