Boiled and colorfully dyed eggs are one of the most common items that you’ll find in an Easter basket. What’s less commonly known about is the 2% of children who are allergic to eggs. While approximately 70% of children with an egg allergy outgrow it by their high school years, as a kid, egg allergies can leave them with mild rashes and anaphylaxis. Parents and teachers who know of this egg allergy are stumped. What Easter basket ideas can they use as an egg substitute if the kid receiving the holiday basket is allergic to the star attraction? And with bird flu cases rising, is this a good time to reevaluate adding eggs inside of the basket altogether? Yes and no. Here are some alternate Easter basket ideas.

Wooden Eggs Are Underrated

Whether it’s a do-it-yourself project at home or an arts-and-crafts assignment for a Girl Scouts badge, dying eggs can be a fun experiment for people of all ages. However, there’s always that one rogue egg that cracks when it falls to the floor. (Luckily, it’s boiled so there is no Humpty Dumpty situation. Fun fact: Humpty Dumpty was the name of a cannon used by the Royalists during the English Civil War, not an egg.) Instead of worrying about wasting real eggs that may go uneaten, invest in wooden eggs instead. These can also be painted with various dye colors. Best of all, you won’t have to worry about them smelling later on and can be decorative all year long.

Plastic Eggs Are Reusable

Environmentally friendly shoppers aren’t thrilled with the idea of buying plastic, especially considering 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastic flow into the oceans. Still, plastic eggs are easy enough to find in dollar-value stores. Additionally, as long as they’re of good quality and don’t break when they’re opened, they can be used again to fill with treats next Easter too. When the candy is taken out of the plastic Easter eggs, encourage children to return their plastic eggs to a recyclable bin in the classroom or at the next Girl Scouts meeting. It’s one  way of earning the GSWCF Recycle Fun Patch.

Easter Baskets Can Be Cookies

Speaking of girls with cookies, for the little bakers in your life, here’s a chance to get creative with frosting. Pull out that brown sugar cookie recipe, and add some color. Sugar cookies, vanilla cookies and sugar-free cookies are also options. With some food coloring, flour, sugar and white frosting, this is an easy treat to make. For the more creative Easter basket creation, consider using pipe cleaners to shape each cookie into baskets. Piping bags filled with icing are all you need to add any Easter decor on top of the cookies. (Use compostable zipper snack bags or parchment paper to wrap each cookie so they don’t crumble.)

Take Advantage of Reusable Package Paper

Christmas is over, and you may still have plenty of Christmas bags left to use this coming winter. The color combination is often red and green, so reusing these bags won’t have the same pastel-colored effect. However, all of those brown boxes that were delivered and protecting Christmas gifts inside are another story. Use that brown paper instead of plastic green grass. Take each crumpled up brown sheet, and either cut it up or shred it. Make that the base of the Easter basket. Best of all, when Easter is over, that same shredded paper can be used as packaging for your next outgoing package too. This paper also comes in handy for a soft place for the cookies mentioned above.

Stuffed Animals Distract From Sugary Candy

Easter baskets are usually filled with sugary treats that can lead to frustrating dental visits. For parents and guardians who can ride the sugar high from chocolate rabbits, jelly beans, gummy bears and marshmallows, go for it. But if you want to distract them from a candy-less basket, add an Easter gift that’s cool enough to outshine the candy. If the Easter basket recipient has been nagging everybody about getting a dog, add a furry stuffed dog inside. If a pet rabbit was on their minds, add a soft stuffed bunny. Whatever pet is on their minds, choose that one to fill up the space that would usually be overflowing with candy.

Sweet Treats Don’t Have To Be Candy

You don’t want to be a total Scrooge when it comes to a candy-less Easter basket though. It’s OK to throw in a couple of chocolate, sour and sweet treats surrounding the stuffed animal. But why not include some healthy sweet treats too? Energy balls are a mix of rolled oats, almond butter, semisweet chocolate chips and shredded coconut. Skip or keep the caramel sauce, and let the kid eat these protein-rich (5 grams) desserts in moderation. Add a few pieces of chocolate-covered bananas or strawberry bark. Just make sure to re-freeze them so they don’t go bad in the basket if not eaten immediately.

Air-Popped Popcorn Is a Universal Snack

Who doesn’t love munching on popcorn? A microwave popper can easily make a mixing bowl full of the snack. Pop and then separate the popcorn into colorful pastel baggies. You can add a few snack condiments to test out different ways to eat popcorn, including salty, cheese, caramel or buttery. This way, fussy kids who prefer one type of popcorn over the other aren’t complaining about their choices.

Personalize the Basket

Finally, personalize the basket for the recipient. Whether that’s a handwritten note, an Easter greeting card, a Bible scripture or a snapshot, add that in too. Even after all the treats in the Easter basket are gone, that little note card and message will be a keepsake forever.

Packing the Easter Basket By Weight

When preparing the Easter basket ideas, start with any bulky or pointy items (ex. stuffed animal) first. Once that item is firmly in place, surround it with basket filler (such as fake grass or shredded, recycled paper) that can hold the loose items in place. Then, add any heavier items that could potentially crush other loose items. For example, boiled eggs shouldn’t sit on top of an Easter card, and popcorn shouldn’t be placed underneath chocolate bunny ears. Finally, add lightweight items on top.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the most popular Easter basket items?

Colorfully dyed eggs, egg toys, chocolate bunny candy and small stuffed animals are commonly found in Easter baskets.

What can I put in my Easter basket instead of candy? 

Besides boiled eggs, veggie-loving kids may enjoy the idea of a bag of baby carrots to eat like a rabbit. If they prefer something sweet but healthy, make and wrap homemade energy balls.

How do you make an inexpensive Easter basket? 

Children can make their own baskets out of craft store items instead of buying one already prepared. For a lightweight basket, use an old carton, colored paper or paper plates.