17 Fun things to put in Easter eggs that aren’t candy (or junk!)

Do your kids love hunting for Easter eggs, but you don’t love the idea of giving them tons of candy or pointless trinkets? Try filling your eggs with these fun alternatives!

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Let me start by saying I am NOT anti-candy. There is definitely a bag of jelly beans in the top of my closet right now, ready and waiting for Easter morning. I buy chocolate bunnies every year and eat my fair share (okay, maybe more than my fair share) of Cadbury Minis. Fun treats are a great part of Easter! However, they are just a part.

I usually fill my kids’ Easter baskets with all the things they’ll need for summer, like sidewalk chalk, bubbles, sandals, etc. And while I fill some of our eggs with jelly beans, also like to balance out the sugary treats with some other options as well.

But what else can fit in those little plastic eggs that isn’t candy and isn’t junk?

A LOT, actually!

Here are my best suggestions for alternative things to put in Easter eggs that the whole family will love!

Non-candy Easter Egg Fillers

1. Cereal: Grab a box of your kids favorite cereal (maybe one you don’t buy often), and fill your eggs. Do an Easter egg hunt first thing in the morning, and once kids gather their eggs, dump them into a bowl for breakfast! This is a cereal my kids love, and it’s the perfect pastel colors for Easter!
2. Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies: These little crackers are like Goldfish, but bunny-shaped, so they’re perfect for Easter!
3. Annie’s Bunny Fruit Snacks: To be fair, these aren’t a lot healthier than candy, but the bunny shapes are SUPER cute.
4. Trail mix: Trail mix is always a winner with my kids. It’s got enough sweet to make them happy, but it also has a bunch of protein and healthy nutrients.
5. Money: My kids get so excited about getting actual cold, hard cash. And you don’t have to spend a lot! Use various combinations of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters (empty that change jar!) and throw in a few dollar bills if you want. If you’re feeling really wild, include one “jackpot” egg with a $5 or $20 bill in it. Bonus: this also doubles as a sneaky math lesson as kids count up their money to find out how much money they got!
6. Legos: Buy a small Lego set and divide the pieces up into different eggs. If you have multiple kids, you can let them hunt (and then build the set) together, or buy a separate set for each child and give each child their own color of eggs. Just make sure you know where you hid all the eggs so you don’t end up with missing pieces. Or, keep things simple and put a minifig in an egg!
7. Coupons: Make coupons for extra privileges like an extra bedtime story, breakfast in bed, stay up late, etc. Kids will love redeeming them and they’re totally free! Make your own, or get these adorable ones from So Festive!
8. Stickers
9. Finger puppets: Cute little finger puppets are a perfect Easter egg filler for toddlers, and they’re great to keep in your diaper bag or purse for when you need to keep little ones occupied while you’re out and about. They have saved my bacon while waiting at restaurants, in church, at the post office, and so many other places. If you don’t have any, grab them as a gift for YOU!
10. Small animal toys: I love these little toy animals by Battat. We’ve had the dinosaurs for years, and we got a set of ocean animals last year. They’re perfect for sensory bins, the bathtub, sandbox, playdough, and all kinds of imaginative play. Basically, you can use them for just about anything! If you want a variety of animals, try this set!
11. Hair bows or clips: As a boy mom, these have never been on my list, but they’d be perfect for little girls!
12. Mini nail polish
13. Marbles: If your kids are old enough that it’s not a choking hazard, marbles would be a fun easter egg filler. If the weather’s nice, teach them how to play the classic kids game!
14. Play dough: Do your kids love play dough? Gift them some new colors for Easter! Just take it out of the container and put it in the eggs. Or, make your own. Here’s my favorite homemade playdough recipe.

The ideas above are great for using in any type of traditional Easter egg hunt. But, if you want to do a totally different kind of hunt this year…try one of the three ideas below!

1. Glow-in-the-dark Egg Hunt: Get small glowsticks and put them inside the eggs for a fun nighttime egg hunt. I think older kids would especially love this!
2. Easter Egg Store: Cut out all the “little” stuff and let your kids use the eggs they find as currency at your Easter store. Here’s how: Leave the eggs empty, but once the hunt is over, let your kids exchange their eggs for a special gift or prize: sidewalk chalk, activity books, games, etc. You can keep it simple and have each egg be worth the same, or you can make different colors of eggs be worth different costs!
3. Go on a Scavenger Hunt: Instead of candy, fill your eggs with scavenger hunt clues that lead to your child’s Easter basket! (P.S. – I like to fill Easter baskets with things they’ll use for summer: sandals, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, etc.)