101 Items That Minnesota Kids Love That Aren’t Candy

I chat for a living in Minnesota on the radio and during my show today, I had a conversation about Easter baskets and asked how old is TOO OLD for kids to receive them.  You would have thought that the world stopped when I asked that question.  Apparently everyone, and I mean even those who are 40+ years old, want Easter baskets.

Obviously, filling the entire basket with hollow chocolate bunnies isn't ideal for everyone.  If you are looking for ideas for Easter baskets, gift bags, even stocking stuffers that AREN'T candy, check out the 101 ideas below:

101 Ideas for Easter Baskets That Aren't Candy

First...you need the basket:  Check the local second-hand stores to see what they have or visit a dollar store to see their selection.

Ideas For Those Who Love Crafts

1. Post-it notes
2. Paint-By-Number
3. New set of markers
4. Watercolors
5. Coloring book
6. Crayons
7. Play-doh
8. Finger paint
9. Journal
10. Scented markers
11. Glitter markers
12. Washi tape
13. Moon sand
14. Paintbrushes
15. Rolls of duct tape (for duct tape creations!)
16. Friendship bracelet kit
17. Notecards, stamps & addresses to their bff's

Ideas for Those Who Love Outdoor Fun

1. Bubbles!
2. Little garden kits.  Find these at dollar stores or even places like Target...they come with a little planter and seeds.
3. Baseball glove
4. Soccer Ball
5. Basketball
6. Birdhouse kit to paint
7. Garden Tools (kid-sized)
8. Garden gloves
9. Kid-sized watering can
10. Umbrella
11. Chalk
12. Monarch butterfly kit (send me a message if you need ideas on this! My daughter has raised hundreds)
13. Sandbox toys
14. Bike helmet
15. Football
16. Water balloons
17. Squirt guns
18. Butterfly net
19. Pool noodles

Ideas for Those Who Love Hair, Body & Clothing Ideas

1. Sunglasses
2. New Socks
3. Bright t-shirt (to help us get in the mood for summer)
4. Lip gloss
5. Nail polish
6. Sandals
7. Hand sanitizer that smells good
8. Glitter body spray
9. Colored hair gel
10. Hairbrush
11. Summer PJ's
12. Hat with their favorite team on it!
13. Bracelet
14. Necklace
15. Headband
16. Toothbrush
17. Swimsuit
18. Swim shoes
19. Bandaids with their favorite characters on them!
20. Watch
21. Bunny ears
22. Beach towel
23. Earrings

Ideas for Those Who Love Toys & Games:

1. Matchbox cars
2. Lego's (there are some small packages that would fit great in a basket!)
3. Hexbugs
4. Nerf guns
5. Deck of Cards (I've made personalized cards at Shutterfly for each of my kids)
6. Uno
7. Rubiks Cube
8. Jump rope
9. Word Search Book
10. Fidget Spinner
11. Bouncy balls
12. Slime
13. Paper airplane book of ideas (and some paper)
14. Kite
15. Whoopie cushion
16. Trading cards - pokemon, baseball or football cards
17. Magnifying glass
18. Beach ball
19. Remote controlled car
20. Bathtub toys
21. Frisbee
22. Puzzle (the big floor puzzles are great for little kids!)

Other Fun Ideas:

1. Easter eggs filled with pennies, nickels, dimes or quarters
2. Ant farm
3. Baking Kit with a chefs hat & kid-sized spatula
4. Baby Chickens (you can even rent chickens!)
5. Gift card to an ice cream store
6. Chia Pet
7. Movie Gift Card
8. DVD of their favorite movie
9. New book
10. New water bottle
11. Flashlight
12. Glow sticks
13. Stuffed animal
14. Binoculars
15. Bug collecting kit
16. Bookmark
17. Science experiment kit
18. National Park coin collection book
19. Kids magazine subscription
20. Recorder or a harmonica (they both make the same type of noise)

10+ Easter Egg Hunts in Southeast Minnesota

Looking for a few Easter Egg Hunts?  Check out this list here!  I've got a few on my Facebook page that are local too.