DIY Easter Basket (Candy Free & Toy Free)

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Since my daughter, Addie, is turning two in March, we decided to get her very first Easter basket!

She was really blessed last year to receive Easter goodies from family members so we ended up not getting her anything. Since she is bit older this year, we thought it would be fun to put something together from her mom and dad.

When I realized that Easter is about a month away, I knew I needed to start thinking of what we could put in her basket. I decided to head to my local Dollar Tree and challenge myself to create a non-traditional Easter basket that is candy free and toy free.

We decided to do a candy free Easter basket because at just about two years old, there really is no reason for us to give our daughter candy. She is naturally active and giving her sugar is usually not helpful. I think my philosophy has to do with working in education for about 10 years and wanting to my kids to nourish their bodies and be wise about sugar consumption.

The basket I created for Addie is also toy free because she was really blessed on Christmas to receive SO many toys! While the Dollar Tree does have some fun toy options, I really don’t want to give her another toy since she doesn’t need one.

Overall, I enjoy a challenge and thought it would be fun to come up with an Easter basket that features items that aren’t necessarily “Easter” in nature (but still fun) to demonstrate that there are so many ways to curate an Easter basket that don’t require candy and toys.

S0, what did we get for her?

Stickers – Dollar Tree has sticker packs of varying sizes, I like to find the packs with the highest amount of stickers to get the most bang for my buck!
Paint With Water book – I LOVE this option! Addie already has a collection of coloring books so I like that this is something different AND it happens to be mess free!
Sunglasses – It gets really warm and sunny where we live and Addie is always trying to take my shades so hopefully that will end!
Elsa crayons – We have lots of crayons but these ones are shaped like Elsa! For only $1 it was hard to pass these up because I know she will love them.
Frozen Crayons – See above 🙂
Frozen Headband – Addie is really into Frozen so I thought this would be a fun accessory for her to wear.
Frozen magic towel – The Dollar Tree carries these wash cloths in all different shapes and characters. Once they become wet, they unfold and expand and it’s really fun to watch.
Hello Kitty toothbrush – Addie loves to imitate my husband and I, even as we brush our teeth. She is constantly trying to take our toothbrushes so I think she will really enjoy having one of her own.
Minnie stickers – Addie is also really into Mickey Mouse Club House right now and loves Minnie so I know she will be excited to use these stickers.
Notepads – One of Addie’s favorite things to do right now is grab a big ol’ notebook and walk around the house taking “notes” with her crayons. It’s super cute so naturally, I will continue to foster the cuteness and creativity.
Fun Dough – This is basically the same thing as the name brand at a fraction of the cost. I love that it comes with 4 fun colors. I might even be inclined to take out only one color at a time to make the fun last a little longer.
Bubbles – A 32 oz bottle for $1 – no explanation needed.
Floral Basket – I did like some of the Easter basket options at my local Dollar Tree but this purple basket seemed a bit sturdier and it was large enough to hold all the items.