50 Eco-Friendly Easter Basket Fillers

Easter is just around the bend, so we’re sharing eco-friendly Easter basket fillers you can feel good about and your kids are sure to enjoy. These sustainable Easter basket ideas skip the plastic grass and single-use toys, and focus on healthier, greener goodies.

Eco Friendly Easter Basket Ideas

If you’re like most natural parents, holidays make great opportunities to reinforce your values around health and sustainability. There’s no reason to celebrate Easter with a basket full of plastic and artificial dyes.

Here’s how to choose eco friendly Easter baskets and fill them with healthier options.

Choose a reusable Easter basket

When it comes to choosing an eco-friendly Easter basket, the greenest option is to use a basket or bucket you already have on hand.

If you don’t have an existing basket (or maybe you want matching or similar sized baskets for each child), think ahead when you buy new. Choose a classic basket that can grow with your child. If you get too specific with a theme or cartoon character, they’re more likely to outgrow it quickly.

You can find great baskets at your local consignment or thrift store. If you fall in love with one that’s a little dusty, you can easily clean it with a spray can of air (the kind you use for cleaning keyboards).

I love this traditional basket from Sarah’s Silks. It is hand woven from thick elephant grass in Ghana. It also works to hold toys, remotes, bathroom items, or anything else you can think of year round.

If this is your baby’s first Easter, and want something to reuse, choose a basket that can grow with your little one like this heirloom quilted bunny basket.

Or choose something you can reuse to store toys or baby items like this one from 3 Sprouts or a traditional basket.

If you feel the need to go trendy, try something that might double as a toy or travel bag so your child will get a lot of use out of it while they’re into it. This calm and simple Squishmallow Easter Basket is a fun example.

Skip the plastic grass

Ever since seeing strands of plastic Easter grass in a real bird’s nest one spring, my family has been horrified by it. I’ve never personally bought it. And fortunately, it’s harder to find these days.

It’s messy and pretty much unnecessary. But if you particularly like the look, you can get recycled paper Easter grass or natural raffia to line the basket. Or run colorful paper (school fliers and junk mail are good for this) through a shredder.

If you want to experiment with this one, there’s also edible Easter grass. It’s cute and colorful, and I can’t vouch for whether it gets sticky!

Or keep the floor much cleaner and line your Easter basket with a pastel play silk or colorful cloth napkins.

Avoid plastic Easter eggs

There’s already enough plastic in circulation that our oceans and landfills are full of it. So, don’t buy new plastic eggs. If you already have plastic eggs from previous years, use them this year or donate them.

It’s possible to make an adorable Easter basket presentation with no eggs at all. Or by using the real eggs you dye naturally. Fill the basket with your other goodies and arrange the real eggs for extra pops of color.

If you really love hiding treats or inside eggs, opt for these hollow wooden eggs that gently twist open. They add a zero waste flair to your celebration.

In addition to dyeing eggs, making papier mache or tissue paper eggs make fun crafts to celebrate the holiday.

Healthier Easter Treats and Snacks

Look for Easter candy or treats without artificial sweeteners and colorings by opting for natural elements like dried berries, nuts, and seeds. In moderation, these sweet treats and Easter egg fillers are a better choice.

Non-Candy Easter Basket Fillers

If your child plays spring sports, Easter is a great time to gift a new softball glove or pair of soccer cleats. Lawn or beach toys are also fun ideas in anticipation of longer, warmer days and more time spent outside.

• sidewalk chalk
• bubbles
• sunglasses
• swimsuit
• flip flops
• beach towel
• kid sized garden tools
• yoga gear for kids
• rain boots
• water shoes
• fishing gear
• sports gear

The options are endless (and super practical!)

Some years we’ve filled half the eggs with candy and the other half with coins. It’s fun to watch kids count the money after they’ve opened them.

You might also consider an experience gift with a certificate or itinerary placed in the basket.

Here are some other non-candy ideas for eco-friendly Easter basket fillers.

Push Along Wooden Duck

Kiwi Co Farmer’s Market Set

Green Toys Scooper construction truck

Spring Books for Easter

Holidays are perfect for encouraging your child’s love of learning. Here are a few Easter books or Spring stories your little one is sure to love.

Enjoy Easter Outside

One of the best parts of this Spring holiday is the tradition of an outdoor Easter egg hunt. Even in less than ideal weather, you can still enjoy it outside with kids of all ages.

If it still feels like winter, incorporate some of these cold weather games into your hunt.

Remember there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. So take those new Easter gifts outside and enjoy them. And if the egg hunt goes too fast, try a nature scavenger hunt for extra outside time.