Eco-Friendly & Healthy Easter Basket Fillers

Easter is just around the bend, so we’re sharing eco-friendly Easter basket fillers the kids are sure to enjoy. These options focus on healthier sweets and toys that encourage outdoor activity, reading, and mindfulness.

For 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.

Healthier Easter Basket Filler Ideas

You’ll find two sections of easter basket filler ideas below. The first offers some ideas on sweets that are a little healthier (or at least free from food dyes and allergens). The second includes non-candy Easter basket fillers.

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.

Outdoor & Active Play Fillers

• Sidewalk chalk (egg-shaped or natural chalk)
• Bubbles (in glass or refillable bottles)
• Jump rope
• Kite
• Garden tools for kids
• Sports gear (soccer ball, frisbee, swim goggles, new cleats)

Creative & DIY Easter Basket Stuffers

• Recycled or plantable coloring books
• DIY Easter craft kits
• Play silks for open-ended play
• Wooden or beeswax crayons
• Eco-friendly play dough

Mindfulness & Educational Gifts

• Storybooks with a spring, Easter, or nature theme
• Puzzle sets (wooden or recycled materials)
• DIY science kits (butterfly garden, crystal growing)
• Mindfulness cards

Bath & Self-Care Goodies

• Bunny or egg-shaped bath balls (nontoxic, essential oil-based)
• Natural scented soaps for kids
• Bamboo toothbrushes in fun colors
• Organic kids’ lotion or lip balm

Experiences & Subscription Gifts

• Coupons for a special outing (zoo, aquarium, or local event)
• Annual membership to a nature center or museum
• Subscription box (KiwiCo, book club, or craft box)
• Movie night or family game night voucher
• Find dozens more experience gift ideas here

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.

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

Spring & Easter Themed Books

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.

More Ideas for Keeping Easter Eco-Friendly

A beautifully arranged Easter basket doesn’t need plastic grass or excess packaging to feel festive and fun. With a few simple swaps, you can create a sustainable Easter surprise your child will love.

Choose a reusable Easter basket

The greenest Easter basket or bucket is one 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).

Skip the plastic grass

Plastic Easter grass is messy and unnecessary. But if you 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 to make your own.

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 ones. 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.

Be Sure to Hunt Easter Eggs Outside

One of the best parts of this Spring holiday is the outdoor Easter egg hunt tradition. Even in less than ideal weather, you can still enjoy it outside with kids of all ages. Just make sure your child is warm or protected from the elements.

If it still feels like winter, incorporate some of these cold weather games into your hunt. And if the egg hunt goes too fast, try a nature scavenger hunt for extra outside time.