2021-03-15

Here are over 100 non-candy Easter basket ideas for kids with type 1 diabetes, celiac disease, or food allergies. Or just for parents who don’t want to load their kids up with candy and sugar!

Photo: Pixabay

I know you are fretting about what to give your child with type 1 diabetes or food allergies this Easter. Perhaps it’s your first Easter dealing with this medical condition and your anxiety is on high.

Don’t worry. You’ve got this.

Your child with diabetes or food allergies can have just as much fun because candy doesn’t have to be the focus.

(And even before our own child’s diagnosis, candy wasn’t the focus in our family.)

My suggestion is to treat all the kids equally. If one gets a chocolate bunny or Peeps, they all get a chocolate bunny or Peeps. Insulin can be given for the candy (and if your child gets injections, you can easily add the carbs to a meal so that she’s not getting an extra injection). And there are companies that make chocolates free from some of the top allergens.

This list includes many items that are inexpensive and range from $1 to under $5. There are a few items which may be more. Many can be found in the dollar aisle or seasonal/Easter aisle and lots of these come in cute Easter or spring themes.

Some of the items are small enough to fit inside of plastic Easter eggs if you are planning a hunt.

We usually do an Easter scavenger hunt. The Easter Bunny leaves clues and in each location there is one item for each child. The kids work together to find each surprise.

Although these are non-candy options, our kids do receive a chocolate bunny. My child with diabetes gets the same amount of candy as my child without diabetes. They both eat a small chunk of chocolate during the week with meals.

Because what’s Easter without a chocolate bunny?!

(I continue to update this list! The list is now has surpassed 100 items, so I’ve divided them up by category.)

Non-Candy Easter Basket Ideas

New Ideas

Blind bags

Thomas Mini blind bags

Minecraft Mini blind boxes

Tsum-Tsum blind bags

K’nex Super Mario mystery bags

Super hero action figures

Uno game

D&D dice

Small Items

Coins

Stickers

Tattoos

Toys and Games

Travel play packs

Slinky

Silly Putty

Play-Doh

Kinetic sand

Small bouncy balls

Hot wheels or Matchbox cars

Train engines

My Little Pony

Littlest Petshop

Mini Barbie

Small stuffed animal

Rubber duckies

Schleich animals

Schleich dinosaurs

Puzzle

Board game

Silly Bands

Pokeman Cards

Trading cards

Baseball cards

Legos

Lego City set*

Lego Friends set*

Lego Chima set*

Lego minifigures

Lego separator

Handful of Legos from the pick-a-brick wall placed into a plastic egg

*These small Lego sets are usually under $5 and can be found with the seasonal items or at the checkout. They come in a bag instead of a box.

Books

Easter-themed picture book

Next chapter book in a series

Comic book

Coloring, Drawing, and Painting

Cute pencils

Coloring book

Crayons

Markers

Colored pencils

Paints

Paint brushes and sponge brushes

Small notebook

Journal

Cute erasers

Pencil sharpener

Crafts

Rainbow Loom bands

Beads and buttons for crafting

Googly eyes

Washi tape

Duct tape

Origami paper

Finger knitting book

Yarn and knitting needles

Outdoor Activities

Baseball or softball

Sidewalk chalk

Bubbles

Jump rope

Pinwheel

Bucket and shovel

Beach ball

Pool toys

Swim goggles

Beach towel

Bouncy ball

Yo-yo’s

Kite

Seeds

Small flower pots

Gardening gloves

Garden trowel

Binoculars

Magnifying glass

Kaleidoscope

Music

Guitar picks

Sheet music

Harmonica

Accessories

Shoe charms

Shoe laces

Earrings

Bracelet

Necklace

Headbands

Socks

Lip gloss

Nail polish

Hand sanitizer

Flip Flops

Sunglasses

Sun hat

Experiences and Entertainment

Movie theater gift card

DVD’s

Zoo passes

Children’s museum tickets

Pool passes

Amusement park tickets

Tech

Ear buds

Extra iPod charging cords

$5 iTunes gift card

More Resources:

Counting Jelly Beans For Easter

The Thrill of the Hunt (excerpt from Kids First, Diabetes Second)

Kids First, Diabetes Second Book (There’s a chapter called “Less Stress, More Happiness” that talks A LOT about these types of issues.)

More posts about candy alternatives

More posts about Easter and holidays

The post Easter with Type 1 Diabetes: 100+ Non-Candy Easter Ideas appeared first on D-Mom Blog.

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