I used to fill my kids’ Easter baskets crazy full with sugary goodies. But then the guilt would set in and I would quickly take it from them before they could eat it all. The poor things would get all excited about the treats and then disappointed when they could only eat a few. My plan was to slowly dole them out, but honestly I ended up eating most of it later.

Recently I have gotten smarter and I now only put in their baskets what I am okay with them eating that morning. I try to focus more on filling it with healthier treats and some small toys. It has been fun to see how much more excited they get. They love getting their basket and being able to eat as much as they want! Even though there is a lot less, they love being given free reign.

My Favorite Healthy Easter Ideas for Kids

Money: Kids love money. It just takes a few coins in a few eggs and my kids feel rich.

Cereal: At our house we don’t ever buy the sugary cereals. I like Lucky Charms, but not even in my most delusional moments can I pretend it is a good option for breakfast. So on Easter and Christmas I buy their favorite boxes of sugary cereal. Not exactly healthy, but it is better for them than jelly beans and then I don’t have to make breakfast. It is especially fun to hide the cereal in Easter eggs and make them go find their breakfast.

Share your Testimony: I believe that our kids need to know what we believe. Taking opportunities to share our faith with them helps them learn the comfort and peace that comes from following Christ. Easter is a beautiful opportunity to write down our testimony of Christ and share it with our children. I am not pretending that they aren’t going to dive for the toys first, but it will help build a legacy of faith.

Books: We love books and I like having a few holiday ones that I only bring out during that holiday. It keeps them new and exciting. Some of my favorite Easter ones are:

• Pinkalicious: Eggstraordinary Easter (G– loves Pinkalicious even though it drives my husband nuts)
• Pete the Cat: Big Easter Adventure (And of course we love Pete the Cat!)
• The Berenstain Bears and the Easter Story (Berenstain Bears/Living Lights) (We like having a few that explain the meaning of Easter)

Legos: We are huge Lego fans over here and even though we stink at keeping the sets together, I am a sucker for buying them. I especially love this Lego Easter Bunny!

For younger kids the DUPLO Pink Brick Box is perfect. It comes with two cute little bunnies. We bought this for G–‘s friend’s birthday and she loved it.

Healthier Snacks: Notice that I didn’t say “healthy” just “healthier?” I don’t think anything that comes in a box is exactly healthy, but these are definitely better than Peeps. Annie’s Homegrown makes these cute little bunny crackers and bunny fruit treats.