Shannon Swindell
With Easter right around the corner, my thoughts of what to get to fill Easter baskets and, more importantly, eggs have been constantly on my mind. And if you are anything like me, with three kids that get more than enough candy from other sources, you may want to read on.
Ever since my oldest son’s first Easter, I have tried to come up with alternatives to candy. When I was a child, my grandparents always gave coins or cash in my eggs as well as some candy. As a kid, I thought that was great. But in case you want to give more than just cash, here are some alternatives to the traditional candy-filled eggs.
For children under age 2: socks, small bubble containers, stickers, hair bows, and parent-approved snacks may be a welcome idea.
For children over 2: dollar bills or loose change, lip balm, temporary tattoos, Legos, paints, mini play dough, socks, mini popping toys, play jewelry, gift cards and anything that can fit in an egg. The change can be used to help children learn coins and how to add them together. On a recent trip to Meijer, I noticed a section in their Easter supplies with many of these items in multipacks. As a parent that is always looking for alternatives to candy, I hope this helps you as well.
Another tip: a fun way to make sure everyone gets their fair share is to have color-coded eggs. Each child would be assigned a color and would pick up only those eggs.
Shannon Swindell is a Markleville resident and a member of the Hancock County Hearts and Homes Extension Homemakers.
